Sarah A. George

Sarah A. George was born February 1840, in Tennessee.  She was the youngest child of James Sevier George and Nancy (last name unknown). 

The George family moved from Tennessee to Searcy County, Arkansas about April or May 1840.  They appear on the 1840 Searcy County census.   Sarah appears as a female under 5 years of age on the census.

Sarah's mother died in early 1841, when Sarah was about a year old.   We have been told Sarah's mother died from complications from childbirth.   Perhaps there were lingering problems from Sarah's birth.

Sarah appears on the 1850 and 1860 Izard County, Arkansas census with her family.  She was listed as 10 years old on the 1850 census, and as 20 years old on the 1860 census.   

It appears that Sarah had a daughter born out of wedlock in 1862.   

Sarah married Marion Cooper about 1865, in Izard County, Arkansas.  Marion Cooper was born February 1847, in Wayne County, Tennessee, the son of John Calvin Cooper and Elizabeth Ellen "Eliza" Smith.

John Cooper was born about 1815, in Tennessee and died 1870-1880, in Izard County, Arkansas. Eliza Smith was born about 1818, in Tennessee and died 1870-1880 in Izard County. John and Eliza married in 1837, in Searcy County, Arkansas, according to some researchers.   John Cooper moved his family from Tennessee to Izard County, Arkansas prior to 1850. The family appears on the 1850 and 1860 Izard County, Arkansas census, in Sylamore Township. John and Eliza's children included: (1) Samuel J. Cooper, b. abt 1839, TN; (2) William Henry Harrison Cooper, b. abt 1843, TN; (3) Marion Cooper, b. February 1847, Wayne Co, TN; m. Sarah George; (4) Mary Ann Cooper, b. abt 1848, AR; (5) Amanda Cooper, b. abt 1849, Izard Co, AR; (6) Rebecca Minerva Cooper, b. abt 1852, AR and (7) Matthew Nathan Cooper, b. Sept 1853, Izard Co, AR.

Marion and Sarah appear on the 1870 Izard County census, Rocky Bayou Township, Lunenburg Post Office. The census shows Maryan Cooper, 24, a farmer with personal property valued at $335; Sarah, 23; John William, 7 and Jasper, 4 years old.  This census is inaccurate.  We have been unable to find a son John William, and no one in the family has any record of a son John William.  This individual should have been Sarah's daughter, Mary Jane, who would have been about 7 years old at the time.  Mary Jane is not listed on the census.

The 1880 Izard County census, Lunenburg Township shows Marion Cooper, 33; Sarah, 33; Newt, 12, son; Marion, 10, son; George T., 8, son; Joe, 6, son; Izora E., 2, daughter, and Mary, 18, step-daughter.   

The 1900 Izard County census, Lunenburg Township, shows Marion Cooper, 53, born Feb. 1847, a farmer who owned his farm free of mortgage; Sarah, 55, wife, born Feb. 1845; and children Hill, 30, a farmer; George T., 27, a farmer; Joseph, 24, a farmer; Yukatan (daughter), 22; Laura E., 19; Mattie M., 16; and Robert, 12. The census also shows the couple had been married 35 years and Sarah had given birth to 11 children, 9 of them were still living.

Information provided by Bob Cooper, a descendant of George T. Cooper, states that Marion, Sarah, Hill, Tanny, Laura, Mattie and Robert all died of Tuberculosis about 1908-1909, at Lunenburg, in Izard County.  They are buried in a row in the Lunenburg Cemetery in Izard County, Arkansas.

Children of Marion Cooper and Sarah A. George

1. Mary Jane Cooper, (Sarah's daughter) b. Jan 1862, Izard Co, AR; d. 1943, Fulton Co, AR; m. James Calvin Bray who was b. May 18, 1861, in Greene Co, MO; d. Mar 16, 1912, Fulton Co, AR. Children included: 1) James Peter Bray, b. May 1883, AR and 2) Sallie Elizabeth Bray, b. Nov 1885, AR

2. Jasper Newton Cooper, b. Jan 27, 1867, Izard Co, AR; d. Aug 24, 1924, AR; m. Lavonia E. Landers on Aug 18, 1889, Izard Co, AR. Lavonia was b. abt 1872, AR. Children included: 1) Verdie Cooper, b. 1889; 2) Archie Cooper, b. 1895; 3) James Cooper, b. 1899 and 4) Daisy V. Cooper, b. abt 1908

3. Marion Hill Cooper, b. abt Oct 1870, Izard Co, AR (not on 1870 census - listed as 10 in 1880); d. 1908-1909, Izard Co (from Tuberculosis); bur. Lunenburg Cem.

4. George Thomas Cooper, b. Mar 8 1873, Izard Co, AR; d. Mar 7, 1950, Izard Co; bur Lunenburg Cem; m. Martha Elizabeth Craig who was b. 1873, AR; d. 1961, AR. Children included: 1) Velma Opal Cooper (1910-1982) ; 2) Lawrence Craig Cooper (1912-1915); 3) Ivy Cooper (1915-1917); 4) Hugh Gill Cooper (1917-1999); 5) Paul Hill Cooper (1919-1998); 6) Thomas Gerald Cooper (1921-1925); 7) Darrell Eugene Cooper (1924-1992); 8) Vera Irene Cooper (1927-1935) and 9) Joe Glenn Cooper (1929-1969)

5. Joseph Cooper, b. Sept 3, 1876, Izard Co, AR; d. May 21, 1963, Durango, CO; m. Fairy Mae Kirwin who was b. 1883, AR; d. 1969, TX

6. Izora E. Yukatan "Tanny" Cooper, b. Nov 1877, Izard Co, AR; d. 1908-1909, Izard Co (from Tuberculosis); bur. Lunenburg Cem.

7. Laura E. Cooper, b. Mar 1881, Izard Co, AR; d. 1908-1909, Izard Co (from Tuberculosis); bur. Lunenburg Cem.

8. Mattie M. Cooper, b. Sept 1883, Izard Co, AR; d. 1908-1909, Izard Co (from Tuberculosis); bur. Lunenburg Cem.

9. Robert Cooper, b. June 1888, Izard Co, AR; d. 1908-1909, Izard Co (from Tuberculosis); bur. Lunenburg Cem.