(Arkansas Gazette, December 5, 1846, P 2)

Died at his residence in Izard County, Arkansas, on the 19th day of October, A.D. 1846, after an illness of about six weeks, Hon. Jehoiada Jeffery, aged 56 years 2 months and 9 days. He was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, August 10, A.D. 1790; and when about ten years of age, his father removed to Knoxvill, Tennessee, and soon after, to Christian County, Kentucky. In 1808, he removed to Union County, Illinois. The deceased, during the last war, served his country diligently, as a volunteer, for twelve months, and acquitted himselt honorably. In 1816, he removed to White River, where he lived until his death.

. In 1826, he professed religion, and joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and lived a devoted member, and Elder of that body, until his death. He filled many responsible stations during his long and useful career. He was twenty five years a Justice of the Peace; twelve years a Judge of the Court for the county in which he lived; and four years a member of the Legislature.

He was a resolute, energetic pioneer; a man of acute mind, sound judgment and firm integrity. He knew his mortal end was nigh, and told his wife and children not to weep, for he was going home to Paradise, and to met him there. A few minutes before his death. he swooned away, and shortly after recovered again, and looking around upon the weeping crowd that attended his dying bed, he exclaimed, "May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you all, my friends, with a full salvation!" when he fell asleep in the arms of Jesus. May our last hope be as his!

(Communicated)

Submitted by Duane Huddleston

It was contributed to the OZARKS MOUNTAINEER by Dr. T.L. Ballenger, a Mountaineer staff member, who was a retired Professor of history at Northeast Oklahoma State College at Talequah, Oklahoma. He said that this account was written by Jeholda J. Sams In a pencil note book and, as far as is known, had never been published. It was too long for all of It to be published but the following are excerpts. It was printed, as far as possible, just as the author- wrote It about the year 1895.

Jeholda J. Sams was a County Judge In lzard County In the years 1852-1854. This article was the first Information we had on Judge Sams and will be, I am sure, a welcome addition to Izard County, the Jeffery descendants history, and the history of related families.

We disagree with some of the things Judge Sams wrote about members of the Jeffery family, but, nevertheless, will let our members Judge the material on its historical value.

James Jeffery (1758-1844) moved from Tennessee to the section of the country called the New Madrid'(Mo). He was living In the upper edge of It In 1812 at the time of the great earthquake of that period when the whole. New Madrid country sunk several feet.

He lived In a bottom called Tywopity, on the Mississippi about 15 miles -above the Ohio river mouth. Hq moved from there across the river into Illinois and stayed three years, thence to the Arkansas Territory, In the County of Lawrence, on Reeds Creek where he opened a farm lived five or six years, he and his two sons, James. Jr. and Jesse Jr. After a time he moved to White River in lzard County and remained there till his death, In 1834, in the 86th year of his life. ( Lawrence County then was much larger than it is now.)

Old Jessee Jeffrey, my grandfather's brother, emigrated to. Lawrence County in the year 1816 from Knox County, Tennessee. He had a family of six children - three sons, James, Jerry and Jessee and his daughters were Cintha,.Louisa and Hetty. Old Jessee Jeffrey was a man that would make money and his brother James said It did not make any difference how he got It.

At that time there was some counterfeiting going on here In the territory, so I have been told. But Old Jessee always kept others between him and the halter; but he always got his share of the proceeds. He most generally kept some character In his reach to do his dirty work for him if necessary. They were very expert at making their money them times. I have seen a many of their dollars In my time and they were well made too. They would wear some time before detected. They would make a right smart chance of them and change them from one to another before taking a journey off. On these journeys they would stop In and call for a glass of whiskey or brandy and hand out a counterfeit dollar and get back eighty-seven and a half cents In good money, then they would go to the next station. They always made it convenient to call late in the evening or at night to get a "horn" or some other small article, always getting good money in change. Sometimes they would be gone three or four months at a time. When they got a sum to justify they would buy up a flat boat and go down to New Orleans and on the way down they would unavoidably stop and tie up just at night and change off some of their money and leave in the night.

Cintha, Old Jessee's eldest daughter, married a man by the name of Jarrett Bickey. They later went.to Little Red River. Cintha Bickey continued to live here-with her great grandchildren. She kept her favorite saddle horse. She would go to the stable, bridle and saddle her horse, get on him and ride ten or fifteen miles like she was not more than 16 years old. At that time she was In her ninety-first year. Old Jessee Jeffrey moved to Red River in 1824 and died there some years afterwards. -

Jerry Jeffrey, Jr., left about the year 1823 to the country called the Spanish country, now known as Texas. It was supposed the Spaniards killed him for he was never heard of any more. I saw one man and got very well acquainted with him that was captured by the Spaniards in those days. This man was John Ware. He lived on White River and married here. He said the Spaniards kept him in chains confined in prison twenty-two years in the Cityof Mexico before he got away from them. He was a relative of the Ware family now here in this country. Louisa Jeffrey strolled off. Hetty married a man by the name of Bagwell and has some grandchildren here in this country now.

I will give you another portion of the history of Jessee Jeffrey, Sr., more particularly for the information of the relatives of his wherever they may be.

I was just big enough to hear him tell about his voyage with his father and brothers across the ocean. I heard him say he was nine years old when they came across in the year 1764. When .he was eight years old he wanted my mother to let him take me and raise me. He said he would bind himself to do by me as he done for his own children. ' He delighted in all kinds of fine stock except jacks. He delighted in running race horses and generally kept the fastest stock of that time. He not only had fast horses but he had what he called fast judges, for he said there was more in fast judges than in fast horses. He and I often ran horse races on the public road, with the disapproval of my mother. Once I heard my mother tell Uncle Jess that the reason he wanted me to raise was, we was so much alike In disposition if you had him," she would say, "he would get hung or get his neck broke for he is as full of meanness as you are."

My mother was a very pious woman. She belonged to the Methodist Church but was really a Cumberland Presbyterian in belief. She attached herself to the Methodist church because her second husband, Reverend Thomas Culp, was a Methodist. She said it looked too odd for her husband to belong to one church and her to another. She lived in the Methodist Church from 1830 until her death, which occurred In the year 1863 in her 66th year, here in the White River Valley in lzard county. She lived and died in three miles of the first place she moved to when she moved from Lawrence county.

I will give you a more full history of old James Jeffrey my grandfather, a brother to old Jessee.Jeffrey. He was a man of very few words and seemed to be a very solid sober men, rather selfish looking, but a man of good business. When a boy I would be about his house a great deal. I was veey rude and cut up a right smart. He would say, "Jehoida,. I wish you would behave." That was enough, right then and there you could see me getting.

He was a Freewill Baptist as far back as I know, but some years before his death he joined the Presbyterians as there was no Baptist Church in that country then; but he always contended that the Baptists were right in belief. The only time 1'ever heard of him having any trouble was with old Henderson who entered his land from him.

And now I will speak more fully of mygrandmother Jeffrey, old James Jeffrey's wife. Her maiden name was Jane Mason, who was born in Old Virginia, near Kingston.

James Jeffrey and Jane Mason were married in Virginia near Alexandria. She was in her 16th year of age. Her parents were very much opposed to her marriage. Her parents were very wealthy and she was well educated and they didn't want her to marry a man of no learning. My grandmother was of Welsh descent; her father was from Wales, her mother was an American raised woman.

My grandmother had a head of her own and she retained. it as long as she lived. When her and my grandfather were first married he did not know his letters. She learned him to spell and then to read. He would read in some old style with a long tune to the last of his........ (no more)