David James Skipper was born in North Carolina (apparently New Hanover County) on August 18, 1849. His father was Joseph W. Skipper and his mother was Susan Louisa Garnto. Only his maternal grandmother, Rebecca Garnto, is known of at this writing. In the early 1850s the Skippers moved from North Carolina to Tennessee and lived three or four years. Dave was just a little boy of 3 or 4 when they moved.
Mary Catherine Dillon was born in Tennessee February 8, 1851 (but her tombstone says 1849). Her parents were James B. Dillon and Harriet Margaret Rogers. James was 32 years old and Harriet was 34. They had been married nine years and had three older children.
James Dillon was the son of Joshua Dillon, Jr., who was born in South Carolina on November 10, 1773, and Mary Breeding. The Joshua Dillon family moved to Tennessee between 1810 and 1815 and James was born there in 1819. The Dillon family lived in Montgomery County and Joshua and Mary were buried there. They spelled their name “Dilling” most of the time.
James and Harriet Dillon had another daughter two years after Mary Catherine and then they moved to Arkansas. It is interesting to speculate that Dave Skipper and his parents had lived in Montgomery County during their stay in Tennessee and had influenced the Dillons to make their move. It is even possible that the two families were acquainted back in the Carolinas back in the early 1800s.
Whatever the case may be, David James (also known as Dave and 'Big Jim') came to Conway County with his parents at age 7. They had migrated west arriving in Conway County in late 1856, clearing virgin land for farming between Solgohachia and Lanty (See article on Joseph Skipper.) and both families were living in Washington Township, Conway County, Arkansas during the 1860 Census. Dave Skipper's age was listed as 10 and Mary's as nine.
By 1868 Dave was 18 and Mary was 17. The exact date of their marriage isn't known, but their first child was born in 1869. According to the 1900 U.S. Census and family records, they had 10 children, 9 of whom lived to marry and have children of their own. The photographs of Dave and Mary were taken in about 1900 or a little earlier. Their 30th wedding anniversary would have been around 1898.
Names and dates are not guaranteed. The following information is taken from what the writer considers to be the best sources of information on these ten Skipper children:
Apparently all the children were born and reared on their parents’ farm. The entire Skipper land (including Dave’s father and two brothers) was at one time around 600 or more acres in the area around the prominent landmark south of Lanty that was called Skipper Mountain in the late 1800s. The mountain, a large dome shaped tree covered hill rising about 400 feet above the surrounding pasture land, is now called Round Mountain as all the Skippers have died or moved away.
The farm was quite self-sustaining. Grandchildren can remember a large
orchard, corn, cotton, and gardens. Also cows, pigs, chickens, and geese (for
feather bedding). There were mules and horses, but Dave still liked to use oxen
for draft animals. (A family story says that Theodore Roosevelt, passing through
the area, had words of admiration for Dave’s oxen team.) The wool from Angora
goats was spun and weaved into clothing and other textiles. (Some recall a high
log bridge over a road for the goats to get from pasture to pasture.) There was
a leather tanning vat and tools for making shoes, saddles, and other leather
goods for farm use. There was a large blacksmith shop with a large bellows (that
kids liked to ride up and down) for making and repairing equipment, including
shoes for the oxen.
Dave’s independence is reflected in a story told by a young Morrilton cotton buyer. When he was just starting out, he saw an old gray-bearded man coming into town with a bale of cotton on a wagon pulled by oxen. [Round mountain is about 10 miles from town.] The young buyer brashly ran and hopped onto the wagon, preparing to cut a sample from the bale. "Say, grandpa, how much you want for this cotton?" "Don’t cut my cotton, boy!" the old man replied. Next thing the young man knew, he was on the ground in the middle of the street nursing a knot on his head from the bull whip handle, the wagon continuing slowly down the street. He learned the hard way that Dave Skipper allowed no one to sample his cotton without his specific permission in advance. The buyer also learned to be more respectful of the local farmers.
Another story relates how Dave once set a trap inside his corn crib thinking that raccoons were reaching through the logs. Next morning, he found a man trying to get his trapped hand back through the narrow space. Dave turned him loose, doctored his arm, fed him breakfast, and gave him a sack of corn, telling him not to steal but to ask for the corn if he was that desperate. The man never stole from him again.
In the final year of the nineteenth century, Louisa Garnto Skipper was living with her son, David James Skipper, and his family in residence #17. They were the 17th family surveyed. Louisa had been the young wife of Joseph W. Skipper when they migrated from North Carolina through Tennessee to Conway County in the early 1850s. She had two daughters while they were in Tennessee. The 1900 Census list her age as 69 and her birth date as August 1830. Louisa was a widow and reported that she had had eleven children and that four of them were still living. Joseph died before the 1880 Census, probably in 1878. Louisa's mother, Rebecca Garnto, had come to Arkansas with Louisa and the family. Rebecca died after 1890 in her 80s.
David James Skipper was Louisa's second son. He and Mary Catherine Dillon had been married for 31 years. She had had ten children and nine were still living. Four were still living at home. Four daughters and one son were married and living on their own. The four children at home were my grandfather, James Arthur Skipper, who was 17 years old; Rosa Elmer Skipper, age 12; Carl Toby Skipper, age10; and Ethel Pauline Skipper, age five.
Dave's younger brother, John W. Skipper, and his family lived in residence #28. John was listed as 48 years old although he was almost 49. He and Nancy had been married for 19 years and they had one son, Napoleon B. Skipper, who was 16 years old. John had been married before, but his first wife apparently had died at a young age. The young orphaned children of another Skipper brother, G. W., lived with John and Nancy. These children were Ira. N. Skipper, age 7; Ora M. Skipper, age 6; and Hobart C. Skipper age 3. Ira Skipper was born the same year as my Grandfather Luther Maxwell and both were school teachers in Conway County.
G. W. Skipper was a prominent citizen in Conway County in the late 1800s and an article in the 1890 book of Arkansas citizens provides valuable family information that has replaced what has been lost in the burned 1890 Census. G. W. was born in 1860 after the family got to Conway County. I don't know what happened to him and his wife to cause the children to have to be placed with his older brother, John W. Skipper, but if he had died, it would have been in his 30s.
Dave and Kate's four married daughters were Florence Krisell, Harriet Lucretia Lloyd, Louisa Rebecca Treece, and Elizabeth Casandra Cowan.
Florence was 30 years old. She and John Franklin Krisell had been married for twelve years and had eight children ranging in age from one to eleven. More details about the children are on Florence's page. They lived in residence #4 and were the fourth family surveyed. John's father, Moses Krisell, live in residence five with a younger son, James A. Krisell. Moses was 63 and widowed. James was 17. Florence only lived four more years.
Harriet was 27 years old. She and James Franklin Lloyd, 34, had been married for twelve years and they had had six children but only five were living. Harriet is the daughter who had to have a parental permission slip to get married at such a young age. They lived in residence #16 near her parents, Dave and Kate. Harriet had two daughters and three sons ranging in age from one to eleven. More details of the family are on Harriet's page. There is a page for each daughter.
Lou was 25 years old. She and Andrew LaFayette Treece had been married for three years and had two children, Russell A. Treece, age one, and Almah, age two months. They lived in residence #27. Andrew did the McLaren Township census in early June. Some of this was done on June 4th.
Betty was a month short of her 21st birthday. She and Sonnetia Harzona Cowan had been married for three years and had two sons, Leon, who was two years old, and Leonard, who was five months. They lived in residence #1 and were the first family surveyed in McLaren Township.
Their brother John Quincy Skipper was 23 years old. He was born between Lou and Betty. He and Mary Magdalene Sands had just been married a couple of years and had one daughter, Ida Sexton Skipper. Ida was only two months old. Ida was born in St Vincent but the family now was back in McLaren Township in residence #7. St. Vincent was just a couple of miles west of the Dave Skipper home.
When you add up all the grandchildren, you get nineteen ranging in ages from three little babies up to two eleven-year-olds. Add to that nine children, four sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law, grandma, and Dave and Kate and you'd have a mighty big family get-together.
Louisa's sons, James and John, lived in Conway County in 1900. G.W. had died and his children were living with John. If four of Louisa's children were still living at the time of the census, the other two must have been two remaining daughters.
A Skipper girl nick-named "Deed" had married a Rentfro man but there is a discrepancy in the available information. Skipper family information indicates that the youngest daughter was called Deed. Rentfro family information about the marriage indicates that the woman named Deed would have been one of the older daughters. There is a five to ten year discrepancy. The Skipper information indicates that Mavan was called "Deed." She would have been 33 years old in 1900. A daughter, Mary, would have been 37 in 1900 and Louisa Jane would have been 43. The Rentfro family information says that David Rentfro and Deed Skipper had a daughter, Ellen Louise Rentfro, on October 9, 1874. Mavan would have been only eight years old then, Mary would have been 13 and Louisa Jane would have been 17. I like to think that Louisa Jane was called "Deed" and that she was the mother of Ellen Louise. Perhaps Mavan was the other living child in 1900.
 |
|---|
| "Mary Kate" Mary Catherine Skipper in her later years |
Dave Skipper died December 24, 1909. Mary Katherine died February 9, 1914. (However, an existing insurance policy for James A. Skipper records that she died in 1912. Earlier there is a reference to a two-year discrepancy in her birth year and here is a two-year discrepancy in her year of death.) They were buried at McLaren Cemetery near Lanty. Dave’s grave marker indicates that he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. [The cemetery is about three miles north of Round Mountain and just south of Lanty.]
The photo on the right (courtesy of Jan Porterfield) shows Mary Catherine in her later years.The framed photo on the left shows two of their great, great grandchildren, John Luther
and Rebecca Louise Skipper, standing beside Dave's tombstone. The photo was taken
about 1988.
The story continues with James A. Skipper, Sr. who was 27 the
year Dave died. James was postmaster of Solgahachia, Arkansas, from 1908 to 1912. The
James Skipper family moved to England, Arkansas, about three years after his mother
died. He was postmaster at England into the 1930’s. His wife Josephine had a used clothing and shoe repair business that she managed for several years. Return to the Site Index and select the James A. Skipper, Sr. story.
| DESCENDANTS OF DAVID JAMES SKIPPER AND MARY CATHARINE DILLON | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CHILDREN | GRANDCHILDREN | GREAT GRANDCHILDREN | GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN |
|
Mary Florence Skipper and John F. Krisell |
Leonard Ernest Krisell 1888 and Jeanette Evans | Leonard Krisell 1912 | |
| Pearl Marie Krisell 1914 | |||
| James Othel Krisell 1916 |
Joe Earnest Krisell (son Brandon) Bonny Hudson (sons Randall James and Robert Charles and Grandson Gavin Charles) | ||
|
Wayne Gus 'Billy" Krisell (1919- ) |
Leonard Sonja Beverly (son James) Phyllis Becky Tammy | ||
| Martha Delores Krisell 1921 | |||
| Herbert Krisell 1923 | |||
| Grace Lavern Krisell 1925 | |||
| Mary Opal Krisell 1927 | |||
| Ellen Mae Krisell 1931 | |||
| William Hobart Krisell 1932 | |||
| Clara Faye Krisell 1934 | |||
| Ernest 'Junior' Krisell 1937 | |||
|
Mary Frances Krisell 1889 and Elmer L. Bizzell | Cecil Bizzell | ||
| Mildred Bizzell | |||
| Willard Bizzell | |||
| Vivian Bizzell | |||
| Ruth Bizzell | |||
| Jean Bizzell | |||
| Mary Lee Bizzell | |||
| Elmo Bizzell | |||
|
Dave Lindsey Krisell 1891 and Willie Franklin Noland | David Wilbourn Krisell 1915 | ||
| Florence Matilda Krisell 1917 | |||
| Margarette Lavern Krisell 1919 | |||
| Sybil Maxine Krisell 1923 | |||
| Edith Eileen Krisell 1926 | |||
| William Walton Krisell 1929 | |||
| Betty Jo Krisell 1932 | |||
|
Nancy Delores Krisell 1892 and Roy Hillis | Lee Roy Hillis | ||
| Ruby Hillis | |||
| Burl Hillis | |||
| Grady Hillis | |||
| Ola Katherine Hillis | |||
| Fay Hillis | |||
| Roy Hillis, Jr. | |||
|
Cora Katherine Krisell 1894 and Mannie Noland | Great Grandchildren | ||
|
Lou Ellen Krisell 1895 and Charles Fletcher Bizzell | Betty Jewell Bizzell 1917 | ||
| Walter Murl Bizzell 1920 | |||
| Lucian C. Bizzell 1922 | |||
|
Moses Hobert Krisell 1896-1971 and Jessie Edna Matthews 1904-1982 | Carl Lee Krisell Moses Hobert Krisell, Jr. 1927 | ||
| J. W. Krisell | |||
| James Monroe Krisell 1935 | |||
| Mary Dean Krisell 1937 | |||
| Ralph Matthews Krisell 1940 | |||
| David Ed Krisell 1943 | |||
| Paul Wayne Krisell 1947 | |||
| Lynd Ruth Krisell 1950-1970 | |||
|
Olen Quincy Krisell 1898 and Ollie Bruce | Olin Quincy Krisell, Jr. 1924 | ||
|
James Arthur Krisell 1901 and Evelene Hurst | James Darvin Krisell 1926 | ||
|
Harriet Lucretia Skipper 1872-1918 and James Lloyd |
Avoline Lloyd 1888 - 1980 Benjamin Harrison Adams 1887 - 1956 | Earl Adams 1915 - 1916 |
|
Rachael Adams 1916 - 2004 Irvin David Wieland 1910 - 1971 |
Carol Ann Wieland 1945 Martha Jane Wieland 1949 | |
|
Edwan "Nat" Adams 1919 -1997 Helen Marie Bridgeman | ||
|
Juanita Adams 1920 - 2001 Paul Presley Ridling 1912 - 1991 |
Coralie Ridling 1946 Married Larry Hawkins 1943 - 2000 | |
| William D. 'Bud' Lloyd 1892 | Great Grandchild | |
| James Arthur Henry Lloyd 1894 | Great Grandchild | Becky West |
| Great Grandchild | Cathy Voss Zimmerman? | |
| John Lincoln Loyd 1896 - 1960 | James Howard Loyd 1925 |
Marianne Estes James Moses Loyd William Howard Loyd |
| Anita June Loyd | ||
| Dewey Lloyd 1898 | Great Grandchild | |
| Napoleon Lloyd 1902 | Great Grandchild | |
|
Arkie Laverne Lloyd 6/26/1905 - 10/1987 William Height |
Charles Allen Height 9/4/27
Louise Ganaway 12/19/22 - 10/27/2003 | Debbie Ganaway Andy Ganaway |
|
Lucy Lloyd 5/24/1908 - 7/7/1958 James Cecil Stover 9/3/1899 - 5/22/1955 |
Betty Jo Stover 10/9/1927 Lewis Serifino Borghi 5/18/1925 |
Betty Louise Borghi 6/17/1949 |
|
Albert Cecil Stover 2/7/1930 Betty Lou Hill 1/13/1931 |
Debra Diane Stover 1/7/1958 David Allen Stover 1/22/1961 Dr. Danny Dean Stover D.M.A. 9/13/1966 | |
|
Sharon Gail Stover 12/13/1944 Richard Joe Robertson 8/9/1948 |
James Adam Robertson 10/15/1976 |
|
Louisa Rebecca Skipper 1874-1954 and Andrew Lafayette Treece | Russel Alger Treece 1897-1954 | Great Grandchild |
| Alvah "Alva" Treece 1900-1979 | Mary Louis Kahre McAuley 1921 | Janice McAuley Waters |
| Kate Elizabeth Treece 1909 | Great Grandchild | |
| Betty Catheryn Treece 1911 | Great Grandchild | |
| Otis Arden Treece 1914-WWII | Greatgrandchildren | |
| Charles Hughes Treece 1917 | Great Grandchild |
|
John Quincy Skipper 1877 and Mary Magdalene Sands and Martha (ne Bradshaw) Bice |
Ida Saxton Skipper 1900 and Don Taylor Bostian | Iris Dalene 1923 |
Jimmy Surratt Donnelle Surratt Iris Lynn Surratt Cheryl Surratt |
| Shirley Lee 1926 |
Glenda Whittimore Vivian Whittimore | ||
| Muriel Dean 1928 |
Gayle Bodenheimer Cathy Bodenheimer Roger Don Bodenheimer Kelly Bodenheimer Matthew Bradshaw | ||
|
Ray Don Bostian 1933 Martha Elam |
Rachel Bostian Laura Bostian David Ray Bostian Ida Bostian | ||
|
Annie Lee Skipper 1901 and Claude Evans | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Arthur Franklin 'Son' Skipper 1903 and Mae Evans | Charles Ray Skipper | ||
| Billy Frank Skipper |
Billy Ray Skipper (his son, Ronny James and daughter, Erika Nicola) | ||
|
Gordon Lamar Skipper 1906 and Effie Parker | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Bertha Carew Skipper 1907 and Marvin Koonce | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Naomi Mae Skipper 1908 and George Mohr | Bradley Mohr | ||
|
Delma Catherine Skipper 1910 and Jerrold Atkinson | Great Grandchild | ||
| George Quincy 'Bill' Skipper 1912 - 1931 | |||
|
Adam Bradley Skipper 1914 and Evelyn Sisson | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Winnie Dale Skipper 1916 and Curtis Craine | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Glenn Bradley Bice Skipper 1918 and Erma Lee McClung | Great Grandchild | ||
|
Walter Marion 'WM' Bice Skipper 1921 and Billie Wetzell | Great Grandchild | ||
|
John Quincy Skipper, Jr. 1925 and Rebecca Newberry | Great Grandchild |
|
Elizabeth Casandra 'Betty' Skipper 1880 and Sonnetia H. Cowan | Leon Cowan 1897 | Great Grandchild | |
| Leonard Cowan 1899 | Great Grandchild | ||
| William Cowan 1902 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Katie Cowan | Great Grandchild | ||
| Stella Cowan 1910 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Sturl Cowan 1910 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Arbra Cowan | Great Grandchild |
|
James Arthur Skipper 1883 and Mayola Josephine Noland | Thelma Skipper 1908 | Virginia Edgeworth |
| Elizabeth Edgeworth | ||
| David William 'Irving' Skipper 1911 | ||
| Mildred Pauline Skipper 1919 | Skipper Yawney 1946 | |
| James Arthur Skipper, Jr. 1921 - WWII | James Maxwell Skipper 1941 |
James Maxwell Skipper, Jr. Louis Lee Skipper Rebecca Louise Skipper John Luther Skipper |
| Jeanne Fran Skipper 1942 twin |
Joshua Dalzell (with Sarah, Aiden April 2003) Nell Elaine Dalzell (with Tony Baker, Ky, Josie, Chloe) | |
|
Josephine Ann Skipper twin 1942-1943 | ||
| Joe Noland Skipper 1931-1999 | James Arthur Skipper III 1950 |
Jason Skipper (with Jen, Ryan Diane Skipper May 2003) Ashley Skipper 1977 |
| Renee Skipper 1953 | Crystal Belew 1977 (married Tim Kile 2001) | |
| Richard Skipper 1959-1994 |
| David (1885-1886) |
|
Rosie Elmer Skipper 1887-1974 and John W. Edwards | Millard Ishmael Edwards 1912 | Great Grandchild | |
| Mildred Ethel Edwards 1914* | Great Grandchild | ||
| Othel Lee Edwards 1916 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Mary Opal Edwards | Great Grandchild | ||
| Leonard Bradley Edwards 1922 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Syble Irene Edwards 1925 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Carl G. Edwards 1929* | Great Grandchild |
|
Carl Toby Skipper 1889 and Ida Octavia Treadwell | Ritta Skipper 1912 | Great Grandchild | |
| Reba Skipper 1912 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Ruby Skipper 1915 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Roy Cline Skipper 1916 - | Great Grandchild | ||
| Ruth Carlena Skipper 1918 | Great Grandchild | ||
| Raymond Columbus Skipper 1921 - WWII | |||
| Carl Toby Skipper, Jr. 1926 | Great Grandchild |
|
Ethel Pauline Skipper 1894-1957 and James Phillip Turner | Marritta Catherine Turner 1911 | |
| James Paul Turner 1913 - 2001 | Paula Turner | Chance Parker |
| Genevieve Alene Turner 1915 - 1928 | ||
| Johnie Ione Turner 1917* | Marian Vowel |
Kimberly Vowel Craig Vowel Tracy Vowel |
| Lou Ann Ward |
Glenda Gould Jerry Ward Darrell Ward | |
| Marian Adeline Turner 1919 | Mary Glen | |
| Jim | ||
| Fredis Eustis Turner 1929* | Kay Turner | |
| Jan Turner | ||
| Brian Turner | ||
| Lisa Turner |
A total of 66 grandchildren lived beyond childhood. At least two of these were adopted.
*At least five are still living in June 2002.
| Date of Death | Birth Order |
Name | Age at Death |
DOB | Place of Burial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 SEP 26 | 1 | Florence | 34 | 9/20/1869 | Unknown |
| 1909 DEC 24 | Father | Dave | 60 | 8/18/1849 | McClaren, Lanty, AR |
| 1914 FEB 9 | Mother | Kate | 63 | 2/8/1851 | McClaren, Lanty, AR |
| 1918 FEB 28 | 2 | Harriet | 45 | 9/1/1872 | Lone Grove, Lanty, AR |
| 1931 FEB 12 | 5 | Bettie | 52 | 7/10/1879 | Lone Grove, Lanty, AR |
| 1931 APR 18 | 4 | John | 54 | 2/27/1877 | McClaren, Lanty, AR |
| 1940 FEB 9 | 6 | Jim | 56 | 6/19/1883 | Mulberry, England, AR |
| 1950 SEP 21 | 8 | Carl | 60 | 12/14/1889 | Mulberry, England, AR |
| 1954 MAR 17 | 3 | Lou | 79 | 12/13/1874 | Jonesboro, AR |
| 1957 MAR 10 | 9 | Ethel | 63 | 6/18/1894 | Memorial, Muskogee, OK |
| 1974 MAR 12 | 7 | Elmer | 86 | 8/21/1887 | Sequoia, Gore, OK |
| SITE INDEX |
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7/12/02
Rev. 8/28/04