Life History

Notes

• I first found Pleas (Ples) S Simmons as the 2nd husband of JennieMiller Seamons in the 1900 census.  Later after later information Idiscovered him as a child with his parents in Hardeman County,Tennessee in 1850 and 1860.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Hardeman County, Tennessee, 27 November, page 345(scan p 173), Hse/Fam #1482
  L D Simmons 27 M Farmer $200 Real Estate born NC
  Amy Simmons 26 F b NC
  Pleasant Simmons 6 M born Tennessee [b abt 1844]
  Williams Simmons 9 months  M born Tennessee [b abt Feb 1850]
  
  1860 Federal Census, Hardeman County, Tennessee, 6 September, MilitiaDistrict 16, PO Bolivar, page 245 (scan p 270), Hse #1829, Fam #1697
  Lem Simmons 35 M Farmer $1000 Real Estate $649 Pesonal  born NC
  Amy Simmons 35 F b NC
  Pleasant Simmons 16 M born Tennessee [b abt 1844]
  William Simmons 10 M born Tennessee [b abt Feb 1850]
  Martha Simmons 7 F born Tennessee [b abt Feb 1850]
  John Simmons 5 M born Tennessee [b abt Feb 1850]
  
  1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 6 June, PrairieTownship, District 7, page 4A, Hse #55, Fam #56
  Simmons, Pleas S  Head W M  Sept 1874  55 Married 3 yrs  TN NC NCFarmer
  Simmons, Jennie Wife W F Apr 1867  33 Married 3 yrs borne 4 children,4 living  AR MS MS  Dairy Farmer
  Simmons, Loula Daughter W F  Feb 1884  6  AR TN TN
  Simmons, Arthur Son W M  Aug 1897 2  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Lillie Daughter W F  Nov 1884  5  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Ethel Daughter W F  ? 1888  2 [?]  AR TN AR
  Seemons, Tempa Daughter W F  Dec 1882  7  AR TN AR
  
  In the home are Jennie's three daughters from her first marriage toThomas Seamons.  Note that the girls' name is spelled Seemons in thiscensus, and Seamans in 1910.
  
  The name Pleas, reported as Ples in 1920, is probably short forPleasant, which was a rather popular name for men in the 1800s.  Theyare reported to have been married 3 years, which would mean sometimeless than 4 years before the 1 June census date.  The birth of theirson Arthur is reported as August 1897, so it could have been near theend of 1896 when Jennie and Pleas married.
  
  The census reports that the oldest child in the household is Loula,age 6 and born in February 1884.  This girl is older than Jennie'sdaughters form her first marriage.  Loula is also born in the sameyear as Lillie, age 5 and born November 1884.  Thus Loula appears tobe the daughter of Pleas from an earlier marriage.  I have not yetfound earlier documentary evidence of Pleas.
  
  The earlier marriage is problematic, in light of additionalinformation in the 1910 census.  By 1910, Jennie and Pleas havedivorced and Pleas is remarried.  The 1910 census reports P S Simmonsmarried to Nannie A Simmons, and living in DeWitt, La Grue Township,Arkansas County.  It is reported that they have been married threeyears.  The problem comes in the report that this is Pleas' secondmarriage, as well as Nannie's.
  
  This report would seem to be wrong, if Pleas had been married beforehe married Jennie.  The 1900 census did not report the number ofmarriages, only the length of time of the present marriage.  So thestatus of Loula Simmons is still not totally cleared up.  But based onthe information in the 1900 census, she could not be the child ofJennie.
  
  This is cleared up in October 2008, when a descendant wrote withinformation on Pleasant's first marraige, before Jennie Miller.  Hisfirst wife is identified by Libby Beliew as Sallie Amanda Wakefield,her great-great-great-grandmother.  Libby had located the marriagerecord for Sallie and Pleas in the Arkansas County courthouse inArkansas County, Arkansas, reporting they were married on 5 December1888 (presumably in DeWitt).  Even with this information, however,Pleas could have been married even earlier, since in 1888, he wouldhave already been 45 or 46, with birth based on census age isconsistently 1843-1845.
  
  I have found a single man in 1870, Pleason Simmons, age 27 (Born about1843), born in Tennessee, working as a Farm Hand near Jacksonport,Jackson County, Arkansas.  This could be our Pleasant.  This Pleasonis reported as unable to read and write. The 1850 and 1860 censuses donot have a report on Pleasant's literacy or school attendance.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 27 April, La GrueTownship, DeWitt Town, District 9, page 4B, Hse/Fam #63
  Simmons, P S  Head M W 66 Marriage2 3yrs TN NC NC Carpenter
  Simmons, Nannie A  Wife F W 50 Marriage2 3yrs AR NC MS
  Perry, Sadie Boarder F W 50 M1 2  KS USA USA
  
  Note that the boarder Sadie Perry is reported as married for 2 years,but her husband is not reported in this household or any other nearby,that I can find.
  
  Nannie A is reported as as Nancy A, the wife of Ples S Simons in 1920census.  They are now officially running a boarding house, though onlyone boarder is reported.  And that boarder is reported as a Carpenter,the occupation of Ples (Pleas) in the 1910 census.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 February, La GrueTownship, DeWitt Town, District 12, page 17A, Hse#359, Fam #375,Simmons, Ples S Head M W 75  TN NC NC  Proprietor, Boarding House
  Simmons, Nancy A Wife F W 59  AR AR AR
  Walker, William L  Roomer M W 50 Single IL Mass Mass Carpenter
  
  I have not yet found Pleas in the 1930 census.

Sources

• 1. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 6 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 4A, Hse #55, Fam #56
• 2. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 5 February, La Grue Township, DeWitt Town, District 12, page 17A,
• 3. 1850 Federal Census, Hardeman County, Tennessee
  • 27 November, page 345 (scan p 173), Hse/Fam #1482
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Hardeman County, Tennessee
  • 6 September, Militia District 16, PO Bolivar, page 245 (scan p 270),
• 5. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 27 April, La Grue Township, DeWitt Town, District 9, page 4B, Hse/Fam
• 6. George Oliver McSwain, email correspondence, November 2006
• 7. Social Security Death Index
• 8. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 21 April, Prairie Township, District 24, page 8A, Hse #147, Fam #148
• 9. Bertie Lois Dumond McSwain, Family Information, handwritten 27February, 1979
• 10. Gravestone of Ethel Seamon Dumond, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel,Arkansas
• 11. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 1 February, Prairie Township, District 16, page 5B, LaGrue Springs and
• 12. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 18 April, Prairie Township, District 25, page 6A, Ethel and Point Rd.,
• 13. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 5 May, North Prairie, District 12, page 8A, Hse #144
• 14. Libby Beliew, email correspondence to Orville Boyd Jenkins, October2008