Memorials › John Henry King Sr

John Henry King Sr

4 Dec 1874 – 15 Oct 1970

Birth4 Dec 1874
Death15 Oct 1970
CemeteryRose Lawn Park Cemetery
Fort Smith , Sebastian County , Arkansas , USA
Added byThomas Brenzovich on 02 Apr 2006
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13822529

Gravesite details

Husband of Ola M King

Bio

John Henry King was born 4 December 1874 in Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas. He is the oldest of the four children born to Isaac and Mary Flynn King. Isaac is the son of Andrew and Elizabeth King and Mary is the daughter of Miles and Sarah Davis Flynn of Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas. John was born on the family farm, south and east of Charleston on what was called Potato Hill Prairie, in the Revillea Township. At the age of 19, he wanted to get married. His mother gave him $20.00 so he was able to marry Martha Mattie Robertson on 15 Oct 1893 in Franklin County, Arkansas. The marriage ceremony was performed by Father Frances Dunn, of the Catholic Church in Charleston. After their marriage, John and Mattie moved to a farm just south of Charleston, Arkansas and began to work the land and raise a family. They were the parents of 8 children: William Isaac King (1894-1973), Claude Melvin King (1896-1984), Bertha T King (1897) Mamie M. [King] Craig (1900-1986) Clarence Alvin King (1902-1957), John Henry King Jr. (1903-1980), Lawrence Edward King (1906-1978) and Clara R King (1909). The children were baptized and raised in the Catholic Church (Bertha and Clara both died as children). As a member of the Catholic church, John worked on the construction of the building that still houses the Catholic Church of Charleston. His part in the work stopped the day that he fell from the steeple while working. He received a head injury but recovered nicely, still, he never forgot it. Even to his dying day he talked about it and showed his scar with pride. John and Mattie remained in the Charleston area until about 1911, when on the advice of an old friend, Hinnie Bieker, they uprooted the family and moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas. They were convinced by Hinnie, that Fort Smith was at the end of the rainbow. On their arrival, it did not take them long to figure out that things were not exactly as they were told and times were just as hard here as they were in Franklin County. The only work that John could find was unskilled, menial labor jobs. In spite of the hardships, the family worked hard and persevered and they were able to hold on. A few years later however, tragedy struck. On January 3, 1919 Mattie passed away. She had been working as a nurse and mid-wife, for Dr. Freer, during the great flu epidemic of 1917-1919. Mattie died of the illness that she fought so hard to eradicate. John Henry King's 2nd wife, was Louise Henrietta (Etta) Elizabeth Sanders. Her maiden name was Howard (her parents were James Marvin Howard & Mary Jane Willbanks). They were married on June 19, 1919. Together they had one son, Paul Wesley King (1923), but they were divorced a short time later. John then married Ola Mae Phillips on 26 March 1928. Ola had 5 children from 2 previous marriages and John shouldered the responsibility of being a father to Ola's children. He never considered them as step children and he never treated them as such, but he raised them and loved them and cared for them as if they were his own flesh and blood. Then together, John and Ola became the the parents of 5 more children: Loretta Marie (1927-1996), Vina Ann (1929-1971), Margie Louise (1932), George Franklin (1936) and Bobby Gene (1938-2017). Ola Mae passed away in 1960 and John lived with his son Bobby Gene until he died on 12 October 1970. 1880 Census: Name: Isaac King Residence: Reville, Logan, Arkansas Birth Date: 1850 Birthplace: Missouri, United States Relationship to Head: Self Spouse's Name: Mary King Spouse's Birthplace: Arkansas, United States Father's Name: Father's Birthplace: Illinois, United States Mother's Name: Mother's Birthplace: Illinois, United States Race or Color (Expanded): White Ethnicity (Standardized): American Gender: Male Martial Status: Married Age (Expanded): 30 years Occupation: Farmer NARA Film Number: T9-0050 Page: 278 Page Character: D Entry Number: 4753 Film number: 1254050 Household Gender Age Isaac King M 30 Spouse Mary King F 25 Child Henry King M 5 Child Caldonia King F 2 1900 Census: Dated 15 June 1900 Name: John H King Residence: Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas Birth Date: Dec 1874 Birthplace: Arkansas Relationship to Head of Household: Son Spouse: Mattie Father: Isaac King Father's Titles Father's Birthplace: Missouri Mother: Mother's Titles & Terms: Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas Race or Color (expanded): White Head-of-household Name: Isaac King Gender: Male Marital Status: Married Years Married: 6 Estimated Marriage Year: 1894 Enumeration District: 0199 Page: 8 Sheet Letter: A Family Number: 141 Reference Number: 16 Film Number: 1240058 Image Number: 00908 Household Gender Age Parent Isaac King M b. Jul 1850 in Missouri John H King M b. Dec 1874 Mattie King F b. Sep 1873 (wife to John) Virgil M King M b. Dec 1883 (brother to John) Maggie T King F b. Sep 1890 (sister to John) William J King M b. Jul 1895 Claude M King M b. Jun 1896 Bertha T King F b. Feb 1897 Mamie King F. b. May 1899 1910 Census: Dated 16 May 1910 Name: John H King Birthplace: Arkansas Relationship to Head of Household: Self Residence: Prairie, Franklin, Arkansas Marital Status: Married Race : White Gender: Male Immigration Year: Father's Birthplace: Missouri Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas Family Number: 336 Page Number: 23 Household Gender Age John H King M 36y Spouse Mattie King F 37y Child Willie King M 14y Child Claude King M 13y Child Mamie F King F 10y Child Clarence A King M 8y Child John H M King M 6y Child Lawrence E King M 3y Child Clara R King F 0y 5m 1930 Census-Dated 14 April 1930 Name: John King Event: Census Event Date: 1930 Event Place: Paw Paw, Sequoyah, Oklahoma Gender: Male Age: 55 Marital Status: Married Race: White Birthplace: Arkansas Estimated Birth Year: 1875 Relationship to Head of Household: Head Father's Birthplace: Missouri Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas Enumeration District Number: 0018 Family Number: 145 Sheet Number and Letter: 10A Line Number: 37 NARA Publication: T626, roll 1931 Film Number: 2341665 Digital Folder Number: 4661247 Image Number: 00791 Household Gender Age John King M 55 Spouse Ola King F 36 Child Rety M King F 3 (Loretta) Child Nina King F 0 (Vina) John Canada M 16 (Step-son) Edith Canada F 13 (Step-dau.) Hatalie Canada F 11 (Step-dau.) Granvel Wilker M 8 (Step-son)

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