Biffle Researchers

Family Group Record: William B. Biffle and Minnie Turner (parents of Leslie Biffle)

Information supplied by: Janet M. Roseen e-mail adress


If you have additional information or corrections to this report on this family, please contact the editor.
As always, use this information as a guide to your own research, documenting as you go along.

Husband
   William B. Biffle   
   Born: October 19, 1855 Place: Humphreys County, Tennessee
   Died: April 18, 1920 Place: Arkansas; he and his wives are buried in Mitchell Cemetery, Greenway, Clay County, Arkansas
   Parents: William McHenry Biffle and Martha Leach Skelton

1st Wife
   Minnie M. Turner   
   Born: July 14, 1865 Place:
  Married: December 5, 1883 Place: Alexander County, Illinois
   Died: December 4, 1884 Place: Clay County, Arkansas
   Parents: Wiley V. Turner and Louisa M. Skelton (see below for information on Wiley V. Turner)

2nd Wife of William B. Biffle
   Ella Turner   
   Born: October 22, 1870 Place:
  Married: October 2, 1887 Place: Humphreys County, Tennessee
   Died: January 17, 1900 Place: Boydsville, Clay County, Arkansas
   Parents: Thomas Turner
  Goodspeed's says that his wife was "Miss Ella Turner, daughter of Thomas Turner of Tennessee."
Ella as in poor health. She thought...if she could just have a long camping trip...she would get better. Mr. Biffle had a beautiful team of horses, which he hitched to a covered wagon. They went to Ravenden Springs, a little more than sixty miles from their home. The group campted near Ravenden Springs for nearly six weeks, living in a tent. Mrs. Biffle's health did improve for a while. Suddently, however, she took a turn for the worse. A few months later she died quietly.

Children

1 Leslie L. Biffle
Sex Born: October 9, 1889 Place: Boydsville, Arkansas
  M Married: October 1921, Mary Glade Strickling Place:
   Died: April 6, 1966, of pneumona Place: Washington, D.C.; he is buried at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
 
At his death, Senator John L. McClellan or Arkansas announced his death to the U.S. Senate, calling him a "true patriot and one of America's finest citizens."

2 Blanche Biffle
Sex Born: September 8, 1891 Place: Arkansas
  F Married: September 22,1917; Wilford Sanders Place: Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas
   Died: November 18, 1970 Place: Dade County, Florida; she is buried in the Piggott IOOF Cemetery, Section B, Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas
  She resided in Washington, D.C., where she and her sister managed Biffle's Antique Shop. At the time of Leslie's death, they were living in Miami, Florida

3 Joseph Turner Biffle
Sex Born: February 1894 Place: Arkansas
  M Married: Place:
   Died: December 19, 1947 as the result of an automobile accident Place: Dade County, Florida (v. 1278, Certificate 23469)
  Telegram found in Piggott Banner; telegram dated December 19, 1947: Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Turner received a telegram Sunday morning informing them that Joe Turner Biffle had passed away at Miami Beach, Florida, that morning where he had lived for the past year with his sister Miss Bernice Biffle. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Biffle of Piggott. His body was returned to Washington D.C. for burial, where his brother Leslie and sister Mrs. Blanche (Biffle) Sanders reside.

4 Bernice Biffle
Sex Born: December 22, 1895 Place: Arkansas
 F  Married: after 1947, Charles Clark Hillman (Brigadier-General) Place: possibly Florida
   Died: October 7, 1974 Place: Dade County, Florida

3rd Wife of William B. Biffle
   Pearl M. Vickery (Mrs.; maiden name unknown)   
   Born: October 24, 1879 Place: Illinois
  Married: June 30, 1908 (see below) Place: Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas
   Died: January 9, 1927 Place: Clay County, Arkansas
   Parents:

  • 1860 U.S. Census, Ashland, Wayne County, Tennessee, M653-1277, p. 247, William B. is found in his father's household.
  • 1870 U.S. Census, District 10, Dickson County, Tennessee, M593-1524, p. 367, listed in his father's household
    1870 U.S. Census, p. 368, Minnie is found in her father's household.
  • 1900 U.S. Census, Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas, E.D. 9, p. 6; B.B.'s 2nd wife was dead by this census.
  • 1910 U.S. Census, St. Francis Twp, Clay County, Arkansas, T624-46, p. 194. Found with his wife Pearl, daughter Blanche, son Joe; Pearl and Billie had been married 1 year.
  • 1920 U.S. Census, St. Francis Township, Clay County, City of Piggot, Arkansas, T625-57, E.D. 22, pg. 3a: Billy (age 64), Pearl (age 41), Joe (age 25). Billy was an insurance agent; Joe worked in lumber.
    1920 U.S. Census, St. Francis, Clay County, Arkansas, T625-57, p. 2A; Wilford Sanders with wife Blanche and son Billie B. Sanders.
  • Leslie (age 30) is found in 1920 in St. Francis Township, Clay County, Arkansas, T625-57, E.D. 22, pg. 4a; he is living with Dr. Frederick H. Jones
  • 1930 U.S. Census, Piggott, Clay County, Arkansas, T626-68,p. 20A; Wilford Sanders, wife and son
    1930 U.S. Census, Washington, D.C., T626-300, p. 11A; Leslie Biffle and wife
    No record of Joseph in 1930
  • Clay County Arkansas Marriages, Eastern District, 1893-1924, by Una Pollard (1988); Book 5, pg 596, B.B. Biffle, 42, Piggott, and Mrs. Pearl M. Vickery, 31, Piggott, married June 30, 1908.

 

 
  • From Goodspeed's Biographies: Clay County
    B. B. Biffle, sheriff of Clay County, and one of the representative citizens of this section, is a native of Humphreys County, Tenn., where he was reared and where he received a fair education in the common schools. He is the son of William and Martha (Skelton) Biffle, the grandson of Nathan Biffle, and the great-grandson of Jacob Biffle, who came from Germany many years ago. To William Biffle and wife were born six children, B. B. Biffle being the eldest. He left his native county at the age of twenty-one years, or in 1879, and made his way to Clay County, Ark., where he started a store in Greenway, and, although a young man, he was the first to engage in merchandising at that place. After that, in connection with his store, he was for some time occupied in running a stave mill, but in September, 1888, he was elected to the office of sheriff, and then closed out the milling and stave business, to give his undivided attention to his official duties. He fills that position in an able and efficient manner, and to the satisfaction of all concerned. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of the Blue Lodge and Chapter. For his companion in life he chose Miss Ella Turner, daughter of Thomas Turner, of Tennessee. He and Mrs. Biffle are members of the Methodist Church.
 
  • Additional information: Billy owned a general store in Boydsville, Arkansas. He sold everything from coffee to horse collars. However, he alloed his zest for politics to interfere with his business. It was said that "if Billie B. Biffle's commercial acumen had rivialed his zest for politics, he might have become well to do." He held the offices of sheriff and county clerk and was, in reality, a local political boss. According to Goodspeed's Biographical and Historical Memoirs of N.E. Arkansas, he ran a stave mill until September 1888, whe he was elected sheriff. He was a member of the Masconic fraternity, of the Blue Lodge and Chapter. In 1900 he was living in Piggot, Arkansas. He was selected to be a delegate to the Clay County Congressional Convention, April 15, 1904.
 
  • From Goodspeeds Biographies: Clay County
    Dr. Wiley V. Turner, a retired physician and farmer of Greenway, Ark., was born in Humphreys County, Tenn., May 19, 1836, his father. (Wiley Turner, his father, being a native of South Carolina. He was reared in Wilson County, Tenn., and was married in Davidson County to Miss Maria Thompson, who was born near Nashville. He served in the War of 1812 under Jackson, and was at the battle of New Orleans, dying in Humphreys County.)
    Dr. Wiley V. Turner grew to manhood in that county and until he attained his majority made his home with his father. He received a good practical education in Waverly Academy, and when twenty years of age commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Ellis, taking his first course of lectures in the winters of 1858-59 and 1859-60, in the University of Nashville, graduating from that institution in the spring of the latter year. He then practiced his profession in Houston County until the opening of the war, and in the fall of 1862 enlisted as a private in the Fiftieth Tennessee Infantry, Confederate States Army. He was soon after detailed as assistant surgeon, and served in this capacity until 1864, when he left the army and returned home and resumed practice. Here he remained until 1871, when he removed to Clay County, Ark., and continued the practice of his profession for nine years. About 1875 he was appointed postmaster of Clayville, and in 1878 became the first postmaster of Greenway. He kept a stock of general merchandise at his residence, and continued for one year after the location of the town of Greenway, when he moved his store to about one-half mile from his residence. He has also been engaged in farming for a number of years.
    August 4, 1864, he was married, in Tennessee, to Miss Louisa Skelton, a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of A. B. Skelton. The Doctor and his wife have four (is it really 5?) children: James, Joseph, Charles and Robert. Minnie was the wife of B. B. Biffle, and died in December 1884. The Doctor and his wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in which he is a ruling elder, and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity.
  • Additonal information on W.V. Turner's wife Louisa Skelton died in 1892. He remarried to Martha E. ?, who died September 19, 1913 at the age of 63. All are buried in Mitchell Cemetery, Clay County, Arkansas (from James G. Patey)

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