On June 8, 1880, Joseph and his family lived in the Bowling Green District of Oglethorpe County, Georgia. His father Curtis was a well digger who was unable to read or write. His mother Nancy, a housekeeper, could read but not write. At age 14, brother Charles, enumerated as Charlie, worked as a farm laborer. Like his mother, he was able to read but not write. Brother Wade, enumerated as Hampton, was attending school. At age 7, Joe must have been staying home with his mother, along with sisters Nancy and Florence.
When Joe was just 16 years old, his father Curtis died in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia on June 13, 1887. Curtis was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. The Oglethorpe Echo carried the death notice on June 17, 1887:
Mr. Kirk Langford died last Monday night and was buried in the cemetery here on Tuesday. After much suffering and a long spell of sickness he passed quietly away. He has many friends who will regret to hear of this death.
Joe married Lola Edwards, parents unknown, in Greene County, Georgia on March 19, 1891. It was a short-lived marriage.
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Lankford/Edwards marriage certificate |
Although there are date discrepancies, it appears that Joe and Lola only lived together for five days and then three years later, she deserted him. Joe filed for a divorce in Oglethorpe County on February 28, 1896. The petition was acknowledged on February 29, Leap Day.
Georgia, Oglethorpe County.
To the Superior Court of said County.
Par. 1 … The petition of J. J. Lankford of said county shows that on the 9th day of March 1891 he was married to Lola Lankford who resides in the county of Clark in said State.
Par. 2 … That your petitioner and said Lola lived together as husband and wife until the 14th day of March 1891.
Par. 3 … That on the last named day more than three years before the filing of this writ the said Lola without just cause wilfully deserted your petitioner and has from time of said desertion continuously persisted in the same.
Par. 4 … Wherefore your petitioner prays that he may be totally divorced from said Lola Lankford and that process issue requiring the said Lola to be and appear at the next superior court to be held in and for said county to answer your petitioners libel for divorce.
Bery Gilham, Pettsr. Atty.
Filed in office this 28th day of February 1896.
G. Lester, Clerk Sup. Court
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Service of the within and foregoing petition for Divorce is hereby acknowledged copy filing time of filing and all other and further service is hereby acknowledged by me Lola Lankford the defendant therein named. This 29th day of February 1896.
Lola Lankford
To the Superior Court of Said County.
Georgia, Oglethorpe County
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Divorce petition (click each image to enlarge) |
I haven’t found when the divorce actually took place but by January 12, 1899, Joe was free to marry Bessie Tidwell, daughter of John H. Tidwell and Sarah McCannon, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Joe and Bessie had 10 children together—Lorenzo Lankford, Woodie S. Lankford, Mell Lankford, John Henry Lankford, Jessie Lankford, Lenora Lankford, Camille Lankford, Garland Lankford, Moena Lankford, and George Lee Lankford.
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Lankford/Tidwell marriage certificate |
On June 2, 1900, Joe and wife Bessie lived in the Bowling Greene District of Oglethorpe County. The census enumerator noted that Joe was 26 years old and Bessie 19. They had been married for one year. Bessie was noted as having had no children yet. Joe, a farmer, rented his farm. He was unable to read or write; Bessie could both read and write. A lodger named Thomas Lankford, an 18-year-old farmer born in Georgia, lived in the home with them. I have not determined whether Thomas fits into this Lankford family at this point.
On April 26, 1910, Joe and Bessie lived on Callaway Place in the Bowling Green District of Oglethorpe County. The census enumerator recorded Joseph as having been married twice. Bessie was the mother of five children, all of which were living. Joe was a farmer on a general farm. There was a 19-year-old black male living in the home. His name is hard to read but has been transcribed as Gowman Fuice. It could possibly be Gowner Fuish. Whatever the case, he was a farm laborer so probably working with Joe on the farm.
Joe’s mother Nancy died in Oglethorpe County on April 12, 1920. She was buried beside his father at Bairdstown Cemetery.
I’ve been unsuccessful in finding Joe and his family in the 1920 census but it appears they were still living in Oglethorpe County. Joe’s five-year-old son Garland died in Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia on September 2, 1921. Just two days after Garland passed away, two-year-old daughter Moena died on September 4. Both Garland and Moena died from diphtheria and were buried at Salem Church Cemetery in Crawford, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. The Oglethorpe Echo reported their deaths on September 9, 1921:
Two of the children of Mrs. Lankford who have been so low with diphtheria for several days died last week and were buried at Salem.
On April 7, 1930, Joe and his family lived in the Mill Settlement—North East Side of Union Point, Greene County, Georgia. He rented his home, valued at $800. Joe was still unable to read or write. Working at the hosiery mill was a family affair with three of the four living in the home working there. Joe worked as a finisher, Bessie an inspector, and daughter Camille (age 16) a knitter. George, age 7, was attending school. The mid-1930s were hard on Joe’s family. His daughter Lenora gave birth to a son, Harold Ashley, in Woodville, Greene County, Georgia on March 28, 1935. Harold contracted bronchial pneumonia and died in Woodville on May 2, 1935 (age one month, seven days). Lenora died (age 26) at home from bronchial pneumonia in Union Point on December 18, 1937, three days after giving birth to another son, James (Jimmie) Lee Ashley on December 15. Sadly, Jimmie died (age one and a half months) in Greensboro, Greene County on February 1, 1938 from malnutrition acidosis. All three were buried at a cemetery in Siloam, Greene County, Georgia—Harold on May 2, 1935, Lenora on December 21, 1937, and Jimmie on February 1, 1938.
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Joe, Bessie, and their family |
On April 24, 1940, Joe and Bessie lived in Union Point along with two of their adult sons. John, age 33, was divorced. Their son George lived there with his wife Clarice (Turner). There was a 12-year age difference between George and Clarice. George was enumerated as age 17 and Clarice 29. Joe, George, and Clarice worked at the Hosiery Manufacturing Company—Joe as a sweeper, George a turner, and Clarice a knitter. John was apparently not working. The enumerator noted that all five of them had been living in the same place since April 1, 1935. The census record shows that Joe and George had an income of $676 while Clarice’s income was $520. The hosiery company was their only source of income.
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Bessie and Joe Lankford |
On April 10, 1950, Joe and his family lived in Union Point. George and Clarice continued to live with Joe and Bessie and now had two children—Rachel (age 9) and Bennie (age 5). George worked as a newspaper carrier and Clarice ran the knitting machine at the hosiery mill.
Joe died at the age of 83 on May 23, 1954 at his niece’s home in Union Point. He was buried at Wisteria Cemetery in Union Point on May 25 following a funeral service at the First Methodist Church in Union Point officiated by Revs. Owen Duvall and W.W. Byington. Joe had been a member of the Oglethorpe Methodist Church. He spent his life working as a farmer and textile worker. Joe was survived by his wife Bessie; daughter Camile; sons Lloyd, Woodie, Mell, John, Jessie, and George; sister Florence; 36 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren.
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Lankford family plot |
References
- Certificates of Death, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics: Harold Ashley (12565), Lenora Ashley (31967), Jimmie Lee Ashley (3928), Moena Lankford (23718), Garland Lankford (23716),
- Death of two children, Oglethorpe Echo, September 9, 1921.
- Joseph Lankford and Lola Edwards; Jas. J. Lankford and Bessie Tidwell: Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828–1978.
- Mr. Kirk Langford, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, June 17, 1887.
- Mrs. Lenora Ashley, The Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, December 24, 1937.
- Mrs. Lenora L. Ashley Passes at Union Point, The Herald Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, December 24, 1937.
- Obituary, J. J. Lankford is Claimed by Death, newspaper unknown, 1954.
- Personal visit to Wisteria Cemetery, Union Point, Georgia.
- U.S. Federal Census, Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1880, 1900, 1910.
- U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 138, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
- U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1930, 1940, 1950.
- U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
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