112. ARENA JANE⁴ JOHNSTON (JAMES FRANKLIN³, GEORGE GREGORY ("G.G." OR "GREG")², LEWIS¹) (#908) was born in Albertha, Randolph County, Arkansas, June 14, 1858.  Arena died at 2:45 P.M. on Wednesday, April 5, 1950, at the home of her sister, Ganie Mock, in Maynard, Arkansas, at the age of 91.. She was buried in Randolph County, Arkansas, Overby Cemetery next to her beloved husband, Tom Kerley.

She married twice. She married WILLIAM LAFAYETTE BENTLEY in Arkansas, in 1875. (WILLIAM LAFAYETTE BENTLEY is #909.) WILLIAM was born in Alabama (perhaps Greenwood) about 1856. WILLIAM died in 1876 in Arkansas, at 20 years of age.

Notes: William Lafayette Bentley's father was David Bentley, born in North Carolina in 1811. He reared his family in Greenwood, Alabama. In 1870, perhaps after a domestic squabble and/or the death of his wife, David left home and moved to Northeast Arkansas, Randolph County. He was 59 years old. Evidently, William L., against the rest of the family's wishes, either went with, or followed, his father. William was about 14 years old at the time. The father, David Bentley, died in 1872. William, then about 16, decided to stay, despite repeated communications from his sisters begging him to come home to Greenwood, Alabama. At the age of 19, he married the 17 year old Arena Jane Johnston. Before they had been married for a year, he developed a severe case of pneumonia and died, perhaps even before the birth of their first child, on October 22, 1876, Henry Lee Bentley.

Although technically their nephew, Henry grew up in Randolph County with Arena's youngest brothers, Jesse and "Dock." He was the best man for "Dock's" marriage to Luella Marshall. Henry married and started a family. In 1904, he took his wife and the 1st 5 of their eventual 12 children to Eddy, Texas, near Temple, by train. In 1908, he moved the family to Rockwood, Texas by covered wagon. He died on March 16, 1967, and is buried in Coleman, Texas, Coleman Cemetery.

Some information indicates that David Bentley, along with a common-law wife, is buried at Pitman  Cemetery, in Randolph County.

Arena Jane (Johnston) Bentley then  married THOMAS "TOM" B. KERLEY (#910) in Randolph County, Arkansas, August 1, 1878.  TOM was born to Henry and Sarah Kerley, in Tennessee, October 20,1856. The family left Tennessee to settle in the Albertha community, Randolph County, Arkansas when Tom was two years old.  The 1860 and 1870 census reports for Randolph County incorrectly lists the family name as "Curley."  TOM died July 13, 1928, Randolph County, Arkansas, at 71 years of age. He was buried in Randolph County, Arkansas, Overby Cemetery.    

NEWLY-WEDS
WILLIAM LAFAYETTE BENTLEY & ARENA JANE JOHNSTON
1875
                                                         picture from Herb Smith

ARENA JANE JOHNSTON and WILLIAM LAFAYETTE BENTLEY had the following family:

+ 259 i. HENRY LEE⁵ BENTLEY was born October 22, 1876.

THE WIDOW BENTLEY
with HENRY LEE BENTLEY
about 1876-77
                                                picture from Herb Smith

ARENA JANE JOHNSTON and THOMAS "TOM" B. KERLEY had the following family:

260 ii. JAMES OSKER KERLEY (#1994) was born in Randolph County, Arkansas, May 4, 1879.  James died during childhood, date unknown, but after the 1880 census.  He is believed to be buried in an unmarked grave in Overby Cemetery, next to the graves that later would be the final resting place of his parents. 

261 iii. ROXIE GERTRUDE KERLEY (#1995) was born in Randolph County, Arkansas, on November 14, 1883.

262 iv. EMZEY ARLANDO KERLEY (#1997) was born in Randolph County, Arkansas, on July 16, 1886.  Emzey died before 1928 and is thought to be buried, also in an unmarked grave, next to his brother, James Osker, in Overby Cemetery.

+ v. HOMER HORRES KERLEY (#998) was born in Randolph County, Arkansas, December 14, 1891.

ARENA JOHNSTON BENTLEY
About the time of her marriage to 
Tom Kerley
                                                   picture from Herb Smith

TOM AND ARENA KERLEY
with HENRY LEE BENTLEY and ROXIE GERTRUDE KERLEY
about 1883
                                   picture from Herb Smith

About 1912 - Randolph County, Arkansas
Back Row - Left to Right:   THOMAS J. CANNON, ROXIE CANNON,
HENRY LEE BENTLEY, HOMER H. KERLEY
Front Row - Left to Right:  TOM KERLEY, JAMES LOWELL CANNON,
ARENA JANE KERLEY, OTTO H. CANNON, MARTHA McDANIEL JOHNSTON

OVERBY CEMETERY, RANDOLPH COUNTY, ARKANSAS
According to obituary in Pocahontas Star Herald.  
July 17, 1928.  Tom Kerley died in Albertha on Friday, July 13, 1928.

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