Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/222

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\'IRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

P.oydton. N'irj^inia, October 9. 1854. After preparatory courses, he entered Virginia .Military Institute, in Aug-ust. 1872, as a cadet from Mecklenburg- county, continuing three years until graduation, class of 1875. Deciding upon the profession honored by his father, he prepared at the University College of Medicine, Baltimore, receiving his degree M. D.. class of 1879. He began pro- fessional practice the same year at Boydton, but has not been in continuous practice there. He was for a period physician at the celebrated Buffalo Lithia Springs of Vir- ginia. Later he located at Asheville, North Carolina, where he established a large and select practice. He then removed to Haw River, North Carolina, where he has large business interests. He has a large practice in Boydton. the home of his mother, and is practically a resident of both Boydton and Ilaw River. Mrs. Laird, mother of Dr. Laird, resides at the fine old homestead in f'.oydton. a highly respected and beloved lady. Dr. Laird divides his time between his professionat and business interests in Haw River and Boydton. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in ])olitics is a Democrat.

lie married. June 9, 1880. Cora Alay. daughter of Governor Thomas May Holt, of North Carolina. Children: i. Thomas Holt. born at 1 law River. Xorth Carolina. Au- gust 5. 1881 ; educated at Danville Military Institute and Trinity College, Durham. North Carolina ; now engaged as a cotton broker at Greensboro. North Carolina ; mar- ried Margaret Keene Goode. daughter of Edward Chambers Goode. and has a daugh- ter Loujsa Ilolt Laird, born in (ireensboro, .August 18. 1913. 2. Charles Chambers, born at Ilaw River. North Carolina, August 31. 1890; was educated at I'ingham School, Asheville. North Carolina, and \\'ashington and Lee University. Lexington. \'irginia ; was associated with his older brother in cotton brokerage business in Greensboro; died at Sao Paulo. T.ra/.il. November 15. 1914.

D.ivid frank Laird, a brother of Dr. Alex- ander T. Laird, was born in Rockingham county. X'irginia. July 8. 1822. died Decem- ber 17. iS<)i ; was a farmer.

George Paul La Roque, M. D. .\u ancient lainily of hVance. the La Ro(iues. on coming to America in the seventeenth centurv. set-

tled in Louisiana. From there the branch which Dr. George Paul La Roque, of "Bich- mond. Virginia, descends, passed to the state of North Carolina, settling in Lenoir county, which has been the family home for considerably over a century. One of the well known, old time physicians of that county. Frederick La Roque, universally known as ''Old Doctor Fred," practiced in the county until his sixtieth year. His wafe was a Dunn, whose family came from Eng- land, settling first in eastern Virginia, and later going to North Carolina. The Mew- borns with whom \\'alter Dunn La Roque intermarried, w'ere also an English family that settled first in A^irginia before going farther south.

(I) Dr. Frederick La Roque ("Old Doc- tor Fred") was born in Lenoir county. North Carolina, there lived, and died at the age of sixty years. He was a regular medi- cal practitioner, and was well known over that section as a skillful and reliable physi- cian. He married a Miss Dunn, and reared a family of five children, one of whom was Mrs. Sue Hardy, yet living, a resident of Lenoir county.

(H) Walter Dunn La Roque, son of Dr. Frederick La Roque. was born in Lenoir county. North Carolina, February 12, 1850. died July i, 191 1. in Kinston in the same county. He began business life as a farmer, but later became a merchant of Kinston. and for twenty-five years preceding his death was in business there. He married, in 1871, Annie, daughter of Levy Alewborn. also of an old Lenoir county family. She was born in Lenoir county in October. 1850. and is now- a resident of Kinston in that county. Children : Mark Heber. died in 1881. aged nine years; Frederick Alabson. born July i, 1874. now a merchant of Kin- ston ; George Paul, of further mention ; Walter Dunn, born December 30. 1878, now in the real estate and insurance business in Kinston, and active in pulilic affairs, having just com])leted his third term of two years each as mayor and is now postmaster of that city; Oscar Kent, born March 20. 1883, a wealthy, influential tobacct) dealer, requir- ing two warehouses to conduct his lousiness ; J. b>ank. born January 18. 1888. a tobacco buyer and warehouseman of Kinston.

(Ill) Dr. (Jeorge Paul La Roque. second son of Walter Dunn and Annie (Mewborn) La Roque, was born in Kinston, Lenoir