Oliver L. Risley, born in 1852, and his wife, Elizabeth Ledbetter Risley, born in 1857, came from southern Missouri to Marion County in the 1870's. It was probably only a short distance from their Missouri home to their new one in the Peel community. It was there that they reared a family of five sons and three daughters. The sons, with the exception of one, were farmers and the daughters married farmers. 1. Mae married George Grove and their only descendant lives in Oklahoma. 2. Alice was the wife of Jake Yocharn and most of their descendants live in Marion County. 3. Virgil was a teacher and farmer. His wife was Nola Smith and their descendants live in and near Harrison. 4. Ross married Nora Yocham. They remained in Marion County and most of their descendants live here. 5. Troy married Garla Barkheimer. He was a veteran of World War I and a farmer. Their descendants live in Marion and Boone Counties. 6. Minta married Vascoe Farmer. She now lives in Harrison and most of her descendants live in Boone County. 7. John and his wife, Della Roberts Risley, moved to Amarillo, Texas, in 1927 and their children live in that state. 8. Burl, the youngest, lives in Yellville.
Minta and Burl are the only children of 0. L. and Nancy Elizabeth Risley now living. Burl married Neva Anglin. They are the parents of a daughter, Sybil, wife of Dick Weast. Their home is in El Paso, Texas. Burl taught school before entering politics in 1921. He served in different capacities -- County Treasurer for four years, Deputy Clerk, and was Deputy Postmaster for eight years. He helped organize the Bank of Yellville and held various other clerical and bookkeeping positions until he retired in 1975.
Oliver L. Risley, after coming to Arkansas, spent the remainder of his life in Marion County except for two years in Oklahoma in 1902 and 1903. He had a half-brother, Richard Anderson, who moved to Oklahoma in 1902 or 1903, and five sisters -- all of whom moved to Oklahoma except Catherine, who passed away at Peel, and Louanna. Louanna married Jim Jones, owner of a farm on White River and operator of the Jones' Ferry at the mouth of Musick Creek. Their family consisted of seven sons and a daughter. They are: Corb, Henry, John Oliver, Calvin, Richard, Elza, Jim and Althea. Corb Jones married "Bertie" Smith. He is deceased but Mrs. Jones is living at Summit.
This information was contributed by Burl Risley.
Reprinted with permission from History of Marion County edited by Earl Berry, copyright 1977.