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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Johnson County, Arkansas published by Southern Publishing Company in 1891.  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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J. S. Utley is the tenth child of eleven children born to his father and mother, Seth and Bathsheba (Woods) Utley, and first saw the light of day in Benton County, Tenn., in February, 1833, his parents being born in North Carolina and South Carolina, respectively. They were married in Tennessee, where they lived for a number of years, coming to Johnson County, Ark., in 1847, and here resided until their deaths in 1866. J. S. Utley was married to Luvenia A. Collier in 1868, she being a daughter of Jerry Collier, of Johnson County. A family of eleven children has been born to their union, and of the six sons and five daughters, one son and the four daughters are living: John W. (deceased), Seth (deceased), Thoma (deceased), Josie E., Lou V., Austin W. (deceased), Thalia B., Mary, Edna, and twins that died in infancy not named. In June, 1861, Mr. Utley enlisted in the Confederate Army, in the First Battalion of Arkansas Cavalry, under Col. Brooks, and did service west of the Mississippi River, being in the fight at Wilson Creek, where he saw Gen. Lyon after he was killed. He was also at Pea Ridge, Poison Springs and Jenkins’ Ferry, and was discharged at Fulton, Ark., in June, 1865, after which he returned to his home in Johnson County, where he resumed his occupation of farming, and has followed that ever since, being now the owner of 160 acres of fine farming land, of which 100 acres are under cultivation, this land being situated on the Arkansas River, at the mouth of Piney. He owns and operates the ferry across the mouth of Piney. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., the I. O. O. F., and both he and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church. He has been a citizen of Johnson County for forty-one years, and is one of the most prosperous men in this section, and extremely liberal in giving of his means to causes pertaining to the general welfare of the community.

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This family biography is one of 65 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Johnson County, Arkansas published in 1891.  For the complete description, click here: Johnson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Johnson County, Arkansas family biographies here: Johnson County, Arkansas

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