In Chapter XIV of the 'Outline History of The Boles Family', authored by Judge Alfred H. Boles and published following his death, his brother, Seth Boles, Sr. contributed the following for the book and describes his immediate family history this way:

SETH BOLES AND GORDEN ALBRIGHT
Married March 22nd, 1905 at Dardanelle, Ark.

To them were born six children, four boys and two girls: They appeared on the scene as follows:

Gorden Boles -- March 23, 1906
Seth Boles, Jr. -- July 21, 1911
Nina Boles -- December 11, 1913
(twins)
John Keith Boles -- Nov. 18, 1915
Catherine Boles -- Nov. 18, 1915
Neil Boles -- Oct 19, 1919

Seth Boles, Sr. was born near Bluffton, Yell county Ark. January 29, 1858, attended the neighborhood schools which were taught in a log house 20x 24 ft. Chimney at the north end of house, from which the children enjoyed the heat there-from, while they sat on the split log benches set up on sticks to hold it up off the cold rough floor. On the south side was a window (without any glass) to give light for the children to study, and on the west side of the house 1/2 of one log was split off to give light for the children so they could see to write, just below this opening holes were made and sticks stuck in them to hold a plank hewed out of the log for the children to learn to write with their pokeberry ink. After attending the above schools for eight or ten years at the rate of 3 to 6 months a year, and were then sent to Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas where I attended two terms, which brought to a close my school days. My folks then moved to Dardanelle, Arkansas and with my stepfather, embarked in the merchantile business, and stayed with that for one or two years, and decided to teach school. I stood my examination and got a license to teach, and taught two public schools in the neighborhood where I was born and raised. Was then summoned as a petty juryman to serve in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and Indian Territory. After my services were completed as Juryman, was commissioned U.S. Deputy Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas and Indian Territory, working in this capacity for something over four years. My service in the above office was during the years from 1882 to 1886. Had some experience with cattle, having taken them across the Indian Territory to what was known as the "Strip" during this time. Quit the cattle business and went to Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas and went into the livery business, saddle horses, Drummer rigs, wagons, buggies, etc., was there about a year then sold out and went to southwest Kansas, went broke (during Cleveland's administration) and from there drifted back to the old homestead near Bluffton, Yell County, Arkansas and farmed for twenty-five years, raising hogs, cattle, horses, mules, oats, wheat, corn, potatoes, molasses, and some cotton. I rented out the farm and moved to Dardanelle and was appointed Postmaster at Dardanelle by President Harding and again by Coolidge. Now retired and living at Dardanelle, Arkansas.

... it looks like the following was penned by Alfred Boles as a follow up to Seth's family account, as it immediately follows:

Gordon Albright Boles, was born at Bluffton, Yell County, Arkansas June 25, 1880. At the age of three months her parents moved to Danville, Yell County, Arkansas, three years later moving to Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas, where she received her education, completing high school and living here until she married Seth Boles. She then lived on the farm near Bluffton for ten years. They then moved to Dardanelle, Yell County, Arkansas where she now lives.

Gorden Boles graduated with honors from the high school at Dardanelle, Arkansas and went to the State University, was business manager of the Glee Club for two years and is now U.S. mail carrier for the Dardanelle office.

Seth Boles, Jr., graduated with honors from Dardanelle high school; took a business course at Little Rock, Arkansas and is now working in the First National Bank, Dardanelle, Arkansas as Bookkeeper.

Nina Boles graduated with honors from the Dardanelle high school and attended Galloway Women's College, specializing in music; now substitute teacher in Dardanelle School.

John Keith and Catherine Boles now Seniors in Dardanelle high school.

Neil Boles this year entered first year Junior high school.

... following this is shared correspondence written by Viola to her brother, Alfred:

Dear Brother:--

Some of Seth's children think "Daddy" has omitted some important things, he should have mentioned in his "write up," one of them for a few years he was president of the First National Bank in Dardanelle, between 1925 and 1930. He is reminded also that he run a saw mill up Gofford Creek two years 1906-1907. Gorden wants to be mentioned that he was a member of "Kappa Alpha fraternity" while in State University at Fayetteville, if you can add it all right if not all right, Your sister, Viola

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Seth Boles Celebrates 91St Birthday

Venerable Citizen celebrated 91st Birthday Saturday. Mr. Seth Boles, Sr. Dardanelle's oldest male citizen, observed his 91st birthday last Saturday, January 29, 1949, with an announcement that he intends to live to see his 100th birthday. Boles underwent a serious surgical operation and suffered a severe attach of pneumonia last November, but he has now fully recovered. Mr. Boles was born at Bluffton in this county in 1858. After graduating from the Bluffton rural school, he engaged in business for a short time, but later entered the Dardanelle High School to prepare for teaching. Following his graduation, be taught 2 terms of school, his salary being $45 per month. He resigned the teaching profession to serve with the Federal Grand Jury in Fort Smith, and later was made Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas and the Indian Territory. For years he was actively engaged in farming and stock-raising, later moving to Dardanelle where for a number of years he served as Postmaster.

Mr. Boles has six children, four of attended the birthday celebration as follows; Gorden Boles Mrs. Charles Hunt, of Dardanelle; Seth Boles, Jr. of Little Rock, Mrs. J Rankin Baker, of Russellville. Two sons; Lt. Keith Boles, U. S. Navy, San Diego, Calif., and Neil Boles of Fort Smith, were unable to attend. Dr. J. A. Henry, of Russellville was a guest at the occasion. Besides his children, Mr. Boles has eight grandchildren, two of whom present at the birthday celebration.

(WWW.YellCountyObits.org, Submitted by: Patron, Newspaper: Post-Dispatch, Dardanelle, Arkansas, pub. 2/3/49)



Seth Boles

Mr. Seth Boles, age 93 years, died Wednesday, August 8, 1951, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Rankin Baker, in Russellville. Mr. Boles was born at Bluffton in the southwest part of Yell County, but for the past half-century had resided in Dardanelle. As a young man he taught in the schools of Yell County.

From 1872 to 1876 he was deputy U. S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, serving largely in the old Indian Territory. At that time the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) harbored many of the Old West's outlaws and, desperadoes, and Marshal Boles had a part in the arrest of many of the desperate characters that terrorized the Arkansas-Indian Territory border. Later Mr. Boles engaged extensively in farming and stock raising. He helped to organize and for years served as President of the old First National Bank of Dardanelle.

Under the Hoover administration he served as Postmaster of Dardanelle. He was a life-long member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Boles is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Charles Hunt, of Dardanelle, and Mrs. Rankin Baker, of Russellville, with whom for the past few months he had made his home; four sons, Gorden Boles, of Dardanelle, Seth Boles, Jr. of England, Keith Boles, of the Navy at Norfolk, Va. and Neil Boles, of Fort Smith, and 11 grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10:00 a. m. Friday at the Methodist Church here by Rev. Ray McLester, Pastor, and Rev. M. O. Cockerham, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church. Burial, under direction of the Cornwell Funeral Home, will be in Brearley cemetery.

(WWW.YellCountyObits.org, Published in Post-Dispatch, Dardanelle, Arkansas: 8-9-51)