John Henry King was born 4 December 1874 in Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas. He is the oldest of the four children born to Isaac and Mary Flynn King. Isaac is the son of Andrew and Elizabeth King and Mary is the daughter of Miles and Sarah Davis Flynn of Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas. John was born on the family farm, south and east of Charleston on what was called Potato Hill Prairie, in the Revillea Township. At the age of 19, he wanted to get married. His mother gave him $20.00 so he was able to marry Martha Mattie Robertson on 15 Oct 1893 in Franklin County, Arkansas. The marriage ceremony was performed by Father Frances Dunn, of the Catholic Church in Charleston. After their marriage, John and Mattie moved to a farm just south of Charleston, Arkansas and began to work the land and raise a family. They were the parents of 8 children: William Isaac King (1894-1973), Claude Melvin King (1896-1984), Bertha T King (1897) Mamie M. [King] Craig (1900-1986) Clarence Alvin King (1902-1957), John Henry King Jr. (1903-1980), Lawrence Edward King (1906-1978) and Clara R King (1909). The children were baptized and raised in the Catholic Church (Bertha and Clara both died as children). As a member of the Catholic church, John worked on the construction of the building that still houses the Catholic Church of Charleston. His part in the work stopped the day that he fell from the steeple while working. He received a head injury but recovered nicely, still, he never forgot it. Even to his dying day he talked about it and showed his scar with pride. John and Mattie remained in the Charleston area until about 1911, when on the advice of an old friend, Hinnie Bieker, they uprooted the family and moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas. They were convinced by Hinnie, that Fort Smith was at the end of the rainbow. On their arrival, it did not take them long to figure out that things were not exactly as they were told and times were just as hard here as they were in Franklin County. The only work that John could find was unskilled, menial labor jobs. In spite of the hardships, the family worked hard and persevered and they were able to hold on. A few years later however, tragedy struck. On January 3, 1919 Mattie passed away. She had been working as a nurse and mid-wife, for Dr. Freer, during the great flu epidemic of 1917-1919. Mattie died of the illness that she fought so hard to eradicate.

John Henry King's 2nd wife, was Louise Henrietta (Etta) Elizabeth Sanders. Her maiden name was Howard (her parents were James Marvin Howard & Mary Jane Willbanks). They were married on June 19, 1919. Together they had one son, Paul Wesley King (1923), but they were divorced a short time later.

John then married Ola Mae Phillips on 26 March 1928. Ola had 5 children from 2 previous marriages and John shouldered the responsibility of being a father to Ola's children. He never considered them as step children and he never treated them as such, but he raised them and loved them and cared for them as if they were his own flesh and blood. Then together, John and Ola became the the parents of 5 more children: Loretta Marie (1927-1996), Vina Ann (1929-1971), Margie Louise (1932), George Franklin (1936) and Bobby Gene (1938-2017). Ola Mae passed away in 1960 and John lived with his son Bobby Gene until he died on 12 October 1970.

1880 Census:
Name: Isaac King
Residence: Reville, Logan, Arkansas
Birth Date: 1850
Birthplace: Missouri, United States
Relationship to Head: Self
Spouse's Name: Mary King
Spouse's Birthplace: Arkansas, United States
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace: Illinois, United States
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace: Illinois, United States
Race or Color (Expanded): White
Ethnicity (Standardized): American
Gender: Male
Martial Status: Married
Age (Expanded): 30 years
Occupation: Farmer
NARA Film Number: T9-0050
Page: 278
Page Character: D
Entry Number: 4753
Film number: 1254050
Household Gender Age
Isaac King M 30
Spouse Mary King F 25
Child Henry King M 5
Child Caldonia King F 2


1900 Census: Dated 15 June 1900
Name: John H King
Residence: Charleston, Franklin, Arkansas
Birth Date: Dec 1874
Birthplace: Arkansas
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Spouse: Mattie
Father: Isaac King
Father's Titles
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother:
Mother's Titles & Terms:
Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas
Race or Color (expanded): White
Head-of-household Name: Isaac King
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 6
Estimated Marriage Year: 1894
Enumeration District: 0199
Page: 8
Sheet Letter: A
Family Number: 141
Reference Number: 16
Film Number: 1240058
Image Number: 00908
Household Gender Age
Parent Isaac King M b. Jul 1850 in Missouri
John H King M b. Dec 1874
Mattie King F b. Sep 1873 (wife to John)
Virgil M King M b. Dec 1883 (brother to John)
Maggie T King F b. Sep 1890 (sister to John)
William J King M b. Jul 1895
Claude M King M b. Jun 1896
Bertha T King F b. Feb 1897
Mamie King F. b. May 1899

1910 Census: Dated 16 May 1910
Name: John H King
Birthplace: Arkansas
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Residence: Prairie, Franklin, Arkansas
Marital Status: Married
Race : White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas
Family Number: 336
Page Number: 23
Household Gender Age
John H King M 36y
Spouse Mattie King
F 37y
Child Willie King
M 14y
Child Claude King
M 13y
Child Mamie F King
F 10y
Child Clarence A King
M 8y
Child John H M King
M 6y
Child Lawrence E King
M 3y
Child Clara R King
F 0y 5m



1930 Census-Dated 14 April 1930
Name: John King
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Paw Paw, Sequoyah, Oklahoma
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: Arkansas
Estimated Birth Year: 1875
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother's Birthplace: Arkansas
Enumeration District Number: 0018
Family Number: 145
Sheet Number and Letter: 10A
Line Number: 37
NARA Publication: T626, roll 1931
Film Number: 2341665
Digital Folder Number: 4661247
Image Number: 00791
Household Gender Age
John King M 55
Spouse Ola King F 36
Child Rety M King F 3 (Loretta)
Child Nina King F 0 (Vina)
John Canada M 16 (Step-son)
Edith Canada F 13 (Step-dau.)
Hatalie Canada F 11 (Step-dau.)
Granvel Wilker M 8 (Step-son)