Biography of William Greenlee, Franklin Co, AR

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        Date: 16 Aug 1998
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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed
Publishing Co., 1889.

Elder William Greenlee, a stock farmer, of Prairie Township, Franklin
Co., Ark., was born in Monroe County, Tenn., August 18, 1823, and is a
son of Lewis Greenlee, who was born in Georgia in 1790. The latter
removed while young to Franklin County, Tenn., where he grew to
manhood, and married Elizabeth Hunt about 1819, then removing to
Monroe County, E. Tenn., in 1822, where our subject was born. In 1837
the father located on the Cherokee purchase, south of the Hiwassee
River, and in 1852 removed to Carroll County, Ark., and was murdered
by the Federals in 1863. He was seventy-two years of age at the time
of his death, and was a member of the Regular Baptist Church. Mrs.
Elizabeth Greenlee was born in Franklin County, Tenn., in 1800, and
was the mother of nine children, of whom four are now living, viz.:
James M., William; Margaret, wife of John R. Copeland; Julia A., who
married Morgan Magness. The mother died in Marion County, Ark., in
1877. William Greenlee grew to manhood in Polk County, Tenn., and in
1844 married Emily Jackson, a native of Blount County, Tenn., who was
born March 15, 1826, and was reared in Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Greenlee
are the parents of the following children: Frances M.; Levicy J., wife
of James V. Skinner; Sarah A., wife or widow of W. J. Holder; James,
Newton; Emeline, who married Mathew McNatt, and died one year
afterward; Lewis A., Thomas J.; Marieta S., who married J. S. Seward,
and died fifty-one days afterward; William M., Willis A. and Virgil L.
Mr. Greenlee located in Sevier, Ark., in 1848, where he lived until
1867. In 1849 he professed faith in Christ, joined the Missionary
Baptist Church, and was ordained to the deaconship and licensed to
preach, and was ordained to the full work of the ministry on the 10th
of February, 1861. In 1867 he went to Franklin County, Ark., in 1871
settled in Sebastian County, but returned to Franklin County in 1887,
locating on the farm where he now lives. He has spent a great portion
of his time since his ordination in the ministry, with very little
remuneration, making his support for his family by working on his
farm, but expresses satisfaction from an assurance of having been
instrumental in the hands of the Master, of doing at least some good
in his vineyard, for which he claims no merit, but gives God all the
praise. He has not been able for several years to do much in the
ministry, on account of age and ill health, but is still preaching
some. Mrs. Greenlee was baptized at the same time as her husband, and
has lived ever since a consistent member of the church. His political
sympathies are and ever have been with the Democratic party.