Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Lee Neal

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Lee Neal was born August 30, 1847, in Van Buren County, Ark., and is a 
son of Joseph and Rosana (Robinson) Neal. The father was born in 
Chatham County, N. C., spent his youth in Tennessee, was married in 
Crawford County, Ark., and shortly afterward removed to Van Buren 
County, Ark. In 1859 he went to Texas; in 1861 he joined the Eleventh 
Texas Volunteer Cavalry, and served until discharged. He then re-
entered the Confederate service, remaining until the close of the war, 
and participating in thirty-six different engagements, among which 
were Poison Spring, Helena, Jenkins' Ferry and others. Since the war 
he has lived in Crawford County, and is now sixty years old, and 
engaged in farming. The mother is a native of Tennessee, is sixty-two 
years of age, and is the mother of the following children: Lee, 
Melinda (wife of W. S. Lester), Seldon R., Dillis Neal, America, 
Laurana (wife of Marcus Lamb), Sarah J. and William E. The paternal 
grandfather of our subject spent his entire life in North Carolina. 
His parents were French, and left their native land on account of the 
religious intolerance there. Laurana (Arrington) Neal, subject's 
grandmother, was also born in North Carolina, and after her husband's 
death immigrated to Tennessee. She died in Crawford County, Ark. James 
R. Robinson, Lee's maternal grandfather, was born in Tennessee, when 
sixteen [p.1179] enlisted in the War of 1812, and about 1840 came to 
Arkansas. He died in Texas. His wife was born of German parentage, and 
was reared in Pennsylvania. Lee Neal accompanied his parents to Texas 
when ten years of age, received a good education there, and when 
seventeen served on post duty in the McGinnis regiment of Texas 
reserved corps. He afterward completed his education in Crawford 
County, Ark., and has since served the county six years as examiner of 
common free schools. For the past eight years he has been an ordained 
minister in the Methodist Protestant Church, and has charge of two 
churches. February 6, 1868, he married Serena T. Lester, daughter of 
William and Margaret Lester, and a native of this county. Her parents 
were both born in Hempstead County, Ky., and came to Arkansas in an 
early day. The father died here, but the mother is now a resident of 
California. Mr. and Mrs. Neal have three children: Edward J., born 
March 29, 1868; William A., born March 2, 1873, and Rosana Maud, born 
January 14, 1888. After his marriage Mr. Neal farmed and taught school 
until 1876, and has since that time been in the mercantile business in 
Cedarville, in connection with his farming. Mr. Neal is a public-
spirited man, and has represented his county in the Lower House of the 
Legislature at Little Rock. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and 
the Patrons of Husbandry. He is a large land owner in the township, 
and one of its best citizens. Mrs. Neal belongs to the Methodist 
Protestant Church. 

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