Nathan Carson Lankford

Nathan Carson Lankford was born on April 8, 1926, in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, to Nathan Lawrence Lankford and Olivia Callaway. He was the youngest of eight children: Robert Laurence Lankford, William Howard Lankford, Homer “Vason” Lankford, Mary Alice Lankford, Olivia “Celeste” Lankford, Marvin Griffin Lankford, Margarett L. Lankford, and Nathan. Nathan is my 1st cousin 2x removed, with our nearest common relatives being his grandparents, James C. Lankford and Mary Ann Wilson, my 2nd great grandparents.

Before marrying Olivia, Nathan’s father was married to Alice Escoe. Alice passed away at home in Union Point on May 30, 1908, at the age of 23, less than a year into their marriage. Nathan’s father then married Olivia on June 24, 1908, in Greene County. Tragically, Nathan’s sister Margarett died at the age of 2 in 1926 and was laid to rest at Wisteria Cemetery in Union Point.

By April 22, 1940, Nathan and his family lived in the same home in Union Point where they had resided in 1935. His father worked as the proprietor of a blacksmith shop, clocking 30 hours a week during the week of March 24–30, 1940. Nathan, then 14, was the only child in the household who had not reached adulthood. Vason, aged 25, and Mary, aged 23, were employed at the Hosiery Manufacturing Company as a picker and looper, respectively. Vason worked a 52-hour week and earned $676 annually, while Mary worked a 45-hour week and earned $585. Robert, aged 30, was still living at home but was marked as unable to work. Nathan was attending school and had completed the 7th grade. His father’s highest level of education was the 4th grade, his mother Olivia and siblings Robert, Mary, and Vason had completed the 7th, 7th, and 6th grades respectively, and Celeste had completed one year of high school.

Nathan registered for the World War II draft in Greene County on April 8, 1944. At the time, he was 5 feet, 10 ½ inches tall, weighed 138 pounds, and had brown eyes and hair, and a ruddy complexion. He lived and worked for Owen Scott in Union Point.

Nathan's World War II registration card

In 1947, Nathan moved to Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. According to the 1948 Atlanta city directory, he lived at 893 Peachtree Street NE and worked for International Harvester. In 1949, Nathan worked 52 weeks and earned $2,466.

Nathan’s mother passed away at home in Union Point on June 23, 1950, after a seven-week illness. She was laid to rest at Wisteria Cemetery following a service at the Union Point Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. L. T. Newland.

By the time the 1950 Atlanta city directory was published, Nathan lived at 131 Forest Avenue NE, apartment 26, and continued working for International Harvester. By April 11, 1950, he resided on North Highland Avenue NE in Atlanta, recorded as “partner” with James Rhodes, the “head of household,” likely indicating they were roommates. In the 1950 census, enumerators recorded persons not related to the household head as “Lodger,” “Partner,” etc. At age 24, Nathan worked as an accountant in the farm machinery and equipment industry (likely International Harvester), while James, aged 23, worked as a clerk in a printing sales office.

Nathan enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 8, 1953, after the Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. He was discharged on October 27, 1955, with the rank of Specialist 3rd Class (SP-3). The headstone application submitted for Nathan after his death indicates he served in Korea, likely as part of the U.S. military presence there after the war to support and defend against potential threats from North Korea.

Nathan’s brother Robert passed away on June 1, 1959, at the age of 50 at New Hope Rest Haven in Crawford, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, following a long illness. Robert had lived in Union Point his entire life, worked as a highway construction worker, and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Union Point. My father once told me that Robert was in a wheelchair all his life, which makes me wonder how he could have done construction work in a wheelchair. Perhaps Daddy was thinking of another person, but I have no way of knowing that.

Nathan’s father passed away on April 20, 1964, at the age of 80 at Boswell Memorial Hospital following a long illness. He was a lifelong resident of Union Point and a retired blacksmith. Burial took place at Wisteria Cemetery following a service at the First Methodist Church of Union Point, officiated by Revs. Piemon Folds and Owen Duvall.

Nathan’s brother Marvin passed away unexpectedly at age 44 on January 13, 1967, at his home in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia. He was laid to rest at Resthaven Cemetery following a graveside service officiated by Dr. Montague Cook and Rev. Owen Hoffman. Marvin, a World War II veteran, had lived in Wilkes County since 1947 and worked as a salesman for Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Washington.

Nathan’s brother Vason passed away on August 1, 1972, in Union Point after an extended illness. Vason was retired from the Union Manufacturing Company and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Union Point. He was laid to rest at Wisteria Cemetery following a service at the First United Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. Emory P. Cartrett.

Nathan passed away at the age of 47 on August 21, 1973, in East Point, Fulton County, Georgia, following an extended illness. He was survived by sisters Mary and Celeste, brother Howard, two nieces, and one nephew. Nathan was laid to rest in the family plot at Wisteria Cemetery in Union Point, following a service officiated by Rev. Emory Cartrett at the First United Methodist Church in Union Point.

Nathan never married. Lonnie L. Michael, the administrator of Nathan’s estate, applied for a military headstone on September 30, 1973. It is unknown what Michael’s connection to Nathan was.

References

• 1950 Census Instructions to Enumerators; https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/decennial/technical-documentation/questionnaires/1950instructions.pdf. 
• Aftermath of the Korean War; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftermath_of_the_Korean_War. 
• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1948, 1950.
• Funeral Services Held Sunday for Marvin G. Lankford, The News Reporter, Georgia, January 19, 1967.
• H. V. Langford, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 2, 1972.
• Korean War; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War. 
• Last Rites for N. L. Lankford, The Herald Journal, Georgia, April 24, 1964.
• Mrs. Alice Escoe Lankford, The Oglethorpe Echo, Lexington, Georgia, June 12, 1908.
• Mrs. Olivia Lankford Claimed by Death, newspaper unknown, Georgia, 1950.
• Nathan C. Lankford, Georgia Deaths, 1919–98.
• Nathan C. Lankford obituary, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, August 22, 1973.
• Nathan C. Lankford, U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861–1985.
• Nathan Carson Lankford, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947.
• Personal visit to Wisteria Cemetery, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia.
• R. L. Lankford Passes Away, newspaper unknown, Georgia, 1959.
• U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1940.