Marshall “Montray” (31 Oct 1866-30 Sep 1948) — m. Mary J. Johnson on 24 Nov 1887
Barbra (Oct 1867-6 Sep 1934) — m. Samuel T. Johnson on 25 Oct 1883
Louisa Jane “Eliza” (May 1870-16 Jan 1958)
Louis N. “Woods” (May 1870-1898) — m. Minnie Thompson Norris on 29 Dec 1888
Mary Ida (15 Sep 1871-29 Jun 1938) — m. William H. Kelley on 26 Jan 1888
Benjamin Leroy (31 Mar 1873-1919) — m. Martha D. Taylor on 25 Jan 1894
John, Jr. (1880-????)
John Norris was born in what was then Lawrence County, Arkansas, second child of William “Billy” Norris from Missouri and Lucinda Thompson from Tennessee.
Mary E. Sanders was born in either Tennessee or Arkansas to John A. Sanders from Tennessee and Keziah Mauldin from South Carolina. I don’t know where in Tennessee they came from. The 1830 census for Tennessee listed many men named John Sanders, and the family apparently moved to Arkansas before 1840. A Norris family story holds that Mary was full-blood Cherokee.
In the 1850 census, John “Noris” (3) was in Lebanon Township, Lawrence County, Arkansas, with parents William (28) and Lucinda (20) and his brothers. Mary (14) was living with her parents John A. (45) and Kisiah (53) and siblings in Strawberry Township, Lawrence County. Both these areas of Lawrence County were in the part that was later broken off to form Sharp County. Lebanon Township is just west-northwest of Smithville, while Strawberry Township is directly south of Lebanon, in between Smithville and Poughkeepsie.
On 9 Aug 1857, Mary married Edward “Ned” Johnson (~1835-186x) from Tennessee, who had also appeared in the 1850 census for Strawberry Township. They had four daughters:
Malissa E. (13 Sep 1858-6 Jun 1930) — m. Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” Norris on 31 Jul 1884
Lucinda A. (~1859-186x)
Sarah Elizabeth (31 Jan 1861-7 Dec 1951) — m. James Robert Madison on 3 Aug 1880
Martha “Patsy” (Sep 1862-Nov 1937) — m. George Stewart on 24 Dec 1882; m. William T. “Little Tom” Norris on 27 Feb 1907
In the 1860 census, John (12) was still in Lebanon Township with parents William (36) and Lucinda (29) and siblings. Ned Johnson (24) and wife Mary E. (23) were also in Lebanon Township, with children Melissa E. (1) and Lucinda A. (0).
John, despite being underage, joined Company K of the 10th Arkansas, which began as a Confederate infantry regiment and was remade as cavalry late in the war. Ned Johnson died during the war years, cause unknown. The widowed Mary Elizabeth Sanders Johnson married John Norris on 31 Dec 1865 in Lawrence County, when she was 29 and he was 18, although the marriage record listed him as 19.
In the 1870 census, John (22) and wife Mary E. (says 23, should be 33) were still in Lebanon Township, now part of the newly created Sharp County, living near John’s parents. With them were three of Mary’s daughters by her first marriage, Malisa L. (12), Sarah L. (11), and Martha P. (8), and also her children by John: Montray (4), Barbry (4), and twins (Eliza) Jane and Lewis, both supposedly 1 month old.
In the 1880 census, John (32) and Mary E. (40) were in Strawberry Township, Sharp County. (I doubt the family kept moving between Strawberry and Lebanon Townships. The two are adjacent. It’s more likely they lived near an ill-defined boundary.) Their children were Marshall (a.k.a. Montray, 12), Woods (a.k.a. Louis, 10), Eliza J. (9), Mary A. (7), Benjamin (6), and John, Jr. (5 months). John’s stepdaughters were also present, with their last name changed back to Johnson: Malissa (21), Sarah (17), and Patsie (16).
Among their neighbors was our ancestor Martha “Tennessee” McFarlin Norris Sanders, recently widowed for a second time by the death of Major H. Sanders, Mary’s older brother. (As I’ve noted elsewhere, the Norris and Sanders families clearly liked one another.) John’s father William (56) was living in the same area with wife #2 Sarah (32) and seven children, all but one of them by wife #1, Lucinda.
On 10 Mar 1882, John and his brother Tom were both fined for assault and battery – $15 and $12.50 respectively. No further details.
Mary died in 1899, a year after her son Louis. She’s buried in the Lebanon Cemetery in Nelsonville beneath an uncommonly handsome stone.
In the 1900 census, John “Narris” (53), now widowed, was living in Strawberry Township with daughter Louisa “Narris” (30). John claimed March 1847 birth, contradicting his tombstone. Right next door were son Benjamin and his family. The census-taker spelled the surname of other Norris families as “Narris” too, from which we can deduce how the folk of Sharp County pronounced it.
In 1908, John’s father Billy died. He’s buried in Lebanon Cemetery. The tombstone lists his wife’s name as Anna. Based on the reported parentage of his son William J. Norris (1878-1904), I think this was just another name used by Billy’s second wife, elsewhere called Sarah.
The 1910 census listed John Norris, 63, living with daughter Eliza J. Norris (40) and 10-year-old Eagle Street, Eliza’s son, still in Strawberry Township. Daughter Barbra and her husband Samuel Johnson were living next door, although on the next page of the census. John’s younger brother Perry H. “Bud” Norris and his wife were in the same neighborhood, also on the next page.
In 1911, John applied for veteran’s benefits (from Arkansas – the federal government didn’t pay benefits to Confederate soldiers).
In the 1920 census, John Norris (72) was still living with daughter Eliza Norris (47) and grandson Eagle Street (18), now in Cave City, Sharp County. If you look at all these censuses, by the way, you notice that John repeatedly changed his account to census-takers of where his parents were from. Maybe he never cared much about it, or just forgot.
In the 1930 census, John Norris (82) was still living with his daughter Eliza J. Norris (60) and her son J. Eagle Street (30). However, Eagle was now married with children of his own, and they were all in Barren, Independence County, Arkansas.
John died the following year. Like his wife and many others of his family, he’s buried in Lebanon Cemetery, Nelsonville, Sharp County. The inscription on the stone reads, “An honest man, a believer in Christ.”
Malissa married her stepfather’s first cousin, Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” Norris (1855-1942) from Nelsonville, on 31 Jul 1884. He had been married before; a note from the county clerk attested that his first wife had abandoned him in Texas six years earlier. His family had been in Texas for the 1860 census, but by 1870 Jeff and his three sisters, apparently orphaned, were living with the Hudson family back in Sharp County. Anyway, he and Malissa had three children:
Rutial Orbra “Arby” (28 May 1885-Dec 1979) — m. Nora F. McCartney on 27 Nov 1912
Luther Mansfield (11 Jan 1887-20 Oct 1940) — m. Ola Prudence Hutchinson on 24 Dec 1913
Osella “Sela” (16 May 1888-12 Jan 1970) — m. Arthur Melvin Birchfield on 14 Aug 1920
They lived in Big Rock Township, Sharp County until at least 1910. Sometime after 1910, they moved to Clark County, Arkansas. Jeff reportedly opened a car dealership there. Malissa died there in 1930. Jeff died in 1942 in Jackson County, Arkansas.
Lucinda was missing from the 1870 census, so I assume she died in the 1860s.
Sarah married James Robert Madison (15 Feb 1855-29 Jul 1905) in 1880. Their children:
Cara (May 1881-19xx)
Lewis Edward (11 Feb 1884-26 Sep 1968) — m. Norah Cole on 4 Apr 1909; m. Ethel Brodus Hogart on 12 Aug 1928
Laura Elizabeth (25 Aug 1885-6 Nov 1975) — m. m. Elmer Whitfield Pickett on 12 Jul 1902; m. John Dallas Winchester on 27 Dec 1924
Maude Alberta (12 Jan 1888-8 May 1978) — m. Richard Solomon Johns on 7 Jun 1908
Frederic (26 Feb 1891-29 Jul 1961) — m. Beulah Virginia Williams on 1 Jun 1924
Otho (12 Dec 1893-6 May 1995) — m. Altha Rena Coates on 15 Apr 1917
Gracie May (Mar 1899-19xx)
James Ernest (20 Dec 1901-20 Aug 1939) — m. Nellie Orlena Davis on 11 Nov 1923
James died in 1905. Sarah died in 1951, and is buried in New Hope Cemetery, Lawrence County, a couple miles east of Smithville.
Patsy married George Stewart (Dec 1854-19xx) on 24 Dec 1882. He was from Arkansas, born to parents from Tennessee, and this might have been his second marriage. They had two children:
Loula (1883-19xx) — poss. m. G. W. Medlock on 19 Jun 1904
Auther or Arthur (1887-19xx) — poss. m. Lydia Abee on 8 Dec 1907
The 1900 census showed them living in Big Rock & Washington Townships, Sharp County. I don’t know what became of the family after that. There were two weddings in Poughkeepsie that might have been the kids, but I can’t be sure of either one. I’m assuming George died by 1907, in which year Patsy married Clark ancestor William T. “Little Tom” Norris. See the Norris-Duncan page for the rest.
Montray married Mary Jane Johnson (13 Nov 1871-18 Apr 1952) on 24 Nov 1887. In the 1900 census, they were living in Strawberry Township, Sharp County. They had three children I know of, all girls:
Pearl (Dec 1888-????)
Eula Vastine (10 Dec 1891-3 Aug 1957) — m. Phone Gay
Allie Zion (18 Aug 1896-17 Mar 1981) — m. Walter Felix Norris on 3 May 1914
There was at least one other child who died as an infant – no name, sex, or date of birth found. Montray died in 1948 and Mary Jane in 1952. They’re buried in the Lebanon Cemetery, Nelsonville, Sharp County.
There’s a gravestone for a Pearl Norris (1888-1891) in Lebanon Cemetery, which fits the age of Montray’s daughter Pearl – except that the 1900 census reported her alive, age 12.
Montray’s daughter Allie Norris had a distant cousin the same age also named Allie Norris, who also married a man with the last name Norris. I haven’t sat down to work out exactly how they were all related, but they were.
Barbra married Samuel T. Johnson (13 Apr 1855-26 Aug 1946) on 25 Oct 1883. They lived in Strawberry Township. Their children:
John W. D. (1886)
Azilee (1887-1923) — m. Otto Cathey on 20 May 1920
Myrtle Magline (17 Jun 1889-31 Mar 1965) — m. Dee Mathews on 7 Dec 1913
Willie A. (1896, girl)
Foster Prella (26 Oct 1898-)
Owen Lawrence (18 Jan 1903-26 Sep 1953) — m. Edna ???
Lowell R. (3 May 1907-3 Nov 1978) — m. Jessie C. Kennon on 4 Feb 1933
Barbra died in 1934 and is buried with Samuel in Lebanon Cemetery, Nelsonville, Sharp County. Son Owen is buried there also.
Eliza was the twin of Louis, as shown by the 1870 census, which said they were born in May of that year and were 1 month old at the time of the census – which was in August. Despite the dysfunctional math, this is that rare case where I believe the census over the tombstone, which claims Eliza was born on 28 Mar 1869. Eliza had one child:
James Eagle “Eagle” Street (5 Mar 1900-3 Jun 1987) — m. Hazel Meacham on 12 Feb 1922; m. Retha Fulbright on 13 May 1967
Eliza never married, and always gave her last name as Norris. Eagle’s father was the 1900 census-taker, James Monroe “Roe” Street (20 Jul 1867-14 Aug 1942). Given when Eagle was born, though, Roe must have met Eliza by 1899, before the census. He was a lifelong resident of Big Creek Township, and lived with his mother until well into middle age, but in 1919 he married Mary E. Nixon (15 Oct 1878-2 Feb 1955). The same year, Roe became president of the Bank of Cave City, a post he held until his death, at which point his son Eagle took it over.
There’s a family story that Roe had been planning to marry Eliza after getting her pregnant, but Mary Nixon told him that she too was pregnant and her father would kill Roe if he didn’t marry her. If so, he didn’t rush. The final touch to the tale: Although Eliza’s 1958 tombstone names her as Eliza Norris, her findagrave.com page posthumously gives her the last name Street, which she herself never used. Someone’s touchy about their family history.
Louis married Minnie Norris (Aug 1872-1951) on 29 Dec 1888. Although they were nearly the same age, and the marriage license listed her as Minnie Thompson, records indicate she was his aunt, the much younger sister of his father John. See the Norris-Thompson family page for details about Minnie and their children. They lived in Strawberry Township, Sharp County. Louis died in 1898 and is buried in Lebanon Cemetery.
Mary Ida has her own entry in the family tree.
When Benjamin married Martha Dell Taylor (Sep 1877-1966) on 25 Jan 1894, the license was co-signed by what looks like T. J. Norris. This was probably his uncle Tom, aka “Big Tom”. Benjamin and Martha had four children:
Louie L. (2 Jan 1895-6 Nov 1986) — m. Amos Lee Smithee on 11 Mar 1917
Vallie Leola (12 Feb 1900-21 Nov 1985) — m. Jasper Clinton Freeman
Cleetus Collins “C. C.” (10 Jan 1902-23 Mar 1963) — m. Annie Jewell Null on 7 Sep 1924
Elaine (21 Mar 1913-4 Sep 2000) — m. S. Emanuel Billingsley on 28 Jan 1930
In the 1900 census, they were living next door to Benjamin’s father and sister Eliza. In 1910, they were in Strawberry Township, Sharp County. Benjamin registered for the WWI draft in Pine Bluff saying he lived in Cave City. He died in 1919. In 1920, Martha, widowed, was living with the three younger children in Strawberry Township.
In 1924, Martha married C. F. Sawyers (27 Oct 1877-4 Jan 1943) from Mississippi. She remained in Strawberry at least until C. F. died in 1943. Her two younger children moved to California. Martha died in 1966, and is buried with Benjamin in Lebanon Cemetery.
Can’t track John, Jr. Too common a name.
http://lchsar.org/ -- The Lawrence County Historic Society and their book “Mother of Counties”
https://www.cavecity.us/our-history -- Cave City and the Street family
http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/sanders/10911/ -- Early Sanders family
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3QYF-2C4 -- Sanders family tree
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N99P-NXW -- 1844 wedding
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M67Z-5JD -- 1850 census, Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M678-F4Z -- 1850 census, Sanders
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M875-ZZX -- 1860 census, Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M875-ZHK -- 1860 census, Keziah Sanders
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFX-4KD -- 1860 census, Malissa’s future husband Thomas J. Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQRZ-K9W -- 1865 wedding of John & Mary
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCF-S5F -- 1870 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNC4-G74 -- 1870 census, Malissa’s future husband Thomas J. Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNW5-7PW -- 1880 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNW5-7GQ -- 1880 census, William Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F79R-ZXY -- 1882 wedding of Mary’s daughter Patsy
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQB3-JQJ -- ditto
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93Y-YQ7 -- Barbra’s 1883 wedding
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93Y-Y58 -- 1884 wedding of Mary’s daughter Melissa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93B-9ZV -- 1888 wedding, Louis
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93B-QHM -- 1894 wedding, Benjamin
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265856/louis-n-norris -- 1898 grave of Louis
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265873/mary-elizabeth-norris -- 1899 grave, Mary
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3XZ-3K6 -- 1900 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3XZ-D9K -- 1900 census, Montray
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3XZ-DS3 -- 1900 census, Barbra
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3XZ-3VF -- 1900 census, Louis’s wife & kids
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3XC-F2T -- 1900 census, Mary’s daughter Patsy
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57266005/william-norris -- 1908 grave of John’s father
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKKM-28L -- 1910 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKKM-Z92 -- 1910 census, Mary’s daughter Malissa
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKKM-FR7 -- 1910 census, Barbra
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N931-CB3 -- 1913 wedding of Myrtle Johnson
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93B-FL8 -- 1914 wedding of Florence Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93B-JHS -- 1914 wedding of Jasper Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93B-FJP -- 1914 wedding of Allie Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K35W-PYW -- Benjamin’s WWI draft registration
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K35W-P65 -- WWI draft registration for Prella Johnson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265785/benjamin-l-norris -- 1919 grave of Benjamin
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDF2-CCV -- 1920 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDF2-WZM -- 1920 census, Barbra
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDJQ-K8Q -- 1920 census, widow of Benjamin Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDF2-1B9 -- 1920 census, Allie Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N93Y-6H7 -- Azilee’s 1920 wedding
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMGN-7JW -- 1922 wedding of Eagle Street
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NM5Z-RY5 -- 1924 wedding of C. C. Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMLH-9HX -- 1930 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMGF-CV6 -- 1930 census, Barbra
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMVK-DZK -- 1930 wedding of Elaine Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VJRJ-YZV -- 1930 death of Mary’s daughter Malissa
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265832/john-norris -- 1931 grave of John
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arcemete/sharp/lebanon.htm -- John & Mary
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arsharp/cemlebanon.html -- More Lebanon Cemetery
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40018068/azilee-cathey -- Azilee’s 1933 grave
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N99M-NXZ -- 1933 wedding of Lowell Johnson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265343/barbra-johnson -- 1934 grave of Barbra; Web page uses her mother’s maiden name, tombstone uses her older brother’s date of birth
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ2D-G2Z -- 1940 census, Allie Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265936/montray-norris -- 1948 grave of Montray Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57265358/owen-lawrence-johnson -- 1953 grave of Owen Johnson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57274112/eliza-jane-street -- 1958 grave of Eliza Jane Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGT2-KB7 -- 1963 death of C. C. Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115244847/cleetus-collins-norris -- 1963 grave of C. C. Norris
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5832338 -- 1965 grave of Myrtle Johnson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85618682/lowell-r-johnson -- 1978 grave of Lowell Johnson
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33510614/florence-brightwell -- 1979 grave of Florence Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71001029/rutial-o-norris -- 1979 grave of Malissa’s son Rutial Orbra
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68498618/allie-zion-norris -- 1981 grave of Allie Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144206095/louie-l-smithee -- 1986 grave of Louie Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140738076/jasper-s-norris -- 1987 grave of Jasper Norris
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146000679/eagle-street -- 1987 grave of Eagle Street
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V3PS-F36 -- 2000 death of Elaine Norris
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7MX-34R -- 1904 wedding of poss. Mary’s grand-daughter Loula Stewart
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25051192 -- 1907 grave of poss. Mary’s grand-daughter Loula Stewart
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQB4-TYP -- 1907 wedding of poss. Mary’s grandson Arthur Stewart
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21257847 -- 1942 grave of poss. Mary’s daughter Sarah
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92879890/w-a-stewart -- 1962 grave of poss. Mary’s grandson Arthur Stewart