Biography of Robert A Childress, Independence Co, AR

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SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas. 
Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889.
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page 651 

Robert A. Childress, a prosperous farmer of Independence County, was
born in Franklin County, Va., in 1813. He is a son of John W. and Sarah
(Ferguson) Childress, both native of Virginia. The Childress family are of
English origin, but the family has lived in the State of Virginia for several
generations. The grandparents, Robert and Rachel Childress, both lived and died
in that State. John W. remained in his birth place until the year 1817, when he
moved to Missouri, and in 1819 again changed his location, settling in Randolph
County, Ark. In 1829 he came to Independence County, and was one of the
earliest settlers of that section, where he made his residence until old age
began to creep upon his shoulders, when he went to live with a son in
Galveston, Tex., where he died. His wife resided in Independence [p.651] County
up o the time of her death, in 1840. Robert A. was the oldest child of this
couple, and in his youth received a somewhat limited education in Independence
County, on account of the very meager facilities for learning offered in that
State. But after reaching his majority he returned to Virginia, where the
educational advantages were greater, and attended some of the higher schools of
that State until he had procured a satisfactory education. In 1841 he was
married to Miss Martha A. Waugh, who was born in Virginia in 1823, and died in
1860. This marriage gave them nine children, of whom four are yet living:
Thomas B., Julia C. (wife of Joseph B. Pritchett), Lewis W. and John W. In 1862
Mr. Childress married again, his second wife being Mrs. Josephine Sullivan, an
amiable and pleasant widow lady, raised in Mississippi, and a daughter of Dr.
Samuel Halliburton, who has also passed away. This union gave them four
children, of whom two lived to maturity, and those yet living are Samuel K. and
Sarah J., wife of J. E. Moore. His third wife was Mrs. Lucilla J. Cross, a
widow, youngest daughter of Col. John Miller, an nfluential and prominent
citizen of Independence County. Mr. Childress has resided at his present home
since 1840, excepting five years spent at Batesville, where he was engaged in
business. He owns 642 acres of land, and has about 325 acres under cultivation,
all of it comprising some of the richest land in the State. He has held the
office of justice of the peace for a number of years, and has proven himself to
be an efficient officer, and a valuable man for the position. He is held in
high esteem by the entire community, and enjoys that distinction which an old
settler is entitled to. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity until the
war, but since then has not been identified with any secret society. He has
been a member of the Presbyterian Church since 1833, and an elder for over
forty years. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church, and the children,
excepting two, belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In politics Mr.
Childress is a stanch Democrat.