Women's History - Nancy Ball Angell

In celebration of Women’s History Month, biographies of many of the wives of the G.A.R. members are on display at the G.A.R. Hall. Several of the women were members of the Woman’s Relief Corps (WRC), the women’s auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic.

One such woman was Nancy (Ball) Angell. She was the wife of Clark Angell who was a Civil War veteran, G.A.R. member, and photographer. Like her husband, Nancy was an active member of the Litchfield community. Here’s a bit of her story.

Nancy Angell

Nancy Ball was born in Canada in 1847 and came to Minnesota at an early age. She was the youngest of six children born to Joseph and Sarah Ball. Her sister Sarah married Attorney Solomon Comstock. Their beautiful home in Moorhead, Minnesota is currently owned by the Minnesota Historical Society and is open seasonally for tours. A photo album in the home includes some of their Angell family members.

Nancy met Clark Angell in Wright County, Minnesota. They married on July 3, 1864. In 1869, the couple and their young family settled in Litchfield, Minnesota, a place they would call home for the rest of their lives. Clark often traveled with his photography while Nancy remained home, raising their five children.

Nancy was very involved in the goings-on in town and knew much of the town’s history, having witnessed much of it herself. She also kept up on state and national news. Nancy was an important member of the Litchfield WRC over the decades. She was also selected as a Minnesota aide to the Corps’ national convention in 1893, one of about two dozen women from across the state. 

Nancy’s obituary called her a “woman of great fortitude, courage and undaunted spirit,” characteristics she needed several times in her life, especially when faced with the tragic deaths of three of her children. In 1892, 14-year-old Louis was injured in a hunting accident. At first, he was expected to recover, but blood poisoning set in and he died three weeks later.

Then in a horrible coincidence, on July 16, 1902, sons Hiram and Otto died. Hiram, the district court clerk, died from “meningitis with other complications.” His younger brother Otto was the deputy clerk. His health had been failing for several years due to tuberculosis.

Tragedy continued in 1905 when Nancy’s daughter-in-law, the wife of son Clark Angell Jr, died in South Dakota. Their two young children would come to live in Litchfield. Another loss came two years later when Nancy’s husband, Clark Sr, died. They had been married for 43 years.

Along side the portraits of some of the G.A.R. Members, we've added information about their wives. On display through March, Women's History Month.

Nancy herself met a tragic end. On February 1, 1929, she and a friend were leaving the G.A.R. Hall following a WRC meeting. As they walked south, Nancy mistakenly thought she could beat an oncoming train. She was struck and killed instantly. She was survived by her son Clark Jr and daughter Alice Lamb.

To learn about more of the wives of the G.A.R. members, visit the G.A.R. Hall at the Meeker County Museum.