Biography of Fred C. Harrelson, St Francis County, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Paul V Isbell Date: 19 Nov 2008 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** Fred C. Harrelson, who has been a member of the Arkansas Bar since 1940, has established a thriving law practice and title abstract business in his home county, St. Francis and today his name is prominent in those two professional fields, as it was in the life of his late father, Fred F. Harrelson. Fred C. was born Feb. 12, 1917, son of Mrs. Pearl (Crippen) and Fred F. Harrelson. A descendant of early prominent pioneers of Forrest City. Mr. HARRELSON is the great-grandson of John C. Hill who came to this county in 1852, who will always be remembered in Forrest City history as the man who surveyed the city and for whom Hill Street is named, and his maternal great-grandfather was John W. Crippen, widely known landowner of what is now Crow Creek. After graduation from Forrest City High School, he studied at the Univ. of Arkansas. In 1937, he returned to his hometown to become associated with his father in the management of the Title Guaranty & Abstract Co. of Forrest City. He decided to follow his father in the practice of law, and enrolled in evening sessions of the Univ. of Memphis Law School, and after three years became a member of the bar. On Oct. 6, 1940, he married the popular Dolores Proctor of Wynne, daughter of Don and Mabel (Best) Proctor, and to this union have been born two sons. During World War II he served as a member of the U. S. Army from Feb. 1, 1945, until his honorable discharge on Dec. 23, 1945 in Khorram Shar, Iran. He is a charter member of the Lions Club, the Arkansas and St. Francis Co. Bar Associations, King-Beazley American Legion Post, and the Forrest City Country Club, and the First Baptist Church. In addition, Mr. Harrelson has farming and real estate interests. In 1885, the St. Francis County Abstract Company was founded Capt. J. G. Stern, a northern man who located in St. Francis County and owned extensive real estate east of St. Francis River. The next owner was N. B. Fizer, lawyer and preacher and father of Mrs. J. G. Sanders. About 1897, Mr. Fizer sold the firm to Mrs. Aliec E. Matthews, a sister of John I. Jones and Mrs. A. A. French. both still residents of Forrest City. Mrs. Matthews married S. H. Mann in 1912 and the company was operated by Mr. Mann until his death in 1938. After his death, the company was purchased by Mr. F. F. Harrelson, lawyer and owner of the Title Guaranty and Abstract Company, until 1950 they two companies were operated together until 1950-first by Mr. Harrelson until his death in 1946, and then by F. C. Harrelson and Carroll C. Cannon. In 1950 the firm is owned and operated soley by Mr. Carroll C. Cannon. SOURCE: HISTORY of ST. FRANCIS COUNTY, ARKANSAS, 1954 - Robert W. Chowning Copyright, with Permission: Weston McCollum Lewey, Publisher -Times Herald Publishing-Forrest City, Arkansas