Hayden Edgar George, Jr.

Hayden Edgar George, Jr., was born on March 15, 1922, in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, to Hayden Edgar George and Lillie Della Lankford of Greene County, Georgia. Hayden was the youngest of four children, with three older siblings: Dell Louise George (1911), Mary Winnie George (1913), and Marguerite Elizabeth George (1920). He is my 1st cousin 2x removed; our nearest common relatives are James C. Lankford and Mary Ann Wilson, my 2nd grandparents, and Hayden’s grandparents.

In 1923, the George family lived at 57 Woodward Avenue, Atlanta, before moving to 505 Pulliam Street in 1924, which was close to the future site of the Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium built in the 1960s. They moved again in 1925 to 53 Crew Street and in 1926 to 189 Crew Street, where Hayden’s father worked as a mechanic. By April 8, 1930, the family still resided on Crew Street, though his father was unemployed and had previously worked as an automobile machinist. At that time, his 17-year-old sister Winnie was the sole employed person in the household, working as a telephone company operator.

The census record shows a 10-year age difference between Hayden’s parents. When they married, his father was 28 and his mother was 18. Everyone in the home, except for Hayden who was just 3.5 years old, could read and write. Both Hayden and his sister Marguerite were attending school. Hayden went to Crew Street School, a public school located between Washington Street and Capitol Avenue. In November 1931, Hayden was recognized in an Atlanta Journal article for achieving perfect spelling for one week and maintaining perfect attendance for the first quarter of the school year.

From at least 1933 to 1939, the family lived at 62 Clark Street in southwest Atlanta. During this period, his father worked as a mechanic and foreman. On September 18, 1936, Hayden’s father passed away in a private hospital in Fulton County. A memorial service was held at the chapel of Howard L. Carmichael, officiated by Rev. Lawrence Davis, followed by burial at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia.

In 1938, Hayden worked as a manager, and in 1939, he worked as a delivery man for Atlanta Ribbon and Carbon Company. On April 4, 1940, 18-year-old Hayden and his widowed mother, aged 47, continued to live at the Clark Street home. Hayden, recorded as a ‘new worker,’ worked a 42-hour week from March 24–30, earning $125 in 1939.

On December 15, 1941, a week after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Hayden enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Macon, Georgia. Shortly after his enlistment, he married Nancy Evelyn Blankinship. The couple had two daughters, who remain unnamed for privacy reasons.

Hayden’s naval career was short-lived and nearly cost him his life. On May 19, 1942, he was aboard the U.S. freighter Ogontz when it was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-103 in the Gulf of Mexico, about 70 miles southeast of Cozumel. As he leapt over the side of the ship, his foot got caught in a rope, dragging him deep underwater as the ship sank. An explosion in the ship’s boiler room freed him, bringing his unconscious body back to the surface, where his life jacket kept him afloat. The ship sank that afternoon. Hayden was lucky to escape with only a burst eardrum and a sprained ankle. He was taken to a hospital in New Orleans, from where he wired his wife, whom he had only been married to for a few months, and his mother. News of the event was reported in the Atlanta Constitution on May 28. Tragically, 17 merchant seamen and two armed guard sailors lost their lives, many due to a mast falling across a lifeboat during the evacuation.

Hayden’s wife, Evelyn, and his mother, Della, reading the telegram
and letter (The Atlanta Constitution (H. J. Slayton), Atlanta, Georgia,
May 28, 1942)

Hayden in the hospital (The Atlanta Constitution 
(AP Photo), Atlanta, Georgia, May 29, 1942)

A U.S. Navy World War II muster roll from the U.S. Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, reveals that Hayden, a Seaman Second Class, was honorably discharged on September 24, 1942, due to medical reasons.

Despite his recent discharge, on September 28, 1942, Hayden registered for the World War II draft in Fulton County. At that time, all men aged 18 to 64 were required to register, even those currently or previously in service. Hayden fell within this age range, thus had to comply. Although there is no evidence suggesting he served again after his discharge, his registration card provides a snapshot of his life at age 20. He listed his address as 22 Georgia Avenue in southwest Atlanta, with Mrs. H. George of the Clark Street home noted as the contact who would always know his address—likely his mother. Hayden stood 6 feet tall, weighed 165 pounds, and had blue eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion.

Hayden’s World War II draft registration card (front)

Hayden’s World War II draft registration card (back)

In 1944, Hayden and Evelyn lived at 64 Memorial Drive SE, Apartment 133, in Atlanta, where Hayden worked as a checker. By 1948, they had moved to Apartment 100 at 240 Fraser SE in Atlanta, with Hayden now working as a photographer for the Atlanta Portrait Company. Before the 1950 census, Hayden and Evelyn separated. On April 1, 1950, Hayden was boarding at the home of Ernest M. and Annie K. Coppedge at 559 Erin Avenue in SW Atlanta, near the Capitol View neighborhood, continuing his work as a photographer for the Atlanta Portrait Company. Also boarding there was Buren Hendricks, a 36-year-old stock clerk at a meat packing plant, while his wife and daughters (ages six and four) lived at 240 Fraser Street in SE Atlanta. Evelyn was unemployed.

Around late 1950 or early 1951, Hayden married Nora Levon Ford and they lived at 863 Washington Street in SW Atlanta. Hayden worked as a locksmith at the National Key Shop. The couple had three children together: a daughter and two sons (names withheld for privacy).

Hayden served as a pallbearer at his maternal uncle Oliver Wilson Langford’s funeral at McCommons Chapel, followed by burial at Penfield Cemetery, on August 24, 1957. His name was spelled “Hyden” in the obituary. At that time, Hayden lived in Hapeville, Fulton County, Georgia. In November 1970, Hayden was employed as a locksmith at Emory University in Atlanta, where he had the opportunity to fashion a key to unlock an old, pre-Civil War safe found during a renovation project at Oxford College in Oxford, Georgia. The safe turned out to be empty.

Hayden George with safe (The Atlanta Journal, November 23, 1970)

Hayden’s sister, Marguerite (George) Spears, passed away in Cobb County, Georgia, on February 27, 1973. She was buried at Georgia Memorial Park in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia, following a March 2 funeral service. Hayden lived in Hapeville, Fulton County, Georgia, at the time of her death.

On June 12, 1980, Hayden’s mother, Della, passed away in Clayton County, Georgia, and was buried at Forest Hills Memorial Gardens in Forest Park, Clayton County, Georgia.

Hayden, who lived in Forest Park, passed away at the age of 68 on January 10, 1991, and was buried at Forest Hills Memorial Gardens in Forest Park on January 12, following a funeral service at the Parkway Garden Chapel. He was survived by his wife Nora, three daughters, two sons, sisters Mary and Louise, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

References

• Ahmad, Zahra, The Germans torpedoed a ship during World War II: The wreck is now revealing secrets about underwater mudslides, Science, August 21, 2017. 
• Crew School Garden Planned by Teachers, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, November 15, 1931.
• Crew Street School, Digital Library of Georgia; https://dlg.usg.edu/record/geh_athpc_1592. 
• Hayden E. George, Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1944, 1948, 1951.
• Hayden E. George, Georgia Deaths, 1919–98.
• Hayden E. George, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, September 20, 1936.
• Hayden Edgar George, Jr., U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Hayden Edgar George, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898–1929.
• Hayden Edgar George, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850–2010.
• Hayden George photo, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, May 28, 1942.
• Hollingsworth, Mary, Oxford Transplant: Homely Old Safe Sound at Emory, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, November 23, 1970.
• Lillie Dale McCollum, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, June 14, 1980.
• Obituary, Hayden E. George Jr., The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, January 11, 1991. 
• Obituary, Marguerite Spears, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 1, 1973.
• Smilin’ Through, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, May 29, 1942.
• U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, 1930, 1940, 1950.
• Up From Depths, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, May 28, 1942.
• Vessel Sunk, Blast Saves Atlantan’s Life, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, May 28, 1942. 

Alice Etta Barker

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.

Alice Etta Barker, daughter of Thaddeus C. Barker and May Ezibelle (Mary Elizabeth) Barker Parton, was born in Bryson City, Swain County, North Carolina on December 27, 1939. 

Alice’s mother was previously married (in 1916) to Frank P. Parton and they had a daughter named Mabel (May) Barker in 1918. Before I can go further, I have to tell you about a date discrepancy I found. Frank died of pulmonary tuberculosis in Charleston, Swain County, North Carolina on either April 13 or November 10, 1921. I say either because his death certificate shows his death date as November 10, 1921 and his wife as Mary Parton. However, Frank’s U.S. Headstone Application shows a death date of April 13, 1921. I also found a North Carolina Historical Records Survey for Jackson Line Cemetery that shows his tombstone is inscribed with the date April 13, 1921. Unfortunately, Frank’s death is not recorded in Find A Grave so no tombstone photo, nor do I find an obituary for him. Marriage records show that Mary and Thaddeus married in Swain County on August 23, 1921. So, either Mary divorced Frank before August 23 or he actually died in April and she remarried in November. I do note that it appears Frank’s death certificate may have been filed on September 26, 1930, almost nine years after his death. Why was that and could this have caused the date discrepancy? It’s very confusing. If I’ve gotten this all wrong, someone please correct me!

Frank Parton's death certificate with date filed highlighted

Mary and Thaddeus had five children together—Marvin L. Barker, Warren Edward Barker, Nancy Aleene Barker, Ruth Viola Barker, and Alice Etta Barker. Alice was my aunt.

On April 29, 1940, three-month-old Alice and her family lived in the Charleston Township of Swain County, North Carolina. Her father was a farmer and her brother Marvin a farm laborer. They had been in the same house since at least 1935 and only five of the six children lived in the home on that day. Mabel, no longer living with the rest of the family, would have been 21 years old so was probably married.

Barker family in 1940 census (click to enlarge)

I found a surprise when researching my Aunt Alice—she had apparently been married three times before her marriage to my uncle—not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just something I didn’t know. The U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index includes the following notes:

Sep 1955: Name listed as ALICE ETTA BARKER; Mar 1956: Name listed as ALICE BARKER GENTRY; Sep 1962: Name listed as ALICE BARKER SULLIVAN; Jan 1970: Name listed as ALICE BARKER COOPER; Jul 1970: Name listed as ALICE BARKER LANKFORD; 14 Feb 2004: Name listed as ALICE B LANKFORD.

So, if this is correct, this means she would have married a Mr. Gentry about March 1956, a Mr. Sullivan about September 1962, and a Mr. Cooper about January 1970. When her mother died in March 1955, she was listed as Alice Barker in the obituary. 

Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville, North Carolina, March 11, 1955

When Alice’s father died in April 1967, she was listed as Mrs. Alice Gentry of Atlanta in his obituary. 

Partial obituary, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville, North Carolina, April 16, 1967

The marriage to Mr. Cooper would have been short-lived though as Alice married my uncle Clark Eugene Lankford, son of Carroll Harvey Lankford and Floria Mae Burnette, in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia on July 20, 1970. At some point after their marriage, they moved to Alpharetta, Fulton County, Georgia and later had twin daughters. My sister Jennifer remembers she and Mama stayed with Uncle Clark in the waiting room at the hospital the night before the twins were born. Jennifer and Mama left early the next morning, probably so Mama could go to work. Of course, by the time they got home, Uncle Clark was calling to tell them the twins had been born right after they left the hospital. When the twins were about two years old, Mama was planning an overnight trip to Tennessee to visit relatives. She remembers Clark called and asked if she could help him give Alice a break and take her to Tennessee. Mama said they had a nice time and Alice got a break from the overwhelming job of raising two toddlers. My cousins are very private so to respect their privacy, that’s all I’ll have to say about them here. 

Pregnant with twins

Alice was a homemaker during her marriage to Clark. They kept a large garden in their back yard. Mama remembers going to their house in Alpharetta to help cut corn off the cob for freezing. I believe she also helped take care of someone’s cows when they lived in Alpharetta, although I don’t remember the circumstances. I do remember she had a big collection of cows spread around her house though. She also collected rocks and had baskets of them as well as surrounded her flower beds with rocks.

About 2001, Alice and Clark sold their Alpharetta home and moved next door to Daddy in Riverdale, Clayton County, Georgia. Alice and Daddy had a love-hate relationship—they fought all the time. But they loved each other and they all three watched out for each other. Alice and Clark kept up the gardening in Riverdale which would have been something for Alice and Daddy to bond over. He loved gardening and always had a yard full of vegetables and flowers.

Clark and Alice Lankford

Alice had a heart attack the week before her death and suffered complications. At age 64, she died on January 29, 2004 at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta—17 years ago today. It was her sister Ruth’s birthday. A graveside service, officiated by my Uncle Lawrence Griffith took place at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia on February 1. She was survived by my Uncle Clark, their daughters, her sister Ruth, and brother Edward.

Thinking of you with fond memories today Aunt Alice.

References

• Alice Etta Barker, U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Frank Parton, Application for Headstone no. 47538, War Department.
• Frank Parton, North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index, 1700–2018.
• Frank Parton, Standard Certificate of Death, North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• Marvin L. Barker, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929.
• Nancy Aleene Barker, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• Obituary for Alice Barker Lankford, Athens Banner-Herald, January 31, 2004.
• Obituary for Alice Barker Lankford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 1, 2004.
• Obituary for Mrs. Thad Barker, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville, North Carolina, March 11, 1955.
• Obituary for Thadius Barker, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville, North Carolina, April 16, 1967.
• Personal memories of Denise Murphy, Jennifer Craine, and Fay Lankford.
• Ruth Viola Woodard, U.S. Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection.
• U.S. Federal Census, Charleston, Swain County, North Carolina, 1930, 1940.
• Warren Edward Barker, North Carolina, U.S., Birth Indexes, 1800-2000.