Fletcher L. Overton

Fletcher L. Overton, born on March 8, 1867, in Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, is one of the mysteries within our family tree. His mother, Louisa E. Overton, is a known link, yet the identify of his father remains unknown. As noted, Fletcher bears the Overton surname.

Fletcher and his wife Dollie

Fletcher is my 1st cousin 3x removed, with our nearest common relatives being his grandparents, Abijah Overton and Elizabeth Ann Rhodes, my 3rd great grandparents. Speaking of Abijah, I came across something interesting while researching Fletcher that I need to pursue further. According to WikiTree, a collaboration site for genealogists, Abijah is 20 degrees from Robert the Bruce, King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. If that is true, it would explain the five percent Scotland ethnicity estimate in my DNA. 

On September 20, 1870, Fletcher and his mother Louisa resided with his grandparents, Abijah and Elizabeth Overton, in subdivision 163 of Conyers. Abijah worked as a farmer, while Elizabeth managed the household. Fletcher’s mother and her sisters Mary and Frances were listed as ‘at home.’ Additionally, Fletcher’s cousins, Thomas (son of Mary) and Emma (daughter of Frances), along with 24-year-old Lewis Suddeth lived in the home.

On June 21, 1880, 14-year-old Fletcher resided with his widowed grandfather, Abijah, in District 476 of Rockdale County. Fletcher worked as a farm hand, likely alongside his farmer grandfather. The household also included Fletcher’s aunts, Mary and Frances, along with their daughters, Emma and Mattie. Additionally, two black male boarders, Jacob Clay and Wesley Hendrex, both farm hands, lived in the home. Mary, aged 48, managed the household, and Mattie was the only family member attending school. During the census year, both Fletcher and Jacob had attended school. Jacob was able to read but not write, while Wesley was unable to read or write.

Fletcher’s grandfather Abijah died in Conyers on June 14, 1887. In his will, he bequeathed his estate to his three daughters (Mary, Frances, and Louisa) and granddaughter Emma. The estate included 76 ¼ acres of land in Rockdale County, two mules, two cows, one calf, one yearling, farming tools, a two-horse wagon, and household and kitchen furniture. Abijah stipulated that if any of the named individuals married or passed away, their share would transfer to their child. Consequently, Fletcher would inherit Louisa’s share. Abijah’s expressed desire was for the estate to remain intact as a home until the named individuals either married or died.

Fletcher married Martha “Dollie” Cornella Lester in Rockdale County on March 29, 1888 in a ceremony performed by Isaac Hamby, Minister of the Gospel. 

Fletcher and his wife had 10 children together—Minnie L. Overton, George Robert Overton, Leonard Lorenza Overton, Carrie Winnie Overton, Luther Mercer Overton, Clodie Dean “Cowboy” Overton, Parrie Mae Overton, Sadie Lou Overton, an unnamed infant daughter, and one unknown child.

In 1890, Fletcher resided in Conyers where his household and kitchen furniture was valued at $89. Additionally, he possessed $5 worth of watches, silver plate, and/or jewelry. The Overton’s livestock was appraised at $20, and he owned $25 worth of farming tools. The total value of Fletcher’s property amounted to $140. He paid $1 tax on polls.

On the Fourth of July in 1890, Fletcher and several friends went on a seining adventure—a method of fishing with a net—at Little Haynes Creek near Summers’ Mill in Conyers. Their day was filled with fun as they caught a bountiful harvest of fish.

In early 1893, Fletcher and Dollie welcomed a daughter to the family. The local newspaper, Hale’s Weekly, documented this joyous occasion in its February 4, 1893 issue.

Mr. Fletcher Overton is the happy father of a new little girl.

Considering the limited information available, I assume that the daughter mentioned in this news article was the unnamed infant daughter who apparently did not survive infancy.

In February 1896, Fletcher, along with John Zachry, G. W. Hawkins, M. H. Cooper, and Berry Moon, pooled their resources to purchase guano—a potent fertilizer derived from seabird or bat excrement. Their intention was to ship this valuable resource to Almon, a community likely situated in Conyers during that era—to benefit the local area.

On July 10, 1900, the Overton family resided together in Rockdale. Fletcher and Dollie had been married for 13 years. Dollie was listed as having six children, five of whom were alive at the time. The daughter born in 1893 was among them. Fletcher worked as a farmer, while Minnie and George contributed as farm laborers. Their youngest, Luther, was one year old. Fletcher was the only member of the family able to read. Everyone, except for Luther, could write—Leonard, aged 5, and Carrie, aged 4, included. Their neighbors were the C. Charles Burnett family. Charles, my 1st cousin 3x removed, traced his lineage to Edward George Burnett whose parents were William Caton and Drucilla Henson. Research suggests that Edward, along with his siblings Samuel Pride Burnett (my 2nd great grandfather) and Mary Elizabeth Burnett, adopted the last name of Drucilla’s second husband, Joseph Burnett. 

Fletcher’s daughter Minnie married David McCluskey Parker, son of William R. Parker and Frances Josephine “Josie” Nelms, in Rockdale County on December 19, 1906. 

By May 11, 1910, the Overton family had relocated to Stansells, Newton County, Georgia, where they resided on a farm owned outright by Fletcher. Fletcher remained dedicated to farming, receiving assistance from three of his children—Carrie, Luther, and Clodie. Dollie was listed as the mother of 10 children, with 8 of them still living. This count includes the unknown child, whose birth likely occurred between 1893 and 1910. The entire family—Fletcher, Dollie, Leonard, Carrie, and Luther—was literate, proficient in both reading and writing. 

Fletcher’s daughter Minnie died at his home on September 3, 1910. The Covington News reported her death on September 7:

Mrs. David Parker died at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Overton, near here Saturday night. She had been sick for only a short time, and her death came as a shock to her many friends. Besides her husband, she leaves a father and mother, several brothers and sisters and a host of other relatives and friends. The interment took place in Conyers Sunday afternoon.

Before her death, or perhaps the cause of it, Minnie lost an infant son named Robert. According to their Find A Grave memorials, both are buried to the left of Minnie’s husband David in two unmarked graves at East View Cemetery in Conyers. My research has not uncovered an official document or news report to confirm this.

During the years spanning 1917–1919, at least two of Fletcher’s sons—Luther and Leonard—served in World War I. They listed their father as their emergency contact on both incoming and outgoing U.S. Army Transport passenger lists.

In 1918, Fletcher was named next of kin and administrator of his grandfather Abijah Overton’s estate in Rockdale County. He was discharged from that role in 1920.

On January 21, 1920, the Overton family resided in a rental home within District 175 of Rockdale County. Fletcher worked on the home farm, assisted by his sons Leonard and Clodie, and a 12-year-old white male named Arthur Dobbins Overton who lived in the home with the family. The label “G.S. niece” beside Arthur’s name in the census hints at a family connection, although the precise nature of their relationship remains a mystery to me. 

Fletcher’s wife Dollie, aged 60, passed away suddenly at their home in East Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia on April 7, 1923. The cause of death was angina pectoris, stemming from coronary artery disease. Dollie was laid to rest on April 8 at East View Cemetery in Conyers. Shortly after Dollie’s death, Fletcher retired and relocated to Atlanta, where he lived with his son Clodie and daughter Parrie. Clodie earned his living as a taxi driver. In 1925, the family moved to 242 Milton Avenue, and Clodie’s occupation shifted to that of a chauffeur. Fletcher relocated to 3 South Bend Avenue in 1926. By 1929, he had settled at 691 McDonald SE in Atlanta.

In my quest to locate Fletcher in the 1930 census, I encountered two issues with Ancestry.com. First, the search function yielded no results, so I performed a manual, page-by-page search. Second, I was forced to stop due to persistent issues with the website. Unable to access the 1930 census records, I turned to the city directory, and based on those entries, it appears Fletcher stayed in the vicinity of Southeast Atlanta during that period. 

Fletcher, aged 64, passed away on July 10, 1933, succumbing to a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. His final moments were under the care of Dr. H. L. Allan. At the time of his death, Fletcher lived at 1198 Capitol Avenue in Atlanta. Curiously, the section designated for recording his father’s name on the death certificate was marked with the word “Unknown,” yet crossed out. Beneath it, the name Mr. Fletcher L. Overton was written in. With no record to prove the identify of Fletcher’s father, I am unable to confirm or deny this fact. 

Fletcher was buried beside his wife Dollie at East View Cemetery in Conyers on July 12 following a service at the First Baptist Church in Conyers.

References

• Abijah Overton, Georgia, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1742–1992.
• Abijah Overton, WikiTree; https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Overton–1757.
• Almon News, The Rockdale Banner, Conyers, Georgia, February 20, 1896.
• Angina, Ask Health Professionals, MSN.com; https://microsoftstart.msn.com/en-us/health/ask-professionals/in-expert-answers-on-angina/in-angina?questionid=zilei620&type=condition&source=bingmainline_conditionqna.
• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929.
• Death announcement, Mrs. David Parker, Almon News, The Covington News, September 7, 1910.
• Death of Mr. F. L. Overton, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, July 11, 1933.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48830702/minnie-parker: accessed April 1, 2024), memorial page for Minnie Overton Parker (Feb 1889–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 48830702, citing East View Cemetery, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, USA; maintained by M & R Thompson Parker (contributor 47111721).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48830716/robert-parker: accessed April 1, 2024), memorial page for Robert Parker (1909–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 48830716, citing East View Cemetery, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, USA; maintained by M & R Thompson Parker (contributor 47111721).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48830676/david_mccluskey-parker: accessed April 1, 2024), memorial page for David McCluskey Parker (16 Dec 1882–9 Feb 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 48830676, citing East View Cemetery, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, USA; maintained by M & R Thompson Parker (contributor 47111721).
• Fletcher L. Overton, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia 1890 Property Tax Digests.
• Guano; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guano. 
• Lenard Lorenza Overton, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Local Gatherings, The Rockdale Banner, Conyers, Georgia, July 9, 1890.
• Local News, Hale’s Weekly, Conyers, Georgia, February 4, 1893.
• Luther M. Overton, Georgia, U.S., World War I Service Cards, 1917–1919.
• Luther M. Overton, U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910–1939.
• Luther M. Overton, U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1861–1985.
• Mr. C. D. (Cowboy) Overton, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1967.
• Mr. F. L. Overton, Certificate of Death no. 2710, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1933.
• Mr. Luther Mercer Overton, Funeral Notice, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, June 21, 1943.
• Mrs. F. L. Overton, Standard Certificate of Death no. 11006, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1923.
• Mrs. F. L. Overton, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, pages 2 and 14, April 7, 1912.
• Personal visit to East View Cemetery, Conyers, Georgia.
• Petition of Fletcher L. Overton, will annex of Abijah Overton estate, Rockdale County, Georgia, 1918, 1920.
• Robert the Bruce; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce.
• Seine, Merriam-Webster Dictionary; https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seining. 
• U.S. Federal Census, Athens Ward 2, Clarke County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 476, Rockdale County, Georgia, 1880, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Stansells, Newton County, Georgia, 1910, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Subdivision 163, Newton County, Georgia, 1870.