Armstrong – Pender County, NCGenWeb

PEARSALL, William Wilson (1943)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

DIED – Rocky Point, N. C., Dec. 2. – W. W. Pearsall, Sr., 62, died at his home here at 4 p.m. yesterday after a lengthy illness. Mr. Pearsall was a former member of the county board of education and had been chairman of Pender county board of elections for the past eight years and always active in community affairs.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Belle Sparkman Pearsall, and seven children: W. W., Jr., Mrs. Beverly Paul,Eloise and Martha K., and S. F. Pearsall, all of Rocky Point. Mrs. J. Wilbur Breece of Fayetteville, and C. E. Pearsall of Wilmington. Two brothers and a sister also survive.

Funeral services were held from the Rocky Point Methodist church Thursday at 4 p.m. Interment followed in Pike Creek Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were: Allison Croom, Joe I. Moore, James Pearsall, Dr. H. W. Stevens, Jr., Joseph Casey, Jr., J. A. Casha and R. H. Balcombe.

Source: Wilmington News, 2 Dec 1943

Note: William Wilson Pearsall was born in Duplin County, NC on 22 Mar 1883, the son of Edward Dickson Pearsall and Barbara Susan Armstrong. Barbara was the daughter of Thomas James Armstrong. William Wilson Pearsall and Mary Belle Sparkman were married at the Rocky Point M. E. Church on 12 Jan 1909.

ARMSTRONG, Thomas James (1877)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Mr. Thomas J. Armstrong died on the 10th of September 1877, at his residence in Pender Co, N. C.

From a short sketch of his early life, written by himself for the information of his children, we learn that he was born at South Washington on the 21st of April 1813. His early life was marked by vicissitudes various and painful, and more like pages of a thrilling romance than incidents in the life of an ordinary man. We incline to the opinion, however, that his career was rather extraordinary, for notwithstanding the bitterest griefs and over-whelming reverses of fortune, we know that he emerged from them at the age of manhood with a spotless moral character, and equipped with the most inflexible principles for the solemn duties of life. The lessons he had learned by actual experiences enabled him to form a just estimate of men and things, and to cultivate those liberal views by which his whole life was so strongly characterized. After his conversion he joined the M. E. Church, South and remained an active and useful official member until his failing health deprived him frequently of his accustomed participation in the public worship of the sanctuary.

As a Christian he had few superiors. His house was the preachers’ resting place, where they always felt at home. Non ever doubted the sincerity of his cordial welcome, or the manifest wisdom of his counsel. He was a delightful social companion. Besides his sterling common sense and well cultivated judgment, which gave weight to his opinions and actions, he had a rich fund of humor, and a keen perception of the ludicrous, which added an inimitable charm to his conversation. His intercourse with his family and friends was most tender. One of the beautiful traits of his symmetrical character was his love of little children. He seemed to enter fully into their plans and amusements, invariably won their confidence, and attached them strongly to him, by his great love for them. Love was the ruling principle of his life. By it he rose superior to circumstances the most adverse, had a host of warmly attached friends, and daily exemplified the golden rule, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”

His declining years were marked by unwavering faith in God his Saviour, and entire trust in His faithfulness. Thus lived and died one of the most irreproachable of men. We sorrow not as those who have no hope, “for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” James B. Bailey (author)

Source: Wilmington Morning Star, April 2, 1878

SPARKMAN, Frederick (1959)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, June 17, 1959

Funeral Services for F. Sparkman at Rocky Point

Funeral services were held Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Rocky Point Presbyterian Church for Frederick Sparkman, of Rocky Point, 58, who died at his home Friday after a brief illness. Burial was in Burgaw Cemetery.

He was the son of the late Ella Nixon and Charles N. Sparkman.

He is survived by his wife, Bennie Sidbury Sparkman; three children, Frederick J. and Tilden of Rocky Point, and Mrs. Gerald L. Beaverson of Jacksonville; four sisters, Mrs. E. T. Pullen of Burgaw, Mrs. W. W. Pearsall of Fayetteville, Mrs. C. N. Mathis, Sr. and Mrs. A. T. Johnson of Wilmington; and one brother, John Thomas Sparkman of Savannah, Ga.; and two grandchildren.

Pallbearers were R. L. Wright, Elgin Langston, R. L. Batts, John R. Armstrong, John W. James, and Everett Durham.

Honorary pallbearers were Arnold Rhodes, James Hayes, John Best, Dr. Ivey Taylor, Sparkman Sidbury, Dr. John Dees, George Lucas, R. Von Biberstein, Dr. N. C. Wolfe, Norman Batts, and the Elders and Deacons of the Rocky Point Presbyterian Church.

SPARKMAN, Ella Vance Nixon (1935)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Ella Vance Nixon Sparkman

Died – Mrs. Ella D. Sparkman, 76, died at her home here at 1 o’clock this morning after a lengthy illness. Funeral services will be conducted Monday morning at 11 o’clock by the Rev. N. B. Johnson, pastor of the Burgaw Methodist Church, at the grave side in Burgaw Cemetery. Mrs. Sparkman is survived by eight children, Mrs. E. T. Pullen, of Burgaw, C. F. Sparkman of Columbus, Ga., Mrs. C. L. Mathis of Wilmington, Mrs. M. J. Johnson of Florence; T. C. Sparkman of Rocky Point and J. T. Sparkman of Sanford, Fla.; one brother, J. A. Nixon of Topsail, and one sister, Miss Mary Nixon of Topsail. Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. R. J. Williams of Rocky Point, Dr. W. I. Taylor, J. R. Bannerman, J. F. Jarman, Thomas Hayes, W. W. Miller, C. F. Pearsall, W. A. Brown, John Armstrong and Arnold Rhodes. Active: Charles Pullen, William Pearsall, Jr., James Sparkman, Malcolm Sparkman, D. D. Sparkman, Charles Sparkman and Thomas Sidbury.

Source: Wilmington Star, 10 Sep 1935

Note: Ella Vance Nixon Sparkman was the daughter of David James Nixon and Mary Catherine Shepard. Ella was born on 4 Apr 1859 in Topsail Township, New Hanover Co, (now Pender), NC. Ella Vance Nixon and Charles Nixon Sparkman were married on 4 Nov 1875 at the home of her father, David J. Nixon.

MILLER, Annie Laura Johnston (1969)

Transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Mrs. Annie Laura Miller of Rocky Point Dies at 100

Mrs. Annie Laura Johnston Miller, of Rocky Point, who recently was honored on her one hundreth birthday, died Friday night at her residence after a lengthy illness.

Mrs. Miller was born in Pender County Oct. 3, 1869, the daughter of the late James H. and Margaret Westbrook Johnston. She moved with her family from New Hanover County to Rocky Point Community in 1895 and has made her home there since.

She was the widow of Christopher Jesse Miller, a Pender native, who died in August of 1911.

Survivors include one son, C. James Miller of Rocky Point, two daughters, Mrs. H. G. (Ethel) Speir of the home, and Mrs. C. B. (Annie) Morris, Wilmington; three sisters, Mrs. John R. Morriss and Mrs. Lottie K. Johnston both of Wilmington, and Mrs. Lillie Woodbury of Jacksonville; 13 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Sunday at 2 o’clock in the chapel of Andrews Mortuary, Wilmington by the Rev. J. M. Rice. Burial was in the Acorn Branch Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Fred A. Jordan, Joe George Johnston, Colon Kerr, Horace Woodbury, R. Charles Morris, and R. A. Armstrong.

Source: Pender Chronicle, Burgaw, NC, November 19, 1969

Pictures of the Armstrong Family

Contributed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall

Edward wrote most of the letters published here from the War Between the States.

Thomas James Armstrong, Sr. – A narritave written by Thomas James Armstrong who was born in April 1813, and transcribed by Stephen Carroll Pearsall. Very interesting for Duplin and New Hanover researchers.

Thomas James Armstrong, Sr (1813-1877), son of Edward Armstrong and Mary Shuffield, md on 5 Oct 1835 at South Washington (Watha), NC; Martha Ann Wilson (1820-1858), daughter of Alexander Wilson and Mary Portevant. He md 2nd on 23 Jun 1959 at Wilmington, NC; Martha Jane Freeman (d1865), daughter of John Freeman and Sarah Horton. He md 3rd, 22 Nov 1865 (lic New Hanover Co, NC), Mrs. Hulda Murray Moore (d 1 Oct 1872), dau of Hosea Murray and Rhoda Murray. She was the widow of George I. Moore. Thomas James Armstrong, Sr., md 4th Alice Bordeaux (1854-1908) on 18 Nov 1872 at Rocky Point, NC, dau of Richard Miller Bordeaux and his 2nd wife Mary A. Saul. After his death Alice Bordeaux Armstrong married as her second husband at the residence of her Mother in Rocky Point on 25 Nov 1879, S. J. Herring. As her 3rd husband, Alice Bordeaux Armstrong Herring md on 21 Nov 1893, at Rocky Point, NC, Robert L. Spell of Sampson Co, NC.

armholt — Sarah Isabella Armstrong with her husband ----- Holt

Sarah Isabella Armstrong (1860-1887), daughter of Thomas James Armstrong, Sr and Martha Jane Freeman married a Holt.