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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski 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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John Albert Goodson, constable of Owen Township and a prominent farmer in that section, was born in Cass County, Ga., in 1844, and is a son of John F. and Eliza (Abernathy) Goodson, of North Carolina, born in 1811 and 1812, respectively. The parents were married in 1833, and after their union moved to the State of Georgia. In 1855 they came to Montgomery County, Ark., where they resided until 1860, and then settled in Pulaski County, where the father died in 1875. The mother, who is a Baptist, still survives him. The elder Goodson was a well-known farmer and constable in Pulaski County, and was also a member of the A. F. & A. M., belonging to Mary Williams Lodge No. 307, at the time of his death. He was a son of Joel Goodson, of North Carolina, who died in Georgia, where his father-in-law, Nathan Abernathy, also died. John Albert Goodson was the seventh child of eleven sons and five daughters, of whom eight are still living. Schools were very scarce during the period of his youth, consequently his education was not all that he desired. However, what he accomplished by his own efforts in that direction, coupled with his natural ability and quick perception, enabled him to successfully cope with the world in after life. He was married in 1874, to Mary J., daughter of Sherid W. and Sarah M. Nowlin, natives of Georgia and Arkansas, respectively. Eight children were born to this union, all of whom are living with their parents on the farm. Mr. Goodson owns 320 acres of valuable land, and has placed 100 acres under cultivation, having accumulated the greater portion of it by his own industry and good judgment in business transactions. In politics he is a stanch Democrat, and has served as constable for six years, and from 1883 to 1885 he filled the position of postmaster of North Point. He has also been a member of the A, F. & A. M., Mary Williams Lodge, for over eighteen years, and has held various offices in that fraternity. From 1872 to 1873, Mr. Goodson carried the mail from Little Rock to Perryville, and then for eighteen months had charge of the route from Little Rock to Maumelle. He next carried the mail from Little Rock to North Point, and was then appointed postmaster at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Goodson both attend the Missionary Baptist Church, Mrs. Goodson being as popular with the community as her husband.

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This family biography is one of 156 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski County, Arkansas published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Pulaski County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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