Would anyone know of someone who might have been referred to as Uncle Arkie and could have been related to Dr. Thomas Morton's family or the Matheny family of this section of AR in 1880. Dr. Morton's daughter Nomia b. 1858 married Jeremiah Freeman Matheny in this area of AR about 1876. A daughter Nancy Arabella Matheny was born 27 Feb 1877 and the mother died in childbirth. According to family members, the child was taken by Aunt and Uncle Arkie - who ever they were. The father, J.F. Matheny is found in Baxter County for the 1880 census in the household of Thomas Bryant. He is listed as a SS and having had typhoid. That would mean that Jane E. Bryant was a widow of Unknown Matheny. They Bryant family was found in Paluski County for the 1870 census. I cannot trace the daughter Nancy Arabella Matheny again until 1900 when she is married and her father Jerry F. Matheny is living in the household in Hill County Texas. It has been said that Jeremiah Matheny was a traveling minister. Dr. Thomas Morton died in the area in 1889 and listed the Arabella Matheny in his estate. We are just trying to find her for the 1880 census to know with whom she was living. If you recognize the term "Arkie" as belonging to the Morton or Matheny families or have any information on a Jeremiah Matheny as a minister, please contact me. dbton@yahoo.com