52 Ancestors – no. 37: Roy Holland – (week 21)

Roy Holland, son of Elijah Jeffers Holland and Cornelia Jane (Janie) Dove, was born July 12, 1897 in Deep Springs, Whitfield County, Georgia. He was the first child of four—Roy, Nellie, and Samuel Jackson Holland. There was a fourth child, born and died before June 14, 1900 according to census records for that year. The enumerator recorded Janie as the mother of three children, two of which were living. This census record entry is the only proof I have found of Elijah and Janie having had four children. The fourth child, Sam, wasn’t born until 1904.

On June 14, 1900, Roy lived with his family in Hart County, Georgia. His father was a farmer. There was an 18 year old boarder named Charley Williams living in the home. The family lived seven houses from Sallie Dove Bowers, his aunt. Roy’s grandmother Amanda Holland Dove lived with Aunt Sallie.

Sometime between 1900 and 1910, the family moved back to Whitfield County. My aunt remembers hearing the story of Elijah and his family traveling to Dalton in a covered wagon.

On May 4, 1910, Roy lived with his family in Whitfield County, Georgia. Roy was enumerated with an occupation of farm laborer.

Roy’s father died in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia on March 4, 1915. He was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton.

New Year’s Day was devastating for the Holland family when Roy died on January 1, 1919 in Deep Springs. He was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton. Roy’s obituary ran in the North Georgia Citizen on January 2, 1919: 

Roy Holland, aged 21 years, a popular young resident of Deep Spring section, died Wednesday. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. C. C. Maples, interment being in Deep Spring cemetery. 

The following news article was published in The Dalton Citizen on January 16, 1919:

On January 1, 1919, the angel of death entered the home of Mrs. E. J. Holland and took away her darling boy, Roy.

She loved her boy, but God loved him best.

Death came to the humble home and spread darkness and sorrow there. We often feel that we cannot go on in the remainder of life after a beloved one has been taken—such has been the experience of human hearts all down through the ages.

Death is no respecter of persons—the high, the low, the great, the small, the good, the bad, the young, the old. Roy was in the bloom of life. He was only twenty-one years of age.

How little it appeared that in so short a time he would be cold in death! Surely we are in the midst of death, and none are beyond its reach. To the broken-hearted mother, sister and brother we say, “weep not for your boy and loving brother, for he has just gone on before to wait for us on the other side. He is walking on streets of gold, waving his hand for our coming. We would say he is still in the hands of the same loving Father and He will deal with him the best that love can suggest.”

We miss thy kind and willing hand,
     Thy fond and earnest care;
Our home is dark without thee—
     We miss thee everywhere.

Written by his cousin who loved him, Sula Ledford, Ringgold, Ga.

Ursula G. Bowers Ledford, or Sula as she was apparently called, was the daughter of Sallie M. Dove. Sallie was Janie Dove Holland’s sister making Roy and Sula cousins.