My Genealogy Hound

William P. Norman was one of Clark County's most prominent and well-known citizens. He was born in Mississippi, January 31, 1824, and when a child of two years, his parents removed to Fayette County, Tenn., where he grew to maturity, and there engaged in farming until 1859, when he and family moved to what is now Southern Arkansas, and here he continued to farm until the time of his death, January 11, 1881. As a result of his ability and industry, he was very successful in life. During the late war he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving on detached duty most of the time, and was first stationed at Arkadelphia, and later at Tyler, Tex. He was a man of strong convictions, and believed that nothing could be good that was secret, hence he never belonged to any secret societies. In politics he was always a Democrat. In his religious belief he was a Primitive Baptist, although not a member of any church. July 16, 1848, he was married to one of Tennessee's fairest daughters, Miss Esther S. Culp, daughter of Elder Peter Culp, a Primitive Baptist minister, who lived to a ripe old age, and died in Tennessee, in his ninetieth year. Mrs. Norman was born in Chesterville, S. C, in 1825, and is still living, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Mary A. Smith. In her religious belief she is in sympathy with the Presbyterian Church, and is indeed a Christian lady. To her marriage there were born five sons and four daughters, three of whom survive, viz.: Mrs. Mary A. Smith (widow of James A. Smith, deceased, now the president of the Smithton Lumber Company, and of the Southwestern Arkansas & Indian Territory Railroad, residing at Smithton, Clark County), Lou E. (wife of William Young, vice president of the Smithton Lumber Company, and a resident of Smithton), and William C. (the youngest now living, is postmaster of Smithton, and manager of the Smithton Lumber Company's store at Smithton). [See biography of W. C. Norman.] Those dead are Alva C. (died December 28, 1864, while a child), Cecil F. (was the first postmaster at Gurdon, was a prominent citizen and business man of that place, a member of the I. O. O. F., and died April 15, 1882, in his thirty-first year), Thomas G. (died in Gurdon, Ark., April 2, 1881, aged twenty-six years and two months; he was also a prominent business man, and a Master Mason), Robert F. (was born October 7, 1860, and died August 14, 1868), Ada (born April 14, 1868, died May 1, 1881) and one died in infancy.