Biographies - J-L, Vol 1 - Greene Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: George W Rowland Date: 17 Apr 1999 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** FATHERS OF THE RIDGE, Vol. I by George W. Rowland. Copyright 1978 by George W. Rowland. Printed by College Bookstore and Press, Route 4, Box 196, Paragould, Arkansas 72450. [Excerpted here with permission of author.] GENEALOGICAL SKETCHES Johnson The patriarch of one branch of the Johnson family in Greene County was William C. Johnson Sr., born in Tennessee in 1823. His wife, Amanda A., was born in the same state in 1828. In 1850 the Johnson family was living in Gibson County, Tennessee in Civil District 11. Their children at this time were: Permelia J., 1843; Jane, 1845; Malinda, 1847; and David P., 1849. The Johnson family moved to Greene County in about 1854 and lived in Union Township. By 1860 three more children had been added to the family: William C. Jr., 1852; James M., 1855; and Benjamin F., 1858. William C. was born in Tennessee and James M. and Benjamin F. were born after the family arrived in Arkansas. James M. Johnson married Julia A. E. Dollins in Greene County on Dec. 25, 1876. Julia was 18 years of age at the time. Ben F. Johnson married Martha M. Dollins on Oct. 16, 1878 in Greene County. Martha was 18 years of age at this time. By 1880 William C. Johnson Sr. was living in Friendship Township and several more children had been born in the family: John, 1861; Albert J., 1863; Christopher A., 1866; Jasper, 1869; Powel G., 1871; and Lunsford L., 1874. The nearest neighbors of the family at this time were H. L. W. Tiner, John McHaney, Audison Warsham, and E. W. D. Puckett. William C. Johnson Jr. married a woman named Mary E., born in Tennessee in 1857. In 1880 they lived in Friendship Township near William C. Johnson Sr. The first three children born of this union were: Laura A., 1876; William Thomas, 1877; and Virginia F., 1880. Laura and Virginia were born in Arkansas, but census records show that William Thomas Johnson was born in the state of Texas. Albert J. Johnson was married in Greene County on July 26, 1883 to a woman whose maiden name was Rutledge. She was 15 years of age at the time of the marriage. King The head of one line of the King family in Greene County was R. King, born in North Carolina in 1816. His wife, Rebecca, was born in the same state in 1814. The family moved to Greene County in the 1850's and settled in Concord Township. Their known children were: Nancy W., 1848; James M., 1851; Isabella, 1853; and Nep, 1859. The two older children were born in North Carolina while the two younger ones were born in Tennessee. The 1860 census lists R. King's occupation as "tobacconist." James M. King, son of R. King, married a woman named Percilla, born in Tennessee in 1857. Their known children were: Robert F., 1872; George W., 1875; and Jenny, 1879, a stepdaughter. In 1880 the nearest neighbors of James M. King were the families of Josiah Roberts, Israel White, Martin V. Vowel, and Samuel H. Johnson. All of these families lived in Blue Cane Township at this time. Kirby Thomas Kirby was born in about 1800. His state of birth is not known with certainty. However, Thomas was one of the very early settlers of Greene County, having arrived at some time before 1840. It is known that Thomas and his wife, Sarah, were in the state of Kentucky from about 1825 to 1838. Their children born in that state were: Joseph, Carroll, Nancy, and Ervin. One daughter, Elizabeth, was born in Illinois in about 1838. Another daughter, Julia, was born in Arkansas in about 1840. In 1850 Thomas Kirby was living in Dunklin County, Missouri. It is believed that he died there in the same year. Carroll Kirby married Emily Ragland. Carroll died in about 1857. By 1860 his widow, Emily, had moved to Greene County, Arkansas. Her children at this time were: Sarah C., 1850; James, 1853; William J., 1855; and G. W. (a son), 1858. G. W. Ragland, born in Missouri in 1839, was also living in the household at this time. Possibly G. W. was Emily's brother. William J. Kirby married Frances Jackson of Greene County. G. W. (George Washington) Kirby married Philadelphia Ellen Trantham. In 1900 this family lived in the vicinity of the New Liberty Church a few miles north of Paragould. They moved to Saskatchewan, Canada in about 1917. In 1924 they moved to Detroit, Michigan. G. W. Kirby died in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1940. Philadelphia Kirby died in Fulton County, Arkansas in 1950. The children of G. W. and Philadelphia Kirby were: John Walter, 1879; Ozzie Arvill, 1882; Maude Lela, 1884; Marlin Ray, 1886; Charles Chester, 1887; Chloe Violet, 1892; Ulysses Leonard, 1895; Una Mary, 1898; and Katherine Marguerite, 1901. At this writing, Una Mary is living in Siloam Springs, Arkansas and Katherine Marguerite resides in San Jose,California. They are the only living children of G. W. and Philadelphia E. Kirby. (Much of the information for this sketch was provided by Mr. Floyd R. Barnhill of Jonesboro, Arkansas.) Ledbetter The patriarchs of the Ledbetter family in Greene County were William and Thomas Ledbetter. William was born in North Carolina in 1813 and Thomas was born there in 1815. The Ledbetters came to Arkansas and took up residence in Union Township in about 1850. William's wife was named Mary A., born in North Carolina in 1827. Their known children were Presly G., 1849; James F., 1852; Nancy, 1854; and Thomas B., 1856. Presly was born in North Carolina but all the other children were born in Arkansas. Thomas Ledbetter married a woman named Frances, born in North Carolina in 1820. Their known children were: Simpson J., 1843; William S., 1845; Nancy C., 1847; C. A., 1849; Emily F., 1851; Joseph J., 1854; Sarah J. 1857; Mary F., 1859; and Daniel, 1862. The five older children were born in North Carolina but the rest were born in Arkansas. William S., son of Thomas, married a woman named Hiley A., and their known children were: Lula A., 1869; Charles M., 1873; Kittie, 1875; and William M., 1877. Joseph F., son of William Ledbetter, married a woman named Nancy and their known children were: Minnie, 1876; Thomas, 1878; and John, 1879. James F., son of William Ledbetter, married a woman named Nevada E., born in Tennessee in 1852. Their known children were: William P., 18755; Ada F., 1877; and Clara A., 1879. By 1880 Mary A. Ledbetter, wife of William (1813), had been left a widow. Mary's son Presly G. was living with her at this time. Little I The history of one branch of the Little family in Greene County begins with John A. Little, born in Tennessee in 1820. John's wife was named Elizabeth, born in North Carolina in 1820. Their known children were: James R., 1843; Joseph S., 1844; William F., 1845; John C., 1849; Thomas M., 1851; Wesley H., 1855; Davies B., 1857; Mary E., 1859; and Alexander, 1861. James, Joseph, and William were born in Tennessee. John was born while the family was living in Mississippi and all the other children were born after the family arrived in Arkansas in about 1850. Upon arrival in Greene County, the family settled in Big Creek Township. John C., son of John A., married a woman named Emily E., born in Arkansas in 1848. Their known children were: Sarah A., 1872; Charles M., 1873; John Jr., 1875; L. S., 1877; and Mary E., 1879. In 1880 the nearest neighbors of John C. Little were the families of E. P. Carter, Samuel Hopkins, T. J. Faulkner, and Alexander Edings. Little II One branch of the Little family in Greene County begins with John W. Little, born in North Carolina in 1832. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in the same state in 1836. The family came to Greene County in about 1855 and settled in St. Francis Township. Their known children were: William W., 1857; John A., 1859; and James H., 1863. John Little died soon after coming to Arkansas. Elizabeth then married George Thomason and they lived on a farm about one-fourth mile east of the point on which Crowley's Ridge Academy now stands. Their known children were: Julie, Robert, Marion, Eliza, and Samuel. George Thomason died and Elizabeth was left a widow for the second time. Eliza Thomason, daughter of George Thomason, married James Frank Rowland, son of Lock Winchester Rowland, on July 7, 1895. They had two children: Floyd and Flossie. William Little, son of John and Elizabeth, married Arizona Wardrum in Greene County on Dec. 13, 1879. James H. Little was married to Addie McIntosh on Jan. 8, 1887. She was the daughter of Nancy McIntosh. They had six known children: Jessie, Andy, Kelly, Ella, Elwyn, and Beatrice. Jessie Little married Ira Titus Russell, son of W. M. Russell. Their children are Bert, Sherrel, and Robert. Ira T., and Jessie operated a farm near Shiloh Church for many years. Andy Little married Floy Cline, daughter of W. L. Cline, and they had one daughter, Orenda. Floy died at a relatively youthful age leaving Andy a widower while Orenda was still a small child. Andy later married Elsie Gay, daughter of Silas Gay; Silas came to Greene County from Illinois. Andy and Elsie operated a general merchandise store and service for many years on the same spot now occupied by Martin's Grocery just west of Center Hill Church. Andy and Elsie had three children: Elwanda, Louicine, and James. Ella Little, daughter of James H., married Galvin Cline, son of W. L. Cline. Elwyn Little, son of James H., married Gene Coffman of the Coffman Community a few miles east of Paragould. James H. Little, son of John W., died on May 27, 1928. His wife lived to a ripe old age and died on April 19, 1936. They are buried at the Center Hill Cemetery. Lovelady Henry Lovelady was the patriarch of the Lovelady family in Greene County. He was born in Tennessee in 1813. He moved to Alabama in about 1834 and remained there for several years. In about 1843 he moved to Greene County where he resided in Union Township and followed the blacksmith trade. Henry's wife was named Sarah, born in Tennessee in 1814. Their known children were: Elizabeth, 1833; John, 1835; Jane, 1838; Madison, 1840; Jefferson, 1842; Cynthia, 1844; Mary Ann, 1847; Caroline, 1850; and George W., 1857. The five older children were born in Alabama while the remainder were born in Arkansas. Madison Lovelady, son of Henry, married a woman named Minerva, born in Tennessee in 1844. George W., son of Henry, married a woman named Martha and they had at least two children: Orleans, 1877; and Mewry, 1878. Both children were born in Arkansas. In 1880, George's sister, Caroline, was living in his household in Union Township.