My Genealogy Hound

John W. Lewellen, the subject of this sketch, is recognized among his town’s people as one who has been instrumental in the upbuilding of the town in which he is a resident. He was born three miles south of the present village of Vanndale January 13, 1850, his father and mother having moved from Northampton County, N. C., to Arkansas in that year. They were farmers, and Mr. Lewellen was one of the representative men of this section. He died in August, 1888, at the age of seventy-four years. John W. Lewellen received in his youth such education as Cross County afforded, and was an attendant of the common schools, until he attained his majority. In 1871 he purchased 160 acres of land from his father, on which slight improvements had been made, and with the energy and perseverance which has ever characterized his efforts, he has made much more extended improvements, and in addition to farming his own land, farms some rented land. He at one time owned 320 acres, but sold 160, and now has seventy-five acres of his land under cultivation. When the town of Vanndale was located, about one-half of it was laid out on his farm, and he donated five acres to the railroad, and four acres to the county, and on the latter, the court house of Cross County has since been built. In 1873 he built a fine residence in the town, but in 1885 sold it to Mr. R. Block. He has been one of the leading spirits in the school work of Vanndale, serving six years as director, and he has also been interested in the political matters of the county, but has not been an office seeker. He was married in January, 1876, to Miss Annie Stanley, a native of Cross County, and a daughter of Thomas Stanley, an old pioneer and sheriff of this county, and later a merchant of Wittsburg, who died in April, 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewellen six children have been born: Gracie A., John T., William E. (who died when about a year and a half old), James F., Norma E., and Joseph H. Mrs. Lewellen is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.