My Genealogy Hound

Andrew J. F. Gist, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Dayton Township, was born in Missouri, November 2, 1839, and is a son of Aaron and Elizabeth (Morrison) Gist, who removed to Missouri from Tennessee about that year, and in 1844 settled near Greenwood, Sebastian Co., Ark., where they lived one year, and then moved in the vicinity of where our subject now lives. The father is now seventy-seven years of age. He has always been an industrious farmer, and for some time was engaged at the carriage trade, which he learned when young. He is of Irish descent, and some of his ancestors fought in the early Indian wars. He has been thrice married. His first wife died December 25, 1846. She was the mother of five children, of whom Andrew J. F., and Lucy Ann, wife of Charles Smith, of Choctaw Nation, are now living. By his second wife he had two sons and two daughters, three of whom are living in different parts of the West. Mr. Gist is now living with his fourth wife. He has been a member of the Protestant Methodist Church many years, and has always been a Jackson Democrat, his first presidential vote having been cast for Gen. Jackson. He was a Union man during the war, and so left Arkansas during that time and lived North. He began to teach school when quite young, and followed that vocation to some extent until 1870, in Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas. In 1860 he lost his left arm in a sorghum mill. Our subject was but five years old when he came to Arkansas. At the age of fourteen he began life for himself, and for two years worked for his board and clothes. He then clerked for a short time in a drug store at Fort Smith, and then until 1859 worked at various things. He was then united in marriage with Mary Ann, daughter of James and Elizabeth Hart, who came to Arkansas (this county) from Missouri, in 1844. Mr. Hart died before the war, but Mrs. Hart is still living. Mrs. Gist was born in this county, and died in Choctaw Nation in 1864. August 2, 1866, Mr. Gist married Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary Cowen, a native of Tennessee. Mrs. Gist died September 9, 1880, leaving one child, who is now deceased. January 25, 1881, our subject wedded Mattie, daughter of Elza and Martha Harlow, natives of Missouri and Tennessee, respectively. In an early day they came to this county, where Mrs. Gist was born. Mr. Harlow was of Irish parentage, and died in Sebastian County, as did his wife.