Elizabeth, the third child, and second daughter of Hugh W. Stephenson and his wife, Margaret Stephenson, was born in York County, South Carolina, August 18, 1792. She married William Simpson in Tennessee, moved to Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1819. William Simpson and his family were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Rock Spring, where the parents were buried. There were born to them six daughters and three sons. Mr. Simpson was a worker in iron, an honest blacksmith. He was five feet and ten inches high, fair complexion, blue eyes, and weighed 225 pounds. He was a man of good address, pleasant in his manners, of a fine constitution, and uniformly good health. He died of a very severe attack of bilious fever in 1840. This disease was very prevalent at that time in the Mount Hope country.
Isaac Shelby, the youngest child of William Simpson and his wife, Elizabeth Stephenson, was named in honor of Governor Shelby, of Kentucky. Isaac was educated in the common schools of the Mount Hope country. He was an intelligent boy, fonder of his books than of the farm. He was a young man of fine appearance, was popular among the young people of the country in which he lived. He married Miss Kaie Wade, at Mount Hope, in 1851. Miss Wade was an educated lady of unusual ability. She taught school to assist her husband in making a support for their children. It was said that she was the financier of the family. Mr. Simpson assisted his wife in school and at the same time studied law. He was a Confederate soldier. After the war he was a justice of the peace at Towncreek, Alabama. While he was not an office-seeker, he preferred office work to that of the farm. He lived in Towncreek, Alabama, for many years before his death, which occurred in November, 1903.
The children of Isaac S. Simpson and his wife, Kate Wade, were reared and educated at Towncreek. They married there. But now all the children are dead, except their son, Albert E. Simpson. Albert, after receiving his education, married Miss Hall, a young Tennessean whose father had recently settled in the rich and beautiful Tennessee Valley near Towncreek. He and his good wife live on a fine farm near Mount Stanley, a few miles northeast of Leighton, Alabama. Albert is a farmer and also a merchant. He is a prosperous, well-to-do young man. He has a beautiful home and everything needful to make a happy household. He is taking care of his mother in her declining years. It is to be hoped that prosperity and happiness will follow the happy couple all the days of their lives, and that their children will rise up and call them blessed after they have gone to try the realities of the next world.
Mary M., called "Polly," the fourth child and third daughter of Hugh W. and Margaret Stephenson, was twice married. She first married John Miller Johnston, of Alabama. After three sons were born, Alfred S., Albert and Elam Porter Miller Johnston, Mr. Johnston died. The widow married her cousin, Alfred Stephenson. Of this marriage two sons, William Hodge and John Randolph Stephenson, were reared. Albert Johnston died while young. The other two boys changed the spelling of their name from Johnston to Johnson. They married sisters—Alfred married Frances, and Elam married Eliza Nicholson. These ladies were nieces of the late Dr. Felix Johnson, D. D. They studied medicine, went to Marshall, Texas, where they became eminent and useful practicing physicians. They reared large and respectable families. Dr. Elam and his wife, Eliza, had born unto them seventeen children. They were both active and very useful members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Dr. Alfred moved to Paris, Texas, several years before his death. His son, Thomas Wilson Johnson, reared a family in Paris. Col. E. A. Dehony married the Doctor's first daughter, Mary, and reared an intelligent, educated family at Paris. Dr. Elam's children and grandchildren are numerous at Marshall, Texas. Oscar, James and Albert, sons of Dr. Elam Johnson, are engaged in the railroad business. Their brother, Luther, is a telegrapher. They all have families. The two brothers, sons of Alfred Stephenson, and his wife, half brothers to the two Johnson boys, went to Mississippi, south from Columbus. William Hodge married Miss Maye, near Brickville, Alabama. They reared a nice family in Mississippi.
John Campbell Stephenson, the fifth child, and second son, of Hugh W. and Margaret Stephenson, married Agnes Simpson, a sister to William Simpson, who married Elizabeth Stephenson. They were married in Tennessee. They reared a large family of sons and daughters, near Mount Hope, Alabama. He was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister of the gospel; he was a man of great piety and usefulness. He was not _8.png)
Hugh S. Stephenson, late of Des Arc, Arkansasan educated man in the strict meaning of the term. But he was a man of fine native ability, and was an indefatigable Bible student. He was five feet and eleven inches high, and weighed 145 pounds, eyes blue, hair light, beard auburn, complexion florid, skin thin and fair; he was slender and rather too weakly to do the arduous labors of the ministry and domestic work. He was ever faithful, and died in the harness. While preaching at a camp meeting, on Sunday at 11 o'clock, at Mars Hill, Marion County, Alabama, in 1840, his lungs gave way, he fell, was carried to the tent, and died within a few hours. His oldest son, James Porter, married Miss Jones, and reared a family in Desha County, Arkansas.
Hugh S. Stephenson, second son of Rev. John Campbell Stephenson and his wife, Agnes Simpson, was born in Maury County, Tennessee, March 24, 1819. His father moved from Tennessee in 1820, to Township Seven, Range Nine, Lawrence County, Alabama. He bought land and opened a farm adjoining the land where the town of Mount Hope was afterwards built. The children of the family were trained up to industrious, moral habits. The family were a Sabbath-observing, church-going people. Hugh and his brothers worked regularly on the farm. When Hugh attained his majority, having obtained such an education as could be had in a new country, he set out to make his own fortune. Being handy with tools, he learned the house carpenter's trade, during boyhood, when the farm was not demanding his services. He was fond of music, vocal and instrumental. When a boy, he was a fine violinist, and would play at night in public gatherings for the pleasure and amusement of his friends. He went to South Alabama and worked at the carpenter's trade with his older brother Porter. During the year 1840, he married Miss Anna, daughter of N. G. Whitley, formerly of North Carolina. He went to Sumter County, Alabama, and farmed for eight years. Then he moved to Pickens County. There he followed the tanning business for eight more years. In 1858 he moved to DeSoto County, Mississippi, where he lived and farmed till 1870. He went into the Confederate service at the beginning of the war, but was discharged in about a year on account of ill health. He was in detailed service during the war. During the year 1870 he moved to DesArc, Arkansas. Here he first worked at contracting and building, then at the livery business. In 1883, he went into the undertaking business, at which he continued till his death. In all these different occupations he was prudent and economical, and succeeded financially, especially in the undertaking business. He made a competency and left, at his death, a good estate and an excellent character which is better than great riches.