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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pope County, Arkansas published by Southern Publishing Company in 1891.  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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George Byerly, farmer, Atkins, Ark., was born in Germany in July, 1819, and has all the prominent characteristics of those of German birth, being thrifty, industrious and enterprising. He is the son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Schmidt) Byerly, natives of the old country, who emigrated to America in 1836. The parents located in Clarke, Ind., bought land and there tilled the soil until their deaths in 1848. Of the six children born to their marriage, five were sons and one a daughter. The daughter, Mary, married a man by the name of Caufman, and is now deceased. The sons were named Michael, David, George, Paul and John. The last named died in Louisville, Ky., several years ago. David went to Boston, Mass., on a visit and died while there, and Michael died in Indiana about 1878. George Byerly removed from Indiana to Louisville, Ky., about 1848, but prior to this, in 1843, he was married to Miss Margaret Edlin. He became disgusted with farming in Indiana, being obliged to sell corn at 12 1/2 cents and wheat for 37 1/2 cents per bushel, after going a distance of eight miles to market, and after moving to Kentucky he engaged in hack driving in Louisville, accumulated some money, and then moved to Arkansas in 1854, pausing for about two years in Conway County before permanently locating in Pope County. He here bought land and has been engaged in tilling the soil ever since. He now owns 320 acres of land and has 210 acres under cultivation. He has also 112 acres in Conway County. When the war broke out he had seventy-five head of cattle, twenty-four horses and mules and 2,000 bushels of corn, all of which were appropriated by the Union troops, Mr. Byerly never receiving a cent of money for his property. To his marriage were born ten children, five of whom are now living: John, Michael, America, Mary and Georgia. John is married and resides in Logan County, where he is engaged in the drug business at National Springs; Michael is clerk in a dry-goods store in Morrillton; America resides in Morrillton and is the wife of Richard Brooks who is the owner of a large amount of real estate; Mary married Calhoun Strong, a prosperous merchant of Morrillton, and Georgia married James Collins, a farmer of Pope County. Mr. Byerly has retired from active business, and is living in Atkins where he is honored and esteemed. He is now seventy-one and his wife seventy years of age. Both are church members, he of the Methodist and she of the Regular Baptist Church. They are liberal contributors to all laudable enterprises, and are among the leading citizens of the community.

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This family biography is one of 96 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pope County, Arkansas published in 1891.  For the complete description, click here: Pope County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Pope County, Arkansas family biographies here: Pope County, Arkansas

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