21. James (Jim) PRIER
was born on 13 Apr 1859 in Crawford County, Illinois. He died on 4 Jun 1913
in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Obituary for James (Jim) Prier
James Prier was born April 13, 1859, near Hardinville, Crawford County
Illinois, in which state he resided until the year of 1896. During the time he
was married to Mrs. Sylvester Carr. He was the father of 8 children, 4 sons
and 4 daughters. One daughter (by a former wife) who is now married and living
in Louisiana. Three of his sons have passed on before him, two in infancy
and one at the age of 13 and on last Thursday evening June 4 at 8 o'clock at
his home on N. Grand Avenue, he too folded his hands in perfect accord
with his God, and took a triumphant flight to meet the Savior in whom
he trusted faithfully to the end. Though he has said good bye to his dear
family and the many friends he had made in Stuttgart, where he has resided for
the past fourteen years, our loss of him as a neighbor and brother in Christ,
has been his gain of everlasting life. He has been a faithful employee of the
Arkansas Bending Works since he first came to Stuttgart and no doubt he will
be greatly missed especially by those who labored with him for so long. Jim
married Martha Jane Keanes on April 7, 1881. Martha was born about 1852 in Knox
County Indiana and was the daughter of James Keanes and Catherine Reese. Jim
and Martha had one daughter, Stella (" Vessie") who was born in July
1883. About 1887 James married Flora Belle Carr. Flora Belle's maiden was Gillaspie;
she was married to Sylvester Carr before she and Jim married.
Until 1896 Jim and Flora lived in Stringtown. Stringtown is an unincorporated
community in Richland County located in the southeastern part of Illinois. It
is near the towns of Olney, Lawrenceville, Hardinville, and Robinson. Jim and
Flora Belle had four sons while they lived in Stringtown. Nelson, Tommie, Allen
(Allie), and Elza. Both Nelson and Tommie died in infancy.
Jim and his wife and two young sons joined his father Allen Prier and moved to
Arkansas in the fall of 1896. They traveled by train and it is said Jim and Flora
had a boxcar full of furniture and furnishings which they brought as they came.
They had three daughters born in Arkansas: Clara, Mary,and Ena
When the Priers came to Arkansas They combined their money with Allen Prier (and
perhaps other Priers) and bought a large track of farm land near Fair Oaks in
Cross County. About 1899 for some reason yet unknown the Jim Prier family except
for Stella moved to Stuttgart, Arkansas, where Jim worked at the Arkansas Bending
Works.
He was married to Flora Belle GILLASPI (daughter of
Dr. GALLASPIE MD) in Stringtown, Illinois. Flora Belle
GILLASPI was born on 3 Apr 1860 in IN. She died on 17 Feb 1946 in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas. James (Jim) PRIER and Flora Belle GILLASPI had the following children:
39 i.
Nelson PRIER was born about 1886. He died about 1886.
40 ii.
Tommie PRIER was born about 1888 in Illonis. He died about 1888 in Illinois.
41 iii.
Allen "Allie" PRIER was born about 1890 in Illinois. He died
about 1903 in Arkansas.
+42 iv.
Elza Ray PRIER.
+43 v.
Clara PRIER.
44 vi.
Ena PRIER was born on 26 Sep 1908 in Arkansas.
45 vii.
Mary PRIER was born about 1899 in Arkansas.
He was married to Martha
Jane KEANS on 7 Apr 1881 in Crawford County, Illinois.
Martha Jane KEANS was born about 1852 in Knox County, Indiana. James (Jim)
PRIER and Martha Jane KEANS had the following children:
46 i.
Stella (Vessie) PRIER was born in Jul 1883 in Crawford County, Illinois.
Stella was living with her grandfather Allen Prier in June 1900 according to
the Cross County, Arkansas census.
Stella was married and lived in Lousiana in 1913. She may have been married to
a man named Fulbrite. The basis for this speculation is that Rosie Fairfield,
who married her uncle Fred had a good friend called Vessie or Effie Fulbrite.
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