Rosie RAFER SULLIVAN

William
Civil War Union
June 17, 1847 - December 9, 1932

*Obituary
Benton County Record & Democrat & Sun
Thursday, December 15, 1932

SULLIVAN, William M. - William M. Sullivan, last surviving Civil War veteran of this community, died at his home here Friday, Dec. 9, 1932 after a short illness. Death was due to uremic poisoning and complications. He was 86 years of age. Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian Church Saturday afternoon, the pastor, Rev. A.W. Henderson, conducting the services. Burial was made in the Bentonville cemetery Mr. Sullivan was a native of Ireland and was born in 1846. His parents emigrated to this country when he was a small child and located on Cape Cod, near Provincetown, Mass. They were sea-faring folk who made their living at fishing. Until he was 16 years old Mr. Sullivan followed this call of his ancestors and spent the greater part of his time on a fishing smack. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined a Massachusetts regiment and was in several important engagements as well as minor ones. He passed the war uninjured and later went to western Texas where he married Miss Rosa Rafer. After living in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma for a number of years they came to Bentonville where Mr. Sullivan bought the J.J. Jones farm, better known as the Dr. R.O. Pickens place, three and one-half miles southwest of Bentonville. After many years, due to his advanced age, he sold the farm to Dr. Pickens and moved to Bentonville where he has since lived. Since the death of his wife a year or two ago Mr. and Mrs. Sam Middleton, his son-in-law and daughter, came to live with him. Besides his daughter, Mrs. Middleton, he is survived by a son, Ed Sullivan, a fruit grower living near Lowell. The passing of Mr. Sullivan and the late Sam Shelton last year, removes from our midst the last surviving members of the Union and Confederate armies in this vicinity.

*Obituary
Benton County Herald
Thursday, December 15, 1932

Funeral services for William Sullivan, aged 85 years, five months and 22 days, veteran of the Union Army and last surviving soldier of this vicinity of either Northern or Southern armies in the War Between the States, who died at his home on E Street, S.W. at 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon, December 9th, 1932, were held at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Presbyterian Church, conducted by the pastor, the Rev. A.W. Henderson. Interment was in the Bentonville cemetery beside his wife who died here a little more than a year ago. Threatened with pneumonia on October 17th, this year, Mr. Sullivan was then confined to his bed by sickness for the first time in the memory of his children and for the first time he had any recollection of in all his close to 86 years. But he was not again able to be out of the house. Born June 17th, 1847 in County Waterford on the south coast of Ireland, William Sullivan was descended from a stock of sturdy Irish sea-faring men and when his parents immigrated to the United States when he was seven years of age it was only natural that they should settle among the sea-faring folk on Cape Cod, Mass. At as early an age as possible this Irish boy shipped with whaling crews in the West India trade and practically lived on sailing ships until he was 16 years of age. Then he enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 and within the next two years fought in five major battles and many minor engagements. After the close of the Civil War he was sent to the Western frontier as a member of the regular United States Army and there had many adventures in the fighting with the Indians before he finally was mustered out of military service. He then took up buffalo hunting and much of his earlier manhood was spent in Indian fighting and buffalo hunting in the Panhandle country. He was married in Guadalupe County, Texas to Miss Rosie Hafer and they continued to make that state their home until 1913 when they and their two children came to Arkansas, Mr. Sullivan buying a farm near Bentonville. Several years ago he and Mrs. Sullivan moved to town and made Bentonville their home until their deaths. He is survived by one son and one daughter, W.E. {Ed} Sullivan of near Lowell and Mrs. Sam Middleton of Bentonville, and by four grandchildren. Mr. Sullivan held the esteem of all who knew him and will be especially missed in his own neighborhood by those who were best acquainted with him. He was remarkable not only for the good health he retained in spite of his advanced years but also for his sustained mental ability and keen interest in national and international affairs as well as in the community life about him. He survived by eight months the last Confederate Veteran of this community, Sam H. Shelton, who answered the final roll call on April 11th, this year; and survived by two months another native born Irishman, Joe Moore, who had lived here for a great many years and who was born on the north coast of Ireland while Mr. Sullivan was born on Ireland's south coast.

Rosie
Oct 28 1858 - Oct 20 1931

*Obituary
Benton County Record & Democrat & Sun
Thursday, October 22, 1931

SULLIVAN, Rosa - Mrs. Rosa Sullivan, aged seventy-three years, died at her home in Bentonville Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. She had been confined to her home the past year and in ill health since an operation nine years ago. Funeral services were held at the home yesterday afternoon, the Rev. A.W. Henderson conducting the services. Burial was made in the City Cemetery. Mrs. Sullivan was born in Washington County, Iowa in 1858 where she grew to womanhood. She was married to William Sullivan, who with their two children, Mrs. Sam Middleton of Bentonville and Ed Sullivan of Lowell, survive. The family has lived in Bentonville for the past 18 years and for many years previously on their farm west of town. Wm. Sullivan, the aged husband, eighty-five years of age, is said to be the only surviving Union soldier in Bentonville vicinity.

Contributed on 10/9/12 by wfields55
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Record #: 764953

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