Benton County Record
Bentonville, AR
Gravette News-Herald
Gravette, AR
February 20,1920

CALLIS, Benjamin Franklin - {from High Top} Benjamin Franklin Callis was born in Wilson county, Tennessee Apr. 10, 1845. He moved to Benton county with his parents at the age of about six years and grew to manhood and severed during the latter part of the civil war in the Confederate command. He was wounded in the shoulder and arm by a charge of buckshot from the accidental discharge of a comrade's gun, carrying several shots to the grave. In 1868 he was married to Louisa C. Parker, also a native of Tenn. Ten children were born in them: Geo. N., the oldest died in 1904 at the age of 34 years and little Betsy died 1889 at the age of almost three years. A.J. Callis of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, Robt. L. of Maysville, Annis Byers of Centerton, John Henry of Row, Okla., Bertha Fletcher of Hiwasse and Grover Cleveland who lived with his parents, were all present during the last hours of illness and attended the funeral. S. Mat Callis and D.N. Callis of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho were unable to be present. Mr. Callis spent much of his time in the earlier days freighting over Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri by wagon and to his last hours delighted in relating experiences. He was a skillful carpenter and blacksmith and many houses now stand as monuments to his memory, including the home building, the third house on the same foundation, the first one having been destroyed by fire in 1907 and the second in 1914. He was a friend to rich and poor alike and his friends were too numerous for him to name. Unwilling to meet death unprepared, though very weak, he confessed Christ and obeyed the gospel Aug. 26, 1919. We believe he is now enjoying a peaceful rest in the great beyond where the faithful part no more. Funeral services were conducted by Elder J.A. Fair, a boyhood friend, at the home and the body laid to rest in the Barron cemetery near Vaughn by the side of many of Mrs. Callis' relatives. One Who Knew Him.