Joseph "Joe" Floyd Newman

Notes:

Diann McDaniels wrote: "I remember going 'down home' to visit my grandpa, Joseph "Joe" Floyd Newman, in the late 1940's.. His brother, George Newman had a one room house that sat back off the road that Joe lived in, as Joe never kept anything that he owned. There was an old iron bed with a homemade mattress which was made from ticking and stuffed with hay or cotton, a small dining table, a pot belly stove and a couple of cane bottom chairs. There were nails on the walls for Papa to hang his clothes, saddle, bridle or anything else he could think of. Out back was a smaller house that the roof slanted on and used as a summer kitchen. He would smoke meat in it and cook on the pot belly stove in the winter. He didn't have running water, electricity, telephone, or an intdoor toilet. He rode his horse every where he went. He would only get in a car if he was going a long way from home. If he accepted a ride from anyone, he would stand on the running boards instead of getting inside. The horse had a colt, so you could see Papa riding his horse and the colt following them. Papa had an old fiddle. He played it at barn dances sometimes, but he carried it with him every place and would play it for us anytime. Once at Uncle George's house, my Aunt Cille asked George's wife, Aunt Alice (Blasingame), if she could have a beautiful old highboy dresser if anything happened to her...this gave me an idea. I went into the parlor and asked Papa if he died could I have his horse. Of course, I got into trouble about doing so, but Papa just laughed and said "Okay, I'll die and Will you my horse." Joe was born October 26, 1878 to Charles Vernah and Elvira "Missy" Melissa (Reynolds McLemore) Newman in Feenyville, Lincoln Co. and died August 8, 1950 about one mile from where he was born. He was a horse trader..trading one thing for another...and hardly work during his life. He married Virgie Mae Spears on February 24, 1905. They had six children; Effie Harriett, Lucy Elvira, Stark Joseph, Susie Melissa, Julie Mae, and Ralph Leroy (Roy) before Virgie died in 1920. In about 1925, Joe married Ollie Belle (Reaves) Stringfellow. Children born to them were: Herbert McKinley and Ruby Mae. They were divorced around 1930. When Papa died, they sold the horse and colt to buy a tombstone. The old furniture was just left in the house, which fell in. His only other possession left was the fiddle. It had been promised to all of Joe's grandchildren but my mother, Sue, inherited it. It is now encased in a nice shadow box with Papa's pictures and names of old tunes he used to play and a story about it. It hangs in my dining room. I didn't get the horse, but I got the fiddle!"

Submitted by Diann McDaniels grand-daughter of Joe Newman
E-mail:

His headstone has a slightly differing date of death:
NEWMAN, Joseph Floyd
B. 10-26-1878
D. 8-28-1950

Notes:

Melba Gene McLemore writes that he was in Co. B of the 106th Infantry during the Civil War.

Dan Sanchez, of Edgewood, New Mexico, emailed Melba Gene McLemore that "The story I have of Charles Vernah Newman, has been told to me by my grandfather (still living) and my mother (deceased).

Charles Newman came from Canada, somehow ended up in Illinois and joined the Union Army, he was in the 106th Illinois Infantry Company B, he mustered in at Mt. Pulaski, Illinois and served in the battle of Vicksburg, near Vicksburg Mississippi at the time the Civil War ended. When the Civil War ended the Army took the horses back from the soldiers if they even had horses as the horses belonged to the federal government. The soldiers were left on foot as they marched through Arkansas my great great grandfather got hungery and tried to steal a chicken from a store near the old military road, 5-10 miles west of Star City.

the store was owned by a widow woman Elvira "Missy" Melissa McLemore, and from what I've been told she shot him for trying to steal a chicken, nursed him back to health, and they later married. Charles mustered out at Camp Robinson (now North Little Rock) at the time the government could't afford to pay the soldiers in cash money so they paid them in landgrants. According to my mother my GG Grandfather was paid with a land grant in the territory of New Mexico, from what I was told the land grant is part of the White Oaks mines near White Oaks in Lincoln County New Mexico (Carrizzozo is the county seat presently). I have no information as to whether or not Charles ever visited New Mexico to claim his pay. I know that Charles is buried in the Old Newman Cemetery (as it is refered to by the locals in Star City) and I have cleaned gravesites there when I was younger. I've been told that there are several unmarked graves in the cemetery due to disrepair. There are two other cemeteries on the west side of Star City, one is called the New Newman Cemetery and the other I'm not sure what it is called. Star City is in Lincoln County Arkansas.This is all the information I have at present. I would venture to guess that the Wright McLemore buried in the Old Newman Cemetery is Sr. not Jr.

Dan Sanchez
P.O. Box 2940
Edgewood, NM 87015

Charles married Elvira Malissa "Missy" Mary Reynolds about 1872 in Arkansas. Elvira was born on 24 Feb 1836 in Alabama; died on 7 Nov 1907 in Star City, Lincoln County, Arkansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Melba Gene noted that Elvira had a sister, Victoria Adaline Reynolds, who married Arcy Mason. They had a daughter anmes Elizbeth Burkham Mason, who was later married to her first cousin, Wright McLemore.

(Research):Census Information:

1860 Census
Arkansas, Jefferson County, Bartholomew Twp, Post Office Pi
ne Bluff
Page 10 (handwritten)
#367-317
S.C. McLemore 27 M Farmer
E.M. McLemore 24 F Alabama
H.E. McLemore 2 F Arkansas
M.J. McLemore 3/12 F Arkansas

1870 Census
Arkansas, Drew County, Mill Creek Twp, P.O. Branchmill
Enumerated 24 Aug 1870
Page 13, Stamped 638
100-111
McLamore, Mary 34 F W Keeping House $--- $50 Alabama
McLamore, Harriet 13 F W At Home Arkansas

1880 Census
Arkansas, Lincoln County, Owen Twp
Enumerated 10 June 1880
Stamped 54
103-106
Newman, Chas. W M 37 Farmer Canada Canada Canada
Newman, Messy W F 43 Wife Keeping House Ala SC Ga
McLemore, Wrigh W M 19 Step-son Works on Farm Ark Tenn Ark*
Newman George W M 7 Son Ark Canada Ala
Newman, Chas. W M 6 Son Ark Canada Ala
Newman, Joseph W M 1 Son Ark Canada Ala

*This was written, and then lined through. Wright McLemore was also listed as a boarder in the Smith Home in Owen, Lincoln, Arkansas at the 1880 census, working as a farm laborer. The enumerator must have crossed him off the census in his mother's home to avoid double counting him.


1900 Census
Arkansas, Lincoln County, Owen Township
Enumerated in June, 1900 by J.A. Blythe
SD 6, ED 119, Sheet 1B
17-18
Newman, Charles Hd W M July 1848 56 m 28 Canada/French Canada Canada Farmer
Newman, Elvira Wife W F Feb 1836 64 M 28 3/3 Ala SC Ga
Newman, Chas O Son W M Nov 1874 25 S Ark Canada Alabama
Newman, Joseph Son W M Oct 1878 21 S Ark Canada Alabama
McLemore, Maggie G-Dtr W F Jan 1891 9 S Ark Ark Ark