During the
early 1890s Cynthia Bell (Bomar) and Thomas
Anderson French and their family migrated from
their homes in the hills of Carroll and Henry
Counties, Tennessee, to the hills of Greene and
Clay Counties, Arkansas. Other members of
the Bomar family had migrated to Greene County in the
1860s. The Frenches traveled 200 miles by wagon
and on foot through Murray, Kentucky, to Cairo,
Illinois, (where they ferried the
Mississippi); on to Chalk Bluff to ford the St.
Francis River; and settled on Crowley's Ridge.
(At that time the bottomland of Greene County,
now recognized as some of the most fertile in
Arkansas, was considered worthless because it
flooded.) With Cynthia and Thomas came nine of
their ten children, all grown, and their
spouses.
They are
buried 100 miles west (like the crow flies) of
their Tennessee home, in the first hills west of
the Mississippi River, Pleasant Grove Cemetery,
Greene County, Arkansas
One of the
French daughters, Theodoshia (b. 8/24/1859 in
Henry County, Tennessee), had married Riley
McClure (b. 11/7/1856 in Hollow Rock, Tennessee)
May 18, 1875. Riley was the son of Dice Pace
McClure and her McClure husband, whose given
name is unknown, but who has been affectionately
known by the family through the years as "The
Wanderer" because of his lifelong habit of. .
.wandering! Theodoshia and Riley brought their
seven children with the French clan; another son
and daughter were born after arriving in Greene
County. This last son was Virgil D McClure (b.
1/17/1895).
Virgil D
was in the first Greene County group drafted
during World
War I; he earned the Purple Heart. After
the war, he returned home to farm for the
remainder of his life. On July 24, 1921, Virgil
D married Ethel Lee (b. 9/21/1902 in Bernie,
Missouri). They were married by a preacher,
while they sat in a horse and buggy near
Marmaduke.
Ethel's parents were John William Lee (b.
12/22/1863, d. 11/13/1931) and Jana Williams;
they were married August 18, 1895.
Ethel and
Virgil had two children. Willidean Eula, born
December 1, 1922, died from diphtheria August
23, 1928. On September 30, 1939, Gary Lee was
born at his parents' home one-half mile south of
the Greene County/Clay County line near the
Cotton Belt Railroad; this was less than a mile
from his father's birthplace. Except for Gary's
college years at Murray State University
(Murray, KY) and three additional years in
Kentucky after graduation, he has been a
lifelong Greene County resident.
On June 5,
1960, Gary married Marilyn Kay
Gordon
of Milan, Tennessee. They had four children:
Leianne Kaye, Lucinda Gaye, Gordon Michael, and
Timothy Patrick. Marilyn McClure died September
14, 1987. Leianne, married to Mark McGinnis, has
two children, Amy Elizabeth and Zackary Gordon.
Lucinda's children are William Winston, (Will),
Melissa Lynn, and John Michael Lawson; her
husband is Mike Ford. Gordon Michael has two
daughters, Lauren Emily, Rachel Katelin and two
step sons Jason and Cody. His wife is
Cara. On September 22, 2004 Gary married
Bonnie Ann Leadford and they make their home in
Tennessee.
Gary
McClure lived in the
McClure-Highfill
Home at 701 West Highland in Paragould.
The McClures lived in this home from
August 17, 1969. until 1/6/2002
Theodoshia (French) McClure and
Family, about 1905. Standing: Virgil D McClure,
Oda
(McClure) Ray, Ellen (Johnson) McClure,
Theodoshia, Lovie (McClure) Pace holding son
Elmer, Lola McClure, and Zona McClure. Seated:
Marvin
O'Dell McClure, Marlon Ray, Henry Ray,
Lorene Ray, and Frank Pace holding son
Zelmar.
McClure-Ray Family Reunion, about 1923.
Standing: Thomas
Irby McClure and wife, Cullen Vincent
and wife Zona
(McClure), Virgil D McClure, Ment
Meridith, Marlon Ray, Emily Pace, Irene Ray,
Miss Sally Ray, Lorene (Ray) Weaver and husband
Dee. Seated: Frank Pace and his 2nd wife, Ethel
McClure holding daughter Willidean (in front of
husband Virgil D), Lola (McClure) Meridith
holding daughter Geniva, Oda (McClure) Ray and
husband Henry holding son J. S., and unknown Ray
couple and child. Front: Parker McClure (son of
Irby) and Henry Ray's hired
hand.