Jeremiah Hollis, born August 25, 1809, in Wilson County, Tennessee was the oldest child of Micajah Randolph Hollis and Frances “Fannie” Hodges Hollis. He married Sarah A. “Sallie” Puckett in 1829 when he was about 20 years old and they settled in Henderson County, Tennessee, first. Tax records show them living in Henderson in 1837. They later moved into Tippah County, Mississippi, but left there about 1843 when they moved to Ouachita County, Arkansas, where they lived for seven years. They first settled some 12 miles northeast of Camden and were farming there in early 1850. By the time Calhoun County was created on December 6, 1850, the family was living east of the village of Hampton.
This is the patriarch of the Hollis family of Locust Bayou, whose descendants have now spread nationwide. One of Jeremiah’s brothers remained in Tennessee while most of the others went to Texas to raise their families. Jeremiah, his two sisters, Elizabeth Hollis Collie and Matilda Hollis Abels (Ables) along with the youngest brother, William, were the members of the family who settled in this area.
In February of 1851, the newly formed Calhoun County had its first election and Jeremiah Hollis was elected Sheriff. On Oct 30, 1851, on the petition of J. Hollis, the county court passed an order to erect a county jail. Jeremiah served as sheriff of the County for three terms (1851-56) and in 1858 he ran for the office of representative to the state legislature but was defeated by Dr. Willis Robertson. Jeremiah Hollis and his wife were two of the original members of the Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church when it was organized in 1854. This church building was located two miles north of Hampton. In 1860 they were farming in Franklin Township, Hampton post office. In 1861, he was instrumental in calling out volunteers to serve in the Civil War. In the old State House in Little Rock, there is an original copy of a proclamation signed by him calling patriotic men to enlist. Jeremiah was also the first Postmaster of Locust Bayou Post Office, serving from 1870 until 1883 when his son J. W. Hollis was appointed. He served as Justice of the Peace for several years in River Township. In 1872 they were living in River Township near Locust Bayou on a 160-acre farm.
Sarah A. “Sallie” Puckett was born March 19, 1808, in Henderson County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Isom Puckett and Sally Ann Lane. Their children were Joana Hollis 1830-1833, George Pinkney Hollis 1831-1831, Harriet Paralee Hollis 1833-1858, Sarah Frances Hollis 1837-, Elizabeth A. Betty Hollis (a twin) 1840-1869. Mary Helen Hollis Plunkett (a twin) 1840-1901, Llewellyn Jeremiah “Boss” Hollis 18431926, John Washington Hollis, 18451934, Micajah Hollis (a twin) 18461851, Isham Henry Hollis (a twin) 1846-1880, William Taylor “Tanner” Hollis 1848-1941, and James Carson Hollis 1850-1896. John W. Hollis stated in Goodspeed that he was one of 13 children. This was either an error in Goodspeed or there was another child whose records could not be found.
Jeremiah Hollis died in January of 1883 in Calhoun County, Arkansas. He was buried in Plunkett Cemetery, Locust Bayou, Calhoun County, Arkansas. Sarah died January 18, 1887, in Calhoun County and is also buried in Plunkett Cemetery in Locust Bayou.
Source: findagrave; ancestry; writings of Roberta Hollis; US Register of Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1863-1959; US Register of Civil, Military, and Naval Service, 1863-1959, Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas, Goodspeed Publishing Co.; Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895; Appointments of US Postmasters, 18321971, Arkansas
