Search billions of records on Ancestry.com

Montgomery County

Brushy Creek March 2002. Help save our past for the future!
Links and Notables

Montgomery Co. ARGenWeb Project

Genealogies

RootsWeb

Montgomery County Links

Arkansas Links

Links

County info

TV STOREYS Ex-Arkansan is instrumental in bringing Five People to TV
Celia & Michae Storey
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette 5 December 2004
The Five People You Meet in Heaven (ABC), 7-10 p.m. today. Too few Arkansans know about Quinn Taylor, who is one of the surprising Arkies who somehow survives network TV's routine administrative purges. A while back, Taylor went toe-to-toe with the big feet at other networks for the rights to turn Mitch Albom's best-selling novel into this made-for-TV movie with the same title. ABC Entertainment's senior vice president for movies and miniseries, the former Mount Ida boy oversees all kinds of high-profile productions. Albom was a hot property, but Taylor won the deal for ABC. He believes that was because Albom could see that he "felt" the book, which is a Capraesque little affair about loss, guilt and the value of any one life. Then, too, ABC agreed to let Albom - who had never written a script - do the teleplay himself. On the way home from the deal, Taylor was thinking, "It will never be done. All that work, and we'll never get it made." Because novelists aren't usually adaptation adepts. Taylor gave us the script to read on the plane home from Hollywood in July. It conveyed a complex storyline told in multi-layered flashbacks full of special effects and held together by close-ups of a wristwatch. We had trouble imagining it making sense to anyone who hadn't already read the novel. And the cascade of images at the final payoff would have to be computer stuff, which can either break your heart with its beauty or distract you with thoughts about animation factories. ABC did not send us a preview screener. So we don't know. Maybe this will be a moving movie. Maybe it will be schmaltz.


Picture the precious stone available at the nation's only public Arkansas quarter issued October 2003diamond mine, a stalk from the country's main rice-growing region and a mallard flying over Delta wetlands and wooded hills. Mrs Dortha Scott (from Mt Ida) design was selected for the Arkansas quarter, which was issued in Oct. 2003. There are between 650 million and 750 million quarters produced for each state minted only for a ten week period. The mint won't produce additional quarters for that state at a later date. 130 million Americans are collecting the state quarters, an average of nearly one collector per U.S. household. "Never have so many people checked their pocket change." The Arkansas Quarter Challenge, a statewide competition, resulted in 9,320 entries. Governor Mike Huckabee selected the natural resources design. A mallard soaring above the water with trees in the background symbolizes Arkansas' abundant natural resources, its reputation as one of the top states in the country for hunting and fishing and its timber industry. Rice honors the state's agricultural heritage and the fact Arkansas is the leading rice producer in the country. A key element at the center of the design is a diamond. The Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro is unique. The diamond also is a major element of the Arkansas state flag.

Montgomery County Notables

 ==============================

James Fred Jones was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1935 for the composite photograph of the Fiftieth General Assembly, 1935.

J. Fred Jones born January 12,1907 in Mt. Ida. Jones served three terms as a State Representative from Montgomery County. 1914 to 1941.  He also served two years as deputy prosecuting attorney in that county before moving to Little Rock in 1942.  He then became the capital's first traffic judge, a post he held for two years.  He ran twice for the supreme court.  Once in 1948 and again in 1962 before winning in 1966.  He retired in 1977 when he reached the mandatory age of seventy.   Jones last bid for public office was in 1982, when he ran unsuccessfully for the 3rd District Congressional seat in the Democratic Primary.  College praised Jones for his integrity and sense of humor. Jones died at his home in Little Rock on March 5, 1991. Source: Supreme Court, Capitol Building, Little Rock. Framed memo on wall. 


The Long Gray Line By Rick Atkinson page 117
J. Fred Jones, had grown up in Mt. Ida, in a section of western Arkansas so untamed that a panther once crashed through the roof of the family home. Fred Jones had literally walked out of the woods to attend college, which he financed by delivering laundry and moonshine. when he was a law student at the university, he had lived for a time in a tent. His daughter was Vonda Jones who graduated from the University of Arkansas, where she majored in home economics and was captain of the cheer leading squad. Vonda married George A. Crocker, of Russellville, a West Point graduate in 1966, commissioned as a lieutenant of infantry, at the Methodist church in Little Rock June 25 in 1966. Vonda's grandfather had been a circuit-riding Church of god preacher, spewing fire and brimstone until his death at the age of ninety-five. Her mother was a teacher from the Ozarks village of Green Forest. George did five tours with the 82nd. Division

J. P. (James Paul) Hulsey was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1940 for the composite photograph of the Fifty-Third General Assembly, 1941. 

C. H. (Charles Holland) Herndon 1884-1948 was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1945 for the composite photograph of the Fifty-Fifth General Assembly, 1945.

A. J. (Alfred Jefferson) "Jeff" Mobley b. 1926 - was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1951 for the composite photograph of the Fifty-Eighth General Assembly, 1951. today

W. V. (Walter V.) "Shorty" Smith was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1952 for the composite photograph of the Fifty-Ninth General Assembly, 1953.

Ode (Ode Lee) Maddox was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Montgomery County. This photograph was taken in 1956 for the composite photograph of the Sixty-First General Assembly, 1956 1961 1965 1967 Mr. Maddox was a State Representative from 1957 to December 1998, for District #17 which covers most of Montgomery and Polk Counties, he did not seek re-election. Oden

The New York Times; Feb 22, 1971; p. 31
But, compared to the late 1950's and the early 1960's the Arkansas legislature of today is remarkably progressive. Some here attribute much of the difference to the gain un urban seats after a court-ordered reapportionment in 1966.
The new urban outlook could be seen in 1969 when the legislative passed its first law allowing bars to sell mixed drinks.
One legislator who had always voted "dry" was Ode Maddox of Oden, a western Arkansas hill village of about 100 persons. Mr Maddox had represented a rural district in the House from 1957 until the 1966 reapportionment. Then his district was combined with Hot Springs, a fairly cosmopolitan resort town, and in 1969 he voted for a liquor bill for the first time. "Ode not only voted for it," one observer recalled, "he got up and made a hell of a speech in favor of it."

Boyd Anderson Tackett (1911-1985) Born near Black Springs, Ark., May 9, 1911. Member of Arkansas House of Representatives, 1937 - 41. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; U.S. Representative from Arkansas, 1949-53; candidate for Governor of Arkansas, 1952. Died in Nashville, Ark., February 23, 1985. He was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Pike County. This photograph was taken in 1936 for the composite photograph of the Fifty-First General Assembly, 1937. (D)

The above photos are from the The Arkansas History Commission image library

The New York Times. Dec 31, 1964; p. 5
Senate aide ends a 59 year career. Charles L Watkins retires as the Parliamentarian.
Dec. 30 - Washington.

Charles L. Watkins, after 59 years of Senate service, more than 40 of them as parliamentarian, retired today at the age of 85. He left at the Capitol his promise that the secrets he had amassed concerning strategies, dilemmas, personalities, personal matters and other matters would remain secrets. He planned no memories, histories or published reminiscences. He had never even kept notes. "I'll find something else to do., he said. An Arkansas Democrat who made it a business to forget which party was in power -during the working hours, at least - Mr Watkins has enjoyed his independence. It was his routine to advise both sides in any controversy when advice was asked. it was sought steadily. Mr Watkins, a tall, slight and soft-spoken man who has remained calm through the shoutingest of Senate debates, was made the unofficial parliamentarian long before the Senate created the office in 1935. Mr Watkins was born at Mount Ida, Ark., on Aug. 10, 1879. he graduated from the Mount Ida Normal Academy and the law department of the University of Arkansas. He served as clerk in the offices of the Attorney General and Governor, 1902-04, with a state commission for two more years, and then came to the capitol to work with Senator James F. Clarke of Arkansas. Though on the payroll as a labourer, he was a stenographer, and later became the sentor's secretary. In 1914 Mr Watkins was appointed a clerk in the office of the secretary of the Senate, and in 1919 became the Senate's journal clerk. In this poet, he began to learn the parliamentary arts and in 1923 became the Vice President's unofficial adviser. He was parliamentarian for the United Nations conference at San Francisco in 1945, on special leave from the Senate. In the photo he is on the left. He is on the left with Dr. Floyd M. Riddick on the right. Taken two years before he died.
Charles Watkins, Senate Aide, Dies. New York Times Aug 31, 1966; p. 40.   Died Aug. 29 at the Bethesda-Silver Spring Nursing Home in Maryland. He was 87 years old. Mr Watkins is survived by a son Charles O., of Detroit, two brothers, William of Little Rock and Harold of Mount Ida, a sister, Mrs Florence Baldwin of Mount Ida, and a grand-daughter.

==============================

"Charles Vines did not forget the backwoods farm he left behind. He's devoted to helping Arkansas children build a better life through 4-H. On his four-mile walks to and from school as a boy, C.A. Vines had plenty of time to think and to talk to God. It was then that he made up his mind about the future."

"A legend in Arkansas Agriculture"
Mr. C. A. Vines retired from the Cooperative Extension Service in 1974 where he was director, but simply shifted gears and became the executive director Arkansas 4-H Foundation, a position which he still holds in 1998.  He joined the extension service in 1934 as an assistant county agent.  He was 85 years in 1993.  The C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center is a 228-acre educational facility at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains just 10 miles west of Little Rock. He is a member of the Arkansas Hall of Fame and was a member of a committee that created what is now the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation.
    He recalls when land could be bought for $3 an acre, when western Arkansas was a major cotton producer and when horses and mules were the main energy source on the farm. Mr. Vines was raised on a 40-acre farm in Montgomery County. "I remember that our closest neighbor had a long spell of illness when I was about 14, and the people in that neighborhood all turned out one day to help him.  They brought hoes, cultivators and plows and worked the weeds in the main crop.  When we left, he had the cleanest crop in the whole area." Reference: Ouachita Mountain Neighbor, Mena , AR., Aug. 24, 1993  

Obituary Feb 23 2001 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Charles A. Vines worked in agriculture up until day he died. He wasn't discouraged when he only cleared $40 his first year as a farmer. He continued to toil away for decades in agriculture and was still going to work when he died Wednesday at age 93...

This obituary appeared in the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in-house newsletter for the 4 H Center.

C.A. Vines Passes Away at 93
LITTLE ROCK -- Charles Austin Vines, suffered a stroke Wednesday, Feb. 14, and died Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the cardiac intensive care unit at St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock. Vines improved slightly over the weekend, but his condition began deteriorating Monday.

Vines, 93, rose from poverty to become executive director of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation and a former director of the Cooperative Extension Service. He was a long-time champion of the 4-H program and the driving force behind raising the $7 million to build the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center at Ferndale.

He was active up until his death, working out of the foundation's office at Extension's headquarters in Little Rock and at the center. The former sharecropper joined the Cooperative Extension Service in 1934 as a county agent and worked his way up through the ranks. Vines never expected anyone to do anything he wasn't willing to do. The 4-H staff recall Vines helping lay sod at the 4-H Center a few years ago. Center staff recall having to keep him off a ladder when they were putting the roof on one of the buildings.

He still drove a car to work and to the 4-H Center, but his driving skill had faded some. His colleagues presented him with a set of hubcaps for his birthday one year to replace those that fell victim to street curbs. Although he had held numerous important posts and received many honors, he was perhaps proudest of the rose garden he helped establish in honor of his wife Joye. Tending the garden for Vines was a labor of love. Vines was featured in the "High Profile" section of the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" newspaper Oct. 29. The Montgomery County native explained to a reporter why he championed young people. "I made a vow when walking back and forth to high school that if I ever got out of the cycle of poverty, I would devote the rest of my life to helping kids." The article ended with Vines saying that when he died he only wanted to be remembered as "somebody who touched the life of a child and helped them enrich their life." Vines' children, Charles and Ann Vines Roberts and their families expressed their appreciation for everyone's love and support.

==============================

Lt. Col. Lawrence E Leffler. (OK)
 L.E. b. 25 July 1925 Caddo Gap. d. 6 Nov. 2002 - Midwest City OK.  10 Nov. Daily Oklahoman
 B-47 Weapon System Management Division
Lawrence E. Leffler was tragically taken from us in an automobile accident on November 6, 2002. He was born in Caddo Gap, Arkansas on July 25, 1925 to Oliver and Elva Leffler who preceded him in death along with one brother and one sister. Larry was a great American who served in the United States Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He had a distinguished civil service career at Tinker Air Force Base. While on active duty, Larry flew bombing missions in World War II as a bombardier navigator on B-17’s and also served in the Korean War. As a civil servant, Larry was responsible for the B52 and Engine Divisions, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. Larry was happily married for 20 years and is survived by his wife Thelma and their precious dog Tippy. He is also survived by Vicki Leffler the mother of his children;... Larry was an avid golfer and had the first tee time every morning at the TAFB golf course. His goal in the last few years was to shoot his age. He loved and supported OSU football and hosted the greatest tailgate parties known to man. He lived life to its fullest and loved a good time with his family and friends. He was quick to give guidance whether you needed it or not. Larry was active in the community living in the Midwest City area for over 50 years, holding a 32nd degree Scottish Rite membership and a member of the Jesters in the India Shrine. He was past president, Gerrity Chapter, Air Force Association and was the longest member of the TAFB Officer’s Club which he regularly frequented and aided the staff in their duties. . Memorial services will be held 12:00 PM Monday, 11/11/2002 at the St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church.
Barnes & Johnson F.H.
1820 S. Douglas Blvd
Midwest City 733-2991

Lonnie Warneke 1909 -1976 
Country boy to ace pitcher to umpire to Judge.

TOP


When we build let us think that we build forever.  Let it not be for the present delight, nor for the present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time will come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touch them, and that men will say as they look upon the labour and wrought substance of them, "See, this our fathers did for us".
John Raskin  Arkansas State Capitol 1899-1915

Little Brushy Creek near Brushy Road. Forest land on the left. Beavers are found here.

Little Brushy Creek