WILSON, GEORGE D (CLOSE UP) - Little River County, Arkansas | GEORGE D (CLOSE UP) WILSON - Arkansas Gravestone Photos

George D (close up) WILSON

Arden Cemetery
Little River County,
Arkansas

26 June 1870 - 8 June 1950

*William Dewitt Tyra was born to Elisha H. Tyra (1832 - 1879)
and Elizabeth Ann Stennett (1831 - 1921). William married Sarah Ann Rosetta Massey May 9, 1891, before their second child was born, William left the family home for a new life. His travels found him in Texas where he met Effie Mae Creamer (1885 - 1966). They wed on Jul 18, 1904 in Indian Territory Southern District, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. Their marriage is recorded in Marriage Book H, Page 269, License No. 1043. The couple settled in Oklahoma. William and Effie Mae had eight children while living in Oklahoma. They left Oklahoma around the 1920's with the intention of moving to Texas. They got as far as De Queen, Arkansas when they stopped to camp for a few nights before resuming their migration to Texas. William had a buddy who went along with the family to help them move since William and Effie were moving across two states with eight children.
While in the De Queen, Arkansas area, William was approached by an unknown man who wanted to hire him to help him move and promised William that it would be only a few days and he would be back with his family. William agreed and the men were to leave out the next morning. William got a really bad feeling about the stranger and decided not to help him. However, William's buddy decided he would make the trip since it would be only for a few days.
Soon after the men left the camp, William got word that his buddy had been killed and the murderer was the stranger that had hired him for the move. Fearing for his safety because the man knew his name and the names of his family, William immediately changed his name to George Dewitt Wilson and changed the last names of his family from Tyra to Wilson.

*Photo and bio courtesy of Venita Smith

Contributed on 8/9/10 by MryAl8
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Record #: 356964

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Submitted: 8/9/10 • Approved: 10/22/20 • Last Updated: 10/25/20 • R356964-G0-S3

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