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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clay 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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James R. Hollis is a Tennessean, born in Wayne County, January 16, 1837, and is a son of W. B. and Susan (Meredith) Hollis, both of whom were born in Wayne County, Tenn. In 1839 they moved to Arkansas and settled in what was then Greene County (now Clay), where they made a farm and resided until their respective deaths, the former’s demise occurring in 1873. James R. Hollis remained with his father until he attained his majority and in June, 1861, enlisted in the Confederate service, Fifth Arkansas Infantry, and served until the final surrender, participating in some of the most important engagements of the war, among which were Murfreesboro, Shiloh, siege and surrender of Atlanta, Jonesboro, where he was taken prisoner, but was exchanged soon after, Nashville, where he was also taken prisoner, and Franklin, where he was captured and held until June 21, 1865. After being paroled he returned home and engaged in farming. He was married in what is now Clay County, August 19, 1858, to Elizabeth Payne, a daughter of Boswell B. Payne, whose sketch appears in this work. Mrs. Hollis was born in Adair County, Tenn., and was reared in Arkansas. Soon after his marriage he located on his present farm, consisting of some 220 acres, about 120 acres of which are fenced and mostly under cultivation, well improved with good residence and barns. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis are the parents of the following family: William Thomas, Jane B., wife of G. W. Pickens, Joseph E., Ada E., Mary Alice, Albert Harvey and John Royal. Three infants are deceased. Susan was the wife of Francis Davis, and died about 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Hollis are members of the Baptist Church, and he is a Mason and a member of the Agricultural Wheel.

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This family biography is one of 124 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Clay County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Clay County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Clay County, Arkansas family biographies here: Clay County, Arkansas Biographies

View a map of 1889 Clay County, Arkansas here: Clay County, Arkansas Map

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