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. 

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. 

Josiah Tuck

Josiah Tuck, son of Edward Tuck, was born about 1760 in Halifax County, Virginia. As best as can be determined, his siblings were Mary, Moses, Edward Jr., Sarah, Vashti, Tabitha, Susannah, Carter, and Jane Tuck. Josiah is my 4th great‑grandfather, and our nearest common ancestor is his son, Claiborne Tuck, my 3rd great-grandfather.

Edward Tuck’s 1780 will is the key to identifying him as Josiah’s father. It names a son Josiah who fits the right age to become the man later found in Georgia, and Josiah’s daughters—Sarah, Tabitha, and Susannah—match the names of Edward’s daughters. No other Tuck family in Halifax had a son named Josiah, and Edward’s Josiah disappears from Virginia records just as a Josiah appears in Georgia. Taken together, this makes Edward the most likely father. The Tucks were established in Halifax County by at least 1748, and probably earlier.

Edward died in 1781. In his will, he left Josiah an equal share of the family’s Buffalo Creek land, to be held jointly with his brother Moses. This tract formed part of the original Tuck plantation along the upper branches of Buffalo Creek, a tributary of the Banister River. Unlike Edward Jr., who inherited the home plantation, or Carter, who received a separate tract, Josiah’s inheritance was tied specifically to the Buffalo Creek acreage.

On December 22, 1782, Josiah married Tabitha Harris in Halifax County. They eventually had at least eight children: Susannah, Sarah, Nancy, Mary, Claiborne, Benjamin W., Tabitha C., and Martha F. Tuck.

Sometime in the late 1790s, Josiah and Tabitha left Virginia for Georgia. Before departing, Josiah conveyed or surrendered his interest in the Buffalo Creek land to Moses. By 1799, he was in Wilkes County, where he appeared on the list of “defaulters”—a term referring not to unpaid debts but to men who failed to attend militia musters or submit their annual tax lists. By 1800, he had settled in Oglethorpe County, where the census recorded him as a white male aged 26–45 living with a young wife and two enslaved people. Although the census household does not reflect the older children known from later records, the enumeration confirms Josiah’s presence in Georgia at the very beginning of the new century.

By 1804, Josiah had lived in Georgia long enough to meet the three‑year residency requirement for the 1807 Georgia Land Lottery, qualifying for two draws as a married man with legitimate children. He also appears in Oglethorpe County civic records, serving as a juror during the June 1808 court term. In 1820, he was still in Oglethorpe, heading a mid‑life farming household that included his wife, several sons and daughters, and three family members engaged in agriculture.

Josiah Tuck listed as an eligible drawer in the
1807 Oglethorpe County land lottery

During the 1820s, Josiah moved back into Wilkes County, where he became part of the Burroughs–Mathews neighborhood network. His earliest known Wilkes County appearance came in October 1824, when he served as a witness—leaving his mark rather than a written signature—on the will of Peggy Burroughs. His participation as a witness, despite being unable to write, shows he was trusted and physically present in the community. In 1825 and 1826, he assisted the administrators of the estate of Josiah Jordan by paying postage on a legal commission sent to Alabama and performing other small administrative tasks. One payment to him totaled $6.37½, a figure made possible by the United States Mint’s production of actual half‑cent coins between 1793 and 1857.

Josiah continued to appear in Wilkes County civic records. He served as a juror during the May 5, 1829 Inferior Court session and, on November 1, 1830, was appointed one of the appraisers of the estate of Isaac Eason. After taking the required oath in open court, he joined William Brook, James D. Willis, and Luke Turner in producing the official inventory and valuation of Eason’s property.

The 1830 census places Josiah in District 168 of Wilkes County with his wife, an adult son, two daughters, and two enslaved young men. In 1831, the estate of Ann M. Jordan recorded income from hiring out enslaved people, including a man named Burwell who lived and worked with Josiah that year. By 1838, the tax digest for Captain Jackson’s District shows that “Josiah Tuck (old)” owned 202½ acres, with his taxes returned by his son Benjamin, indicating that Benjamin was acting on his father’s behalf.

By 1840, Josiah—now in his 70s—was still maintaining a modest farm in District 168. His household included his aging wife, two unmarried daughters in their 20s, and a girl aged 10 to 14 who was almost certainly his granddaughter Tabitha C. Hewell, whom he later described in his will as the child he had “raised.” The census also recorded one enslaved man, aged 24 to 25. A voucher from the estate of Parmenas Haynes confirms that a physician was paid for treating a man named Jack who “lived with Josiah Tuck” during 1840, aligning with the census and showing that Josiah housed and supervised an enslaved laborer belonging to the Haynes estate. His wife died sometime between the 1840 census and the writing of his will in 1843.

Voucher for medical care of Jack, an enslaved man living with Josiah (1841)

Josiah wrote his will on October 13, 1843, leaving a carefully structured estate plan that reflected both prior provisions for his older children and his desire to secure the futures of his youngest daughters. Susannah, Sarah, Nancy, and Mary each received a feather bed, furniture, cow, and calf—property they had already received during his lifetime. Claiborne and Benjamin likewise had already received livestock and household goods, including a dark bay mare for Claiborne and a bright bay mare for Benjamin. The two youngest daughters, Tabitha and Martha, unmarried and still living with him, inherited the home plantation, land, tools, livestock, and all household and kitchen furniture. His granddaughter Tabitha C. Hewell (daughter of Mary) received a feather bed, furniture, cow, and calf. Josiah named his son Benjamin and trusted neighbor Luke Turner as executors. The will was witnessed by Luke Turner, Richard J. Barrett, and Daniel M. Irvin.

Josiah’s Last Will and Testament

Josiah died between October 1843 and September 1844. On September 2, 1844, the Court of Ordinary of Wilkes County proved his will through the sworn testimony of Luke Turner and Daniel M. Wood, admitted it to record, and qualified Benjamin as executor. The estate remained under administration for several years, and in July Term 1851, the Inferior Court formally dismissed Benjamin from his executorship, issuing letters of dismission and confirming that the estate had been fully settled.

Court order dismissing Benjamin as executor (1851)

References

• Claiborne Tuck and Frances Moore marriage certificate, Wilkes. Marriage Records 1806–1832, image 243, FamilySearch.
• Edward Tuck, Last Will and Testament, Will Book 1 with Inventories and Accounts, 1773-1782, Halifax County, Virginia: Halifax. Will Books 1773–1782 | Halifax. Will Books 1773–1782, image 205, FamilySearch.
• Estate Case Files: Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1962, images 211, 607, and 746, FamilySearch.
• Isaac Eason probate, Wilkes. Probate Records 1828–1831, 1825–1828, image 473, FamilySearch.
• Josiah Task, Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785–1940/
• Josiah Tuck, Georgia, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790–1890.
• Josiah Tuck, Wilkes County, Georgia, Wills 1819–1836, 1837–1877, image 360, FamilySearch.
• List of Defaulters in Wilkes County for the Year 1799, The Augusta Chronicle and Gazette, Augusta, Georgia, April 12, 1800.
• Susannah Tuck, Mary Tuck, Nancy Tuck, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Census 1800, Land Lottery Records 1808–1832, Tax Records 1860, image 9, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Census 1800, Land Lottery Records 1808–1832, Tax Records 1860, image 83, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1794–1802, 1809–1811, 1794–1801, image 258, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Miscellaneous Records 1823–1829, image 71, FamilySearch.
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1962, image 732, FamilySearch.
• Peggy Burroughs, Wilkes County, Georgia, Wills 1819–1836, 1837–1877, image 214, FamilySearch.
• Surveys No. 1, 1751-1901, Halifax County, Virginia: Halifax. Surveyor's Books 1751–1901 | Halifax. Surveyor's Books 1751–1901, image 170, FamilySearch.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 168, Wilkes County, Georgia, 1830, 1840.
• U.S. Federal Census, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1820.
• Wilkes County, Georgia, Court Records 1801–1803, 1807–1809, 1811–1817, 1809–1811, 1812–1858, image 429, FamilySearch.
• Wilkes County, Georgia, Court Records 1828–1855, image 343, FamilySearch.
• Wilkes County, Georgia, Tax Records 1839, 1841, 1837, 1838, 1834, 1835, 1840, 1842, image 216, FamilySearch.
• Wilkes County, Georgia, Court Records 1828–1855, image 488, FamilySearch.

James England George

James England George was born on October 6, 1875, in Brush Knobb, Henry County, Georgia. He was the oldest of six children born to Raleigh David George and Mary Willie Hollingsworth. His siblings were Bertie, Hayden Edgar, Ennis Adelle, Julia “Cleo,” and Raleigh Mae George. Though not a blood relative, James is connected to my Hobbs and Lankford families through marriage. He may have gone by Jim.

The George family after the death of Raleigh D. George
Back: James England George, mother Mary Willie (Hollingsworth) George, Hayden Edgar George
Front: Ennis Adelle George, Julia Cleo George, Raleigh Mae George

On June 15, 1880, one‑year‑old James lived in Brush Knobb with his widowed grandfather, Newton George; his aunts Sarah (14) and Gatewood (12); and his parents, Raleigh (19) and Mary (17). “Brush Knobb” was not an officially recognized community, but it was the name the 1880 census taker used to describe the local area he enumerated. Both Raleigh and Newton worked as farmers, while Mary kept house. Sarah and Gatewood were attending school. Also in the household was Melvin George, a 20‑year‑old black farm laborer.

James was 12 when his 6‑year‑old sister Bertie died in Conyers, Rockdale County, on April 21, 1887. She was buried at Smyrna Presbyterian Campground Cemetery in Conyers. Three years later, on March 23, 1891, his father Raleigh died in a tragic railroad accident at age 32. While working as a conductor in the East Tennessee yards, he was crushed between two colliding switch engines near the McDaniel Street crossing in Atlanta, Fulton County. Although he was rushed home, he died several hours later from severe leg injuries. A coroner’s jury later found that railroad employee negligence contributed to the accident. Within days, his widow, Mary George, filed a $25,000 lawsuit against the railroad, charging criminal negligence. Raleigh’s body was sent to Conyers, where he was buried beside Bertie at Smyrna Presbyterian Campground Cemetery.

Raleigh’s death left Mary to raise five children alone in Atlanta. The daughters remained in the city as adults, but James and his younger brother Hayden eventually left Atlanta for Greene County in search of work. There the brothers entered the lumber business and operated a sawmill. Hayden was known for his hot temper, and family memory suggests the two may have left Atlanta together after Hayden got into trouble, prompting a fresh start in Greene County.

James married Gussie M. (and/or Annette) McCarty, daughter of William Harris McCarty and Marian Langford Hobbs, in Atlanta, on July 31, 1898, in a ceremony officiated by the Rev. John Almand. Although the marriage certificate records her middle initial as “M,” her tombstone was engraved with the name Gussie Annette George. James and Gussie had six children: Willie Marion, Raleigh Minor, Mary Lou, James Otis, Gussie O., and Guy Walton George.

 

Two versions of the marriage license for James and Gussie

On June 12, 1900, James and Gussie were living in Militia District 146, in the Branch community of Greene County, with her widowed father, William McCarty. Both James and William were farmers. Their daughter, Willie Marion George, appeared in the census as “William M. George,” grandson, age one. James, Gussie, and William were all able to read and write.

By April 15, 1910, the family had moved to Main Street in Penfield, Greene County. James and Gussie had been married 11 years and had four children. William McCarty and James’ brother Hayden were also living in the household. James worked as a sawyer at a sawmill; William farmed; and Hayden worked as an agent for Gloria Light, a home lighting system rather than a local company. James’ sister Julia and her husband Augustus lived next door, as did my 2nd great‑grandmother Mary (Wilson) Lankford and her children Oliver and Della. James and Gussie welcomed a daughter, also named Gussie, on May 12, 1910, but she lived only a little over two months and died on July 31. She was buried at Penfield Cemetery.

Gussie, son Raleigh, and James

James’ sons Raleigh and James

James’ sons James Otis George, Guy Walton George,
and Raleigh Minor George

James registered for the World War I draft on September 12, 1918, in Oglethorpe County, giving his birth year as 1878 rather than 1875. At the time, he was a self‑employed blacksmith and automobile mechanic working in Stephens—an entirely typical combination in rural Georgia, where blacksmiths often became the first local mechanics as automobiles spread. He listed his wife, Gussie, as his nearest relative. The registrar described him as of medium height and build, with blue eyes and dark hair.

James’ World War I draft registration card

By January 8, 1920, the family was living on Bowling Green Road in Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County. Their five living children—Willie, Raleigh, Mary, James, and Guy—were still at home. James worked as an operator in an auto garage. Sixteen‑year‑old Raleigh worked as a farmer on a general farm, while Mary and James attended school. James’s 77‑year‑old widowed father was also living with the family and no longer working.

By April 25, 1930, James had moved back to Penfield, where he lived in a rented home with Gussie and their children Marion, Mary, James, and Guy. James and his son James were both working on the farm. The household owned a radio.

Gussie, James, and possibly his brother Hayden

James’s mother, Mary, died at her home in Atlanta on January 6, 1935, at age 73. After a memorial service on January 8 at the J. Austin Dillon Company funeral home, officiated by Rev. L. A. Davis and Rev. W. E. Crane, she was buried at Smyrna Campground Cemetery in Conyers. Possibly still grieving his mother’s death, James’ brother Hayden died in Atlanta on September 18, 1936, at age 54. He was buried at Penfield Cemetery.

James’ daughter Mary Lou George ca. 1939

On April 13, 1940, James was living at Penfield and Woodville Roads in Penfield, in the same home the family occupied in 1935. He had a seventh‑grade education. Their daughter Marion (40) and son James (33) and his wife Thelma (31) were living in the home and had been since 1935. James was self‑employed as a mechanic in his own shop, and his son drove an oil truck.

Original image of James provided by his grandson

Same image enhanced by CoPilot AI

On April 24, 1950, James, Gussie, and their daughter Marion were living in Penfield in the first house on the left past the Presbyterian Church. Marion, then 50, remained unmarried until age 73. Both James and Gussie were unable to work, so Marion kept house. They had lived in the same home in 1949. The 1950 census recorded James with an eighth‑grade education; he had been unable to work in 1949 and earned no income.

James’ sister Julia Cleo (George) Clark died at her home in Atlanta on March 21, 1952, and was buried at Smyrna Presbyterian Campground Cemetery in Conyers. His sister Raleigh Mae (George) Farrar died in Atlanta on October 29, 1958, and was buried at East View Cemetery in East Atlanta.

James died in Greene County on August 18, 1960, at age 82, following a stroke that left him without speech. He was confined to bed for several years before his death. His daughters Marion and Mary Lou, along with his wife, cared for him until the end. He was buried at Penfield Cemetery.

My thanks to Kenneth George, James’ grandson, who shared memories and family photos with me 10 years ago.

References

• A Conductor Killed in the East Tennessee Yards Yesterday Morning: The Coroner Investigates the Killing, and Charges the Railroad Company’s Employees with Negligence, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 24, 1891.
• Crushed to Death: Mr. R. D. George, a Yard Conductor is Killed by a Switch Engine, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 24, 1891.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20820586/cleo-clark: accessed March 19, 2026), memorial page for Cleo George Clark (4 Apr 1890–21 Mar 1952), Find a Grave Memorial ID 20820586, citing Smyrna Presbyterian Campground Cemetery, Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Frankz (contributor 47926778).
• From Our Notebooks, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2, 1891.
• George—Mr. Hayden E. George, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, September 19, 1936.
• Gusie O. George tombstone, Penfield Cemetery, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia.
• James E. George, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919–1998.
• James England George, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Liberty Chapel Dots, The Conyers Weekly, Conyers, Georgia, April 27, 1887.
• Mortuary, Mrs. Carroll Farrar Sr., The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, October 31, 1958.
• Mrs. A. H. Clark, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, March 22, 1952.
• Mrs. Mary W. George, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, January 7, 1935.
• Personal family memories of Kenneth W. George, grandson of James England George.
• Personal visit to Penfield Cemetery, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Brushy Knobs, Henry County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1910, 1930, 1950. 

Celebrating 100 Years of Sam Lankford: A Life in Photos

Samuel Terrell Lankford—my Daddy—liked to say he’d live to be 110, because he still had plenty of people left to piss off. He didn’t make it quite that far, but he filled 93 years with grit, humor, and a whole lot of life. Born in 1926 and gone in 2019, he would have turned 100 today, March 26, 2026. To honor his centennial, I’m sharing a walk through his life in photos, decade by decade—a hundred years of stories in the face of one man. Happy 100th birthday in Heaven, Daddy—we’re celebrating you today!

1940s

Daddy with his sister Alice on the right

Boot camp, U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, 1944

Daddy is on the right end in the left photo

Daddy (center) worked for his uncle Jerry Gregory at
Gregory Plumbing and was trained by the man on the right

Mama (Fay), my sister Bonita, and Daddy

Daddy and Bonita 

1950s

Daddy and Mama with my sisters Bonita and Jennifer

Daddy with Bonita and Jennifer

Bonita, Jennifer, and Daddy holding me 

Mama and Daddy on the right

Celebrating my 2nd great grandmother Martha (Ogle) Shields on her
88th birthday—front center—with Bonita, Mama holding me,
Daddy holding Michael, and Jennifer gathered around her

Daddy and Daisy (Shields) Vest (my granny)

Daddy and Michael

Daddy with his siblings and parents at the old Lankford home place in
Penfield: Liz, Lucile, Grandma (Floria), Grandpa (Carroll Sr.),
Alice, and Betty, Sport (Carroll Jr.), Grover, Clark, and Daddy

1960s

My uncle Grover; Uncle Clark holding me on the left and Michael on
the right; my Grandma Lankford; Bonita; Daddy; and Jennifer

Daddy with his children: me, Jennifer, Michael, Vanessa, and Bonita

Jennifer, Vanessa, Michael, Daddy, me, and Bonita at the Lankford
home place in Penfield

Me, Jennifer, Daddy, and Michael at Grant Park in Atlanta

Daddy, Vanessa, Michael, and Jennifer

Me and Daddy, taken at our Macon Drive house in Atlanta

Taken at our Macon Drive house in Atlanta

1970s

Uncle Ralph Epps, Daddy, Michael, Uncle Clark, and Grandpa Lankford
at Bairdstown Cemetery after Grandma’s burial

My cousin Tim Griffith, Uncle Lawrence Griffith, and Daddy

Daddy with grandsons Brian and Jonathan Streetman at our
Macon Drive house

1980s

Lankford siblings: Liz, Betty, Alice, Lucile, Sport, Clark, Grover, and Daddy

Wife Louise (my stepmother), grandson Chris Murphy, and Daddy in
front of the White House, Washington, DC

1990s

Celebrating the birthday of Willie B., Zoo Atlanta’s silverback
gorilla for 39 years. The zoo built a giant ice‑cream sundae on rows
of conference tables, and we watched them fill it with ice cream
and toppings before everyone got to enjoy it.

Daddy with our dog Barney. After our dog Murph
died, my young son asked if he could “die for a
 little while” so he could go see his dog again. When
I told Daddy the story, he brought Barney
to us—and Barney always remembered him
when he visited.

Grandson Kevin Murphy, Uncle Clark, grandson Chris Murphy, and Daddy

Daddy and grandson Kevin Murphy on the left, and Daddy holding
the Scarlett O’Hara figurine he received for his birthday on the right—he
loved Gone With the Wind.

Daddy in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics

2000s

A happy day for Daddy at lunch with his family at Anne & Bill’s in Forest Park

Aunt Lucile, Uncle Sport, and Daddy

With grandsons Chris Lankford on the left and Chris Murphy
on the right (the photo with Chris Murphy was taken at
Daddy’s 80th birthday party)

Daddy, me, Bonita, Jennifer, Vanessa, and Michael

 2010s

Daddy and granddaughter Nikki Lankford

Me, Daddy, Bonita, and Jennifer after lunch at the Atlanta State
Farmers Market Restaurant

Daddy at a rehabilitation center after he broke his elbow

Daddy, granddaughter Emily, and Jennifer celebrating Christmas

Daddy and grandson Chris Murphy on the left; Daddy on the
right—both at Autum Village Assisted Living

Daddy and Jennifer on the left; Daddy and Vanessa on the
right—both at Christian City Nursing Home

Celebrating his 90th birthday at Christian City Nursing Home
(I remember he didn’t want to be there that day)

Me, Daddy, Jennifer, Michael, and Vanessa

Daddy celebrating his 93rd birthday
at Christian City Nursing Home

Today, Daddy rests at Bairdstown Cemetery, surrounded by his parents, his brothers and sisters—Lucile, Sport, Alice, and Clark—along with the wider circle of Lankford family who share that patch of earth, including a niece, a nephew, and several in‑laws. For years, he donated money to help with the cemetery’s upkeep, a tradition I now continue each year in honor of his birthday. One hundred years later, the best of him lives in the people who loved him.