Lee Neal
from from History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian counties, Arkansas, pg 1178-1179Submitted by Juli Risener Morgan
Lee Neal was born August 30, 1847, in Van Buren County, Ark., and is a son of Joseph and Rosana (Robinson) Neal. The father was born in Chatham County, N. C., spent his youth in Tennessee, was married in Crawford County, Ark., and shortly afterward removed to Van Buren County, Ark. In 1859 he went to Texas; in 1861 he joined the Eleventh Texas Volunteer Cavalry, and served until discharged. He then re-entered the Confederate service, remaining until the close of the war, and participating in thirty-six different engagements, among which were Poison Spring, Helena, Jenkins' Ferry and others. Since the war he has lived in Crawford County, and is now sixty years old, and engaged in farming. The mother is a native of Tennessee, is sixty-two years of age, and is the mother of the following children: Lee, Melinda (wife of W. S. Lester), Seldon R., Dillis Neal, America, Laurana (wife of Marcus Lamb), Sarah J. and William E. The paternal grandfather of our subject spent his entire life in North Carolina. His parents were French, and left their native land on account of the religious intolerance there. Laurana (Arrington) Neal, subject's grandmother, was also born in North Carolina, and after her husband's death immigrated to Tennessee. She died in Crawford County, Ark. James R. Robinson, Lee's maternal grandfather, was born in Tennessee, when sixteen [p.1179] enlisted in the War of 1812, and about 1840 came to Arkansas. He died in Texas. His wife was born of German parentage, and was reared in Pennsylvania. Lee Neal accompanied his parents to Texas when ten years of age, received a good education there, and when seventeen served on post duty in the McGinnis regiment of Texas reserved corps. He afterward completed his education in Crawford County, Ark., and has since served the county six years as examiner of common free schools. For the past eight years he has been an ordained minister in the Methodist Protestant Church, and has charge of two churches. February 6, 1868, he married Serena T. Lester, daughter of William and Margaret Lester, and a native of this county. Her parents were both born in Hempstead County, Ky., and came to Arkansas in an early day. The father died here, but the mother is now a resident of California. Mr. and Mrs. Neal have three children: Edward J., born March 29, 1868; William A., born March 2, 1873, and Rosana Maud, born January 14, 1888. After his marriage Mr. Neal farmed and taught school until 1876, and has since that time been in the mercantile business in Cedarville, in connection with his farming. Mr. Neal is a public-spirited man, and has represented his county in the Lower House of the Legislature at Little Rock. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the Patrons of Husbandry. He is a large land owner in the township, and one of its best citizens. Mrs. Neal belongs to the Methodist Protestant Church.