Mollie Mae Burnette

Mollie Mae Burnette, daughter of Samuel Pride Burnette and Millicent Virginia “Jinnie” Overton, was born on April 26, 1889, in Loganville, Walton County, Georgia. She was the youngest of 14 children born to Samuel and Jinnie: John William “Will,” Thomas “Tom” Terrell, C. B. Annbelle, Abijah Winkfield, Oscar Lee, Mathew E., Laura Jane, Frances Elizabeth “Lizzie,” Mattie “Lou,” Benjamin Franklin, Virginia “Jennie” Olivia, Joseph Benjamin, Mollie Mae, and one child who died young whose identity has not been determined. Mollie is my second great-aunt. Her parents are my second great-grandparents.

Mollie, her husband Will, and likely two grand or great grandchildren

The second “e” in the surname Burnette comes and goes in this family line. For this biography, I have chosen to use Burnette, although records for Mollie and her relatives appear under both Burnett and Burnette.

On June 6, 1900, Mollie and her family lived on a rented farm in the Buncombe District of Walton County. Her father was a farmer, assisted by sons Benjamin and Joseph. Mollie’s mother was enumerated as having given birth to 14 children, 12 of whom were still living. The deceased children would have been Annbelle and the unidentified child. Both of Mollie’s parents and her sister Frances were able to read and write. Her brother Benjamin was able to read but not write. Mollie’s uncle, Abijah Winkfield Burnette, his wife Eugenia, and their daughter Robena lived next door.

Mollie married William Allen, son of Ambus Allen and Mary Knight, in Walton County on August 13, 1908. Together they had four children: Ernest W., Millie Frances, William Wardell, and Junie Herman Allen. One mystery I encountered while researching this family involves their son William Wardell Allen. In earlier census records, he appears as William, but in later records William disappears and a son named John appears in the same place within the household. I believe William Wardell Allen may have gone by the name John as he grew older, although I have not found a record proving they were the same person.

Marriage license (1908)

On May 5, 1910, Mollie, Will, and 10-month-old Ernest were living on a rented farm in the Buncombe District of Walton County. Mollie assisted Will with farm work. Both Mollie and Will were able to read and write. They had been married for one year.

Mollie’s mother, Jinnie, died in Georgia on January 10, 1916. She was buried at Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Loganville. Her brother Will died suddenly at the age of 48 on November 28, 1916, after returning from the fields in Liberty Grove, Lawrence County, Tennessee. It was reported that he suffered from stomach sickness, although the cause may have been a heart attack. He was buried at St. Truitt Cemetery in Lawrence County the following day. Mollie’s sister Laura died in Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, in 1918.

Mollie was living in Loganville when her son William was born on May 24, 1919.

By January 31, 1920, the Allen family was still living in the Buncombe District and had grown by two children, daughter Millie and son William. Will continued to farm while Mollie cared for the household. Ernest, now 10 years old and attending school, was able to read and write.

Mollie’s father Samuel died on August 27, 1926, at his home in Monroe from endocarditis, a serious condition affecting the lining and valves of the heart. He was buried beside Jinnie at Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Loganville on September 3, 1926.

By April 2, 1930, Mollie and her family had moved to Walnut Grove in Walton County, where they lived on a rented farm located on the Covington and Walnut Grove Road. Mollie and Will had been married for 19 years. Will continued farming with assistance from their son Ernest.

On July 19, 1936, Mollie’s son Ernest, who lived in Snapping Shoals, Newton County, Georgia, was shot in the abdomen during a dispute with his father-in-law, O. D. Harcrow. According to newspaper accounts, the argument began at a store in Snapping Shoals and continued at Harcrow’s home, where the shooting occurred. Ernest was transported to Grady Hospital in Atlanta by family members but died of his injuries the following morning. His death certificate records the immediate cause of death as hemorrhage with surgical shock resulting from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Harcrow surrendered to authorities shortly after the incident, and newspapers reported that the case was expected to be investigated by the Newton County grand jury. Ernest was buried at Corinth Christian Church Cemetery in Loganville on July 22, 1936.

Mollie’s brother Oscar died in Loganville in October 1938 from heart lesions and was buried at Bay Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Her brother Thomas died in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, in February 1940 from chronic myocarditis, a long-lasting inflammation of the heart muscle. He was buried at Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery in Greensboro.

On April 27, 1940, Mollie and her family were living on Conyers Road in the Broken Arrow District of Walton County. The household included Mollie, her husband Will, daughter Frances, and sons John and Junie. I believe the son recorded as John may have been William Wardell Allen, who appeared as William in earlier records, although I have not found evidence proving they were the same person.

The entire household participated in farm work. During the week preceding the 1940 census, Will worked 50 hours, Mollie 16 hours, Frances 20 hours, and John 40 hours. Junie, age 15, was also recorded as a farm laborer, although no hours were listed for him. For 1939, the census reported earnings of $150 for Will, $30 for Mollie, $58 for Frances, $90 for John, and $60 for Junie.

When William submitted his World War II draft registration card on October 16, 1940, he listed his mother as the person who would always know his address. William was still living at home at the time, and the address given was R.F.D. 3, Covington, Newton County, Georgia.

Mollie’s sister Virginia died on December 23, 1943, and was buried at Corinth Memorial Gardens. Her sister Mattie died on January 13, 1948, and was buried with their parents at Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Both cemeteries are located in Walton County.

Sisters Mattie and Jenny (front); Lizzie and Mollie (back)

By April 1, 1950, Mollie, Will, and Junie had returned to the Buncombe District. At age 60, Will still farmed on a part-time basis, working 20 hours during the week before the census was taken. Junie carried most of the workload and had worked 50 hours as a farm helper. Mollie was no longer recorded as assisting with farm labor. Her son William lived three farms away.

Mollie’s brother Abijah died in Atlanta on September 16, 1954, and was buried at Mt. Vernon Christian Church Cemetery in Monroe. Her sister Lizzie died suddenly from a heart attack in Walton County on February 24, 1959, and was buried at Bay Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Loganville. Her brother Joseph died on May 6, 1960, and was buried at Bay Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Her brother Benjamin died in Newton County on October 22, 1965, and was buried at Corinth Memorial Gardens in Monroe.

Mollie died at Newton County Hospital in Covington, Newton County, Georgia, on September 27, 1974. Funeral services were held at Corinth Christian Church on September 29, with Rev. Robert Murrell officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery. At age 85, Mollie had spent nearly all of her life in Walton County. She was a member of Gum Creek Baptist Church.

Mollie was survived by her husband Will; daughter Frances; sons John and Junie; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild.

References

• Abijah W. Burnette, Joseph B. Burnette, and Benjamin F. Burnett, Georgia Deaths, 1919–98.
• Burnette family information shared by Austin Landis Burnett.
• Family Row Blamed for Fatal Shooting at Snapping Shoals, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, p. 1, July 20, 1936. 
• Funeral Notices, Mr. Abija W. Burnette, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, September 17, 1954.
• Funeral Notices, Mr. Joseph B. (Joe) Burnette, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, May 8, 1960.
• Funeral Notices, Mrs. Frances A. Burnett, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, May 23, 1975.
• Mollie Burnett Allen, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Mollie Burnett, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Mollie M. Allen, Georgia Deaths, 1919–98.
• Mr. Ernest Allen, Certificate of Death no. 19701 3607, Georgia Department of Public Health, Burean of Vital Statistics, 1936.
• Obituaries, Mrs. Will Allen, Walton Tribune, Monroe, Georgia, p. 13, October 1, 1974.
• Obituaries, Will P. Allen, Walton Tribune, Monroe, Georgia, p. 2, June 28, 1977.
• Oscar L. Burnette, Certificate of Death no. 29672, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1938.
• Personal visit to Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Corinth Memorial Gardens, and Bay Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Walton County, Georgia.
• Personal visit to Walker United Methodist Church Cemetery, Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia.
• Sympathy, Mrs. Lizzie Guthrie, Walton Tribune, Monroe, Georgia, March 4, 1959.
• Thomas Terrel Burnette, Certificate of Death no. 4275, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, Broken Arrow, Walton County, Georgia, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, Buncombe, Walton County, Georgia, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Walnut Grove, Walton County, Georgia, 1930.
• Victim of Gunshot in Critical State, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, p. 7, July 20, 1936.
• William Wordele Allen, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947.

Theft of Rachel, property of Elijah Ballard

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

Georgia, Greene County

The Grand Jurors sworn, chosen, and selected for the County of Greene to wit Thomas Stocks, John Slaughter, John Mercer, Ambrose Hutcheson, Francis West, Thomas Moseley, George Heard, Gilly Moore, Jesse Perkins, James K. Daniel, John Powers, Alexander King, Joseph McBride, John Love, John Mapp, Thomas Crawford, James Culberson, Joseph Riley, Thomas Dawson, Isaac Mitchell, John J. Beatie, Rene Fitzpatrick and John Park, in the name and behalf of the citizens of Georgia, charge and accuse McQuinney Iles and John Barnhard, both of the County aforesaid, with the offence of Larceny of a Slave, for that the said McQuinney Iles and John Barnhard on the twenty-seventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-two, at the plantation of Elijah Ballard in the county aforesaid, with force and arms, a certain negro woman slave named Rachel, the property of the said Elijah Ballard, of the value of four hundred dollars, then and there being found, did feloniously steal, take and carry away, to the great damage of him the said Elijah Ballard, contrary to the laws of said State the good order, peace and dignity thereof.

Adam G. Saffold, Sol. Genl.
Elijah Ballard, prosecutor
March Term 1822

The State vs. McQuinney Iles and John Barnhard
Witnesses: Elijah Ballard, Danl. McIver, John Brown, John Clapp, Dan Macon
Larceny of a Slave
True Bill
Thomas Stocks, Foreman

Copy and list of Witnesses waived as to McQuinney Iles and Copy and list of Witnesses furnished John Barnard.

The defendants arraigned and plead not guilty.
March Term 1822
Adam G. Saffold, Sol. Genl.

Reference

Greene County, Court Minutes 1812–1827, image 391, FamilySearch.

Dolly conveyed in Seaborn Owens Deed of Trust

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

March Term 1860. Georgia, Greene County. 

To the Hon. Iverson L. Harris, Judge of the Superior Courts for the Ocmulgee Circuit.

The petition of Seaborn I. Owens respectfully shows unto your Honor that heretofore to wit, on the 25th day of February in the year 1856, he executed a Deed of Trust to himself as Trustee for his wife Mary Owens and his children Martha J., Emily A., and Mary E. and any children that he might thereafter have born unto him by his Wife, conveying a certain negro girl slave Dolly, about eleven years of age. The original of which said Deed of Trust is herewith annexed.

And your petitioner further shows unto your Honor, that at the time of the execution of said Deed of Trust, he was and is at this time free from debt. And your petitioner further shows that it will be greatly for the interest of his said wife and children to change said Trust property having been offered a large sum of money for said negro girl, the interest upon which said sum would double the present hire of said negro girl and in view of the uncertainty of life, he is unwilling to risk the whole estate of his said wife and children in the life of said negro.

Therefore, your petitioner prays your Honor to grant an order allowing him to sell said negro girl and invest the proceeds of said sale for the uses and purposes set forth in said Deed of Trust and as in duty bound will ever pray, etc.

Geo. O. Dawson, Petitioners Atty.

Upon hearing the foregoing petition of Seaborn I. Owens, Trustee etc. to change trust property. It is ordered by the Court that said Trustee be empowered to sell said negro slave Dolly and invest the proceeds of said sale in stocks or such other securities and notes as are of marketable par value, in the name of said Seaborn I. Owens, Trustee as aforesaid and in accordance with the provisions of said deed of Trust, thereby preserving the identity of said Trust property.

Reference

Greene County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1856–1868, image 228, FamilySearch.

Anthony, property of Alexander Walker

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

The State vs. Francis M. Boon
Misdemeanor

Presentment, Georgia, Greene County

The Grand Jurors sworn, chosen and selected for the County of Greene, to wit, the undersigned, by presentment in the name and behalf of the citizens of Georgia, charge and accuse Francis M. Boon of the County and State aforesaid with the offense of misdemeanor, for that the said Francis M. Boon, with force and arms in the County aforesaid, on the first day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-five, and on divers days and times between said first day of March and the eighth day of the same month, unlawfully did sell to and furnish a certain negro man slave by the name of Anthony, the property of Alexander Walker, then and there being with spirituous liquors, wine, cider and other intoxicating liquors for his own use and for the purpose of sale. The said Francis M. Boon, not then and there being the owner, overseer or employer of said slave, contrary to the laws of said State, the good order, peace and dignity thereof.

March Term 1845
Abraham Janes, Foreman

13th March 1845

John G. Holtzclaw, Wm. Daniel Pearson, B. Monk, Wm. F. Welborn, Thomas N. Poullain, Thomas Crawford, John Armstrong, James W. Godkin, Reuben J. Dawson, James M. Porter, Dickerson Jones, James B. Nickelson, Benj. Brantley, Mathew Wingfield, Saml. Wright, Wm. Edmondson, John R. Jeter, Jas. W. Jackson

Witnesses
David A. Newsom
Richd. A. Newsom

Reference

Greene County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1844–1855, image 77, FamilySearch.

Litha, Rhoda, Terrill, Henry Clay, and Josaphine named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this December the twenty-sixth eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, six negroes to wit: Litha and her two children Rhoda and an infant, Terrill a boy, Henry Clay a boy, and Josaphine a girl, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

This 26th Dec/56

R. M. Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 749, FamilySearch. 

Martha, Albert, Victor, big Issac, and Oliver named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this December the twenty-sixth eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, five negroes as named as follows: Martha and child Albert, Victor, big Isaac, and Oliver, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

William M. Blanton

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 751, FamilySearch. 

Warrick, Margaret, Mary Mitchel, and Elizabeth named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: Warrick a man, Margaret a woman, Mary Mitchel a woman, and Elizabeth a girl, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

W. L. Bishop

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 753, FamilySearch. 

Dennis, Letty, Clara, Matilda, and Mariah named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: Dennis a man, Letty and child Clara, Matilda a woman, and Mariah a girl, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

Rich’d B. Crowder

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 755, FamilySearch.

Big Harriet, Cesar, Julia, Reuben, Edmund, Smith, and Marinda named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Received this December the twenty-sixth of Dec eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said County, deceased, as Guardian for Lavina Catchings, Elizabeth Catchings, and Lucy Catchings, the following negroes by name: Big Harriet and her two children Cesar and Julia, Reuben a boy, Edmund a boy, Smith a boy, and Marinda a woman, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

J. W. T. Catchings, guardian

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 757, FamilySearch. 

Dinah, Randall, Joanna, Davy, Mary, Vina, and Daniel named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene Co. Received this twenty-sixth of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, administrators on the estate of Thomas Thompson, late of said county, deceased, the following negroes by name: Dinah and her two children Randall a boy and Joanna a girl, Davy a man and his wife Mary, Vina a girl, and Daniel a boy, as my full distribution share of the negroes of said estate.

Sarah Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 759, FamilySearch. 

Jane Catherine Neal

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.

Jane Catherine “Janie” Neal was born October 8, 1846, likely in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, the only child of George W. Neal and Eliza Jane French. Her life began with both promise and sorrow. When Janie was just four months old, her mother died at the home of her brother, Hiram L. French, on February 13, 1846, of what physicians then called “derangement of the bowels,” a severe intestinal illness marked by dehydration and pain. She was only 27.

Although Janie is not a direct ancestor, she connects to my family through a long collateral line—she was the wife of the uncle of the husband of the sister‑in‑law of the first cousin of the husband of my great‑grandmother, Alice Beman Lankford, linking her through the Wilson, Stephens, Mullins, Callaway, and Lankford families.

With her father unable to care for an infant while working, Janie was sent north to Hampton, Washington County, New York, her mother’s birthplace. There, the 1850 census enumerator found her living in a large extended household of French and Neal relatives, including Ann E. French and Alice Neal, women almost certainly connected to her mother’s family.

Her father remarried in July 1850 to Elizabeth “Eliza” Washington Edmondson, and Janie gained a half‑sister, Julia Ann Neal. By 1860, Janie was back in Georgia, living in Bairdstown with her father, stepmother, and half‑sister. George Neal, a Vermont‑born mechanic, owned real estate valued at $2,000 and personal property worth $6,000—a comfortable position for the time.

At 19, Janie married John “Jack” L. Wilson on October 3, 1865, in a ceremony performed by Rev. Patrick H. Mell, one of Georgia’s most influential Baptist ministers. Together they built a family of four children: George “Neal” Wilson, Blanche L. Wilson, Julia Lawrence Wilson, and Ellen “Nellie” H. Wilson.

Marriage record for Jane and Jack

The early years of their marriage were marked by financial strain. Jack was declared bankrupt, and his relative William R. Wilson was appointed to manage his property and debts. Despite these challenges, the couple remained rooted in Bairdstown, where Jack served as postmaster beginning in 1869. By 1870 they had moved to Penfield, Greene County, where Jack worked as a grocer merchant.

Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Janie’s life blended domestic responsibility with the realities of running a working farm. Although Jack was a merchant, their household managed roughly 75 acres of tilled and woodland by 1880, raising corn, small grains, cotton, and livestock. The farm required hired labor, and tax records show Jack expanded his holdings to more than 300 acres over the next decade. Janie herself owned a small-town lot in Bairdstown.

Her home was also a social center. In January 1886, she helped decorate the church for a local wedding, creating a floral arch admired by all. In July 1893, she hosted a summer gathering illuminated by Japanese lanterns, with music, recitations, and ice cream—an elegant evening remembered fondly by the community.

The mid 1890s brought family milestones. Blanche married Rev. Joseph A. Thomas in January 1895, and Julia married Herbert Emory Choate later that year. By 1898, Janie and Jack had moved to the Fishing Creek community near Woodville, where Janie became active in the Ladies’ Missionary Society.

The turn of the century brought hardship. Jack’s health declined, and he died on September 3, 1901. Janie applied for Georgia’s traditional year’s support, receiving real estate valued at $1,201—including the Bairdstown home, town lots, and farmland. A creditor, William W. Dozier, contested the award, arguing the properties were undervalued and should be used to satisfy Jack’s debts. The dispute moved through the courts for more than a year.

In the years that followed, Janie’s life was shaped by both loss and resilience. She hosted Nellie’s wedding in November 1901, and two weeks later her son Neal married Isabel Burdick Peck in Chicago. In 1903, she spent a period living in Athens, Clarke County, Georgia, staying close to extended family and finding steadiness in familiar surroundings as she adjusted to widowhood. But in 1904, tragedy struck: Blanche died, likely in childbirth, and her infant daughter, Annie Blanche Thomas, died five days later.

By 1920, Janie was living in Woodville with Nellie and her grandsons Neal and Albert Evans. Nellie’s husband, John R. Evans, died on June 29, 1913, and in the years that followed she increasingly relied on her mother for support. Sometime before the 1920 census, Nellie moved into Janie’s household, and the two women shared a home as they navigated widowhood together and raised Nellie’s sons. In 1923, Janie signed an affidavit for her son George’s passport application, listing her residence as 10 Park Lane, Atlanta—a home she maintained for several years.

Janie’s signature on George’s passport

During the 1930s, Janie lived as a roomer in Atlanta with her daughter Nellie and grandson Albert, who worked at Rich’s Department Store. For a time, they boarded in the home of the Gersham family, a household that provided stability and companionship during those years when all three were navigating life in Atlanta. In her later years she moved to the Candler Hotel in Decatur, a comfortable residence that offered companionship and routine. By 1940 she was 93, a widow for nearly 40 years.

She spent her final years back at 10 Park Lane NE, living with her daughter Julia until Julia’s sudden death in January 1944. Janie herself died on March 27, 1944, at age 97, after a long illness. She was buried beside her husband Jack at Bairdstown Cemetery.

Bairdstown (or Baird’s) Baptist Church

Born in the antebellum South, Janie lived through the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the boll weevil crisis, the Great Depression, and the transformations of World War II. Her life spanned nearly a century of Georgia’s history—from plantation culture to the beginnings of modern Atlanta—and she met each era with steadiness, devotion to family, and a quiet but enduring presence in her community.

References

• An Approaching Marriage, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, November 4, 1895.
• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1932.
• Attend Chicago Wedding, The Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, November 23, 1901.
• Bairdstown, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, July 21, 1893, December 23, 1898, March 29, 1901, September 6, 1901, November 15, 1901, December 6, 1901, and October 9, 1903.
• Echoes by Mail: Fishing Creek, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, January 8, 1898.
• Elizabeth W. Edmondson, Georgia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1754–1850.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48522540/blanche-thomas: accessed August 7, 2026), memorial page for Blanche Wilson Thomas (25 Aug 1868–8 Jun 1904), Find a Grave Memorial ID 48522540, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Fat Quarter Quilter (contributor 47229861).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76965413/annie_blanche-thomas: accessed August 7, 2026), memorial page for Annie Blanche Thomas (8 Jun 1904–13 Jun 1904), Find a Grave Memorial ID 76965413, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Cuthbert, Randolph County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Fat Quarter Quilter (contributor 47229861).
• Funeral Notices, Mrs. Herbert (Julia) Choate, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, January 10, 1944.
• George Neal Wilson, U.S., Passport Applications, 1795–1925.
• Gone to Rest: The Soul of a Good Woman Departed This World, Athens Weekly Banner, Athens, Georgia, October 28, 1890.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Records 1897–1907, images 315–318, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Deeds 1862–1871, image 217, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Homestead Records 1888–1935, 1868–1899, images 175–177, FamilySearch.
• H. E. Choate’s Widow is Dead, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, January 10, 1944.
• In a... Social ... Way, Society Personals, The Topeka Daily Herald, Topeka, Kansas, November 7, 1904.
• In Cupid's Meshes: Two Loving Hearts Willingly Pierced by the Little God's Arrows, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, January 22, 1886.
• Jack L. Wilson, U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832–1971.
• Jane C. Neal, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Janie C. Wilson, Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1927.
• Julia L. Wilson, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Julia Neal, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Married, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, October 3, 1872.
• Mr. Thomas B. Wilson, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Mrs. Janie C. Wilson Dies in Hospital, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 28, 1944.
• Mrs. Janie Wilson, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 28, 1944.
• News of the Society World, Gowns Worn at the Wedding of Miss Isabel Peck, Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, December 1, 1901.
• Obituary, The Christian Index, Washington, Georgia, p. 71, February 25, 1847.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1879–1882, image 39, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Court Records 1881–1897, image 112, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Deeds 1891–1893, image 281, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Mortgages 1877–1883, 1869–1877, image 215, FamilySearch.
• Patrick Hues Mell; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Hues_Mell. 
• Thomas-Wilson: Two Noble Young Lives are Happily Blended into One, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, January 4, 1895.
• U.S. Federal Census, Agriculture, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia, 1940.
• U.S. Federal Census, Georgia Militia District 232, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Hampton, Washington County, New York, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1870, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860, 1900, 1920. 

Little Harriet, Jane, Cherry, George, Jim, and Isaac named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson. Administrators on the estate of Thomas Thompson. late of said County, deceased, the following negroes by name: little Harriet and two children Jane and Cherry, George a boy, Jim a boy, and Isaac a man, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

William H. Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 761, FamilySearch. 

Caroline, Brag, Abram, Fanny, Madora, Charlotte, Amilla, and Milly named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Georgia, Greene County. Received this twenty-sixth day of December eighteen hundred and fifty-six of Samuel H. Thompson and Henry E. Thompson, Administrators on the Estate of Thomas Thompson, deceased, the following negroes by name: Caroline and child Brag, Abram a man, and Fanny his wife, and two children Madora and Charlotte, Amilla a girl, and Milly a woman, as my full distributive share of the negroes of said estate.

Thos. Thompson.

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 763, FamilySearch. 

Winney, Sena, Granville, and Lucius named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Received four Negros to wit Winney a woman, Sena a girl, Granville a boy, & Lucius a boy as my full shair of the Negros of the Estate of Thomas Thompson, Deceased this Decr 26th 1856.

S. H. Thompson

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 766, FamilySearch. 

Catharin, Isabellar, Anderson, and Napolion named in Thomas Thompson's estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

This receipt is included among the probate estate documents for Thomas Thompson of Greene County, Georgia, who died in June 1856.

Received four Negros to wit Catharin a girl, Isabellar a girl, Anderson a boy, Napolion a boy, my full shair of the Negros of the Estate of Thomas Thompson, Deceased This Decr 26th 1856.

Henry E Thompson.

Reference

Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 769, FamilySearch.

Pheby, Abram, Jacob, and Ephraim, property of Brazier Anderson’s estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

Know all men by these presents that I Jesse Boles [Booles] of the County of Greene and State of Georgia am held and firmly bound unto William Anderson, Frederick Hillsabeck, and John Wilson, all of the County and State aforesaid, and to them in trust for Alford, Claibon [Claiborne], and Matilda Anderson, the heirs of Brazier Cook [Cocke] Anderson, deceased, in the just and full sum of four thousand dollars, for the true and faithful payment whereof I bind myself, my heirs, executors, or administrators and every of them.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of November in the thirty ninth year of the Independence of the United States of America, and in the year of our Lord 1814.

The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas I the said Jesse Booles have now in my possession four negroes, to wit: Pheby, Abram, Jacob, and Ephraim, which was intended by Thomas Houghton to be sold and the money arising thereby to be equally divided and distributed amongst the children and heirs of Brazier Cook [Cocke] Anderson deceased above named.

Now I do by these presents agree and firmly engage to deliver up the said negroes into the hands and possession of the above named William Anderson and all brothers and sisters by blood being the children of the deceased Anderson; provided if any of the said negroes shall sicken and die, that I will not be accountable for such as shall or may be dead, but upon the full delivery of such as shall be alive on or before the first day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, then the above obligation shall be null and void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

Jesse Booles [Seal]

Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of us.

Test.
John Wiggons (his mark)
J. Houghton Jr.

The heirs of the above-mentioned property have fully agreed that Jesse Booles shall not be put to law for any part of estate Brazier C. Anderson under the term of two years from the date hereof by us.

John Wilson 
Frederick Hillsabeck
Wm. Anderson

Georgia, Greene County. Personally came before me Joshua Houghton who being sworn saith that he heard the within named Jesse Booles acknowledge the within instrument of writing for the purposes therein mentioned and that himself was a subscribing witness to the same, and also the signature of John Wiggins appeared to the within.

J. Houghton Junr.

Sworn to before me this 15th Nov. 1814 
A. Bledsoe, JP

Recorded this 5th Decr. 1814
J. Bethune, Clk.

Reference

Greene County, Georgia, Deeds 1816–1818, 1811–1815, 1810–1811, image 344, FamilySearch.

Jim and Lavina named in Will of Jesse Booles

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

Greene County, Georgia

In the name of God, Amen, I, Jesse Booles of the above county and state, being reduced low by illness and viewing life as uncertain, but being of sound mind and memory, do make and constitute this my last will and testament, viz:

Item 1st. I will that all my lands, together with my stock and all other of my property not hereinafter disposed of, be sold, and from the proceeds thereof all my just debts be paid.

Item 2nd. I will to my beloved wife Sarah one negro man by the name of Jim and one negro woman Lavina, together with her increase; two beds, bedsteads and furniture; one set of walnut tables and one pine cupboard during her lifetime or widowhood, and upon her death or marriage to be equally divided between my children Emily J. Bowls, Nancy F. Fuller, Seaborn W. Bowls, and one‑fourth part to Delilah H. Barnwell, to be managed as herein after directed.

Item 3rd. I will to my daughter Emily J. Bowls one bed, bedstead and furniture and fifty dollars.

Item 4th. I will to my son Seaborn W. Bowls one bed, bedstead and furniture and fifty dollars, and the expenses of one year’s schooling at a good country school.

Item 5th. I will to my daughter Delilah H. Barnwell one‑fourth part of my estate not heretofore disposed of, to be held in trust by my executors for the aforesaid Delilah and that she have all the interest and benefits arising from the same during her natural lifetime; and at her death, if she has no heirs of her body, to return to the rest of my children or their legal representatives, but provided she shall have a surviving child or children, it shall be equally divided between the same.

Item 6th. I will that the other three‑fourths of my estate be equally divided between my children Emily J. Bowls, Nancy F. Fuller, and Seaborn W. Bowls.

Item 7th. I will that my executors have power to make such division. By a division of my negroes or by a sale of the same, which in their wisdom they may conceive most advantageous to my legatees.

Item 8th. I constitute and appoint Thomas C. Janes and Bivin Bowls my lawful executors to this my last will and testament to execute the same according to the tenure thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this seventh of March eighteen hundred and twenty‑six.

Signed and sealed in presence of:

Francis West
Thos. Moseley
Jno. Wilson

Jesse Booles (Seal)

Note: Lavina's nickname is Viny as shown in a notice published in the Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, on August 13, 1827.

Reference

Jesse Booles, Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742–1992.

Pearl C. Durham

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.

Pearl C. Durham, daughter of Thomas Rufus Durham and Mary Ann Cordelia “Mollie” Reynolds, was born in Alabama on May 24, 1878. Although no record has been found to confirm her middle name, her Find A Grave memorial lists it as Cordelia. Given that Cordelia was her mother’s middle name, it is possible that Pearl shared it. She was the second of four children—William “Willie” Marshall, Pearl C., Florence, and Elizabeth “Lizzie” T. Durham.

Pearl is the wife of the brother-in-law of my 1st cousin 4x removed, connecting through Robert Chester Lankford, brother of my 3rd great grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford.

On June 9, 1880, the Durham family lived in District 138 of Greene County, Georgia. Thomas worked as a farmer while Mollie kept the household. Pearl, age two, and her brother Willie, age four, were the only children in the home at that time.

Pearl married Wesley Bluford Young, son of Samuel Yancy Young and Matilda N. Guill, on December 15, 1897, in Greene County. Wesley was 12 years older than Pearl. Together they had five children: Ernest Willie, Thomas Yancy, Gladys E., Margaret “Florene”, and Wesley Bluford Young Jr. Thomas’s middle name honored his paternal grandfather, who shared the same middle name.

In June 1900, Pearl and Wesley were living in Woodville, Greene County, where they rented a home and Wesley worked as a farmer. Their first child, Ernest, was the only child in the household. Pearl’s father died on July 11, 1909, and was buried at Woodville Cemetery.

By April 1910, the Young family had moved to Sparta in Militia District 102 of Hancock County. Pearl had given birth to four children, all of whom were living. Wesley’s 40‑year‑old uncle, Mike Young, lived with them. Both Wesley and Mike worked as carpenters, while Mollie maintained the home. Everyone except Gladys and Florene could read and write. This census listed Pearl’s birthplace as Georgia rather than Alabama. Pearl’s sister Florence died on June 27, 1914, two days before her birthday, and was buried at Woodville Cemetery. When Ernest registered for the World War I draft around 1917–1918, he listed his father—then living in Stephens, Oglethorpe County—as his nearest relative.

By January 1920, the Young family had settled in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, living on Stephens Road. All members of the household were literate. Wesley farmed with the help of his son Thomas, while Ernest was attending business college. Pearl’s sister Lizzie died on February 14, 1924, and was buried at Woodville Cemetery.

By April 1930, the children had left home, and Pearl and Wesley had returned to Woodville, where they rented a home on Woodville Road. Once again, the census recorded Pearl’s birthplace as Georgia. Wesley was now working as a grocery store merchant. Pearl’s mother died on February 14, 1933, and was buried at Woodville Cemetery.

In April 1940, Pearl and Wesley were still living in Woodville, in the same home they had occupied since 1935. At age 74, Wesley was no longer able to work and had no income. Pearl had completed the second year of high school, while Wesley had a sixth‑grade education. Their daughter Gladys, her husband Lawrence Steele, and grandchildren Edward, John, and Marilyn lived next door. Wesley died on May 16, 1947, and was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery. Their son Wesley Jr. served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

By April 1950, Pearl—now widowed—was living alone in Woodville at age 71.

Pearl’s son Ernest died in Cook County, Illinois, on November 19, 1969. His remains were returned to Georgia and buried at Bairdstown Cemetery. A month later, on December 20, 1969, Pearl died in Union Point, Greene County. She too was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery.

References

• Ernest Willie Young, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52989702/thomas_rufus-durham: accessed June 18, 2026), memorial page for Thomas Rufus Durham (30 Dec 1847–11 Jul 1909), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52989702, citing Woodville Cemetery, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52989703/mary_ann_cordelia-durham: accessed June 18, 2026), memorial page for Mary Ann Cordelia “Mollie” Reynolds Durham (16 Dec 1849–14 Feb 1933), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52989703, citing Woodville Cemetery, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52989705/florence-durham: accessed June 18, 2026), memorial page for Florence Durham (29 Jun 1881–27 Jun 1914), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52989705, citing Woodville Cemetery, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52989704/elizabeth_t-durham: accessed June 18, 2026), memorial page for Elizabeth T. Durham (11 May 1883–14 Feb 1924), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52989704, citing Woodville Cemetery, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52991531/pearl-young: accessed June 18, 2026), memorial page for Pearl Durham Young (24 May 1878–20 Dec 1969), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52991531, citing Bairdstown Cemetery, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Pearl D Young, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919–1998.
• Pearl Durham, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Pearl Durham, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Personal visit to Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Sparta, Militia District 102, Hancock County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1900, 1930, 1940, 1950.
• Wesley Bluford Young Jr., U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca. 1775–2019. 

Amy and Sukey, property of John Wilson Jr.

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

The Georgia Journal, Milledgeville, Georgia, April 13, 1824

On the first Tuesday in June next, will be sold at the court house in the town of Greenesborough, Greene county, between the usual hours of sale, the following property, to wit.

Two negroes, Amy a woman about 25 years old, and her child Sukey about 4 years old, levied on as the property of John Wilson, jr. to satisfy a fi fa on the foreclosure of a mortgage in favor of Jesse Booles, vs John Wilson, jr.—property pointed out in the fi fa.

WILLIAM GREER, D.Sh’ff. 

Reference

The Georgia Journal, Milledgeville, Georgia, p. 4, April 13, 1824. 

Jim, Viny, and child, property of Jesse Booles’ estate

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records. 

Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, August 13, 1827

Agreeable to an order of the Inferior court of Greene county, sitting for ordinary purposes, will be sold at the Court-house door, in the town of Greenesboro’ Greene county, on the first Tuesday in September next, three negroes, Jim, a fellow, and Viny and her child, belonging to the estate of Jesse Booles, late of said county, dec’d—sold for the benefit of the creditors of said dec’d.

BIVEN BOOLES, Ex’r. July 11 

Update 7/12/26: Viny is a nickname. Her real name is Lavina as listed in the Last Will and Testament of Jesse Booles.

Reference

Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, p. 4, August 13, 1827.