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Below is a family biography included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  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. R. Biggs is a prominent citizen and farmer of the First District of Dyer County; was born in North Carolina in 1842, and was one of a family of five children, three of them living. His parents were W. W. and Matilda Biggs. His father was born in North Carolina, September 8, 1817; was married and remained in his native county until 1846; then removed to Dyer County; he was a farmer by occupation and died in 1883. He had been sheriff in his county in North Carolina, for many years before leaving there. His mother was a native of North Carolina, and was born about 1818, and now lives at the old homestead in Crockett County, which was formerly a part of Dyer County. Our subject received his education in Friendship, Tenn., and in 1870 married Miss Susie, daughter of Thomas W. Jones. She was born in Gibson County in 1851. They have four children: Mark E., Willie R., Thomas J. and Lucy E. In 1874 Mr. Biggs located on the farm where he now resides, it being then heavily timbered. He owns 362 acres of fine land well improved. He enlisted May, 1861, in Company B, Twelfth Tennessee Infantry, under Col. Russell and Capt. Marion Walker. He was in the battles of Belmont and Shiloh, and was severely wounded in the left arm. At the close of the war he went into the mercantile business at Friendship, but in 1874 commenced farming; is a Democrat and a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs. Biggs is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.

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This family biography is one of 128 biographies included in The History of Dyer County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Dyer County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

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