Roy L. Wilson soon discovered, upon moving to Sheridan to begin his teaching career, that, in developing his history lessons, there was much to draw from his own ancestors’ experiences in southern Grant and northern Dallas counties. Both parents, Marvin and Connie Allen Wilson, grew up in the Shiloh Community south of Sheridan, as did their parents, and many of their parents. Upon interviewing his oldest relatives, the “genealogy bug” was established, and he developed a desire to know more and to treasure the contributions, trials, and tribulations of his relatives who began arriving in Dallas County and in what was then southern Saline County in the 1840s.
Roy was raised in western Arkansas and graduated with honors from Glenwood High School, Class of 1971, then attained his BSE degree in social studies in 1974 and a Master’s from Henderson State University in 1981. Upon completing the certification for gifted and talented education in 1991, he completed an additional 30 hours beyond the MSE. In 1974, he interned at Sheridan Junior High and was hired and employed by the Sheridan Schools for 46 years, retiring in 2020. By researching local and family history, he was able to include events and establish family connections with students, which added relevance to his lessons and activities.
In 1998, Roy self-published the biography of Grant County teacher, Wilma Stephens Thornton, entitled Where the Roses Never Fade, based on 22 hours of interviews. In 2012, he created an Arcadia Publishing Images of America Series, Sheridan and Grant County. During the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Roy presented his program on the Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry more than 70 times to historical groups and classes. After 33 years in the classroom, he served an additional 13 years as Sheridan’s K-12 Gifted Education and AP Coordinator in 2007. In 2023, Roy fulfilled a decades-long desire to visit land where his European ancestors once lived. It was his Anderson ancestral land, Stobcross, by the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. His motto remains, “Always be a learner.”