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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Fulton 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.

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A. F. Bassham is the present efficient sheriff and ex-officio collector of Fulton County, Ark., and is well-known throughout the county as a man of ability and honor. He was born in Lawrence County, Tenn., January 25, 1859, and is a son of S. H. and Elizabeth (Ray) Bassham, who were born in Tennessee and Alabama, September 9, 1829, and January 1, 1830, respectively. The former grew to maturity and was married in his native State, being there engaged in the pursuit of farming, but after the late war, in which he served on the Confederate side, he emigrated to Arkansas, in 1874, where he followed the same occupation, but is now residing in Salem. He is a Democrat, and he and wife are members of the Free-Will Baptist Church. His father, Richard Bassham, was a native and a farmer of Tennessee, and was married to a Miss Pennekuff, who died in Lawrence County, Tenn. In all probability the maternal grandfather, Benjamin Ray, was a native of Alabama. A. F. Bassham was reared to the age of fourteen years in Tennessee, since which time he has been a resident of Fulton County, Ark. Being desirous of supplementing the primary education which he received, in the vicinity of his home, with a more thorough knowledge he entered the graded school at Mountain Home, Ark., where his career was marked with rapid advancement. Now thoroughly qualified to enter upon a professional career, he engaged in teaching school, and was one of the popular educators of Fulton County for several years. He gave up this work, however, to assume the responsible duties of his present office, to which he was elected September 3, 1888, by the Democratic party, of which he has always been an active member. He is a Master Mason, and is secretary of Viola Lodge No. 399; also belonging to Salem Lodge No. 28, I. O. O. F. October 15, 1881, he was married to Miss Allie Brown, who was born in 1862, and by her has an interesting little family of three children: Frederick, Maude and William. Mr. Bassham owns a good farm of 120 acres.

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This family biography is one of 70 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Fulton County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Fulton County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Fulton County, Arkansas family biographies here: Fulton County, Arkansas Biographies

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