Washington Co., AR - Biographies - John Sanders *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** John Sanders may be mentioned as one of the prosperous farmers and fruit growers of Washington County. Ark., and was born in Orange County, Ind., in 1834, being a son of Henry and Sarah (Laswell) Sanders. The father was born in Kentucky in 1810, but was reared in Indiana, whither he had been taken with his parents at an early day. He was a farmer and school-teacher by occupation, and is still residing in Lawrence County, Ind. The mother died when her son John was very young, and he was reared to manhood by his father. Through his own exertions he has acquired a good education, and spent several years in teaching school. In 1873 he came to Arkansas, and at the end of five years went to Kansas, but after remaining a short time returned to Washington County, where he has since made his home. He is one of the leading Prohibitionists in the county, and has always taken a deep interest in educational matters and affairs pertaining to the welfare of the county, and has held the office of justice of the peace for two years. While residing in Indiana, in 1852, he was married to Miss Mary Way, by whom he became the father of nine children: T. C., the eldest, a daughter, died in Texas; Eli H., [p.1015] Alfred N., G. W. P., died in Indiana; Miss E. L., J. G., John D., Sallie M. and Naomi C. Mr. Sanders is a member of the Argricultural Wheel and the I. O. O. F., and he and family worship in the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Sanders' paternal grandfather, Joseph Sanders, was a Virginian, and a son of Henry Sanders, who was a Baptist minister in England, but died in America.