52 Ancestors – Maudie Burnette (75-2016)

Maudie Burnette

Maudie Burnette, daughter of Thomas Terrell Burnette and Elizabeth Jones, was born November 23, 1905 in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia. She was the 8th (or 9th) child of 13—Luther Terrell Burnette, Eva Drucilla Burnette, Floria Mae Burnette, Jesse Burnette, twin to Jesse, Willie Loyd Burnette, Prince Albert Burnette, Claudia Burnette (twin), Maudie Burnette (twin), Henry T. Burnette, Eleanor Estelle Burnette, Samuel A. Burnette, and Julia Virginia Burnette. She was a fraternal twin to Claudia. I say Maudie is the 8th or 9th child because don’t know who was born first—Maudie or Claudia.

My Daddy remembers hearing that his grandmother had two sets of twins and that supposedly one set died by age one. I found Jessie (age one, born January 1899 in Georgia) in the 1900 Walton County, Georgia census record. He was the only child I had never heard of so I’ve assumed he’s one of the twins that died as infants.

1900 Walton County, Georgia census record

About 1908, Maudie attended a Jones family reunion in Between, Walton County with her family.

They took advantage of a photographer being available and also took an individual family photo. Maudie is one of the toddlers sitting on their father’s lap.

Thomas Terrell Burnette family, ca. 1908

On April 28, 1910, Maudie’s family lived in Greshamville, Greene County, Georgia. Her father was a farmer. This census record shows that her mother had 10 children, 8 of which were living. This leads me to believe the twin story is true. Maudie was enumerated Maud.

On February 13, 1920, the Burnette family lived in the Walkers District of Greene County. Maudie’s father was a farmer on a general farm. Her mother was enumerated as Lizzie. There were 10 children living in the home. Maudie’s grandfather, Samuel Pride Burnette, age 78 and widowed, lived with the family. Maudie’s uncle and aunt, Luther and Etta Belle Burnette, lived next door. Maudie was able to read and write, although the record notes that she had not attended school since September 1, 1919. The census enumerator recorded her occupation as a laborer on a home farm. I guess at 15 you worked on the farm instead of going to school back then.

Maudie married Wyvis Lord, son of William Matthew Lord and Mattie Vickery, about 1926 in Georgia. Together they had three children—William Thomas Lord, Mary Helen Lord, and Geraldine Lord. William was most likely named after his paternal grandfather.

Maudie’s grandfather, Samuel Burnette—the one that lived with her family in 1920—died in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia on September 2, 1926. He was buried beside his wife and Maudie’s grandmother (Millicent Virginia Overton Burnette) at Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Loganville, Walton County, Georgia.

Maudie’s first child, a son they named William, was born on August 25, 1929 in Georgia. Its’ possible William was born in Barrow County, Georgia since that’s where the census enumerator found the family on April 15, 1930—in the Jones District. Wyvis’ parents, along with his siblings Paul, Glenn, Robert, and Darice, lived next door. Wyvis was a farmer on a general farm. The census record notes that Maudie was 23 and Wyvis 19 when they married.

Gravestone of Mary Helen Lord at Shiloh
Church Cemetery

Maudie gave birth to a second child on August 10, 1932 in Georgia—a daughter they named Mary Helen Lord. I’m sure Maudie was happy to have a little girl to love but that wasn’t meant to be. At a time when a young family should have been having fun and working hard in the hot Georgia sun, little Mary came down with a case of whooping cough and passed away in Greene County, Georgia on July 3, 1933. She was just under 11 months old. Mary was buried at Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. I can’t imagine the heartbreak Maudie went through that summer. Time passed and about 1937, Maudie gave birth to a third child in Georgia—another daughter they named Geraldine.

On February 6, 1940, Maudie’s father died in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia at the age of 71. He was buried at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Veazey, Greene County, Georgia. On April 22, 1940, Maudie, Wyvis, William, and Geraldine were living in Greensboro. Maudie was a housekeeper. The highest grade she had completed was 7th. Wyvis was a run packer in a textile mill.

The year 1955 ended tragically when Maudie’s 47 year old brother Henry died in Putnam County, Georgia on December 31. Henry was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia. A year later Maudie’s mother died in Greensboro on December 2, 1956. She was buried beside her husband at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Veazey. Her sister Eleanor died in Fulton County, Georgia on April 25, 1963. She was buried at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in McDonough, Henry County, Georgia. Her sister Floria (and my grandmother) died in Greensboro on March 3, 1970. She was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

Maudie's twin sister, Claudia

Sadly, Maudie was forced to do what no parent ever wants to do—bury a child, and for her a second child. William, her 43 year old son died in Bishop, Oconee County, Georgia on November 22, 1972 following a ruptured intracerebral aneurysm. William was buried on November 24 at Almond Cemetery in Apalachee, Barrow County, Georgia. Two years later, her brother Willie died in Clarke County, Georgia on November 1, 1974. He was buried at New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery in Between, Walton County, Georgia. The 1970s held a lot of heartbreak for Maudie when less than two years after losing her son, her husband Wyvis died in Greene County, Georgia on March 16, 1975. They lived in Greensboro at that time so he was buried at the Greensboro City Cemetery. And then she lost another brother, Luther, on November 17, 1977 when he died in Greensboro, Greene, Georgia. He was buried at Greenview Cemetery in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia. She lost more family in the 1980s—her brother Samuel on January 12, 1983 in Clarke County, Georgia. He was buried at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Veazey. And then her twin sister, Claudia, died in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia on October 8, 1988. She was buried at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Veazey. I wonder if they were close and how she was affected by the loss of her twin sister.

Maudie’s brother Prince died of a heart attack at the Minnie G. Boswell Hospital in Greensboro on May 15, 1993. He was 89 years old. Prince was buried at Greensboro City Cemetery. Her sister Eva died in McDuffie County, Georgia on April 1, 1995. She was buried at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Veazey. Her sister Julia was found dead in her East Point, Fulton County, Georgia home on August 16, 1999. The exact date of death is unknown, however, it was determined that she had been dead about three weeks. Julia, who was 84 years old, was cremated on August 19 at the Cremation Society of Georgia in Atlanta and no service was held.

Greensboro City Cemetery

At the age of 96, Maudie died in Watkinsville, Oconee County, Georgia on January 16, 2002. She was buried on January 18 at the Greensboro City Cemetery beside her husband Wyvis with the Rev. Colin Duncan officiating. Maudie was survived by her daughter Geraldine, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. She lived at the Family Life Enrichment Center of High Shoals in Watkinsville at the time of her death. Maudie was a homemaker her whole life and a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia.

I never knew my great-aunt Maudie—if I met her, I don’t remember it. I wish I had more to share about her life than just the sad facts. She lived a long life and was the last of her large family to leave this Earth. I hope it was a good life.