Biography of N J Suit, Independence Co, AR

***********************************************
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives by: Michael Brown
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgenwebarchives.org
***********************************************

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

page 717

N. J. Suit, a successful horticulturist of Batesville was born on the 17th of
February, 1831, in the town of Sardis, Mason County, Ky., and is the son of
John and Angeletta (Grover) Suit, who were also natives of Kentucky. The
grandparents on both sides were natives of Pennsylvania, and resided in
Maryland, and then in Kentucky at an early day, in fact in the days of Daniel
Boone. John Grover, the maternal grandfather, once lived in a fodder house and
baked his corn cakes on a hoe, but by hard labor and honesty he accumulated a
comfortable fortune. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His
death occurred at the age of eighty-four. He served for some time in the War of
1812, and both he and his wife died in Kentucky. They were among the first
settlers of that State. John Suit was also a farmer and died in Kentucky. He
was also a successful tiller of the soil and belonged to the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and was one of the most moral men who ever lived. The mother
married the second time to James Engles, and in 1843 emigrated to Arkansas,
coming there by water, and settled near Batesville. They located near Sulphur
Rock, and there lived for several years. He was a carpenter by trade and died
near Moonfield. There were but two children born to the first marriage, of whom
N. J. is the only one now living, William H. having died. By the second
marriage Mrs. Suit became the mother of nine children. She died in 1884. At her
death she had about seventy-three children, grandchildren and great-
grandchildren. N. J. Suit was about twelve years of age when he came with his
parents to Arkansas. He received a limited education, there being no good
schools. At the age of about sixteen years he served an apprenticeship at the
tanners' trade, and followed the business until about 1880, or for over thirty
years. In 1865 he moved to Batesville, and ran a tannery for some two years. In
1868 he built the tannery he now owns and ran this until 1880. Since that time
he has been engaged in the nursery business. He has a good fruit orchard of
pears, peaches, apples and small fruits. He has planted all the trees and
carried on the business quite successfully ever since. He owns forty acres of
land on which his orchard is located, and is one of the prominent fruit growers
of the county. He was married in 1854 to Miss Susan F. Wright, and to them was
born one child, deceased. Mr. Suit's second marriage was to Miss Melissa J.
Qualls, in 1861, and three children were born to this union: Etta, wife of
Henry Richards, of Spencer County, Ind.; Walter, and Florence, wife of George
Wade, and the mother of one child. Mr. Suit's third marriage was with Mrs.
Margaret Herrin, a native of Tennessee, whose parents came to Arkansas, in
1849. Mrs. Suit is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.