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Submitted: 1/3/14 • Approved: 9/1/15 • Last Updated: 9/4/15 • R971361-G0-S3
December 25, 1832 - June 10, 1910
Capt. David R. Feaster, farmer, Fordyce, Ark. Not only has Capt. Feaster become well recognized as an agriculturist of advance ideas and practice, but the reputation which he enjoys as a first-class citizen is one well-deserved. He was born in Fairfield County, S. C. on December 25, 1832, and is the son of Jacob and Isabella (Coleman) Feaster, natives also of Fairfield County, S. C., the father born in 1791. In that State the parents spent all their lives, the mother dying in 1837 and the father in 1873. Both were members of the Universalist Church. The father was a farmer and surveyor. He was justice of the peace and held other offices for many years. He was the son of John Feaster, a native of Lancaster County, Penn., who went with his parents to Fairfield, S. C. and there married Miss Drucilla Mobley. His wife died in 1807, at the age of thirty-three years, and he died in 1848, at the age of eighty years. He was the son of Andrew Feaster, who was born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, and who came with his parents to America and was married in Pennsylvania. He died in Fairfield County, S. C., July 15, 1821, at the age of eighty-six years. The latter's wife, Mrs. Margaret Cooper, nee Fry, was born in Philadelphia, and died in Fairfield County, S. C., in 1823, at the age of ninety-five years. Subject's great-great-grandfather, Peter Feaster, was born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, came to America at an early day, resided for some years in Pennsylvania, and died while being removed to South Carolina. He was buried in Virginia. The maternal grandfather of our subject, David R. Coleman, was born in Halifax County, N. C., and died in 1855, at the age of ninety-two years. He was a farmer and surveyor. He was a justice of the peace for several years and was one of fourteen sons. His wife, Edith Beam, was born in Fairfield County, S. C. and died there. The great grandfather, Robert Coleman, was born in England, and came with his parents to Virginia and from there to Halifax County, N. C. He died in Fairfield County, S. C. He married Miss Elizabeth Roe, who also died in Fairfield County, S. C.. Capt. David R. Feaster was the youngest of seven children, two sons and one daughter living, and received his education principally at Feasterville Male and Female Academy, founded by his grandfather in 1840, and is still prosperous. He was married in 1856, to Miss Victoria E. Rawls, a native of Columbia County, S. C. born in 1837, and the daughter of John I and Anna (Geiger) Rawls, natives of South Carolina, born in Richland County, (city of Columbia), and Lexington Counties, respectively. They both died in Columbia City, the mother in 1849 and the father in 1868. They were Methodists. Mr. Rawls was a wealthy real estate owner, nd in early life a silversmith. Mrs. Feaster died on January 7, 1877. She was the mother of ten children, four sons and three daughters living. Capt. Feaster was married, the second time, on December 1, 1878, to Mrs. Hattie Coleman, a native of Ridgeway, Fairfield County, S. C., born in 1846, and the daughter of the Rev. Charles M and Emily A. Porter, natives of Fairfield County, S. C., born in 1807 and 1819, respectively. They both died in that State, the mother in 1851, and the father in 1882. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Feaster were born six children - three sons and three daughters. Mrs. Feaster was the mother of five children by her former marriage to Henry J. Coleman, and they are named as follows: Preston F., Feaster Porter, J. David, Mary E. and Henry J. By her marriage to Mr. Feaster she became the mother of these children: Charles M., Virgil C., Susan A., Margaret F., Roger Williams and Harriet J. At the breaking out of the war Capt. Feaster organized Company C, Sixth South Carolina Infantry, but served as orderly sergeant. The company was at the capture of Sumter. He was then in Virginia until the fall of 1861, when he was discharge on account of ill health. He was exempt for two years, then joined the Second South Carolina Cavalry, and operated on the coast of South Carolina until the close of the war. He then returned to the farm, and resided in his native county until December, 1888, when he came to Dallas County, Ark. He is the owner of 569 acres of land, and is a prominent tiller of the soil. In politics he has been a life-long Democrat, and his first vote was for Franklin Pierce, in 1852. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, also a member of the S. of T., and the Farmer's Alliance. His children by his first wife, were as follows: Anna (wife of A. M. Coleman), John R., Edith C. (wife of Preston F. Coleman), Mary V. (wife of A. V> Clayton, editor of the Evening Record, Columbia, S. C.), Prof. Jacob H (a teacher and a graduate of Normal Institute, Nashville, Tenn.), David R and James P. (Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas - Goodspeed Publishing Company - 1890)
Contributed on 1/3/14 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 971361