1852 - 1889
I'm Marcus Haywood Goodwin. It was around 1877 when I married Pauline Marietta Halpain. Ewell says that she liked to be called Mary Ann, and was the same person as Parahetta. Other people around the area like to call her Marippe and Maretta. Course, everyone makes light of our Arkansian Accents, and if'n you want'a make fun of our spelling abilities, just remember, schoolin ain't such an importance as it may be ahunderd year from now. I spelled my own name (Markes) in my bible I got fore movin to the new territory. Momma said if'n I go traipsin off to the wilderness, I'd need to keep God close by.
So, like I said, Maretta 'n me got married around '77. Her father is John Halpain from over Blue Mountain way in Izard County. He and Lydia were fine hospitable folk. She's one of Samuel Brown's daughters. They were well to do folk with land and a right smart log house covered with weatherboard, added window shutters and multi-paneled doors, and remodeled the interior to include finely crafted fire mantels and handsome paneled wainscotting. It'll probly be around for a long time. Samuel has several large farms and businesses operated by his several sons. Samuel's wife was Delilah Bickle.
Maretta an I have about 80 acres of nice farm here at Richwood. Elbert, Fletcher and William help farm it and we got over half it plowed and producin'. Minnie and Salina help mamma out with the chores and do a fair bit of the farmin too. Madge helps mamma with the youngins, Ora and AnnaBelle.
Minnie was born in November of '77 and marries a Stewart boy, Joseph in July of '98 by Elder James Bufford. They buy a farm in '99 and do fair well with it. She buries Joseph in the Case cemetery where I'm buried on Foster Farm up on the road to Luber. She stays with William till she marries Jim Brewer in Jan of 19 and 20 after his wife, Rhoda J (Rhilda?) dies. She was a Nallner. He's a son of Adam and Nancy Moffitt Brewer. Jim is buried in the Mountain View cemetery Mar of '28.
Elbert was born on the 23rd day of February of'79. He's a hunter and fisherman and is all the time bringing home some kind of food for Maretta to cook up. I can't say he likes farming too much, most of the time he's gone off somewhere fore the break of day, but he does bring home food to eat, I'll give him that much. He likes to dissappear for a few days at time. Elbert don't much like me talkin about him. He says I make too much stuff up. So I'll let him tell you his side of the story.
William was born in February of '81. He's a right good farmer and has some of the best sweet taters around. He built a tater barn in a hole in the ground and shored it up with the rocks out'n the fields. Keeps them taters just right for storin. In 19 an 18 he marries a Vandiver girl, Sarah. They get divorced a year and one day later on the 11th of November.
Salina was born in November of '82. She got married to a Jeffries boy, John Wesley, in October of 1900, by James M McCallister. He is the son of Cassius and Merideth Jeffery and farms land they purchased in '99. She dies two days after giving birth to their last child in'24.
Fletcher was born in August of '84. He marries a Helms girl, Minnie, daughter of William in 1904 and marries a McCallister in '25 after Minnie dies in Jul of 19 and 15.
Madge was born in Sept of '86. Madge is a quiet girl and I don't know much about her. She's enumerated in the 1910 Census as a cook for James W Brewer and his family over at Blue Mountain Twp.
Ora B was born in February of '88. She marries a Prince boy in 1906, Cornelius and has three children.
AnnaBelle was born in June of '89. She marries another Prince boy, Harrison in 1910.
