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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Sharp County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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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Elijah Ratliff is a farmer of Union Township, near Martin’s Creek post office. His grandfather was one of the first settlers of Pike County, Ky., where he died. Robert R., the father of our subject, was born in Kentucky, about 1816; was married there to Polly Edwards, and in 1854 emigrated to Texas County, Mo., being one of the early settlers of that county. In 1862 he moved to Arkansas. He was a soldier in the late war, was captured and taken prisoner to Alton, Ill., where he died in 1866. His wife, who died about 1865, was the mother of nine children, our subject being the sixth. He was raised and received most of his schooling in Texas County, Mo. In 1871 Elijah married Miss Nancy Garner, who was born in Sharp County, Ark., in 1849, the daughter of John and Rena Gainer. They have six children living: John R., William H., Martha E., Mary J., George W. (deceased), Albert and James. Mr. Ratliff has resided in Sharp County since 1870, and has about 400 acres of land, about ninety of which are under cultivation, 200 acres in Fulton County, Ark., and 200 on Martin’s Creek. In politics he is a Democrat, having cast his first presidential vote for Cleveland. Our subject and his wife are both members of the Christian Church.

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This family biography is one of 43 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Sharp County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Sharp County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Sharp County, Arkansas family biographies here: Sharp County, Arkansas Biographies

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