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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson 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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B. F. Ray, planter and stock-raiser of Bird Township, was born in Lauderdale County, Ala., in 1838, being the ninth of twelve children born to Benjamin and Nancy (Dixon) Ray, the father of East Tennessee and the mother of South Carolina. Benjamin Ray served in the War of 1812. He settled in Alabama, on a plantation, where he died in February, 1864, his wife having died in 1861. He engaged in farming until his death. Our subject was reared on the plantation, receiving his education in the subscription and district schools of the State of Alabama. In 1862 he enlisted in Company C, of the Sixteenth Alabama Infantry, and was in the battles of Murfreesboro, Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and a number of skirmishes, also in Ringgold. In January, 1864, he left the service and returned to Alabama, where he engaged in farming, coming to Jackson County, Ark., in 1868, and settling in the vicinity of Newport. In 1869 he married Josephine Slayden, of Jackson County, daughter of Coleman Slayden, a native of Middle Tennessee, and an early settler of Jackson County. Her father died in 1859, and her mother in 1864. In 1878 Mr. Ray settled on his present farm, which consists of 280 acres, 130 under cultivation; he raises considerable stock, and a mixed crop of cotton, corn and hay. Mrs. Ray died in 1883, leaving two children: Prince Ella and William Thomas. In 1884 Mr. Ray married Elizabeth Carter, of Alabama, daughter of James and Lucinda (Rankins) Akens, who came to Jackson County in 1869; the father died in 1877, the mother is still living. Mr. Ray is not very active in politics, but votes with the Democratic party; he has been a member of the school board, and has always taken an active interest in school matters; he is a member of Kirkpatrick Lodge No. 192, and has been Senior Warden. He has seen great changes in the county, and the educational system is improving rapidly. The children by the second wife are Isaac and Franklin.

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This family biography is one of 144 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Jackson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

View a map of 1889 Jackson County, Arkansas here: Jackson County, Arkansas Map

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