My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Miller County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  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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Barnett T. Sexton. For the last twenty years Mr. Sexton has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in this county, and although he started in life for himself without means and in debt, he has, during this time, with the aid of his excellent wife, accumulated a fine property and gained for himself a reputation as one of the leading citizens of this county. His wife, who was formerly Miss Sallie Rodgers, daughter of James Rodgers, was born in South Carolina in 1852, and married December 18, 1870. He was born in Spartansburg District, S. C., June 28, 1849, and was the tenth of eleven children born to Morgan and Jane (Dodd) Sexton, natives of Virginia and South Carolina, respectively. The former died in South Carolina in 1857, at the age of fifty years, and the latter passed from life in Miller County, Ark., in 1870, at the age of fifty-nine years. The father moved from his native state to South Carolina in early life, and there engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he continued until his death. He and wife were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (he being class-leader), and were very strict in church duties. Politically he was a Democrat. After his death the widow remained in South Carolina until 1869, and then came to Miller County (then Lafayette), and here made her home until her death. Of the eleven children reared by them, only two are now living: Barnett T. and Nancy. The latter is now the wife of C. T. Fields, a prominent planter of this county. Of those deceased, three died during the war: Cornelius, had an arm shot off at Old Church, Va., and died from the effects, and Chauncy died when on a furlough (the latter belonged to First South Carolina Confederate Infantry); Mary died during the war in her sixteenth year; John W. was a farmer and died in this county in 1881, at the age of forty-five years; Martha was the wife of Alfred Slay, and passed from life in Miller County; Henry T. died in South Carolina before the war, at the age of twenty-two years; Jennie died very young; Elizabeth was the wife of Jesse Cooper and died in Spartansburg District, S C, in 1848; and Stacey died while very young. Barnett Sexton spent his boyhood and youth in South Carolina, and remained with his mother until her death. In 1870 he commenced to farm for himself. The first year he tilled the soil near Bright Star, but afterward bought forty acres of land, and homesteaded 160, which he cultivated with good success. He is now the owner of, and controls 480 acres of good land, with 125 acres under cultivation. Since 1880 he has operated a steam gin-mill, and he is conceded to be one of the prosperous and enterprising citizens of the county. He and his estimable wife are much esteemed members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and take a deep interest in religious matters. He is the present superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school. He belongs to the Alliance, and in politics always supports the men and measures of the Democratic party.

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