Arkansas Genealogy

The concept of funeral homes is a modern development, with Pence Funeral Home in Conway, Arkansas, being one of the oldest, established in 1879 by John Pence. Originally part of Pence’s woodworking shop, it became a dedicated funeral business after a fire in 1886. Pence was a prominent figure in the funeral industry, contributing to the establishment of the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers. By the 1940s, burial associations partnered with funeral homes to provide services and double as transportation before ambulances. Pence Burial Association, founded in 1934, had 20,000 members by 1940. Detailed records from 1881-1971 are preserved, offering…

The following is the index to Pence Funeral Home, Conway, Arkansas, Vol. III, 1926-1945. This index can let you know whether your ancestor was interred by the Pence Funeral Home during the period of 1926-1945.

The following is the index to Pence Funeral Home, Conway, Arkansas, Vol. II, 1904-1926. This index can let you know whether your ancestor was interred by the Pence Funeral Home during the period of 1904-1926.

The following is the second index to Pence Funeral Home, Conway, Arkansas, Vol. I, 1881-1904. This one is Mr. Pence’s second ledger after he went into the funeral home business and covers 1889-1904. It has more detail than the first one (see Ledger 1 index). Purchase Bookfrom Amazon AANDERSON, LeeABRAMS, ClaytonACKLIN, ChrisACKLIN, Mr. childACKLIN, RhodenACKLIN, TommieADAIR, Loyd childADAMS, C.ADAMS, ClydeADAMS, EmitADAMS, FloyADAMS, JarvisADAMS, LilaADAMS, W. H. childAKINS, AmandaAKINS, Ema, Mrs. childAKINS, J. W. childAKINS, J. W.,AKRIDGE, DockAKRIDGE, Mary E., Mrs.ALENDER, J. M.ALEXANDER, Des RoyALEXANDER, Jim childALEXANDER, LewisALEXANDER, NarcissaALISON, JamesALLEGA, Annie E.ALLEN, AndersonALLEN, BerniceALLEN, W. A. childALLEN, W. A. childALLEN, W.…

This is one of the two indexes from Pence Funeral Home, Conway, Arkansas, Vol. I (1881-1904). This index, covering the years 1881 to 1888, is the first one kept by Mr. Pence. It essentially lists the deceased with their date of death or burial, providing little other information. In contrast, his second index, which spans from 1889 to 1904, offers much more detailed accounts of the deaths. My favorite entry in Mr. Pence’s first ledger is simply, “Irishman with big feet.” Purchase Bookfrom Amazon Abraham, Mrs.Adams, CharlieAdams, Charlie, Mrs.Adams, J. L. C., Mrs.Adams, JarvisAdams, Mr.Adams, T. T.Adams, W. P.Adams, W.…

The Missouri Territory, established in 1812, which encompassed present-day Arkansas, agreed to honor private land granted previously by Spain and Mexico, and also awarded two grants to prior French claims. A substantial portion of these Spanish and Mexican grants were situated in current Arkansas and Desha counties. Land claim issues arose frequently due to non-compliance with regulations and fraudulent activities such as forgeries of governor’s signatures on land grants. The term ‘arpents’, a French measurement unit used in some Spanish grants, is roughly equivalent to four-fifths of an acre. Most early land grants to heads of households were for about…

Professor Isaac Asbury Clarke, who for years was principal of Clarke’s Academy of Berryville and was one of the most widely known and ablest educators of the state, was born in Overton County, Tennessee, March 22, 1837. He acquired his early education in Rhea’s Academy at Berryville, which he attended for several years, and he later became a student in the University of Missouri at Columbia in the year 1860. He left school the following year, however, to enlist in the Confederate army, with which he served until the close of the war. He was on duty with the First…

Ray Anderson, cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Green Forest, was born on a farm near the city in which he still makes his home, his natal day being October 26, 1891. He is a son of Columbus and Alice (Johnson) Anderson, the former born in Carroll County, Arkansas, while the latter is a native of Illinois. The grandfather, Abner J. M. Anderson, was a native of North Carolina and removed to Arkansas in the ’30s, settling in Carroll County, where his remaining days were devoted to the occupation of farming and stock raising. He was in the…

Biographies of Carroll County Arkansas people from the History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas.

This is an overview of the Gross Mortuary record books, 1874-1922 freely available online, providing a history of the Mortuary of James B. McCaffrey and Billy Gross.