My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Benton County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

Robert S. Morris, banker at Siloam Springs, and son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Griffith) Morris, was born in Monroe County, Ohio, November 23, 1837. The father was born in Virginia, and was a tiller of the soil. He moved to Ohio, where he lived until 1848; one year later he removed to Iowa. During the late war he enlisted in the Graybeard Regiment in Iowa, Union army, and was stationed at St, Louis, Alton and Rock Island at various times during the war. He died in Iowa in 1885. Mrs. Morris was born in Pennsylvania, and moved with her parents to Ohio, where she was married. She died in 1882. Ten children were born to their marriage: Dillon, deceased; Morgan, Mary Ann; Thomas H., an employee in the Pension Bureau at Washington, D. C.; Jane, wife of John B., Morrison, merchant, of Northwestern Kansas; Nancy; Oliver W., farmer near Centerville, Iowa; Rachel, deceased, wife of Abner Harber, of Iola Kas.; John H., general agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company at Kirksville, Mo., and Robert S. The last named was reared in a store in Centerville, Iowa, and educated himself at odd times when not at work. In 1862 he enlisted in the Seventeenth Iowa Infantry, and fought in the battles of Pittsburg Landing, the first and second battles of Corinth and Iuka, besides numerous skirmishes. After the war he returned to Centerville, Iowa, and was married in 1865 to Miss Victoria L. Sturgeon, who was born in Ohio in 1845. From this union they have one child, Ollie. Mr. Morris was engaged in shipping stock for four or five years previous to 1882, when he came to Siloam Springs and engaged in banking. He does a prosperous general banking business, and is thoroughly identified with the interests of Siloam Springs and vicinity. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, is a Republican in politics, having cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860; he and Mrs. Morris are members of the Methodist Church.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 240 biographies included in The History of Benton County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Benton County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Benton County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.