Silas Shirley b. 19 Mar 1836 Morgan Co., OH, moved to Athens Co., OH d. 29 Feb 1924 Buried: Paint Rock Cemetery, Paris, Logan County, AR
1st marriage: 2 Apr 1856 Big Run, Athens Co., OH
2nd marriage Letha Yielding: 16 Oct 1881, Logan Co., AR (divorced 4 Oct 1884)
3rd marriage: 1 Jan 1885, Logan Co., AR
1st wife: Dimarus Abigail Driggs b. 23 Nov 1836, Big Run, Athens County, OH d. 14 Apr 1881 Buried: Paint Rock Cemetery, Logan County, AR
2nd wife: Letha Lurinda Yielding b. 20 Feb 1844 Brooksville, Blount Co., AL d. 3 Jan 1925 OKC, OK Co., OK Buried: Fairlawn Cemetery, OKC, OK Co., OK Father: Francis Yielding Mother: Elizabeth "Betsey" Early
Letha's marriage 6 Sep 1860 AL: James Monroe Williams b. ? d. 17 Dec 1863 Civil War
Letha's marriage 29 Sep 1864 AL: Jacob A. Lowery
Letha's next marriage: X Smith
3rd wife: Arabella E. Copeland b. 12 Aug 1856 AL d. 20 Jan 1940 Johnson/Logan Co., AR Buried: Paint Rock Cemetery, Paris, Logan Co., AR Father: Ephraim Copeland Mother: Elizabeth Lee
Children of Silas Shirley & Dimarus Abigail Driggs
John Wesley Shirley b. 25 Apr 1857 Cincinnati, Big Run Twp., Athens Co., OH d. 12 Jul 1936 Married: 1 Jan 1883 Buried: Elizabeth Hall Cemetery, Logan Co., AR
Wife: Cansada Lee b. 14 Mar 1865 Johnson Co., AR d. 7 Feb 1938 Buried: Elizabeth Hall Cemetery, Logan Co., AR Father: Britton Lee Mother: Martha Collier
Alfaretta "Retta" Adela Shirley b. 17 Jan 1859 Big Run, Athens Co., OH d. 10 Jul 1900 (tombstone) Married: 22 Jan 1879 Buried: Caulksville Cemetery, Caulksville, Logan Co., AR
Husband: Robert M. Riley b. 17 Dec 1859 d. 8 Jun 1923 Caulksville, Logan Co., AR Buried: Caulksville Cemetery, Caulksville, Logan Co., AR
Mary Martha Shirley b. 12 Apr 1861 Big Run, Athens Co., OH d. 7 Apr 1916 Driggs, Logan Co., AR
Walter Walles Shirley b. 25 Mar 1863 Big Run, Athens Co., OH d. 25 Dec 1945 (Pneumonia) Driggs, Logan Co., AR Married: 6 Jan 1889, Logan Co., AR Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Hughes Co., OK
Wife: Jimmie Florence Lucas b. 1 Oct 1869 d. 13 Jul 1956 Buried: Rock Creek Cemetery, Hughes Co., OK
Elijah Henry May Shirley b. 14 May 1867 Big Run, Athens Co., Ohio d. 2 Aug 1934 (tombstone) (cancer) Buried: Hebron Cemetery, Canute, Washita Co., OK Plot: Left Section, Row 13
1st marriage: 17 Jan 1891, Logan Co., AR
1st wife: Itera Luman b. 1869 Franklin Co., AR d. ? (typhoid) Father: William Luman (TN) Mother: Mary Jane Maberry (MO)
2nd marriage: 12 Nov 1902, Logan Co., AR
2nd wife: Ava Harriet Smith b. 14 Feb 1880 d. 5 Mar 1973, Paris, Logan Co., AR Buried: Ellsworth, Subiaco, Logan Co., AR Father: William B. Smith Mother: Levina X
Nelson Kelvy Shirley b. 5 Feb 1870 Logan Co., AR d. 8 Dec 1929 1st marriage: 14 Oct 1894, Logan Co., AR 2nd marriage: 9 Sep 1923
1st wife: Allie M. Baldridge b. Aug 1875 Caulksville, Logan Co., AR d. Logan Co., AR Buried: ? (divorced)Father: Frank Baldridge (TN) Mother:? kids: Archie C., Roy V., Herbert B
2nd wife: (Grace) Nola Brooks b. Logan Co., AR d. ? Buried: ? Father: James Samuel Brooks (MO) Mother: Anna Ida Roland (AR) lived in Franklin Co., AR 1930
George Quin Shirley b. 11 Jul 1872 Big Run, Athens Co., OH d. 3 Nov 1879
Leana Maria Shirley b. 11 Oct 1874 AR d. 1 Sep 1947 Married: 9 Apr 1899 Logan Co., AR
Husband: Louis "Birdie" Daniel Keck b. 8 Oct 1887 d. 29 Feb 1956 Little Rock, Pulaski Co., AR Buried: Landmark Cemetery Father: Christopher Charles Keck Mother: Sarah Loucinda Smith
Silas Britton Shirley b. 19 Mar 1877 Big Run, Athens Co., OH d. 13 Nov 1949 Driggs, Logan Co., AR Married: 24 Dec 1905, Logan Co, AR
Wife: Amanda Carolyn Biggs b. 1 Oct 1876 Logan Co., AR d. 27 Aug 1967 Buried: Little Rock, Pulaski Co., AR Father: Alfred Kingdom Biggs Mother: Sarah Catherine Lee
Children of Silas Shirley & Letha Lurinda Yielding
Elmer Arthur Shirley b. 15 Jan 1883 Logan Co., AR d. 9 Sep 1964 Little Rock, Pulaski Co., AR Nursing Home Buried: King Cemetery, Peter Pender, Franklin Co., AR
Wife: Florence Grace Pyle b. 3 Mar 1895 d. Nov 1982 Buried: Stanfill Cemetery, Jacksonville, Pulaski Co., AR
Owen Palmer Shirley b. 2 Mar 1884 Logan Co., AR d. 19 Feb 1956 Tranquility, Fresno Co., CA Married: 16 Dec 1908 Logan Co., AR
Wife: Millie "Kate" Johnson Haley b. 21 Dec 1890 Logan Co., AR d. 8 Jun 1959 Gilroy, Santa Clara Co., CA Father: John Haley Mother: X Millie Mae Shirley b. 1889 d. 1977 Buried: Pine Grove Cemetery, Amador Co., CA
Children of Silas Shirley & Arabella E. Copeland
Ody "Odel E." Myrtle Shirley b. 20 Jan 1888 Paris, Logan Co., AR d. 7 Jul 1950 Garfield, Pawnee Co., KS Married: 14 Mar 1909, Logan Co., AR
Husband: M. Byron I. Hall b. 1890 Paint Rock Twp., Paris, Logan Co., AR d. ? Garfield, Pawnee Co., KS Father: Beverly A. Hall (MO) Mother: Ida Jones
Millie Ethel Shirley b. 26 Mar 1891 d. 3 May 1971 Buried: Garden Of Memories Cemetery, Franklin Co., AR Married: 10 Oct 1920 Logan Co., AR
Husband: James Wesley Lee b. b. 27 Nov 1890 Washburn, Logan Co., AR d. 9 Sep 1962 Charleston, Franklin Co., AR Buried: Garden Of Memories Cemetery, Franklin Co., AR Father: John Monroe Lee Mother: Eliza Jane Pettigrew
Children of Letha Lurinda Yielding Lowery Shirley Smith & James Marion Williams
Francis Marion Williams b. d. Buried:
Married: 21 Aug 1882
Wife: Martha Abigail Shirley b. d. 7 Apr 1916
2nd marriage: 21 May 1917 Booneville, Logan Co., AR (divorced)
2nd Wife: Ocie Cora Shirley (Martha's brother Henry's daughter) b. ? d. ? Buried: ?
Child of Letha Lurinda Yielding Williams & X Lowery:
Ellen "Ella" Mae Lowery b. Dec 1868 AL d. 1916 ?OK Buried: ?
Husband: William "Willie" Ross Burcham b. 6 Jul 1863 AR d. 3 Apr 1903
Married: 1904 OK
2nd Husband: Leon S. Sewell b. 1883 d. ? Buried: ?
Myrtle Diane Smith
Husband: Guy Parkhurst (Col. US Airforce) b. ? d. ? Buried: ?
kids: Diane (Marion Salmon); Guy Parkhurst, Jr.
Silas Shirley family
Silas Shirley served in the Civil War for 3 years. He was a Private in Captain Daniel M. Bates CO. A, 18th Regiment of the OH INF Volunteers Feb 16, 1864 at Marietta, OH. Records of pension papers and copies of the roll calls during the war show; listed as a farmer, his post office was Big Run, Athens Co., OH. He spent many months in Chattanooga, TN. He was dischared at Augusta, GA Oct 9, 1865.
6 Oct 1868 Silas and Abigail with five kids left Ohio for Arkansas that took 3 months to travel down the OH River>MS River, then by train and boat down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River to Roseville, AR. Silas' brother, John, and Abigail's brother, Truman Driggs were waiting for them in Driggstown, near Paris, AR. John Shirley, Silas' brother, sold Truman Driggs 160 acres in Driggs. He set aside land for school section. Fall 1871 Silas fell from a tree when he was gathering nuts near Paris, AR. He dislocated his left wrist. Silas purchased 40 acres at Paint Rock near Paris, AR (which is a valley) 19 July 1879 for $125. He built a two-story house, farmed cotton, had a cotton gin, fruit trees, raised hogs, chickens, cows, and a horse. He had a method to preserve vegetables by digging a hole in the ground, spreading straw at the base, placing vegetables over this straw, and covered the veggies with straw and then dirt. He kept a smokehouse stocked. Abigail and Silas had four children in Paris, AR, 3 sons and a daughter. A seventh child died, George Quinn. Abigail died 14 April 1881. Silas then married Letha Lowry, they had two sons; Elmer and Owen Palmer. Letha had 8 other children also to raise from Silas and Abigail.
Letha probably had a breaking point, as one child was beaten and Letha disappeared after it being discovered by John Wesley. Letha and Silas divorced 4 Oct 1884. Elmer was less than 2 years and Owen was 7 months. The divorce agreement was that Letha live nearby because of the two boys. Slowly Letha moved away but Silas took the boys. Letha had 2 brothers: Jasper & Max Yielding, who owned a hardware store in Birmingham, AL.
Silas married Arbelle Copeland 1 Jan 1885. They had two girls, Myrtle and Millie. Arbelle was a good mother. Silas liked to give the kids candy and kept a box by the fireplace of peppermint sticks. He always had red, delicious apples in barrels in the basement. He loved kids. Arbelle and Silas smoked pipes. They had a habit of sitting by the fireplace with a piece of candy and smoking before bedtime.
James Wes Lee served in WWI as a Private in Company G, 161 Infantry.
Silas Shirley was elected county Treasurer 13 Oct 1874 of Sarber/Logan County until 1878. He hid the county money under the house through a trap door. Silas' favorite "line" was "by cracky!" He had a deep voice and had a long beard. Being a farmer he was physically strong, and known to lift a 500 lb bale of cotton. It was said his arms reached his knees while standing straight! He became blind as he aged. He died in the local hospital of a diagnosis of strangulated inguinal hernia after 5 days on 29 Feb 1924. He was 87 years, 10 months, and 10 days.
1880 Federal Census, Short Mountain Township, Franklin Co., AR:
Shirley, Silas, 34, OH, $400-$500
Dimarus, 33, OH
John, 14, OH
Alfaretta, 11, OH
Mary, 9, OH
Walter, 7, OH
Henry, 3, AR
Nelson, 6/12, AR
Elijah Shirley and Ava Harriet Smith's children: Jessie Elba Shirley b. 1903 Logan Co., AR, married: Harvey Jackson James b. 1892 d. 1 Jan 1931 Married: 16 Nov 1922 Benton Co., AR, Sulphur Springs, AR.
Elijah Shirley and Ituria Luman's child: Ocie Shirley, her first husband: Francis Williams, second husband: X Lowry. Ocie and X Lowry's child: Ella Lowry.
1915 Garfield, Pawnee Co., KS Census: O.M. Hall b. 1888
Alfaretta & Robert M. Riley's children: Jettie 1892-1924, Carl Riley 1896-1911, more on findagrave
Owen Palmer Shirley and Millie Johnson Haley's child: Ila Edwina Shirley b. 15 Jul 1926 New Blaine, Logan Co., AR, d. 8 Jun 1975 Manteca, San Joaquin Co., CA Buried: Parkview Cemetery, Franch Camp, CA.
William B. Smith and Levina X's children: Nancy J. Smith b. 1868 Johnson Co., AR d. ?. William G. Smith b. 1869 Sarber Co., AR d. ?. Thomas Smith b. 1873 Logan Co., AR d. ?. Married: 8 Dec 1905 Logan Co., AR Wife: Margie Raney b. 1889 d. ?. John H. Smith b. 1877 Logan Co., AR d. ?. Married: 27 Jun 1896 Logan Co., AR Wife: Sarah Sizemore b. 1879 d. ?. Ava Harriet Smith.
The Herald Democrat, dated 1 Feb 1934, "Mrs. Francis M. Williams, 57, died at home, Wednesday morning after a long illness. Burial: Stillwell Cemetery. She was born in Texas in 1876. She was a member of the Methodist Church. Sons; Thomas, Jess, Willie, Earl, all of Johnson County. Daughters; Elsie Ruby & Edith, of Johnson County, Sisters; Mrs. Mittie Dalton & Mrs. Mitchel King".
The Paris Express, dated 9 Mar 1939, “Miss Ollene Shirley, died 19 Feb. in a hospital in Los Angeles, CA. She was born in Driggs on 22 Nov 1909 and moved with her parents to California two years ago. Her Aunt, Mrs. J. W. Lee, Ratcliff received the message of her death from her parents, Mr. & Mrs. O. P. Shirley, from Tranquility, CA. Funeral services at Eaton Funeral Home in Fresno & burial at a Fresno Cemetery”.
The Paris Express, dated 25 Jan 1940 Thursday, Arabella Shirley's obit, "Arabella Shirley died at 89 years of age Saturday at home of daughter, Mrs. James W. Lee, in Friendship. Burial at Paint Rock Cemetery. She was a member of the Free Will Baptist Church. Daughters: Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Myrtle Hall, Garfield, Kansas. Grandchildren: Mrs. E. V. Knapp, and Harold. Ross Hall, Lawrence, Hensley, AR. W. W. Shirley, Stuart, OK. S. P. Shirley, Little Rock, O. P. Shirley, California and E. A. Shirley, Havana".
1930 USFC Pawnee Co., KS:
Myrtle O. Hall b. 1888 AR
Husband: Byron I. Hall
The Paris Express, dated 5 Nov 1945,”Mrs. Louis D. Keck & daughter, Mrs. Gladys Drinkard, Of Little Rock spent last week with Mrs. Keck’s sister, Mrs. Wes Lee of Ratcliff”.
William S. Lee & Dicey Ennis
Britton Lee & Martha Collier
John Wesley Shirley & Cansada Lee
Sarah Catherine Lee & Alfred Kingdom Biggs
Silas Britton Shirley & Amanda Carolyn Biggs
Elizabeth Lee & Ephraim Copeland
James Henry Lee & Penelope Ann Copeland
Shirley Family Association
The Hall Family, Garfield, Pawnee Co., KS
Dennison J. Redden & Lamina Bridgett Maberry
Arkansas Lee's back home
Alexander Lee & Mary Ann Stephenson
John Monroe Lee & Eliza Jane Pettigrew
