My Genealogy Hound

Willoughby S. Garner, merchant, was born in Greene County, Mo., September 29, 1829, and is a son of Samuel and Rachel (Pugh) Garner, natives of South Carolina and Virginia, respectively. After their marriage, in Virginia, the parents moved to Tennessee, thence they went to Missouri, and in 1835 located in what is now Jackson County, Ark., where they farmed the remainder of their lives. The father was a soldier in one of the Indian wars and War of 1812, he died in 1842. The mother died about 1840. Our subject was reared in Jackson County, and was there married, in 1855, to Mary D. Pepper, a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of William Pepper. Shortly after his marriage he went to Van Buren County, where he engaged in farming twelve years. In 1862 he enlisted in the Tenth Arkansas Infantry, serving until the latter part of 1863, when he was discharged for disability, and returned to Van Buren, continuing to farm there until 1867. While in service he participated in the fights at Prairie De Hand, Poison Springs, Mark’s Mills and Helena, besides several skirmishes. November 27, 1867, Mr. Garner located six miles from Ozark, in Franklin County, and farmed two years, and then sold goods upon his farm for two years. He then moved his stock to town, where he has continued in business with good success. He purchased and moved into his present business house in 1887, which is large and commodious, and is now selling about $30,000 of general merchandise per annum. He is an enterprising and honorable citizen, and is a Royal Arch Mason. To himself and wife five children have been born: William R., Arta, Edward, Pugh, and Enfield (wife of William S. Webb). Mr. and Mrs. Garner are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. G. is a deacon.