Obedient's obituary was published in the paper, The Benton County Democrat. This was back when papers were vital to their communities and none of the publishers would ever think of taking a walk or a mule or a train to Washington D.C. with hat in hand to ask for a bailout.
On the evening of the 22nd day on Jan., 1894, a sainted mother in Israel, Mrs. Obedient Jeffries passed from sorrows and pain of this world to her reward in Heaven.
She had been confined to her bed ten weeks, but bore her afflictions with the fortitude and grace of a christian, patiently waiting the will of her Heavenly father, ever relying upon his blessed promises.
She was born in Overton Co., Tennessee, the daughter of Joshua Foster Wright and Sarah Lamar. She married James Jasper Jeffries of Overton Co., Tennessee. With a family of nine children they emigrated to this country after which seven more children were borne to them, making sixteen in all. Twelve of the 16 children, 44 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, a brother with a host of other relatives and friends are left to mourn her demise.***
All of her children except two are christians and one of the two promised to meet her in Heaven. May the other one be one in that happy union beyond the river.
Can a mother's love be supplied? Can a mother's place be filled? No; a thousand times no. And true to nature, her eight girls and four sons feel that both their morning and evening star has passed out with her precious life.
Heaven imprinted in a christian mother's face something that draws the minds of her children to the sweet beyond, something that claimed indeed the divine love.
Deeply has the divine wooing been imprinted on the hearts of these children and friends, by her peaceful, quiet, Christian faith which always sustained and comforted her under the shadows as well as the sunshine of her life.
Though she is gone from them they know where to find her, and we would beg them "to weep not, to miss her from earth's weary shore; earth has an angel less, Heaven one more."
She had been a member of the Methodist church for a long, long time and enjoyed her relationship with the church militant, but today she is enjoying the association of the church triumphant.
Her home was always with her youngest daughter, Mrs. J.B. Ford, who with her husband and little daughter, Bessie, are left alone, sad and heart broken.
All during her sickness her sons and daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law gave her all the care and attention that loving hands could give, thus fully demonstrating that she was a mother indeed.
May their lives be like hers, their change as peaceful.

A precious one from us is gone
A voice we loved is stilled
A place is vacant in her home
Which never can be filled."
FANNIE RUTLEDGE, a friend
[Benton County Democrat 2/1/1894]

Sister of
Mitchell Moses, Wilson L., Susan, Jeremiah, Alexander, Malinda, Abigail, Catherine "Katy", Iredell L. Wright

Mother of:
1. Jasper Newton Jeffries (1838 – ?) m. 7 Aug 1861 Mary E Faucett.

2. Abigail Jeffries b.1839 d.1926 m. 20 Aug 1868 Jesse Blevins b. 1845 d. 1924

3. Armilda Jeffries b.1841 d. 1913 m. 1861 Robert Dickson"Dick" McCurdy b. 1836 d. 1908

4. William Marion Jeffries b.1842 d. 1914 m.1. 8 Jan 1868 Mary E.(Fletcher)Givens m.2. 22 Nov 1881 Emily Jane"Emma"Hunter b. 1861-1949

5. Mary "Polly " Ann Jeffries b.1844 d.1925 m. 12 Dec 1869 James R Walker b. 1851 d. 1916

6. Wesley Jeffries b.1845 –

7. Wilson Jeffries b.1847 –

8. John Calvin Jeffries b.1848 d.1919 m. 2 July 1868 Margaret S. Garner b. 1841 d. 1914

9. Sarah Jeffries b.1852 d.1922 m. 1.William Woods Black b. 1830 d. 1897
m. 2.Francis "Frank" M Selvy b. 1844 d. 1921

10. Rachel Elizabeth Jeffries b.1853 d.1935 m. 25 Sept 1881 Thomas Weir Ford b. 1833 d. 1919

11. Ellen Catherine Jeffries b.1854 d.1949 m. 14 Nov 1877 David S Foster b. 1858 d. 1949

12. Nancy Jane Jennie Jeffries b.1854 d. 1922 m. 1878 Isacc L Bigelow b. 1844 d. 1925

13. Robert "Toby" Jeffries b.1859 –
The last two born were twins:

14. Mar Alexander "Bud" Jeffrie b.1861 d.1947 m. 21 June 1891 1. Dora Clark
m. 1 Sept 1908 2. Hulda Stella (Ward) Pauly b. 1861 d. 1938

15. Obedient Lue "Sis" Jeffries b.1861 d. 1921 m. 1. Joseph B Ford (1865-1904) 15 Oct 1884 Benton Co.,AR
m.2. Daniel R Richards (1869-1936) 4 Nov 1906 Benton Co., AR****

NOTE: Bertha Esther Jeffries Oakes is not a child of Obedient and James.
Death Cert. states her father was Marion Jeffries and mother Mary Fletcher. James Died in 1860.

Jasper is on the 18 June 1860 census and Probate Documents prove James Jasper Jeffries died 30 Sept 1860. These documents are available Archives Bentonville, Benton Arkansas.I have a copy of the document.BH****************

"A Big Thank You" Linda!!"
The information provided has been a joint effort between myself and Linda Norman of Benton Co., Arkansas. Linda was born and raised in Benton County and has been a terrific source of information from her own personal genealogy records which she has worked on for over 20 years. She is also the great great granddaughter of Obedient Wright Jeffries and has personal knowledge, documentation and stories of family.
Linda has been a member of Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society for over 20 years and served as Publicity Chairman for over 15 years and was Membership Chairman for several years. She helped start the Benton County Cemetery Preservation Group; then they became inactive for several years and about 2 years ago started up again. She has a great interest in preserving old cemeteries. She is a member of the Benton County Historical Society and a member of the Dardanelle Rock Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.