Letter to Joyce Sissom Miller from Hazel hankins Jones...11/97

Dear Mrs. Miller: I read with a great deal of interest your nice letter in Colleen Haynes Rongey column in the Newton County Times, 10-23-97. I was in Arkansas for a visit in the Ozark mountains and just happened to buy a copy of the paper.

I am a former classmate of Colleen Haynes at Deer High School and have been in touch with her. I am a member of the Tom Hankins family of Pelsor, Arkansas.

In your letter you mentioned John and Minnie Osborn of Moore. Minnie was a sister to my father Tom Hankins and she was postmistress of Moore. I think John that you referred to was in fact Bob and his son was John.

I am trying to trace our great grandfather James Rubin Hankins who came from or died in Missouri. His son James Rubin Hankins came to Arkansas sometime in early 1900. You mentioned Doctor James Blalock. He came to our home and stayed to await delivery of one or more of my sisters. Dr. Blalock daughters, Ellen and Ollie were married to two of my uncles. Ben and OllieHankins and Rube and Helen Hankins.

If you remember anything of the Hankins family, I would so appreciate hearing from you or hearing from you in any event. Who knows, we may be related!

My mother was Elsie Lee Dickey, her father was Cisroe Hill Dickey from Iceledo. His mother was a Hill but I do not know what her name was but there is a Hill Cemetery in Iceledo.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Colleen and writing her a note. I wish I had read your first letter to her. Of course we knew the Sissoms, but I can't remember enough to write you about them.Thanks and Happy Holidays with good health...Admirer, Hazel Hankins Jones.

Letter from Charldene Sparks of Arkansas - 9/96

Dear Mrs. Rongey: I have been aiming to write you for a long time. I do enjoy your writing in the Newton County News. I don't always know the people but just enjoy old time stuff.

In one article I was most interested because you mentioned that Lurton used to be known as Spence. How did you find that out. I never even heard it before. My great grandmother Massengale was a Spence. She is only one I had ever heard of around here. They came here from Tennessee by way of Mississippi and Alabama and ended up in Carrol County which later, part of it became Newton County. She was Hannah Ellage Spence, B Aug 31, 1814 in Tenn, died 1909 in AR. husband was Wright Stokes Massengale. They were married 1837.

I write fiction about old time ways and people. Am sending you two of my books, Walking the Mountain Road (1993) and Mountain Country (1991). Thought you might enjoy them. You can tell the first one I was learning on..did better second one and real good on third one.

If you could tell me anything about this place Spence, Why was it named that, etc... Sincerely, Charldene Sparks...

(Charldene: The only information I find about Spence is found in Lackeys Newton County History, on page 190 and I quote: "Spence: Established May 3, 1892 with Solomen M. Overturff, postmaster; Jan 25 1894, Thomas Hollowell appointed; July 6, 1899, George W. Hamm. Office discontinued June 30, 1911, mail sent to Tarlton. Office named for George Spencer." (Sparks and Lackeys books may be ordered from Newton County Historical Society). CR

Letter from Mary Pennington of Arkansas - 10/30/97

Dear Ms. Rongey: I am researching the Taylor and Standridge Families and on a recent trip to Newton County, Arkansas, one of the locals mentioned you had written some Ozark Stories for Voices of Newton County. The newspaper could not provide copies but did give me your name and address.

I am interested in receiving a copy of these articles and will pay a reasonable price. Please use the enclosed envelope and let me know if you will share these and at what charge. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely yours, Mary Pennington.

(Mary, to answer your question about ordering the Voices articles...your letter and others like it is the reason I considered doing this web site. You can turn on your computer and print them out. The only thing I ask is that you respond via email with your comments and other information.)

About the family lines you are looking for: the best book I know of on the Taylors and Standridge families is Ross and Kin by Vera Dean Ross. I understand the book is out of print but the Newton County Library has a copy as does the Newton County Museum. Look on Page 127 for English Monroe Taylor and Please M Taylor. The Standridge family begins on page 117 with Martin Standridge (c1806).

The Museum may have other references, I found the Ross book very interesting as it connects many early family histories and gives a picture of the early times in southeastern Newton County. For instance, one family who married into this line was the family of Isaac Freeman. Mr. Freeman homesteaded the land where Tarlton Cemetery is located and (oral history) tells us he had the first burial in the Tarlton Cemetery. A freed woman slave and her young daughter did not want to stay behind when the Freemans moved to Newton County from North Carolina. The story goes that she was helping put out a forest fire as they were burning brush in the field behind the cemetery, she got too hot and drank cold water from the spring causing her death. She has a marked grave in the back corner left side of the cemetery.

Because of Freeman's early connection with the cemetery and the nearest name we can find of Tarlton (we think) the cemetery may (possibly) be named for is Martin Clinton Tarlton quot;Talquot;Ross, (1842-1910) son of Rhoda Ann Standridge and John Wesley Ross, Sr.

The Freeman property there was later owned by Ed and Dullie Woodard Rosamond, next to Ephraim Woodard's farm, now owned by Daniels cousins. Daniels park will be the location of our National Woodard Reunion on Sunday this year. And only coincidentally, was the location of my birthplace... in the Freemans old log house. Of the Ephraim Woodard family, two of my mothers sisters married in to this family. Minnie Woodard married William Jackson Freeman, and Fannie (Mary Francis) Woodard married Chester T. Taylor...both descended from this line. Brother Dan Hefley's wife Ollie was a Freeman and they are related to my Freeman cousins as well.) CR

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Take Care, Judy Tate