The McCracken Family

The ancestor of this branch of the McCracken family was Elam G. W. McCracken, a native of Ireland, lived in Tennessee for a time, who came to Marion County in 1810, landing at the Noe Landing on White River near the mouth of Jimmies Creek. He settled in what is known now as the Promise Land Community. He married in Tennessee and his wife's maiden name was Maxey. Gencie Maxey.

Their children (1) W. G. (Doc) McCracken 1832-1914, first married Mahalia Musick. Their children were: Eli J., Martha Jane, and Nora. After the death of Mahalia Musick McCracken, W. G. married Elizabeth Matthews Berry, a widow who had come to Marion County from Kentucky after the death of her husband, Franklin Berry. Uncle Doc and Aunt Beth had one child, a daughter, Lola.

Eli J. McCracken married Molly Coventon of Oakland. To them were born the following children:

Walter, who married Jessie Tilley of Lincoln while he was a student in the University of Arkansas. Walter taught in Marion County for a time before moving to Oklahoma where he was in the insurance and real estate business for many years. Walter and Jessie were the parents of two children, a son, Orville and a daughter, Ila Grace.

Bertie, a teacher in the schools of Marion County for many years, who later in life married Wilbur Kell of Oklahoma where she lived until her death. They had no children.

Atlanta, a teacher, who never married and died at the age of 22.

Willie McCracken who died in infancy.

Walton McCracken also died in infancy.

Vergie married Leo H. Coke of Lead Hill. To this union were born the following children: Fern, Nita, Wilkie, Neva, L. H., Jr., and Betty Jean. The family moved to Yellville where the children were reared.

Minnie married Vester Coke, a brother of Leo H. Coke. To them, the following children were born: Otha, LaRue, Nellie Jo and Don.

Otha C. McCracken married Beulah Payne of Oakland. This family was blessed with a daughter, Nina Sue, and a son, Benny. Otha was a farmer and stockman and later in life spent most of his time as a Baptist minister and evangelist serving and preaching in the smaller rural Baptist congregations in Marion County.

The second child of Uncle Doc was Martha Jane who married George W. Pangle of the pioneer Pangle family of Flippin and Fallen Ash. Their children were:

Francis, who first married an Estes and after her death married Dona Holland. They had one son, Hearl, who still lives near Flippin.

Eva -- married Levi Johnson and they were the parents of Reba, Jack and A. G.

Ella -- married Willis Huddleston and they were the parents of several children, Garvin (Star), Jim, Clan and some daughters whose names cannot now be recalled.

Willie -- married Mamie Jenkins. Their children were: Lonnie, Georgia and Elma Joyce. One child died in infancy. Willie moved to Oklahoma where his children were reared.

Nellie first married Carl Flippin. After his death, she married Emery Estes. They had no children.

Della married Ewing McBee. A number of children were born of this union. Jean McBee Marshall, City Recorder of Flippin, is perhaps the only one of the children now living in the county.

Zella married a Mr. Lincoln and they had one daughter.

Robert (Doc) married Ruby Reed and they live on the G. W. Pangle place near Flippin. Their children are: Noel and Miles.

The third child of Uncle Doc was Nora who married M. A. (Mel) Ferguson. Their children were born and reared on Newton Flat. They were: Floyd, Alba, R. D., Delpha, Elsie and Lovell (Bally). Floyd married Emma Duggins and they were the parents of several children whose names cannot be recalled. Alba married May Barnett. They had no children. R. D. (Duke) married Fay Barnett and they had no children. Delpha married Reuben (Bud) Estes. They had no children. Elsie married a Plumlee and they had a number of children. Lovell (Bally) married Ella McCracken. They have one daughter.

The fourth child of Uncle Doc was by his second wife. This child was Lola who married Sol H. King. They were the parents of Boyd who died as a young man, Jewel, Dial, Alpha, Hershel, and Karl. The family moved to Oklahoma and we do not know the names of their husband and/or wives nor how many children there were.

The second child of Elam G. W. McCracken was Sulve McCracken who married Mary McCabe and farmed on Fallen Ash Creek. They were the parents of two daughters -- Belle and Etta and two sons -- Ernie (Jack) and another boy who died quite young and was buried in the Promise Land Cemetery. Belle married an Estes. Etta married a Poynter. Jack married Clemma Johnson, daughter of Eugene and Minnie B. Johnson. They had no children. So far as we know, there are no descendants of Sulve and Mary McCabe McCracken living in Marion County.

The third child of Elam G. W. McCracken and Gencie Maxey McCracken was John Phillip McCracken born February 18, 1834 and died in 1886. He married Susannah Herndon who was born January 18, 1846 and died in 1911. John Phillip McCracken lived on Promise Land Ridge and owned a farm on White River and land on Sister Creek. They were the parents of the folowing children:

Effie Mae born June 17,1872 and died November 19, 1917; Leony born January 15, 1874 and died August 11, 1874; Eli Jasper born November 22, 1882 and died May 14, 1943. John Bell (Bill) born September 29, 1883 and died January 27, 1966. Elam Herndon (Bill) born January 17, 1886 and died November 29, 1942. Effie Mae married Jefferson (Bunk) Gilbert. To this union were born: Johnny, who married Marie Hogan; (2) Fred Allen who died at the age of one year; ( 3) Eunice, who married Conley Hogan; ( 4) Eula, who married Leonard Yocham and (5) Ralph, who married Orpha Mefford.

Eli Jasper married Olive Oten Robertson on October 13, 1901. Children born to this union were: Mary Ellen, Marion P., Virgil, Vernie Alberta, Ernest Tipton, Johnnie, Una Belle, and Lixie Perry .

Mary Ellen married Lowell Stafford. They made their home in California. They had four children.

Marion P. died when he was about one year of age.

Virgil married Myrtle Barnett. Virgil was a farmer and stockman. He farmed in the northern part of the county before moving to a farm near Flippin where he resides. They were the parents of several children whose names cannot be recalled. Virgil is a member of the Church of God.

Vernie Alberta married Harlan Pierson, a farmer and now Park Supervisor of Bull Shoals Park Lodge and Grounds where they reside.

Ernest Tipton married Doris Mefford and they have made their home in the State of Oregon.

Johnnie married Melva Plumlee. They have made their home in California.

Una Belle married Hogan McNeil. They had one son, Gattie. Hogan died in 1954 and Belle lives in Flippin. She is a member of the Church of God.

Lixie Perry married Reba Marie Hodges. Perry is a farmer, mechanic and Bus supervisor and a member of the Baptist Church.

John Bell (Bob) married Rachel Gertrude Phillips, May 14, 1903. She was born October 5, 1884 and died January 8, 1958. To this union of John Bell and Gertrude were born the following:

Gus Leonard born February 20, 1904 and died March 6, 1966.

Russell Warren born December 31,1906 and resides in Russellville, and Elsie Bernice born March 4, 1909 and lives in Little Rock.

Gus married Lalah B. Sanders on November 17, 1923. She was the daughter of Lester Sanders, a native of Marion County. They were blessed with two children -- a daughter, Wanda Lea who married Rudolph Johnston of Little Rock, and a son, L. G. who married Juanita Johnson. Wanda Lea lives in Flippin. L. G. lives in Batesville. Gus was a farmer and a leading livestock dealer in the county for many years before entering county politics. He served for eight years as Sheriff and Collector of Marion County, two terms in the State House of Representatives, and almost two years as County Judge. He perhaps knew and could call the names of more citizens of Marion County than any other man. Gus and Lalah lived in or near Flippin nearly all of their married life. They were members of the Flippin Christian Church.

Russell W. married Louie Barnett of Flippin on October 10, 1930. They are the parents of two daughters -- Martha Jean and Ann. Both Russell and Lottie have devoted most of their life to the teaching profession, teaching in grade schools, high schools, and colleges. Both have PhD degrees and have served in administrative positions in many professional organizations.

Elsie B., the third child of Bob and Gertrude McCracken, married George J. Hill of Charleston, Arkansas on March 25, 1944. George was born on November 29, 1906. He was a farmer, stockman, and a teacher. This marriage ended in divorce and there were no children. Elsie was graduated from the University of Arkansas and taught for many years. She was Farm Home Adviser for the Farmers Security Administration and held other governmental positions before she retired.

The fourth child of John Phillip and Susannah Herndon McCracken was Elam Herndon (Bill) who married Nancy Louvena Phillips, the sister of Rachel Gertrude Phillips McCracken, on June 20, 1909. Bill was a leading farmer and stockman of the Promise Land Community. He later moved to a farm near Flippin in order to send his children to Flippin school. Children of Bill and Nancy McCracken were:

Carl Emery, a machinist, who married Avis Crownover of Baxter County. They have resided in Wichita, Kansas and have two children -- Ethelene and Harold Dean.

Neville Luler married Earl Kilbourn, an employee of the highway system in Baxter County. They have three children: Patricia Marie, William Earl, Jr. and Jerry Ed.

Ina Mae married Arvin Pierson and they have three children: Wilma Sue, Leta Kay and Michael Jay.

Coy -- He died while a young man.

The fourth child of Elam G. W. McCracken and Gencie Maxey McCracken was Elizabeth (Aunt Betsy). She married William (Uncle Bill) Parker, a soldier in the Confederate Army who lived near the mouth of Jimmie's Creek. To this union the following children were born : William J ., Silas, and a daughter.

William J. (Billy) married Mary Eliza Pascoe of Oakland. They reared their children -- Charles, Ellen, Merinda, Lucy, Beulah, Josie, A. Richard, and Joshua on a farm on Sisters Creek. William J. was a good farmer and a minister of the Church of Christ.

Silas married Bertie Jenkins, daughter of Roland Jenkins. They were the parents of thirteen children. Silas was a farmer on Jimmie's Creek prior to his moving to Oklahoma in the Prague, Oklahoma area where he. continued to farm until his retirement. Since his children were reared in Oklahoma, we can recall the names only of Walsie, Pearl, Jewell, Emery, Leonard, Thelma and Ruby.

The third child of Uncle Bill and Aunt Betsy was a daughter who married Andrew Mitchell. Her name or the names of their children cannot be recalled.

The Elam G. W. McCracken of this branch of the McCracken family came from Tennessee as did the James Richmond McCracken family who settled in the McCracken Community north of Flippin, but records available that have been studied fail to show any relation between these two families.