Katie's letter to Santa Claus

Athens Daily Herald, Dec. 19, 1914

Dear Santa Claus: I wish you would please bring me a doll and doll carriage. My brother has been sick a long time, he had the typhoid fever, he has been sick seven months. Daddy had to spend all of his money for doctor's bill and if you don't bring me something I don't guess I will get anything. My little brother said bring him a stopper gun and a wagon with horses to it. Bring my little sister a doll and tea set, she is 2 years old, her name is LILA MAE LANKFORD. Please don't forget us. I know you want my name, KATIE LANKFORD, aged 9. My brother's name is CLEVELAND LANKFORD, aged 5. Be sure to come to see us.

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Katie was the daughter of Wade Hamilton Lankford and Ada Blanche Culbertson. She was born on December 24, 1906 in Greene County, Georgia. She died at age 14 on April 12, 1922 in Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. Katie is buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia.

David Athya

David Athya, the son James Athya and Jemima Durie, was born ca. 1895 in Mossend Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1901 at age six, he lived in the Dalziel Parrish of North East Lanark with his family. David never married.

David entered the British military as a private in the Second Highland Light Infantry. Records show that he was killed in action during World War I on May 10, 1915 at France & Flanders. Family history was that David most likely died in the second Battle for Ypres standing in a Belgium trench between his brothers, George Durie Athya and Robert Durie Athya. He was awarded the Victory, British War, and 15 Star medals for his service in France. His name is inscribed at the Le Touret Memorial in Pas de Calais, France.

Sarah Malonia Rhinehart

Born on March 7, 1887 in Sevier County, Tennessee, Sarah Malonia Rhinehart was the daughter of William Dearnald Rhinehart and Roda Elizabeth Sneed. She married Ashley B. Sutton in Sevier County on May 10, 1908. Together they had four children--Georgia, Maphard, Daisy, and Dixie. She died on November 24, 1916 at age 30 and was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia.

Mary Lee Queen

Mary Lee Queen, born June 1, 1904 in Union County, Georgia, was the daughter of Lewis Queen and Dora Dellinger. She married Prince Albert Burnette ca. 1923. They had a daughter in 1934, Kathryn Loretta Burnette, who was stillborn. Kathryn is buried at Shiloh Church Cemetery in Greene County, Georgia. Mary was a homemaker and member of Bethel Baptist Church of Union Point. She raised chickens on their farm for spending money. Mary died in a Greene County nursing home on March 21, 1993 from Alzheimer's disease and was buried at Greensboro City Cemetery.

Robert Dawson Callaway

Robert Dawson Callaway, the son of Lemuel Lawrence Callaway, Jr. and Anna Josephine Mullins, was born on April 10, 1875 in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia. He married Alice Beman Lankford on October 27, 1897 in Greene County. During the 1920-30s, he lived in Penfield where he was a member of the Penfield Baptist Church and a Mason. Bob was a farmer his entire life. He died on March 1, 1955 at his home in Union Point after a long illness. He was buried at Penfield Cemetery.

Robert Emmett Davison

Robert Emmett Davison, born October 14, 1854 in Greene County, Georgia was the son of James McCluney Davison Sr. and Margaret Moore. He died on October 2, 1928 in Fulton County, Georgia.

Banner-Herald, October 4, 1928
HONORABLE ROBERT E. DAVISON
In the death of Honorable R.E. Davison, chairman of the Prison Commission, Georgia has lost one of her most outstanding citizens and officials. Mr. Davison has been prominent in the affairs of this state of the past forty years or more. Commencing life on a farm in Greene county, in early manhood, he gained the confidence and esteem of the people and soon became recognized as one of the first citizens of the state. He was elected to the general assembly of Georgia from his home county for several terms, member of the prison commission, serving as its chairman for the past twenty years or more had been a ma [sic]. For a number of years he was a trustee of the Georgia State Teachers College and during his legislative career, he was a great advocate of the educational institutions in Georgia, giving his time, vote and influence towards securing appropriations. He was a man of unusual ability, noted for his fidelity to his friends. He was an affectionate father and husband. His departure will not only be a great loss to the family, but to his country and the entire state. The sincerest sympathies of his friends will be extended to the bereaved in the hour of their greatest sorrow.

Anna B. Church

Anna B. Church, the fifth child of Robert Church and Lucinda Murphy, was born December 10, 1887 in West Virginia. She first married Enos Perry Jackson in 1903. They had two children, Virgil and Carl. The family lived in the Grant District of Wetzel County, West Virginia in 1910. They eventually divorced and Anna married Everett Franklin Evans somewhere between 1918 and 1920 and lived in Harrison County, West Virginia. She died at Weston State Hospital on March 29, 1959 and is buried at Green Lawn Cemetery in Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia.

Three Children Drowned!

Southern Watchman, Apr. 5, 1860
We learn from the Washingtion Independent that a negro woman belonging to Mr. James M. Lankford, of Penfield, threw her three children into his well on Tuesday night of last week, and to make sure of their destruction she descended herself by means of the rope. She was drawn out next morning, and turned over to the authorities.

Charles L. Lankford

Charles L. Lankford, born August 25, 1842 in Greene County, Georgia, was the son of William A. Lankford and Nancy Goodman. He lived in Georgia his entire life and was a farmer.

He enlisted as a private in Company C (Dawson Grays) of the 3rd Georgia Infantry, Confederate States Army, on September 1, 1861. He claimed residence in Greene Co., GA and was enrolled by Capt. McWhorter for a period of one year. The engagements at which he was present include Second Manassas, Malvern Hill, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Virginia, the siege around Richmond, and Petersburg, Virginia.

Charles appears on a register of the Episcopal Church Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1862. He was admitted with Ty Fever on May 10, 1862 and returned to duty on June 26, 1862. On July 15, 1862, Charles was discharged as over age, but reenlisted. Charles was paid by Capt. Philips on October 31, 1862. He appears as present on a Company Muster Roll for November and December 1862. Charles appears on a Register of Receiving and Wayside Hospital, or General Hospital No. 9, Richmond, Virginia, on February 8, 1864. He then appears on a Company Muster Roll for April 30 to August 31, 1864. Charles was again paid by Capt. Philips on April 30, 1864. He was paid by Capt. Keith on June 30, 1864. He appears as present on a Company Muster Roll for the period September and October 1864. Charles was paid by Capt. Stone on October 31, 1864. He last appears on a Company Muster Roll for the period January and February 1865. On April 10, 1865, Charles appears on a "List of Prisoners of War belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, who have been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S.A., commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, commanding Armies of the United States. Done at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865."

Charles filed for a confederate pension in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia. A 1894 pension application states that "applicant aluminous nephritis, suffered all the time with his kidneys, in almost continuous pain in his back day and night or ("chronic lumbago,") which disqualifies him for all manual labor by which he can earn a support.

A record dated September 17, 1901 shows that he was admitted to the Confederate Soldiers' Home of Georgia. He died in October 1901.

Dessie Church

Dessie Church, born February 23, 1889 in Wetzel County, West Virginia, was the daughter of Robert Church and Lucinda Murphy. She descends from Henry Church Sr., AKA "Old Hundred" for whom the town of Hundred, West Virginia was named. Henry fought for the British Army under Cornwallis and was captured by American troops under Gen. Lafayette. He died in 1860 at the age of 109. Dessie married Charles Homer Murphy on December 16, 1914 in Hundred. Dessie and Charles raised five children in Littleton, West Virginia where she died on November 24, 1940. She's buried at the bottom of the hill at Thomas Chapel Cemetery in Littleton.

James McCluney Davison Sr.

Georgia Literary and Temperance Crusader, Jul. 19, 1860
Mr. J.M. Davison, aged about 55 years, died suddenly at Dalton on the 6th inst., it is thought, of apoplexy. His remains were upon the train on Sunday morning, being conveyed to Woodville, Greene county, the place of his residence.

Will post more on James Davison later.

Lankford sisters

Three daughters of James C. Lankford and Mary Ann Wilson of Greene County, Georgia. Julia Lee Lankford was born in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia in August 1875. She married John Dawson Hazlett and lived in Wilkes County, Georgia. Jessica Corinne Lankford was born on December 20, 1877 in Greene County. She married Seaborn Brice Barnhart and lived in Penfield. Alice Beman Lankford was born on August 11, 1872 in Penfield. She married Robert Dawson Callaway and lived in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia.

Minor Lankford Braden

Minor Lankford Braden, a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil Wars, was the son of Robert Mansfield Braden, Sr. and Rhoda Lankford. He was born in North Carolina on May 16, 1822. His family moved to Georgia in 1827 where he spent most of his life, 48 of those years on his farm near Stone Mountain.

In 1840, he was employed by the principal keeper of the penitentiary where he gathered convicts on horseback and in stage coaches. Bored with his job, Minor enlisted in Company F of the Palmetto Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers at Mobile, Alabama on January 10, 1847. Company F, commanded by Colonel Butler, sailed from Mobile on January 15, 1847 bound for Vera Cruz, landing 18 days later on the island of Lobos, 60 miles off Vera Cruz. They joined General Winfield Scott on the land and water attack of Vera Cruz until the city surrendered. After the surrender of Vera Cruz, General Scott’s army moved to the city of Mexico where they fought in the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, Chapultepec and Garita de Belen. Minor was selected to be part of the storming party at Chapultepec. The company fought until they were able to plant ‘Old Glory’ on the ramparts. He was present when the American army took possession of Mexico. Minor stayed with his regiment from the time he enlisted until he mustered out of service in 1848, returning home ill from the tolls of war. He received a silver medal for honorable service in the Mexican war and drew a government pension ($20 per month in 1910) for his services until he died.

On December 19, 1850, Minor married Mary Jane Milligan in DeKalb County, Georgia. They never had children.

On April 9, 1862, he enlisted for the Civil War with Company C, Twelfth Georgia Battalion—Light Artillery in Stone Mountain, Georgia. First Lieutenant Braden served until July 18, 1862 when he left his command on wounded/sick furlough under the authority of General J.P. McConn in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He died on January 31, 1913 at the home of F.M. Mansfield in Gwinnett County at the age of 92. He was buried in the Braden family cemetery in DeKalb County, four miles from Stone Mountain.

Nellie Holland

Nellie Holland, daughter of Elijah Jeffers Holland and Cornelia Jane Dove, was born October 4, 1898 in Hart County, Georgia. By 1910, her family had moved to Whitfield County, Georgia. Nellie did housework for a living and played the organ at Deep Springs Baptist Church in Dalton. She contracted tuberculosis at the age of 20. She died at home in Deep Springs two years later. Nellie was buried in the church cemetery where her father was buried.

J.B. Anderson's class

This photo came from the personal collection of Bertha Edna Smith Athya, born January 24, 1898 in Paulton, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Bertha was Edith McCrum Smith's sister. If you look closely, you'll see numbers on each person and luckily Bertha took the time to write names on the back.

1. Violet Barber Townsend
2. Jane Moor Zimmerman
3. Mary Boden Carnahan
4. J.B. Anderson (Teacher)
5. Betty Barber Harmon
6. Bertha Smith Athya

The last name for Violet and Bertha are married names. It has yet to be determined if that's the case for Jane, Mary, and Betty.

Edith McCrum Smith of Apollo, PA

Edith McCrum Smith's story is a sad one. The daughter of John Milton Smith and Amanda Larimer Horne, she was born in Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania on March 4, 1888. Like her sister Helen, she had heart trouble. She went blind at some point in her 18 years as a result of the measles. She never married or had children. According to her death certificate, Edith died of typhoid fever at Mercy Hospital at 7:30 a.m. on October 24, 1906. She had been attended by Dr. Joseph A. Baird from October 8 - 23, 1906. Her former or usual residence was the West Pennsylvania Institute for the Blind where she had resided for 16 days prior to her death. Edith shares a tombstone with her parents and Helen at Apollo Cemetery.