Horace M. Lankford

This blog post is another in a series connecting the dots in my tree to the souls buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

Horace M. Lankford was born on September 17, 1897, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. He was the son of Charles “Charlie” Moore Lankford and Mary “Minnie” Franklin Williamson. Alongside Horace, Charles and Minnie had a daughter named Maude Estelle Lankford. Unfortunately, a third child did not survive. Horace is my 2nd cousin 3x removed, and our nearest common relatives are Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore, who are my 4th great grandparents. His grandfather, Curtis Caldwell Lankford, is a brother of my 3rd great grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford.

On June 1, 1900, the Lankford family resided in the Bowling Green district of Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Horace’s father worked as a farmer, while his sister Maude (enumerated as Mary) attended school at age 11. Horace’s mother had given birth to three children, of whom two were still living. His parents had been married for 14 years, and both Horace’s parents and his sister were able to read, write, and speak English.

Horace’s sister, Maude, married Andrew C. McElreath, the son of Charles C. Lee McElreath and Emaline Peeler, on May 14, 1905, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. By 1910, Maude and her husband were residing in Bowling Green.

In June 2021, when writing a sketch for Horace’s father Charles, I was unable to locate him and his family in the 1910 census. Fast forward three years later, and the situation remains unchanged. Despite thorough searches on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, using various combinations of first and last name and locations, I still cannot find them. As mentioned above, I located Horace’s sister, Maude, living in Bowling Green, but not Horace and his parents.

In September 1918, Horace registered for the World War I draft in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia. At the time of registration, he resided in the city of Rayle in Wilkes County. Horace listed his occupation as a farm laborer, working for C. M. Lankford (his father), who lived in Rayle, and was also noted as his nearest relative. With brown hair and eyes, he had a medium build and height. 

World War I draft registration card

On February 2, 1920, 22-year-old Horace and his parents resided on Washington Road in Bowling Green. Their neighbors were Horace’s sister, Maude, her husband Andrew, and their 12-year-old daughter, Molly. Horace worked as a farm laborer on a general farm, while his father was also engaged in farming. The census enumerator made a note that Horace was unable to read or write.

1920 Census Soundex Card

On April 19, 1930, Horace (aged 33 and single) lived with his parents in a rented home in District 607 of Taliaferro County, Georgia. Horace worked as a haul hunter, seeking out items like antiques or collectibles, likely for resale. His father, now unemployed, was probably retired. Everyone in the household could read and write, including Horace, who had been unable to do so in 1920. Their neighbors were Horace’s sister, Maude, and her family—husband Andrew, widowed daughter Knollie, and seven-year-old granddaughter Estelle. 

Horace married Rosa “Rosie” N. Motes, daughter of Joseph J. Motes and Emma Barnes, on June 21, 1937. Although they did not have children of their own, there was an interesting twist. When Rosa passed away in 1994, her obituary mentioned a son named Walter Lewis. Walter’s 1991 obituary revealed that he was “a son of the late Annaliza Tappan Lewis and Edward Lewis, both of Greene County.” However, it also stated, “Surviving are his mother, Rosa Lankford, Greensboro, Ga.” Was Walter truly Rosa’s son, or was he connected to Horace and Rosa in some other way? I have no details on this situation, so can neither confirm or deny.

On March 9, 1939, Minnie Lankford, aged 71, passed away at her home in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. Horace, her son, was residing in Penfield at the time. Minnie’s funeral service was conducted by Rev. R. W. Haynie, followed by her burial at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

On April 2, 1940, Horace (aged 42) and Rosa (aged 32) resided in the home of Horace’s sister, Maude, and her husband Andrew, at Woodville and Daniel Spring Roads in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia. Also living in the household were Horace and Maude’s widowed father, Charles, and a cousin of Andrew’s named M. D. Adkins. The census enumerator recorded ‘same place’ for everyone in the house when asked about their residence on April 1, 1935, despite Horace’s mother’s 1939 obituary indicating that he lived in Penfield. All occupants were unemployed at the time. Andrew, who worked as a brick mason, had been out of work for 24 weeks and was the only person in the household actively seeking employment. The question of highest grade completed was left unanswered for Horace.

About 1945, Horace relocated to Greensboro in Greene County, Georgia. On July 14, 1947, his father, Charles (aged 81), passed away at home in Shiloh. Charles was laid to rest at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service officiated by Rev. Owen Duvall. The Oglethorpe Echo reported his death on July 24, 1947:

Mr. Charlie Lankford, son of Mr. Curt Lankford of Civil War fame, was buried here (Bairdstown) last Wednesday with the Rev. O.L. Duval officiating. Mr. Lankford was well advanced in age and had been blind for several years. His funeral was well attended by a host of friends and relatives.

On April 12, 1950, Horace and his wife Rosa resided in the home of his sister Maude and her husband, Andrew McElreath, in Penfield. The house was situated along the road from Shiloh Church, heading east and south. Interestingly, this aligns with information provided by another researcher, suggesting that Horace spent some time living in a house adjacent to the Shiloh Baptist Church. Both Horace and Rosa worked as farm hands, likely on the McElreath farm, given that Andrew was a farmer operating his own business. The census records indicate that Horace was living in the same home in 1949. In response to the question about the highest grade of school attended, the enumerator recorded a zero, which, combined with the blank entry in 1940, suggests that Horace may not have received formal education. Horace was unemployed and did not earn any wages in 1949. Furthermore, he did not serve in the military.

On September 23, 1952, Horace’s brother-in-law, Andrew McElreath, passed away at Minnie G. Boswell Hospital in Greensboro. Andrew was laid to rest at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service conducted by Rev. Owen Duvall at Shiloh Baptist Church on September 25. Andrew was deeply cherished by his community, and his death was a significant loss to all who knew him.

Horace, aged 68, passed away at his home in Greensboro on December 21, 1965, following a long illness. He was laid to rest at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service officiated by Rev. O. L. Duvall at Shiloh Baptist Church. His obituary inaccurately recorded the year of his death as 1964. Horace was survived by his wife, Rosa, his sister, Maude, and several extended family members. Within the community, he was well-known and deeply loved. Friends and family frequently visited during his illness, and his absence would be felt by many after his passing.

The year of death on Horace’s tombstone is incorrectly engraved as 1891 instead of 1897. I feel confident that this cannot be accurate, given that the 1900 census recorded his birth month and year as August 1897, with his age listed as two. All other census records align with this birthdate.

If I remember correctly, Horace and Rosa are buried in a family plot alongside Maude and Andrew. Unfortunately stones to the right of Horace’s in the photo below are unreadable, but I feel certain this is the case. After all, Horace and his sister were either living together or next to each other all of their lives.

References

• C. M. Lankford, Dies at Shiloh, newspaper and date unknown.
• Funeral Services Held for Mrs. Rosa N. Lankford, newspaper and date unknown.
• Graveside Services Held in White Plains for Mr. Walter Lewis, The Herald Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, May 31, 1991.
• Horace M. Lankford, Georgia Deaths, 1919–98.
• Horrace M. Lankford, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• L. A. McElreath Passes Away, The Herald Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, September 26, 1952.
• Mr. Charlie Lankford, Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, July 24, 1947.
• Mrs. M. W. Langford Passes at Penfield, newspaper and date unknown.
• Personal memories of Crippen Taylor.
• Personal visit to Bairdstown Baptist Church Cemetery.
• Rites for H. M. Lankford, The Herald Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, December 31, 1965.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1900, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 607, Taliaferro County, Georgia, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1940.