David B (bio) SORRELLS

October 24, 1833 - April 1, 1913

David B. Sorrells, farmer, ginner and miller, Holly Springs, Ark. Holly Springs Township is acknowledged by all to be one of the best agricultural townships in this county, and as such its citizens are men of advanced ideas and considerable prominence. A worthy man among this class is found in the person of David B. SORRELLS. He is a native of Bedford County, Tenn., born in 1833, and the son of Andrew E. and Nancy (Brooks) Sorrells, native also of Bedford County, born in 1808 and 1810, respectively. They were married in their native county, and about 1835 removed to Marshall County, Miss., and thence to Arkansas in 1847, settling near where Holly Springs now stands. The father opened up four different farms in that vicinity, and died in 1875. He was one of the first settlers of the township, was justice of the peace for a number of years before the war, and at the time of his death was bailiff of his township. At an early day he was postmaster of Chapel post-office, and was an industrious and honest citizen. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for a great many years, and both were great temperance workers. The mother is still living. The paternal grandfather, David Sorrells, was a native of North Carolina, but was an early settler of Tennessee, where he was engaged in tilling the soil up to the time of his death. The maternal grandfather, John Brooks, was also a native of North Carolina and an early settler of Bedford County, Tenn., where he died. He was a farmer by occupation, and he and wife were Methodists. David B. Sorrells was the third of seven children—two sons and three daughters—now living. He was early taught the duties of farm life, received a country school education, and in 1854 was married to Miss Frances J. Mosley, daughter of Hardaway and Sarah J. Mosley, natives, respectively of North Carolina and Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Mosley were married in the last-name State, and in 1844 they moved to Ouachita County, Ark., where the mother died soon after. The father died in Dallas County in 1874. Mrs. Sorrells was born in Tennessee in 1837 and died in 1886. By her marriage to Mr. Sorrells she because the mother of nine children, four sons and four daughters now living: William T., John D., Mary (wife of William Mizell), Nancy E. (wife of Henry Jones), Sarah J., Amanda Nora, David Brooks and Charles H. With the exception of two years, 1867 and 1870, Mr. Sorrells has lived in his present farm, consisting of 460 acres, and has 110 acres under cultivation. He also has a good steam gin and grist-mill, and is one of the foremost farmers of the county. In 1881 he erected a saw-mill, grist-mill and gin at Holly Springs, which he operated for quite a number of years. In January, 1862, he joined Company C, Thirty-third Arkansas Infantry, and operated in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. He fought at Pleasant Hill, La., Jenkins’ Ferry, Ark., and was wounded at the last place. He was discharged at Marshall, Tex., in May 1865. In politics he has been a Democrat all his life, and his first presidential vote was for James Buchanan in 1856. Socially he has been a member of the A. F. & A. M., St. John’s Lodge, at Holly Springs, for thirty years, and was junior warden. His eldest two sons are members of the same lodge. Mr. Sorrells is also a member of the Agricultural Wheel, and he and wife have been members of the Methodist Church for many years. All but the two younger children are members of the same church.

Contributed on 7/7/11 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 558774

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