Elder William Greenlee
SOURCE: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889
Contributed by Michael Brown
18 Oct 1998
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FRANKLIN COUNTY
Elder William Greenlee, a stock farmer, of Prairie Township, Franklin Co.,
Ark., was born in Monroe County, Tenn., August 18, 1823, and is a son of Lewis
Greenlee, who was born in Georgia in 1790. The latter removed while young to
Franklin County, Tenn., where he grew to manhood, and married Elizabeth Hunt
about 1819, then removing to Monroe County, E. Tenn., in 1822, where our
subject was born. In 1837 the father located on the Cherokee purchase, south
of the Hiwassee River, and in 1852 removed to Carroll County, Ark., and was
murdered by the Federals in 1863. He was seventy-two years of age at the time
of his death, and was a member of the Regular Baptist Church. Mrs. Elizabeth
Greenlee was born in Franklin County, Tenn., in 1800, and was the mother of
nine children, of whom four are now living, viz.: James M., William; Margaret,
wife of John R. Copeland; Julia A., who married Morgan Magness. The mother
died in Marion County, Ark., in 1877. William Greenlee grew to manhood in Polk
County, Tenn., and in 1844 married Emily Jackson, a native of Blount County,
Tenn., who was born March 15, 1826, and was reared in Georgia. Mr. and Mrs.
Greenlee are the parents of the following children: Frances M.; Levicy J.,
wife of James V. Skinner; Sarah A., wife or widow of W. J. Holder; James,
Newton; Emeline, who married Mathew McNatt, and died one year afterward; Lewis
A., Thomas J.; Marieta S., who married J. S. Seward, and died fifty-one days
afterward; William M., Willis A. and Virgil L. Mr. Greenlee located in Sevier,
Ark., in 1848, where he lived until 1867. In 1849 he professed faith in
Christ, joined the Missionary Baptist Church, and was ordained to the
deaconship and licensed to preach, and was ordained to the full work of the
ministry on the 10th of February, 1861. In 1867 he went to Franklin County,
Ark., in 1871 settled in Sebastian County, but returned to Franklin County in
1887, locating on the farm where he now lives. He has spent a great portion of
his time since his ordination in the ministry, with very little remuneration,
making his support for his family by working on his farm, but expresses
satisfaction from an assurance of having been instrumental in the hands of the
Master, of doing at least some good in his vineyard, for which he claims no
merit, but gives God all the praise. He has not been able for several years to
do much in the ministry, on account of age and ill health, but is still
preaching some. Mrs. Greenlee was baptized at the same time as her husband,
and has lived ever since a consistent member of the church. His political
sympathies are and ever have been with the Democratic party.