Grandma Nell and Grundy

(Memaw's late parents- my great grandparents)

North Arkansas Ancestor Fair

In a couple of weeks, I'm headed back to the North AR Ancestor Fair. Last year was a lot of fun. Met dozens of relatives and trudged around the area where my family lived back in the day. The Buffalo River is always lovely. I'm looking forward to meeting my dad and grandmother there. Wyatt will be making his first out of town trip. Can hardly wait!

Land Deed

This is a scanned copy of the original receipt for some land that my great, great grandfather bought in 1910. The original is on green paper and it is falling apart.

Uncle Fred Ross

This story was told to me by my grandfather, Harold Johnston about his uncle, Fred Ross:


Uncle Fred Ross

Grandma Johnston’s brother, Fred Ross was killed in Dardanelle, AR at a saloon. He was in the Spanish American War and came home. His friend was drunk and was gambling and losing all of his money. The friend’s father tried to get them to stop but had no luck, so he asked Uncle Fred Ross if he could do anything to help. The owner of the bar called him an S. O. B. and Uncle Fred Ross was shot and killed.

The Blackwells (Daddy's Side)

My grandfather's middle name is Ross. This is because his mother's maiden name was Ross. She was Sibyl Clarissa Ross (b. 1884). Her father was James Alexander "Alex" Ross and her mother was Mary L. Blackwell.

That's where I hit a dead end. I don't know who Mary L. Blackwell's parents were. It's been a while since I researched this family and I've had lots of luck on other families since I tried finding out info about them.

I talked to my grandfather today about what he can remember and this is what he had to say:

• Dick Blackwell was Sibyl Clarissa Ross' uncle. He was worth a lot of money, but he disappeared. They thought he might have been taken by outlaws for his money. He homesteaded in Oklahoma and supposedly the city of Blackwell, OK was named after him.
• He recalls an Aunt with the last name of French (One of Mary Blackwell's sisters who married someone named "French")
• I suspect Mary L. Blackwell's father's name was S. J. Blackwell, but I am not sure.

Any help with the Blackwell family research would be most appreciated. My email address is nkiblueeyes@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Johnny and Bud (Harold) Johnston

Below is a picture of my dad and grandfather working in the garden. The back of this picture says, "Butch, Happy and Freckles". Tataw had hunting dogs for a long time.

Johnny and Judy

Above- My Aunt Judy and my Dad

"Bud" Harold Johnston

The first two pictures were taken in November of 1945.
Below is a picture of Tataw (Bud) and my dad, Johnny. They say Tataw looked a lot like Charlton Heston, partially because he had a gap between his front teeth.
Here's a picture of Tataw when he was young, all dressed up.
The next two pictures were taken of my grandfather at the fire department. On the back, they say, "Harold Johnston & 155 Crash Fire Truck". "Crash" refers to the fire station at the Little Rock Airport (Adam's Field).
Notice all the snow piled up around him. I am assuming this is when Tataw was stationed in the Aleutian Islands during WW II.

This last picture was taken at Fire Station # 10 in Little Rock. IT's Bud Johnston and Pepper, the dog.

"Papa" Harold Johnston

This is a picture of Papa with his horses, Lady and Ginger. The back of the picture says that the roof on the house is new and that it's green. It was taken June 23, 1942.

Papa had squirrels in front of his house that would eat out of his hands.
Above is a picture of Papa holding my cousin, Kristen.

The Johnstons and the Georges

Here's a picture of my great-grandfather and grandmother "Papa", Grandma Johnston (middle) and my grandfather's sister, Mary (left) and her husband, Boyd George. Butch and his former wife, Pat are in the front and Papa is holding my cousin, Steve. The picture below is of Sybil and Butch (when he was young) decorating a grave.

Below is a picture of Papa with my dad (Johnny) and Butch.

Tataw and Kristen

This is a picture of my grandfather (Tataw), Harold Johnston and my cousin, Kristen when she was a newborn. See how much he looks like Papa?

Dale Johnston

Drinkin Buddies

Here's a funny picture of my grandfather, Harold Johnston with some of his buddies: Jack Edge and Harold Webb. It looks like they're having a good time...

Frank Lee Johnston

Frank Lee Johnston was Papa's Nephew. His father's name was also Frank.

Uncle Louis Johnston

Tataw's Uncle Louis Johnston was Papa's brother. I have lots of pictures of him. He was a bachelor.

Hal and Sibyl Johnston

Harold Banks Johnston was my great grandfather. We called him, "Papa". I have many happy memories of him. When I was young, we visited him in Yell County, AR often. We'd always stop and get him a hamburger. He would take out his teeth to eat it, saying that it was easier. He always had hard candy for us to eat and passed the time reading and watching the many squirrels he fed in the yard. He was a retired farmer. I think my grandfather looks a LOT like his dad.

Sibyl Johnston (Grandma Johnston) died about a month before I was born. My family says that she was especially fond of her grandchildren and great grandchildren and that family was very important to her.

I have lots of pictures of them. Here are a few:

Sibyl Clarissa (Ross) Johnston

My father's father (Harold Ross Johnston) was given the middle name of Ross because his mother's maiden name is Ross. Here are two pictures of her. We call her "Grandma Johnston".

Willie Bell (Ivy) Keeling

This is one of the few pictures that I have of my great-great grandmother, Willie Bell Ivy Keeling. She was 1/2 Cherokee. I've been doing a lot of research on her lately. I'm trying to find more information about her parents. She was born in Purdy, TN and moved to Wright County, MO where she met my great-great grandfather, Abraham "Seib" Keeling. They married and settled eventually in Pope and Yell Counties in Arkansas.

Nikki's Parents

My parents divorced when I was about 6 years old. This is a picture that was taken of them before I was born. Mom was 18 or 19 and Daddy was a few years older. I think Mom looked a lot like my sister, Laura does now.

Ross Family Picture

This is a picture of a cousin of my grandfather, Harold Johnston. His mother's maiden name was Ross. This picture is of Faye Ross. My grandfather says she married a man with the last name of "Meek". Her father was Carl Ross. She had a sister named Mildred. She lived in Conway, AR and I think she died in a car wreck. I love her striped socks.

Me and Memaw

This is a picture of my grandmother, Sallie when she was a child. Here's a picture that was taken in 1993 of Grandma Nell, me and Memaw (Sallie)
And here's a picture taken about 3 years ago when Memaw (Sallie) and I went on a vacation in New England. We were on a ship that had just docked in Nantucket, Mass.

Aunt Rosie

This is a picture of Aunt Rosie (Keeling) Foster. Barbara Sue Keeling (Boog's daughter who passed away about 31 years ago) is standing next to her. Aunt Rosie is holding Leonard Carl Keeling and Judy (Johnston) Thompson. My father, Johnny Johnston is standing in front of her with a big grin.

Keeling Boys

Hollis Hayes Keeling, Ernie Keeling, Ray Keeling and Skinny Keeling

1908 Oak Grove, Freeman Springs Mountain

This school picture was found in some of my grandmother's old photos. I scanned the front and back of the picture so that you could identify everyone. Notice Clarence Keeling (Uncle Skinny), Alvie Keeling (Uncle Ab), Earnest Keeling (Grundy), and Ray Keeling (their brother).

Fate "Heavy" Keeling

Fate Keeling (or "Heavy" Keeling, as he was called) was my great-grandfather's, William Ernest Keeling "Grundy" brother. He is remembered as being a big man, hence the name "Heavy". He died in some sort of car accident in California.

Elnora Cain and Sallie Johnston

Here are a couple of pictures of (Elnora Foster) Cain. She is the daughter of Rosie (Keeling) Foster and Jesse Foster. Elnora is fondly referred to as "Cuzo" by my family. Her mother, Rosie was a sister to my great-grandfather, "Grundy" William Ernest Keeling.
Below is a picture of my grand mother, Sallie (Keeling) Johnston. She and Elnora are first cousins. Sallie's parents were Nellie Leora (Terril) Keeling and "Grundy" William Ernest Keeling.

This is a picture taken of Sallie (left) and Elnora (right) that was taken in December of 2006 at my baby shower.