My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Miller County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  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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Evans L. Whetstone, a native born resident of Miller County, was born on the south side of Lynn’s Ferry, on February 10, 1848, being a son of Evans L. and Frances (Spigner) Whetstone, both of whom were natives of Alabama. Soon after their marriage, which took place in their native State, they moved to Bowie County, Tex., and one year later to what is now Miller County, Ark., being among the very first to settle in the county south of Sulphur River. Here he cleared up a farm (now owned by some of the Terrys, also old settlers), and greatly prospered, at the time of his death having accumulated a great deal of property, both real estate and slaves. He died, when our subject was a child of about three years, while still in the prime of life. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity, was a Whig, and served in the Mexican War. After his death his widow married Simon L. Higgs, who is now deceased. She died in this county, at her home fifteen miles south of Texarkana, in 1881, when about sixty years of age, and passed away in full belief in the teachings of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, with which denomination she had united in her forty-fifth year. By her first marriage she was the mother of eight children, five of whom still survive: Mary (widow of Evans Larry, and a resident of this county), Emma (wife of W. A. Miller, ex-district clerk, and now an attorney, at Decatur, Wise County, Tex.), Appalona (relict of Joseph T. Armstrong, deceased, also a resident of this county), Evans L., Fannie (wife of B. W. Adams, clerk of Miller County), and Jacob A., Drucilla and Elizabeth (deceased). Jacob A. died on the retreat from Corinth, Miss.; Drucilla was the wife of F. M. Waldrip, ex-sheriff of Lafayette County, and died in her fortieth year; Elizabeth was the wife of Pink Armstrong, and died in Grayson County, Tex., in 1888. There were five children born to her last marriage, but only two of these survive. The school days of our subject were spent in Lewisville, Lafayette County, Ark. When only fourteen years of age, in the latter part of 1862, he joined Col. Crawford’s regiment of Confederate Cavalry, in which he remained until the close of the war, during which time he participated in the battle of Pine Bluff and others. At the close of the war his means consisted of 60 cents in small change and a very poor pony, for which he had paid $500 Confederate money. At that time he went to Lewisville and engaged in the livery business with Buzzard & Roberts, with whom he remained until 1867, and then made a crop in Beech Township, Miller County, after which he started to Texas, but on his way stopped and rented Spring Bank Ferry, and operated that celebrated ferry for four months, and then commenced to farm on old Larrey plantation, and the following year located where he now lives. After having sold a portion of his farm, he still owns 470 acres of excellent land, with about 150 under cultivation, located about five miles north of Bright Star, and this by his energy and industry he has well improved. He devotes considerable attention to stock-raising, and keeps a number of cattle, horses and mules on hand. In 1870 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Eliza Larrey, daughter of Evans Larrey, of this county. She was born in 1850. To their marriage eight children were given, and all of them are still living: John A., Jacob A., Evans L., Jr., Hattie, Bennett, Henry, Fulton and Pearle. Mr. Whetstone is a stanch Democrat, politically, and has served in a number of local offices of trust, among them being that of deputy sheriff, under Sheriff Hamilton. He has been a resident of Sulphur Township for twenty-two years, and during this time he has proved himself to be a very desirable citizen, as well as a strictly honorable man.

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