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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  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.

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William F. Miears, a prominent merchant at Summersville, was born in Alabama in 1843, the second in a family of six children born to R. J. and Harriet E. (Greenwood) Miears, natives of Alabama, where the father followed farming until 1847, when he moved to Union County, Ark. He settled in Franklin Township, where he bought and entered 160 acres of land, and at once began to improve and clear on a very large scale. He very soon had erected a fine house and cleared 100 acres of land. In 1859 left this farm and came to Calhoun County, where he bought eighty acres; he lived here but six months, when he died. The mother died in 1858. Our subject was reared on the farm, attending school but at short intervals until the outbreak of the war, when he enlisted, February 9, 1862, in Company F, Nineteenth Arkansas Infantry Regiment. He was engaged in the battles of Corinth, Port Gibson, Black River, Jackson, Iuka and the siege of Vicksburg. He was captured in this latter battle, was paroled and came home. He afterward served in the Trans-Mississippi Department until the close of the war, when he returned to Union County and engaged in farming. He purchased a farm of 220 acres and lived on this farm about four years, when he sold it and went to El Dorado and engaged in business, remained there for three years, and then bought a farm of 160 acres. He made all improvements on this farm, erected new houses and cleared sixty acres; he sold this property in 1886. During his life in Union County he took an active interest in politics, and has held office in that county since he was twenty-one years of age. The first office he held was that of constable, serving in this capacity for eight years; he was also coroner of the county for six years. He was then marshal of El Dorado County for three years; then served as deputy sheriff for four years until 1886. He then went to Camden as clerk for three years. September 1, 1888, he opened his present business in Summerville, and now carries on a general merchandise, plantation supplies, dry goods, boots and shoes, and all furnishing goods. Mr. Miears has been twice married: First, in 1865, to Miss Louisa Grumbles, daughter of James Grumbles, an old citizen of Union. She died in 1886, leaving three children, three having died previously, viz.: J. R. (living in El Dorado), Effie E. (wife of George W. Clements, residing at Pine Bluff) and Addie M. (wife of Dr. Flanagan, of Camden). Emma died at the age of three years; William F., Jr., died at the age of seven years, and Kittie died when but three years of age. Mr. Miears was married again in the fall of 1887 to Miss Emily P. Cole, of Louisiana. To this union has been born one child, Harriet Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Miears are worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Miears has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since the age of twenty-one years.

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This family biography is one of 67 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Calhoun County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Calhoun County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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