RUEBEN EDWARD PERSON
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B6  RUBEN EDWARD PERSON was born April 14, 1884 in Yell County, Arkansas in 
old Neely near Dardanelle. He was the second child born to  Edward Randolph and   
Jennie Bell Smith Person. They lived in a double log cabin near the Arkansas river. He 
was named for a friend,  Rueben Cole.
   
In 1888  Edward and  Jennie moved to White Oak mountain in Van Buren County for 
health reasons. People in the mountains were not as susceptible to malaria and 
mosquitoes as those who lived in the Arkansas river bottoms. They had already lost 
two daughters,  Anna Mae and  Maude Bell Person.

 Rueben "Rube" attended Austin school in Van Buren County and also New Hope 
school in Pope County. He attended school with two of his cousins,  Henry Bill and  
Jesse Phillips. One of his teachers was  John Hardin.  Walter Cooper attended the same 
term of school in 1898 that "Rube" did. Later "Rube,"  John,  Adelaide,  Eathel and  
Walter attended the Brush Arbor school just east of the Edward Person farm on what 
was known as the Cosley place. The teacher was  Burley Bruce. "Rube" later in life 
owned the Cosley place.
    
Due to the short term of scool (3 months) his parents sent him to Clinton and 
Appleton (Pope County) to finish his education before entering Medical College in 
Little Rock. As money was scarce, he did not receive his full training. He started his 
practice in Appleton just a few miles from home. He did not practice medicine long 
but instead went back to Little Rock and became a house detective at the Marion Hotel 
in that city. He also worked at steam fitting jobs and returned to that profession just 
before retiring age in order to be eligible for Social Security. He resumed the practice of 
medicine around 1940.
    
He married   Mattie Richards on November 23, 1918 while living in Little Rock. He is 
alleged to have said that she was a wealthy woman who tried to hold a tight rein on 
his spending. They soon disagreed and separated.
   
When "Rube" lived in Little Rock, his sisters  Adelaide and  Eathel joined him. Later, 
his youngest brother,  Joe, took his bride there to live. There  Joe Pate Person, Jr. was 
born January 16, 1918.
     
"Rube" moved to Carden Bottom around 1924 to live with his sister,  Adelaide, and 
her husband,  Morris Hignight. He practiced medicine and his wife,  Mattie, lived 
there a short while, then returned to Little Rock. That was the last time they tried to 
live together.
    
He married   Ruby Rainey Gilley on April 20, 1929. They lived at Cotton Town 
plantation where he helped manage the farm. Ruby had a daughter,  Vera Gilley, by a 
previous marriage who was reared in "Rube's" home and was endeared as a cousin to 
the Person children.   Vera married  John Merritt. The Persons and the Merritts 
moved to the Dave Love farm at Lakeview. There Mary Jo Merritt was born in April, 
1938 and about two years later,  John Phillip Merritt was born. Before 1950, Ruby 
Person was bedridden with a back ailment for a year or more. "Rube" was put to the 
test acting as housekeeper and nurse. When she recovered they moved to Pine Bluff 
around 1950 and farmed for several several years. In 1950s  "Rube" and  Ruby bought a 
farm in Birta, Arkansas (Perry County). They raised chickens for a year and then he 
went back to steam fitting jobs in Little Rock. He worked long enough to be eligible for 
the Social Security benefits upon retireing. While on that job he developed lung 
cancer. He went back to his Birta home stay but his condition never improved. He 
died July 10, 1959 in St. Mary's Hospital, Russellville, at the age of 75. He was a Master 
Mason and a member of the Order of the Easter Star. Funeral was held at the Cornwell 
Funeral Chapel in Dardanelle on July 12th by Rev.  Jimmy Short. Burial was in 
Brearley cemetery in Dardanelle. He was survived by his widow,  Ruby, a sister,  
Adelaide Hignight, and three brothers:  John,  Herbert and  Joe Person.
      
 Rueben ("Rube" also "Doc") Person traveled around and worked several places in his 
lifetime. Among them were New Orleans, Louisiana and Spokane, Washington. 
There were also other towns.