M. D. (Marion Davis) Setzler came into Marion County in 1920 with his family; his wife Marie, daughters Edna and Marian, and sons Douglas and Rudolph.
M. D. Setzler was born December 1, 1873, in South Carolina, the son of Hilliard and Elizabeth Peaster Setzler. The Setzlers were of German descent, their ancestors having come over from Germany about 1730, settling what was known as the Dutch Fork of South Carolina. In the late 1870's, they removed to Attala County, Mississippi, where they both died, leaving seven sons, of whom M. D. was the sixth. The sons grew up there.
M. D. enlisted and served in the Spanish-American War, was mustered out in North Little Rock in 1898, and remained in Arkansas, dying here in 1957. He is buried in the Yellville Cemetery. In 1900 he married Marie Heard, a daughter of Civil War Veteran Dr. Jesse W. Heard, of Adona, Arkansas. In 1905 the Setzlers moved to the Ozark Mountains.
Mr. Setzler came to Marion County as the County Agricultural Agent and was the first agent for Marion County. At the time he came to Marion County, the people were still row-cropping corn and cotton. He began to try to get them to diversify and develop orchards and pastures and try to raise more and better livestock. He rode horse-back all over the county, vaccinating hogs for cholera, helping farmers terrace their washed-out hillside cotton and corn fields, and generally preaching more diversified farming practices.
When the North Arkansas Regional Library put a branch in Yellville in 1943, Mrs. Setzler was chosen as substitute librarian. She soon became librarian, serving as such for several years, retiring after she was 80 years old. She died in 1960 and is buried in Yellville Cemetery beside her husband.
Edna married Arval Pyle and now, in 1976, they live in Yellville. Marian married L. D. Burnes. Edna Pyle and L. D. Burnes owned and operated Burnes and Pyle Mercantile on the southwest corner of the town square for over 20 years, selling it in 1965. Both Edna and Marian taught in Marion County schools. Marian was a rural mail carrier on Route 1, out of Yellville for over 36 years. She was then a real estate broker for 12 years, retiring as United Farm Agency representative in January 1976.
Douglas left the county after high school and has lived in Colorado for many years. He retired as a train dispatcher just a few years ago and now lives in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Rudolph retired from the University of Washington a few years ago and has lived in Washington state until recently, having moved to the state of Missouri, near Reed Springs.
Reprinted with permission from History of Marion County edited by Earl Berry, copyright 1977.