Ona S. Searles as he looked during his legislative service.
Another in a long line of unusually named Vermont state representatives featured here, Ona Sanford Searles was a lifelong resident of the Green Mountain State. Despite the dearth of sources mentioning him at great length, Searles was for many years a leading business and political figure in Newport City, serving as president of the Vermont Retail Jeweler's Association, city mayor, and a one-term member of the Vermont legislature. Searles reached his highest degree of political notoriety in 1940 with his unsuccessful bid for Democratic U.S. Senator from Vermont. Born on November 14, 1890, in Bristol, Ona Sanford Searles was the son of Chester Emerson and Nina (Jones) Searles.
Searles early education was obtained at the "graded school in Bristol", as well as the Spalding High School. He later attended the Goddard Seminary in Barre, and after deciding to pursue a career as a jeweler, enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Horology, then remarked as the "most thorough and practical engraving college in the country." He graduated from that school in 1914, and then established himself as a merchant jeweler in Newport City, having first located there in 1910. Ona Sanford Searles married in Newport on October 24, 1917, to Marjorie Nelson (1893-1975). The couple were wed for nearly sixty years and had three children, Robert Nelson (1919-2003), Ruth Searles Dillon (1921-2009), and Richard S. (1924-1968).
During his long career as a jeweler in Newport City, Searles owned and operated Searles and Co., dealing not only in jewels but also fancy glassware, silverware, china, rings, ivory pyralin, clocks, and watches. Through the 1910s and 20s, advertisements for Searles's business could be found in newspapers throughout Orleans and Caledonia County, such as the Christmas advertisement below.
From the Orleans County Monitor, December 20, 1922.
For an indeterminate period, Ona Searles served as president of the Vermont Retail Jeweler's Association, and also made inroads into the civic life of his community, serving as president of both the Newport Rotary Club and the Newport Merchant's Association. He also held the directorship of the Newport Chamber of Commerce. Later, Searles would chair the Orleans County Development Association, and was active in scouting leadership, being affiliated with the Willoughby District Boy Scouts, and was director of the New England Council.
Searles entered the political life of his city when he won a seat on the Newport board of aldermen, and in 1936 was elected as a representative from Orleans County in the Vermont House of Representatives. Taking his seat at the start of the 1937-39 session, he would be a member of the Aviation and General committees during his term and was chairman of the last-named committee. Searles entered into national politics in 1940 when he was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senator. Following his win in the Democratic primary, Searles opposed two-term Republican incumbent Warren Robinson Austin in the general election that November. On election day it was Austin who emerged victorious, besting Searles by nearly 50,000 votes.
From the Newport Daily Express, March 5, 1941.
Despite his senatorial ambitions being dashed, Searles was afforded a measure of consolation with his service on the Vermont State Planning Board from 1941-45, and this period saw him pull political double duty, as he had won election as mayor of Newport in 1940. He would serve in that capacity from 1941-45, and during his term witnessed the marriage of his daughter Ruth in January 1943.
In 1952 Searles entered the political field once again when he announced his candidacy for state auditor. After winning the Democratic primary he went on to face incumbent Republican David V. Anderson, and that November lost to him in a lopsided contest, polling 48,223 votes to Anderson's 93,559. Little else could be found on Searles' life after this candidacy. Widowed in 1975, he continued residence in Newport until his death on February 16, 1977, at age 86. He was survived by his children Robert and Ruth, with burial occurring at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport.
From the Paducah, Texas Post, April 5, 1962.
An obscure one-term state representative from Texas, Ona Lark "O. Lark" Bell also served as Hardeman County Judge and County Attorney. Born in Chillicothe, Texas on November 18, 1904, Bell was the son of A.T. and Maude Bell. Recorded by most sources under the names O. Lark Bell, or Lark Bell, his full name was discovered via ancestry.com. In addition to that listing, Bell is recorded as a six-year-old in the 1910 U.S. Census under the name Ona L. Bell.
Bell's formative years were spent in Hardeman County and after attending Abilene Christian College decided to pursue a career in law. He enrolled at Baylor University and following graduation was admitted to the Texas bar in 1929. Bell married in June 1933 to Berta Stevens (1907-1999), to who he was wed until his death. The couple had two children, Lark (1946-1984) and Steva Bell Brinkerhoff. Bell would practice law in Quanah, Texas, and in 1942 was the incumbent county judge for Hardeman County. Bell had also served as County Attorney for Hardeman County, his full dates of service remaining unknown at this time.
In November 1951 O. Lark Bell won a special election for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, this election being occasioned by the resignation of John E. Morrison that June. Bell served until January 1953 and in the previous year had been appointed as general attorney for the Quanah Acme and Pacific Railway. In 1959 he has succeeded to post of general counsel and served until retiring in 1969.
Little else could be located on Bell's life post-1969, except notice of his death in Quanah on March 22, 1994, at age 89. His wife Berta survived him by five years, and following her death in 1999 was interred alongside him at the Quanah Memorial Park Cemetery.
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