Biographies - P-S, 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 Peebles Seth W. Peebles was born in North Carolina in 1825. His wife, Catherine, was born in Virginia in 1823. In 1850 the Peebles family was living in Blount County, Tennessee in Civil District 7. At this time Seth and Catherine had only one child, Nancy J., born in Tennessee in 1849. The Peebles moved to Greene County in about 1855 and took up residence in Union Township. By 1860 several more children had been added to the family: Rebecca, 1852; George W., 1854; John M., 1856; Sarah A., 1858; and James R., 1859. Rebecca and George W., were born in Tennessee and the other three children were born after the family arrived in Arkansas. Wyatt Peebles, father of Seth W., also moved to Greene County and was living in St. Francis Township in 1860. George W. Peebles, third child of Seth W. and Catherine, married Sarah J. Bolin in Greene County on Dec. 2, 1880. In about 1861 the last known child of Seth W. and Catherine Peebles was born. This child, a son, was named Lillurn J. In 1880 Seth W. and Catherine were living in Friendship Township and their nearest neighbors were the families of S. H. Weatherly, J. A. Wallingsford, Peter M. Reeves, and Emaline Burton. Pillow The history of the Pillow family in Greene County begins with James Pillow, a native of Virginia, born in 1799. By 1830 James Pillow was in Giles County, Tennessee and had married a woman by the name of Martha. There is no evidence that James and Martha Pillow ever came to Greene County; however, a number of their children did migrate to this area. The known children of James and Martha Pillow were: Levi, 1830; William J., 1833; Stephen R., 1836; Charles P., 1838; Mary E., 1840; Martha M., 1843; Thomas, 1846; and Narcissus, 1849. All these children were born in Tennessee. In 1850 Claibourn Pillow, born in 1826, was living near James and Martha Pillow. There is reason to believe that he may have been the oldest son of James and Martha although there is no positive evidence on this. However, it is very probable that they were related. By 1860 Claibourn Pillow had arrived in Greene County and established his residence in what was then Cache Township. Claibourn married a woman by the name of Emily and their known children were: James M. D., born in Tennessee in 1850; S. S. M., Tennessee, 1852; Claibourn Jr., Tennessee, 1854; John W., Missouri, 1858; and Stephen M., Arkansas, 1864. From these dates and places of birth, the movements of the family can be traced from Tennessee to Missouri and then to Arkansas, all in less than a decade. Levi Pillow, son of James and Martha, came to Arkansas during the 1850's and established his residence in Cache Township. He married a woman named Elizabeth and their known children were: Isaac H., 1852; and Sinia M., 1859. Isaac was born in Tennessee and Sinia M. was born in Arkansas. By 1870 Levi had died and Elizabeth was left a widow. J. M. D. Pillow, son of Claibourn, married a woman named Mary L. and they lived in Cache Township. Isaac H. Pillow, son of Levi and Elizabeth, married Martha A. Woods, born in 1853, on Nov. 17, 1877. Claibourn Pillow Jr. married a woman named Mary J. and was a resident of Poland Township in 1880. Their known children were: James C., 1873; Samuel, 1875; Susan, 1877; and Lilly, 1879. All these children were born in Arkansas. John W. Pillow, son of Claibourn Pillow Sr., married Mary E. Gramling on May 25, 1878. Some of the members of the Pillow family are buried at the Pine Knott Cemetery in western Greene County. John W. Pillow is buried there and his marker shows dates of Oct. 23, 1857 and Jan. 24, 1942. The marker for his wife, Charlsey Elizabeth Hyde Pillow, shows dates of Jan. 9, 1861 and June 24, 1929. In 1880 the nearest neighbors of Claibourn Pillow Sr. were his own relatives and the families of William Newsom, John Thomasson, and Needham Danley. Pruett The history of the Pruett family in Greene County begins with Willis S. Pruett, born in Tennessee in 1803. His wife, Polly E., was born in the same state in 1805. In 1850 the Pruett family lived in Roane County, Tennessee. At this time their children were: Nancy A., 1825; Robert W., 1826; Willis S. Jr., 18229; Polly A., 1831; Columbus L., 1833; and Louisa J., 1841. By 1860 at least two of these Pruett children had moved to Greene County and taken up residence in St. Francis Township. These two were Robert W. and Willis S. Robert Pruett married a woman named Eliza J., born in Tennessee in 1838. He was next married to Frances S. Owen on Nov. 1, 1876. Willis Pruett married a woman named Elizabeth, born in Tennessee in 1830. Their children in 1860 were: Julia, 1854; Isabella T., 1856; and Charles W., 1859. By 1870 Willis and Elizabeth Pruett had two more children: Sarah A., 1862; and Thessa (a daughter), 1867. In 1880 Willis was living in Union Township and following the tanners trade. His nearest neighbors at this time were the families of Avers L. Bandy, George L. Peterson, Benjamin F. Comstock, and Stephen S. Thompson. Ramer John W. Ramer Jr. was born in Tennessee in 1827. His wife, Sarah E., was born in North Carolina in the same year. In 1850 the Ramer family was living in McNairy County, Tennessee in Civil District 1 (630-93). At this time their only child was William who was listed as three months old in the census record. Their other known children who were born in Tennessee were: John R., 1854; Thomas J., 1856; Elijah A., 1861; and Wesley G., 1870. The Ramer family came to Greene County during the 1870's and settled in Hurricane Township. In 1880 William T. Ramer was living next to John W. Ramer and it seems likely that William T. was the oldest son of John W. The 1880 census lists William's age as 30. William's wife was named Elizabeth, born in Tennessee in 1848. Their children in 1880 were: John W., 1872; Nancy A., 1873; Amanda, 1876; and Luda E., 1879. In 1880 a George W. Ramer was also living near John W. Ramer and it seems likely that George W. was a son of John. George W. Ramer married Ann M. Hamilton, born in 1861, on Oct. 10, 1879 in Greene County. Ann was a resident of Clay County at the time of the marriage. Her father was born in Ohio and her mother, in Virginia. Thomas J. Ramer, son of John W., married Martha F. Starnes, born in 1861, on Dec. 23, 1881. Martha was the daughter of Marshall and Paralee Starnes, residents of Hurricane Township. William T. Ramer is buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Greene County and his marker shows dates of May 1, 1849 and March 30, 1930. The stone for Elizabeth, his wife, shows dates of Jan. 11, 1848 and Jan. 15, 1900. John W. Ramer and his wife are buried at the Starnes Cemetery four miles northwest of Marmaduke, but there are no readable markers. George Ramer is also buried there. Martha F. Starnes Ramer, second wife of Thomas J. Ramer, is buried at Starnes [Cemetery] and her stone shows a death date of March 15, 1890, aged 29 years, 4 months, and 15 days. Rachel Ramer, the first wife of Thomas J., is also buried here and her stone shows dates of Nov. 18, 1855 to March 19, 1879. It is believed that several other members of the Ramer family, mostly infants, are buried at Starnes Cemetery. In 1880 the nearest neighbors of William T. and Elizabeth Ramer were the families of Washburn Dortch, John W. Ramer, George W. Ramer, and Benjamin F. Bibb. Ramsey The patriarch of the Ramsey family in Greene County was Nathan Ramsey, a native of Henry County, Tennessee, where he was born on Nov. 12, 1837. He was the son of John and Nancy Ramsey, both natives of North Carolina, who were born in that state in 1795 and 1804 respectively. Nathan Ramsey married Sarah Elizabeth Sexton in Henry County, Tennessee on Feb. 10, 1859. The minister performing the marriage ceremony was Lewis Davis. Sarah's parents were James and Milberry Ellis Sexton. Milberry's parents were John and Keziah Ellis. Milberry and her brothers and sisters are mentioned in the will of John Ellis which was recorded in Henry County on Dec. 29, 1845. After the marriage of Nathan and Sarah Elizabeth Sexton Ramsey, they continued to live in Henry County for a number of years. Their known children in 1870 were: Nancy A., 1860; M. J., 1864; Mahala, 1866; William A., 1868; John J., 1869; and Joseph M., 1870. Nathan's occupation is listed in the 1870 census as "Minister." The Ramsey family came to Greene County sometime during the early 1870's. Greene County marriage records show that Nathan was a minister and an Elder in the Baptist Church and performed a number of marriages in the County. It is recorded that he performed a marriage ceremony on April 1, 1877, shortly before his death on April 24, 1877. He was buried in Harvey's Chapel Cemetery. Sarah Elizabeth Ramsey married Warren Rasberry in 1880. Warren Rasberry was born in 1851. Sarah Elizabeth Ramsey died in 1900 and was buried at the Purcell Cemetery in Clay County, Arkansas just north of the Greene - Clay County line. Joseph M. Ramsey, son of Nathan, married Rutha J. Moore, daughter of Benjamin A. and Georgia Moore, on Dec. 26, 1890 in Greene County. Rutha's brothers and sisters were: Alfred, 1872; John W., 1875; Martha E., 1877; and Bennet, 1879. The children of Joseph M. and Rutha Moore Ramsey were: Addie, Flossie, Charlene, Minnie Lee, Benjamin, Prentice, David Frank, Ruth and Dewey. Rhea The known history of the Rhea family in Greene County begins long ago in Warren County, Tennessee. On the 19th of March 1830, Moses Rhea, father of Obediah Rhea (later of Greene County, Arkansas) made his will. In this will Moses Rhea mentions his wife, Hannah Ritter Rhea; his daughter, Polly Hubbert; a son, Joseph; a daughter, Jane Cambell; a daughter, Susannah Sims; a son, James; a son, John; a son, William; and a son, Alfred. A grandson of Moses Rhea, also named Moses, is also mentioned. This younger Moses Rhea was the son of Obediah. This will was witnessed by Leroy Braly, Thomas Martin, and Alfred Braly. Obediah Rhea was born in 1790 in Virginia. He later married Elizabeth Emma Littlepage and they lived near Pinson in Madison County, Tennessee until about 1836 when they began their journey to Arkansas. Obediah and Elizabeth brought with them two sons and five daughters, leaving their oldest married son, John, behind in Tennessee. The two sons brought with the family were Thomas and Moses Boling Rhea. The daughters were Nancy, Elizabeth, Mary, Minerva, and Emma Littlepage Rhea. The family settled near Old Bethel Church in Greene County. Thomas Rhea is buried at the Rutherford Cemetery in Craighead County, Arkansas. Moses Boling Rhea is buried on the old Rhea farm just inside the Lawrence County line near Highway 25. Nancy Rhea married James Edwards and they lived near old Greensboro; at a later date they moved to Jonesboro. Elizabeth Rhea married a man whose last name was Rutherford. Mary Rhea married C. C. Grayson. Minerva Rhea married Clabourne Pinnell. Emma Rhea first married a man named Swindle and later a man named Pearce. Emma's daughter, Mrs. Laura Tiener of Walnut Ridge was the last surviving grandchild of Obediah and Elizabeth E. L. Rhea. Nancy Rhea Edwards died in 1913 and was buried at the Pine Log Cemetery in Craighead County. Elizabeth Rhea Rutherford is also buried at Pine Log. Mary Rhea Grayson is buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery in western Greene County. Minerva Rhea is buried in Lawrence County. Emma Rhea Pearce is also buried in Lawrence County. (Information for this sketch was provided by Mr. Floyd Barnhill of Jonesboro, Arkansas who obtained it from members of the Rhea family.) Rowland The patriarch of the Rowland family in Greene County was James B. Rowland, born in Tennessee in 1809. The county of his birth is not known. James came to Arkansas as an unmarried man, or as a child, sometime before 1833. This places him among the very early settlers of the area. James B. Rowland married Mary Weeks, a Tennessee native born in 1814, on March 4, 1833. The marriage took place prior to the time Arkansas became a state. In 1833 Lawrence County (sometimes called the "mother of counties") was much larger than it is now and occupied approximately the northern one- third of Arkansas. James B. Rowland, in 1833, was a resident of Lawrence County and for this reason the marriage is recorded in the Lawrence County Court House which is now located at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. His actual place of residence in 1833 was in what is now Poinsett County in the vicinity of Harrisburg. The first census taken after Arkansas became a state was in 1840. This census shows James B. Rowland and his family as residents of Poinsett County. By 1850 James Rowland had moved to Greene County and his known children at this time were: Alfred, born 1835; Joseph, 1836; Alexander, 1837; Thomas, 1840; Clark, 1845; James, 1846; and Lock W., 1848. It will be noted that all the children were males. James B. Rowland's occupation was that of shoemaker. James B. Rowland's wife, Mary, died sometime during the 1850's and he married Frances Jane Holland, a native of Tennessee, born in 1834. The first child born of the marriage was named Louisa, born in 1853. Marriage records prior to 1876 were destroyed when the Greene County Court House was burned. For this reason there is no record of the marriage as such. However, a deed record of August 22, 1871 specifically mentions Frances Jane as being the wife of James B. Rowland. During the ensuing years several more children were born of this marriage: Mary F., born 1858; Margaret, 1863; Martha Alice, 1868; Elizabeth, 1873; and Albert, 1876. By his two wives, James Rowland had a total of thirteen known children. Tradition has it that James B. Rowland left home during the Civil War to engage in some type of military service. Since he was about fifty-two years old when the War started, it seems doubtful that he was a regular soldier. At any rate he returned home some time later with one leg missing. Whether this was the result of a wound or some type of disease is not known. The 1870 census lists his occupation as "shoemaker, one leg." Thus there seems to be no doubt that he did lose a leg in some way. As indicated before, James B. Rowland's last child, Albert, was born in 1876. James died sometime after Albert's birth and before 1880. Frances Jane, wife of James is listed in the 1880 census as a widow. James' burial place is not known, but it is suspected that he was laid to rest at Pruett's Chapel Cemetery. Little is known about the adult lives of Joseph, Thomas and James, sons of James B. Rowland. However, some information is available on all of his other children. Alfred Rowland, son of James B., married a woman named Sarah A., born in Mississippi in 1839. They lived in St. Francis Township of Greene County as of 1860. They had two known children: James R., born 1857; and Calvin, 1859. By 1870 the family had moved to Dunklin County, Missouri and lived on a 40 -acre farm just east of Holcomb. The children, James and Calvin, were still living at this time, but this is the last known record of them. Probate records for Dunklin County, Missouri show that Alfred Rowland died sometime in 1876 and disposition of his land started on Sept. 11 of that year. The land was sold to pay the debts of the estate. No mention of the other family members is made in this record. Alex, son of James B., lived in Clark Township of Greene County as of 1870. He was married to a woman named Julia A., a native of Arkansas born in 1840. Their known children at this time were: Mary A., 1867; James T., 1868; and Frances A., 1870. Alex died during the late 1870's after two more children had been born: Ada L., 1873 and Laura J., 1875. Clark R. Rowland, commonly known as "Dude," married Malinda Jane Hunt in about 1867. Malinda was born in Kentucky in 1850 and was the daughter of Wilson and Malinda Hunt who had come to Arkansas from Calloway County, Kentucky. The first child of Clark and Malinda J. Rowland was named Malinda. This first child died at the age of about one year. At least three more children were born in this family: James W., 1871; Elizabeth, 1874; and Martha A., 1876. In 1892 the marriage of Clark and Malinda Jane was dissolved. Clark later married Fanny Wright and Malinda Jane married Alvey P. Vandermint, a native of Marion County, Missouri. Clark died on April 10, 1896. Malinda Jane outlived her second husband by a number of years and she died in a Little Rock, Arkansas hospital on Dec. 31, 1926. Lock Winchester Rowland, the last child of James B. Rowland and his first wife, was married several times and had many children. Tradition has it that his first wife was Mary Davis Vines Haggard, reputed to be a Civil War widow. They had two children: Josie Ann, 1872; and James Frank, 1874. Lock's second wife was Fannie Ada Grantham, daughter of James and Sarah Grantham. Fannie had been born in Hardeman County, Tennessee in 1855. The known children of Lock W. and Ada Rowland were: Charles, George W., Edward, Ethel, Ella, and Della. Charles was born in 1876; George, in 1879; Edward, in 1884; Ethel, in 1866 [1886]. The exact dates of birth for Ella and Della are not known, but it is believed that they were born in about 1880. Fannie Ada Rowland died in 1891. Lock W. Rowland married a woman named Emma in February of 1892 but the marriage soon dissolved and no children were born of this union. On July 14, 1898 Lock W. Rowland married Sarah Sloan of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. This marriage took place in Craighead County, Arkansas. Three other children were born after 1898, but the exact dates are not known. These children were: Maude, Jeff, and Alvin. Lock W. Rowland's last wife was Mollie Smith, born in 1865 in Carmi, Illinois. The Smith family later moved to Missouri and lived in the vicinity of Poplar Bluff. Lock W. and Mollie had no children. Lock W. died in 1925 and Mollie in 1927. Both are buried at the Center Hill Cemetery. There is a marker for Lock but no marker with an inscription for Mollie. Louisa Rowland was the eighth child of James B. Rowland but nothing is known of her except that she was seven years old in 1860. Likewise nothing is known of Mary F. Rowland except that she was living with a Terrett family in 1860 and with her father, James B., in 1870. Margaret Lemore Rowland married Andrew Johnson Spain on Feb. 11, 1883. She died in 1947 and both she and her husband are buried at the Pruett's Chapel Cemetery. Martha A. Rowland first married John Goforth. Later she married W. N. D. Williams in April of 1889. They had at least one child, Nath. Martha later married James Muse, and they had at least two children: Joel and Ellen. Martha died in 1922 and James died in 1945. They are buried, side by side, at the Center Hill Cemetery. Elizabeth Rowland married James Strickland who died in 1920. Elizabeth died in 1963 and was buried at Pruett's Chapel Cemetery. She was the last remaining child of James B. Rowland at the time of her death. Albert W. Rowland was the youngest child of James B. Rowland. He first married Susie Quetenmouse in 1898 in Greene County. His second marriage was to Mrs. Julia A. Thompson Lester in 1902. After Julia died on May 30, 1929, Albert married Onie Bell Haygood McClure, daughter of G. W. and Betty Mae Haygood of Bard in Greene County. In April of 1946 a fire broke out in the home of Albert and Onie who were living near Cardwell, Missouri at the time. They received burns which proved fatal for both of them. They were buried at the New Friendship Cemetery north of Paragould. Seay Reuben Seay was born in South Carolina in 1825. His wife, Sarah, was born in the same state in 1836. The Seay family moved to Alabama in about 1860 and there is some reason to believe that they lived in Lamar County. Soon afterward they moved to Illinois. By 1869 they were in the state of Missouri where they remained until about 1878. At this time, they moved to Greene County and settled in Cache Township. In 1880 the children of Reuben and Sarah Seay who were still at home were: Laura, 1857; Thomas, 1858; William, 1861; James, 1863; John, 1867; Joseph, 1869; Franklin, 1871; Abey (a son), 1873; Charles, 1877; and Maggie, 1879. Laura and Thomas were born in South Carolina. William and James were born in Alabama. John was born in Illinois. Joseph, Franklin, Abey, and Charles were born in Missouri and Maggie was born in Arkansas. William Seay married Sarah J. Waters in Greene County on Oct. 6, 1880. Sarah was born in Alabama in 1850. She was the daughter of Mary Waters, born in Alabama in 1823. Mary Waters was a resident of Poland Township in 1880. James W. Seay married Lonnie C. Tilman in Greene County on Dec. 15, 1883. At a late time he was the pastor of the Mt. Zion Church in western Greene County. Thomas Seay married Maggie Johnson on Sept. 17, 1880 in Greene County. A number of the members of the Seay family are buried at the Mt. Zion Cemetery: Reuben, April 23, 1829 to Jan. 6, 1901; Thomas, June 18, 1858 to April 23, 1900; Franklin, July 15, 1872 to Sept. 17, 1934; Joseph, Sept. 8, 1870 to June 8, 1887; Lonnie (wife of James W.), Sept. 18, 1867 to Nov. 27, 1909. Sarah, wife of Reuben Seay is also buried here and her marker shows dates of August 25, 1839 to Sept. 10, 1890. Several infants and children of the Seay families are also buried at Mt. Zion. In 1880 the nearest neighbors of Reuben and Sarah were the families of William Moore, Lucy Gramling, Robert Lovelady, and Frederick Boozer. (Much more detailed information about the Seay people may be obtained from the book entitled "Seay Family in America" written by Mrs. Mary Emory of Chesnee, South Carolina. A copy of this volume is now in the possession of Mrs. Doris Thurman, 1204 Belwood, Jonesboro, Arkansas.) Shearer Henry Shearer was born in Virginia in 1806. His wife, Penelope, was born in Tennessee in 1811. In 1850 the Shearers were living in Lauderdale County, Tennessee in Civil District 6. At this time their children were: John, 1833; Minerva, 1834; Sarah (Sallly), 1838; Robert, 1839; Austin M., 1843; Andrew, 1845; Benjamin F., 1846; James, 1848; and Narcissa, 1850. A young man named L. N. Ledbetter, born in Tennessee in 1828, was living with the family at this time. Records indicate that John and Minerva, the two older children, were born in Mississippi and the other children were born in Tennessee. In the late 1870's Henry Shearer and his family moved to Greene County and resided in Union Township. By 1860 one more child, Mary A. born in 1855, had been added to the family. Austin M. Shearer married a woman named Linnie E., born in Tennessee in 1848. They lived in Friendship Township. Their children in 1880 were: Ellinder J., 1870; James A., 1872; William, 1875; Sam C., 1878; and Ethel C., 1879. Austin's brother, Andrew B. Shearer, lived nearby at this time. Other neighbors were the families of D. J. Menser and A. A. Dollins. Andrew B. Shearer married a woman named Emaline, born in North Carolina in 1840. Their children in 1880 were: Alva A., 1868; Thomas R., 1869; Daniel R., 1871; and Louis F., 1879. The nearby neighbors of Andrew and Emaline were the families of T. C. Rogers, and William F. Thompson. Smelser The patriarch of one branch of the Smelser family in Greene County was Abraham Smelser born in Tennessee in 1805. His known children were: John W., 1827; Mary, 1831; William, 1833; Martha, 1841; and Nancy, 1847. John W., Mary, and William were born while the family lived in Kentucky. Martha and Nancy were born after the family arrived in Arkansas. The family came to Greene County sometime between 1833 and 1841 and settled in St. Francis Township. John W. Smelser, son of Abraham, married Nancy Clark, born in Tennessee in 1827. Their known children were: William Henry, born in 1850; J. A., 1851; Joseph, 1858; and Sarah, 1860. William Henry Smelser, son of John W., married Susannah Adams in Greene County on July 28, 1877. Joseph P. Smelser, son of John W., married Margaret Adams on July 4, 1878. By 1880 John W. Smelser had taken a number of his relatives into his household. His sister, Adaline Smelser Smith, and her two children, James and Nancy Smith, were living with the family. Benjamin Smelser, a nephew, and John W. Smelser, another nephew, were also in the household. The nearest neighbors of John W. Smelser at this time were the families of Franklin Gramling, B. M. Gramling, John A. Smelser, and John Parker. Spain William Harvey Spain was born in Tennessee in 1826. His wife, Martha Elizabeth, was born in the same state in 1827. In 1850 the Spains lived in Henderson County, Tennessee in Civil District 1. At this time they had only [one] child, Sarah E., born in 1849. In 1860 the Spain family moved to Greene County and took up residence in St. Francis Township. By this time they had several more children: William, 1850; Mary A., 1851; Nancy P., 1853; Henrettia, 1855; Elizabeth, 1856; and John S., 1860. In 1870 the Spain family still lived in St. Francis Township and four more children had been added: Margaret, 1862; Harvey, 1863; Emily, 1867; and Lucy Ellen, 1868. In 1880 the Spain family lived in Cache Township. Three of their children still lived at home at this time: Harvey, Emily, and Lucy. Lee Spain, a nephew of William Harvey, was living with the family at this time. The neighbors of the Spains in 1880 were the families of Taylor Land, W. P. Peevyhouse, Jefferson Crowley, and G. W. Swindle. Spence The history of the Spence family in Greene County begins with Joseph Spence, born in Tennessee in 1816. His wife, Mary A., was born in that state in 1817. In 1850 the Spence family was living in Rutherford County, Tennessee in the May District. Their children at this time were: Nancy, 1834; Britton, 1836; William, 1839; Elisha, 1841; Joseph, 1846; and Fanny, 1849. Joseph Spence followed the wagon makers trade at this time. The Spence family came to Greene County in about 1871 and settled in Union Township. Their nearest neighbors at this time were the families of Thomas Allman, Thomas H. Fortson, Thomas E. Meredith, and James F. Meredith. All these men were natives of Tennessee. Britton Spence married a woman named Bettie, born in Virginia in 1840. Their children in 1880 were: John, 1866; Sarah, 1868; Ella, 1871; William, 1874; Dotsey, 1877; and Zacherias, 1880. John, Sarah, and Ella were born in Tennessee while all the younger children were born in Arkansas. Bula and William Steel, born in Tennessee in 1866 and 1870 respectively, were living with the family at this time. William Spence lived in Cache Township and his neighbors were the families of Lewis Messer, Thomas Harris, and Henry Smelser. Elisha Spence married a woman named Matilda, born in Tennessee in 1845. Their children in 1880 were: Jackson W., 1868; Chapil W., 1869; Lenora, 1873; and Samuel, 1879. By 1880 four more children had been born to the family of Joseph and Mary A. Spence: Julia Ann, 1865; Susan, 1870; Charles E., 1873; and Mary E., 1877. Julia Ann was born in Tennessee and the three younger children were born in Arkansas. For the reader who may be interested in researching the Spence line further, the writer offers information from the Rutherford County, Tennessee Cemetery records: Brittain Spence, 1791 to Oct. 8, 1829, is buried at the Spence Cemetery which is located in the Rover Quadrangle, one and one-third miles east of Versailles at the end of a long farm - access road. The cemetery is located about two-thirds mile northwest of Pinnacle. At last report, the cemetery was grown up and contained a large number of natural stones. Another Spence Cemetery is located in the Fosterville Quadrangle, one-half mile south of Holden Spring. A number of members of the Spence family are buried here: Brittain Spence Feb. 8, 1823 to June 28, 1888; Beverly B. Spence, Feb. 11, 1833 to Oct. 4, 1909; Mrs. E. F. Spence, March 1, 1837 to Aug. 22, 1913; Max Miller Spence, April 22, 1845 to Feb. 4, 1899; Abner Spence, March 9, 1879 to Jan. 9, 1900; Boyd F. Spence, Aug. 11, 1900 to May 14, 1952.