CRAIGHEAD CO, AR - JOHN WILSON - Bio

Submitted by: Name: LeVonda Smith 
Email Address: levonda@fament.com

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JOHN WILSON

Branson Freeman aka John Wilson, was born August 15, 1871 in Madison
County, NC and was the twin brother of Anson. He appears in the 1880
census at the age of 11. Brant went into hiding after 'taking the
blame' for the shooting of his cousin, Pinkey. While hiding out at his
brother's home, the sheriff came in search of him, after being informed
of his whereabouts. 

In the midst of a heavy snow, almost half dead with pneumonia, very
weak and with one leg injured, Brant had to run to avoid capture, into
the cold of the night. Brant left North Carolina and went to Arkansas
where he assumed the alias, John Wilson. He settled in Bay, Arkansas
and married Sarah Watson and had 4 children. Sarah died in 1903-1904.
After Sarah's death, the 4 children returned to NC to live with their
grandmother, Martha K. (Wilson) Freeman and remained there with Robert
and Martha until Brant remarried. While staying with their
grandparents, Juliettie (Little Lottie) died of severe burns received
when her clothing caught fire from an open fireplace. She died in 1906
in Madison County and is buried at Dry Pond Cemetery. 

Brant remarried to Lilly Victoria Cooper in 1909 who was the daughter
of George Newte Cooper and Sarah Ann Hendrix. Shortly after he married
his children left NC and returned to him in Arkansas. While living in
Arkansas, Brant ran for High Sheriff and was elected to the office. He
remained sheriff for many years until it was discovered that he was a
fugitive from NC and he had to leave. Brant and his family appear in
the 1920 census in Arkansas. Brant died on March 15, 1923 at the age of
51 in either Lunsford, Craighead County, AR or Crenshaw, OK. His body
was then taken to Trumann, Arkansas and he was buried at Bowman
Cemetery, just outside of Trumann. Brant had 10 children in all, all
born in Bay or Lunsford, AR. The four children he had by Sarah were:
Ollie born August 4, 1895 and married Atha Crain; Juliettie born 1897
and died 1906; Bertie who married Jim Mitchel; and Edgar born December
19, 1903 and married Edna Hogan.  Then he had six children by Lilly who
were: Walter born May 27, 1910 and married Pearl Price; Ruth Mae born
October 20, 1912 died September 10, 1988 and married Jess Monroe
Vickery on September 10, 1927; Hershel born August 15, 1915 died
January 21, 1991 and married Burnice Wright; Earl born August 15, 1915
died July 15, 1993 in Jonesboro, Craighead County, AR. married Nadine
(Sis) McClearn; Annie Pauline born April 14, 1919 died December 27,
1980 married Arnold Huskey; George (Rass) born June 26, 1921 died
August 13, 1970 married Ella Maudine Clemmer on May 06, 1944.

All went by the alias of Wilson.
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