A Glimpse Backward.
By P. L. Jeffery

                    I dreamed that I might live my life over again,
                    Go back to the happy old tryst,
                    And stroll once again down the sunny, old lane
                        With the shy little maid I had kissed.

                    I thought I might plow once again the old fields,
                    Or travel the old road for the grist,
                    And to gather again the same yields
                         That I did in the days that were bliss.

                     My heart than pined for the old mountain climbs,
                     For the old swimming hole, clear and still;
                     For the wonderful times we had the year round
                         At the old brick house on the hill.

                    For the springtime of life in the days of my youth
                    For the days of a life filled with hope;
                    For the joy and the thrills of the bright days at
                    school,
                        When we jumped the old grapevine rope.

                    A Fairy then touched my grey hair with her wand,
                    And again I was back in my youth,
                    To till the same fields, and sing the same songs,
                         And to live the old life I once knew.

                    Again in my youth, once more full of glee,
                    I thought I would find the old friends I had known.
                    But wherever I'd go new faces I'd see,
                         For the friends of my youth now are gone.

                    I thought I would visit again the old brick,
                    Where I'd heard the old gospel so long,
                    But the scene I beheld there then made my heart
                    sick,
                         For the house, and the grove, too, were gone.

                    I stood there again on the hallowed ground,
                    The place where we sang the old songs -
                    The place where so many salvation had found
                        In the beautiful days that are gone.

                    I went then at last to the sacred old home,
                    The place of  my childhood and song.
                    And I sat on the curb and wept all alone,
                        For the ones I had loved there were gone.

                    But where are these loved ones, the loved of our
                    youth?
                    And where can we find them, pray tell me, 0
                    where?
                    With eyes looking upward then searching the blue,

                         The winds softly whispered, "Up there" (and
                    echo still answers
                    "Up there")

                    Gone! Yes, gone! My comrads and all.
                    Some sleep underneath the green sod.
                    They've answered the roll of the Fathers last call,
                         And dwell with Him now in the City 0f God.

                    Yes, they are gone, your loved ones and mine,
                    They've finished their work and passed on,
                    They've battled the waves - lived - loved and gave,
                         And kept the old faith through the storms.

                    They gave us their best, have stood the last test,
                         And rejoice now with loved ones at rest.

          Nov. 1927
 

           Guy Dixon enlisted in the U. S. Navy 1927.  Was assigned to the
          U.S.S. New York, where he remained till about 1934 or 5 when he was given
          shore duty and stationed at San Diego, Calif.   When going on to the New
          York he assigned as assistant Baker, and he worked in the bake shop over
          since.  He now holds a First Class rating, but is studying hard for a
          promotion to a higher position.

           Jay Dixon, after working with his father in a grocery store a yer or so
          went to Oxnard, Calif. and worked in a grocery store there awhile, then
          went to Los Angeles and placed his application for a clerkship with the
          Union Pacific Railway Company, in the meantime taking a position in the
          L.A. Post Office.  Shortly thereafter his application was accepted and he
          went to work for the U. P., where he remained until 1936 when they moved
          their offices to Omaha, Nebraska.  He was offered his same position with
          them there, but he declined it, not wishing to leave Los Angeles.  He then
          went back to the Post Office, asking for a re-instatement which was
          granted.  He there joined the National Federation Post Office Clerks,
          affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. That Local has a
          Membership of over 1200, which is the largest West of Chicago, and fifth
          largest in the U. S.  After working there a little more than two years he
          was elected President of that Local, a position of some honor.

CENTENIAL CELEBRATION

           On the 16th day of Sept. 1916, one hundred years after Jahoida Jeffery
          first settled at Mt. Olive, a celebration was held in the grove just south
          of Elijah's home place.  At this gathering were 225 persons, and all but 25
          claimed Jeffery blood. Several from other states attended this gathering.
          The following account of the day was written and published in a Batesville
          paper soon afterward,

          The Writer says ---

          This community was first settled by Jehoida J. Jeffery Sept.16, 1816.
           James Jeffery was a son of James Jeffery of England, was born in the year
          1759, and died at Mt.Olive, Ark. in 1843, aged 84 years.

           Jahoida Jeffery was born in Rutherford County, N. C. Aug. 10, 1790 and
          died at Mt. Olive Oct. 19, 1846, aged 56. Mary (Ware) Jeffery, his wife,
          was born in Greenville District, S. C. Oct. 25, 1793, and died at Mt.
          Olive,  Nov. 7, 1874, aged 81 years.

           Jahoida Jeffery, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Livingstone and Mr. Gill, with their
          families arrived on the banks of White River Sept. 16, 1816.  Mr. Stewart
          remained but a little while. Mr. Gill came on down the river and settled
          just above Batesville, and reared a large family, some of the descendents
          yet living near there.  Livingstone settled on the West side of the river
          on Livingstone Creek.

           Before coming to the West Jahoida Jeffery enlisted in the army at New
          Madrid, MO., and served during the war of 1812, and was honorably
          discharged in 1815.  Being of a restless mind he, with others above named
          took up the journey through the wilderness on pack-horses, and made the
          last stand on White River.

           To Jahoida Jeffery and wife were born and lived to maturity Elijah, Miles,
          Daniel M. and Agustus C., sons, and Charlotte J. (Jeffery) Bone, Lucretia
          (Jeffery) Harris, Sallie (Jeffery) Watkins, daughters. To these children
          were born -- to Elijah -- Jane Claiborne, Holdensville, Okla., Ambrose and
          Rebecea Hayden, Mt. Olive, Louisa Bone, Batesville and Nora Robertson,
          Altus, Ark. To Miles were born Dr. P. E., Desha; Patrick H., Mt.Olive;
          Richard J., Fayettville, and Mary Landers, Mt. Olive.

           To Daniel M. were born James Curran, Mamoth Springs; Henry B.,Henryetta,
          Okla.; Charlotte Compton, Mt. Olive; Lou Lancaster, Calif.; Sarah
          Cunningham, and
          Samantha Waters, Salem-, Nancy McLean, Hardy; Daniel M. Jr. and Mary
          Brooks, Mt. Olive.

           To Agustus -- Davis, Mountain Home; Curran, Robert and Mitchel, Salem. ---
          To Charlotte Bone - M. Newton and John C., Batesville, and Mrs. L. J.
          Hodges,  Sulphur Rock. --- To Lucretia Harris -Henry B., McPherson, Drue,
          Lacrosse, and Lottie Cartwright, Optimus. Of  these 26 grandchildren there
          were present at the reunion 20.

           About the year 1828, brothers of Jahoida, Daniel, James and Jesse came to
          the settlement and located at and near Mt. Olive, and raised large
          families. Manuel and Ambrose, sons of Jesse, and Mary Hutcheson, a
          daughter, are the only living children of these four brothers who came to
          the wilderness.  A sister, Mrs. Nancy Culp, also came, and many of that
          name are yet living.
           These Pioneers are now reposing in the old family burial grounds near Mt.
          Olive. Their history is written in the lives of a line of citizenship that
          has never brought reproach on the name of Ark.  They lived and believed in
          the Christian living, and died in a blessed hope of a happy meeting
          ereafter.

           Isaac, son of Elijah, Jahoida, another son, Ambrose, Asa and Jahoida, sons
          of Miles; Philip, son of Daniel, and Beniah, son of Jesse served in the
          Confederate Army during the war.  Isaac was killed by a marauding band of
          Livingstone's men sent out from Batesville, Jan. 24, 1864.  Beniah was last
          heard of at the battle of  Shiloh, and was killed in that struggle.
           So much for the review of the family.

           These ceremonies began with a sermon by Rev. James S. Bone, appropriate to
          the occasion.  After service the tables were covered with good things to
          eat and all had a remembrance of the dinners spread in the ancient days of
          family meetings.
           At one o'clock order was restored and John C. Bone was elected as the
          historian of the family, and called to the chair to preside.  After his
          address others were called on for remarks, and many were the reminiscences
          of family and traditions of earlier life in the White River country.

           At three p.m., all joined in singing --"God be With You Till Meet Again",
          and after a prayer and benediction Rev. Keithly, the gathering ended and
          each took up his homeward way, some with smiles of joy for the days
          association and some with tears that this parting was the last".

           The above is a reproduction of a article printed, we suppose, in a
          Batesville paper shortly after the occasion described, and written by J. C.
          Bone.  It should be noted. That he mentions "some other brothers, who came
          about 1828, settling at and near Mt. Olive, all rearing large families."
          We are inclined to believe this to be an error, and for the following
         reasons: It is known that there was a kind of family feud existing between
          these later arrivals and the first ones. One among their number was named
          "John", who was said to be a Troy and seemed to be a leader of the latter
          bunch.  He was greatly disliked by the others so much so that they had no
          affiliations with each other.  It is also said they left there soon after
          coming, going North, presumably into MO.  The dislike was so great that
          none of those remaining would ever name any of their children "John", and
          to this day there has been but about of their descendents bearing that
          name.  We are of the opinion that they were cousins instead of brothers,
          perhaps sons of old Jess, a brother of James, who settled in Lawrence
          County a short time after James settled there.  Old Jess had the name of
          being a very disreputable man, frequently having trouble with neighbors.
          Trouble of some kind existed between these two families, which perhaps was
          one reason James' boys left Lawrence County and came to White River.
          However, I cannot substantiate my claim of these last arrivals to Mt. Olive
          as not being brothers of the first ones.  The reader may form his or her
          own conclusion as to their kinship.

           There was a Perry Jeffery who occasionally came to Mt. Olive along in the
          early 1880;s was then perhaps 65 years of age, but there is no record
          available as to his place of residence, or parentage.  For the above
          reasons we do not include these Jefferys as being descendents of James.

           Two other members of this family not heretofore mentioned, turned to the
          medical profession - Dr. Tom Culp and his son, Charlie.  They moved to
          Melbourne soon after the County seat was located, there, remained a few
          years and then moved to Mamoth Spring.  Dr. Tom Culp's father, Major Tom
          Culp, reared a large family but we could not learn anything of them other
          than their names, with the exception of the one above noted.  It is likely
          that there are many of their descendents lost to us.

           Our sincere thanks to Doug Leonard who contributed  this to the Izard Co. Page

These pages may not be copied by any means except genealogical  purposes  without the consent of the Page Owner - Jeri Helms Fultz - These pages are not in any way associated with USGenweb or Rootsweb and may not be copied by them for any reason.

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