Biography of Ira Lain Morris, Sebastian Co, AR

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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page 1350

Ira Lain Morris, a wealthy farmer of Sebastian County, Ark., is a son
of Enoch and Mary (Sexton)  Morris, both of whom were born in North Carolina,
the former in 1794 and the latter in 1796. The family first  came from Wales at
an early day, and located in North Carolina, where the Sextons, who were of
English birth,  had also settled. Here the parents were married, and lived
until 1827, when they moved to De Kalb County, Ga.,  and made that State their
home the remainder of their days. The father was an expert carpenter, and was
very  handy with tools of all kinds, and in connection with his trade carried
on farming. He died while visiting his  children in Texas, in 1884, his wife
having died in Paulding County, Ga., in 1868. They were devoted members  of the
Methodist Church, and were the parents of eleven children, six of whom are
living. Four sons served in  the Confederate army during the late war. The
fifth child of the family, Ira Lain Morris, was born in Davidson  County, N.
C., April 17, 1825, and was reared on a farm, but received but little early
education, as his boyhood days were spent on the Cherokee Purchase in Georgia,
there being very few schools in the region at that time.  He afterward acquired
a sufficient knowledge of the common English branches to enable him to acquit
himself  creditably in the transaction of business, and he is now considered
one of the most intelligent men in the  community in which he resides. In 1847
he was married to Miss Nancy J. Simes, who was born in De Kalb  County, Ga.,
January 14, 1829, and by her is the father of twelve children: Mary J., Sarah
A., James W.,  William J., Martha E., George L., Frances O., Amanda M.
(deceased), Enoch H., Nancy C., Charles H.  (deceased), and Jennie L. In 1853
Mr. Morris moved to Texas, and during thirteen years in that State was a
resident of the following counties: Cass, Wood and Upshire. In 1866 he came to
Sebastian County, where he  has since made his home, and is the owner of 220
acres of fertile land. The family are all members of the  Methodist Church, and
he is a Democrat and Mason. In February, 1863, he enlisted in Company R, Texas
Volunteer Cavalry, Confederate States Army, and served until the close of the
war. The chief battle in which he participated was Yellow Bayou, and he was
neither wounded nor taken prisoner during his service.