My Genealogy Hound

Green B. Kitchens, one of the oldest settlers of Bodcaw Township, Hempstead County, was born in Pike County, Ga., March 13, 1839, a son of James R. and Matilda (Hill) Kitchens, natives of Georgia and South Carolina, respectively. His father was born in 1815, and was a son of James Kitchens, of Scotch and English descent, and is still living at the advanced age of seventy-four years. He moved from his native State about 1848, to Louisiana, and made his home in Union Parish, that State, for two years, and then came to Lafayette County, Ark., and took up his residence, but in 1874 he disposed of his interests here and moved to Indian Territory, and is now a resident of Kully Chaha, Choctaw Nation, about two miles from the Arkansas line. His wife, formerly Miss Matilda Hill, a daughter of ___and Polly Hill, natives of South Carolina, born in 1825, is still living, and both she and her husband are members of the Free-Will Baptist Church. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom survive, viz.: Green (the subject of this sketch), Thomas Jefferson (a farmer of Indian Territory), John W. (a farmer and Methodist Episcopal minister, of Texas), James Madison (a farmer of Indian Territory), Mary J. (the wife of Mason P. Sewell, of Lafayette County, Ark.), William J. (a farmer of Indian Territory, (the latter two twins), and Henry Newton (also a farmer of Indian Territory). The twin to Green died in infancy. At the age of twenty two our subject commenced life on his own account by farming in Texas, and tilled the soil there with moderate success for two years, and then came to Arkansas. He located in Bodcaw Township, Hempstead County, where he still resides, being the owner of 480 acres of choice land, most of it lying in Lafayette County, his house being just over the line in Hempstead County, and is considered one of the influential agriculturists of this section. His marriage was consummated on May 7, 1865, Miss Mary E. Powell being the interested party. She was born in 1847, in this county, a daughter of Benjamin and Judith W. (Williams) Powell, natives of Alabama and Tennessee, respectively, and is a cousin of H. R. Powell, whose sketch appears in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Kitchens are the parents of three children, viz.: Mary Matilda E. (was born February 20, 1856, is still single and at home), James R. Benjamin (is a farmer of Lafayette County), Martha J. W. (is now Mrs. Halthorn of Lafayette County). In 1862 Mr. Kitchens enlisted in the Confederate army, in Portloch’s regiment of infantry, but after a service of seven months he was discharged on account of disability. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, and socially is a member of the Masonic Order, and is a prominent man in his county, where he is well known and highly respected. Both himself and wife and three children are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.