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. 

Wesley Bluford Young Jr.

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.

Wesley Bluford Young Jr., son of Wesley “Mike” Bluford Young Sr. and Pearl Durham, was born in Sparta, Hancock County, Georgia, on July 16, 1911. Wesley was the youngest of five children: Ernest W. Young, Thomas Y. Young, Gladys E. Young, Florene M. Young, and himself.

Wesley’s relationship to me is that he is the nephew of the wife of my first cousin four times removed. His aunt, Martha Elizabeth Young, was married to John Wesley Lankford, son of Robert Chester Lankford, who was the brother of my third great-grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford. We have no direct common relative.

On January 2, 1920, Wesley and his family lived on a rented farm located on Stephens Road in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Wesley’s father was a farmer on the home farm, assisted by Wesley’s brother, Thomas. Everyone in the household was literate. However, at age nine, Wesley was not attending school, nor were his sisters, Gladys and Florene. Wesley’s brother, Ernest, aged 21, was attending college at that time.

It appeared that the Young family lived two houses away from the John Wesley Lankford family (enumerated as Langford). However, a closer look reveals that the Lankford family actually lived on Briscoe Road, not two houses away. I checked Google Maps to see how close the two roads are to each other, but unfortunately, Briscoe Road does not show up. John Wesley Lankford’s wife, Martha Elizabeth (Young) Lankford, was the sister of Wesley Sr. 

I have been unable to locate Wesley in the 1930 census, but records indicate he was residing in Bairdstown in 1935. By February 1936, Wesley had relocated to Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia, approximately 77 miles from Bairdstown. On February 17, 1936, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. The Macon Evening News reported his acceptance into the Navy on February 20.

CITY ITEMS. Accepted for service in the U.S. navy yesterday were: James E. Elder, Carl F. Hutcheson, Jr., Atlanta; Cater M. Rountree, Augusta; George M Turner, Jr., Miles F. White, Atlanta; Marvin Stillwell, James A. Wood, Columbus; Wesley B. Young, Jr., Augusta. To conclude the February enlistments Macon men will be accepted today.

On June 12, 1936, Wesley was assigned to the U.S.S. Salinas. Two years into his military service, he was stationed in Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia, a major hub for the U.S. Navy. On June 19, 1938, his engagement to Martha Lynn Payne, daughter of Howard David Payne and Bessie Mae Jackson, was announced in The Atlanta Journal:

PAYNE-YOUNG. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Payne, of Blue Ridge, announce the engagement of their daughter, Martha Lynn, to Wesley B. Young, Jr., of Bairdstown and Norfolk, Va., the marriage to be solemnized in the fall.

As noted in the announcement, they were married that fall. By 1939, they lived on Hamilton Avenue in Norfolk. Their union was blessed with two sons: Richard Ray Young and Wesley Bluford Young III.

On March 31, 1939, Wesley appeared on the muster roll of the U.S.S. Salinas, the ship he was first assigned to in June 1936. He remained on the ship until at least February 1940.

Wesley reenlisted for four years in March 1940 and appeared on the muster roll of the Naval Receiving Station in Norfolk. On April 10, 1940, the Young family lived in a rented home on Lens Avenue in Norfolk. Wesley served as an electrician’s mate in the Navy. He appeared on the muster rolls for the U.S.S. Hilary P. Jones in September and December 1940, and January 1941. On June 4, 1941, Wesley was received at New York, New York on the U.S.S. Catlinn. He transferred to the U.S.S. Tarazed on June 14, 1941, which was commissioned that day. He remained on the ship at least through the end of the year. During peacetime, the Tarazed was used to transport fruit and passengers.

U.S.S. Tarazed (ca. 1942, public domain)

In January, February, April, and June 1942, Wesley appeared on the muster rolls for the U.S.S. Talamanca. From at least March to December 1943, Wesley was on the muster roll for the U.S.S. Perkins, a Mahan-class destroyer that served in the Pacific during World War II.

On December 31, 1943, Wesley appeared on a muster roll for the Shoemaker, California receiving station. By February 1944, he held the rank of ensign, an entry-level commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, equivalent to a Second Lieutenant in other military branches and often referred to as junior officers. 

Wesley, an electrician, was a member of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons in 1944.

On October 3, 1944, Wesley appeared on a muster roll at the Summer Street receiving station in Boston, Massachusetts. Sometime afterwards, he moved his family to Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, where they lived in an apartment on 4th Street NE until at least 1947. Wesley’s father passed away on May 16, 1947, and was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown. On October 23, 1948, Wesley appeared on a muster roll for the Newport, Rhode Island Naval Training Station.

By April 3, 1950, Wesley and his family were residing in the community of Fairfield, near Richmond in Henrico County, Virginia. The census record from that year reflects his service in the armed forces. The 1950 Richmond City Directory showed Wesley working as the assistant officer in charge at the U.S. Navy Recruiting Station in Sandston, Henrico County, Virginia. His wife, Martha, was not employed, and their sons were 15 and 10 years old. 

On June 12, 1956, Wesley appeared on a “List of In-Bound Passengers” aboard the USNS Henry Gibbins (T-AP-183), departing Cristobal in the Panama Canal Zone, with an expected arrival at the port of New York, New York on June 18.

It appears Wesley was traveling home in preparation for his retirement. On June 30, 1956, he was discharged from the Navy after serving 21 years and holding the rank of Lieutenant at the time of his retirement. In the fall of 1957, Martha, a member of the Cradock Music Club, assisted in organizing a luncheon following the first meeting of the season for the club, held in Cradock, a historic district in Portsmouth, Virginia, near Norfolk.

Wesley’s son, Wesley III, married Carolyn Vaughn Frazier, daughter of Raymond Leslie Frazier and Celia Jones, at the First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, on November 30, 1963. Wesley’s oldest son, Richard, who lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the time, served as his brother’s best man.

Wesley’s mother passed away on December 20, 1969. She was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown.

Wesley, aged 85, died in DeKalb County, Georgia, on November 16, 1996. He was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service held at Bill Head Funeral Home, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel. At the time of his death, Wesley lived in Norcross, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and was a member of the Lilburn First Baptist Church. He was survived by his wife, his two sons, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

References

• Bessie Jackson, Georgia, County Marriages, 1785–1950.
• Carolyn V. Frazier Married, The Daily Advance, Lynchburg, Virginia, December 9, 1963.
• City Items, Macon Evening News, Macon, Georgia, February 20, 1936.
• Martha Young obituary, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 5, 2007.
• Norfolk, Virginia, City Directory, 1939.
• Payne-Young, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, June 19, 1938.
• Personal visit to Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• Singer Opens ‘57 Season for Club of Music Lovers, Ledger-Star, Norfolk, Virginia, October 3, 1957.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Fairfield, Henrico County, Virginia, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Morganton, ED 41, Fannin County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia, 1940.
• USS Tarazed; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tarazed. 
• Wesley B. Young Jr., The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, November 18, 1996.
• Wesley B. Young Jr., The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, November 19, 1996.
• Wesley B. Young, Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1944, 1947.
• Wesley B. Young, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919–1998.
• Wesley B. Young, Norfolk, Virginia, City Directory, 1939.
• Wesley B. Young, Receiving Station, New York, Ny. 30 Apr 1931 to 1 Nov 1946 Part 1, 1 Jan 1939 to 30 Jun 1941, U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Wesley B. Young, Richmond, Virginia, City Directory, 1950.
• Wesley B. Young, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850–2010.
• Wesley B. Young, U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Wesley Bluford Young Jr., U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862–1985.
• Wesley Bluford Young Jr., U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Wesley Bluford Young Jr., U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Wesley Bluford Young, 3rd, Certificate of Marriage no. 35352, Commonwealth of Virginia, November 1963.
• Wesley Bluford Young, Jr., U.S., Veterans’ Gravesites, ca. 1775–2019.
• Wesley Bluford Young, Massachusetts, U.S., Mason Membership Cards, 1733–1990.
• Wesley Young, Receiving Station, Ntdc Shoemaker, Ca. General Detail Part 4, 1 Dec 1943 to 31 Dec 1943, U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Young, Frazier Vows Said, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, December 17, 1963. 

Vesta Bell Lankford

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

Vesta Bell Lankford, born on August 12, 1898, in Stephens, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, was the daughter of William Mell Lankford and Nancy Ella Young. The Lankford family had nine children: Grover Bennett Lankford, Howard Young Lankford, Annie Lou Lankford, Robert “Chester” Lankford, Masina Elizabeth Lankford, Vesta Bell Lankford, Pauline Lankford, William Reese Lankford, and Otis Elmore Lankford. Vesta is my 2nd cousin 3x removed, with our nearest common relatives being Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore, my 4th great-grandparents and her great-grandparents.

On June 21, 1900, the family, including Vesta (enumerated as Vester), lived in Fluker, Greene County, Georgia. Her father worked as a farmer, her brother Howard was a farm laborer, and sisters Annie and Masina were in school. Vesta’s maternal uncle, Jim Young, also lived with them and worked as a farm laborer. The census recorded that Vesta’s mother had eight children, seven of whom were living, accounting for the death of Vesta’s brother Grover, who passed away as an infant in 1885 before Vesta was born. Her parents had been married for 17 years.

By April 20, 1910, the Lankford family had relocated to a rented farm on Bowling Green Road in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Vesta’s mother had given birth to another child since the 1900 census. Her father continued to work as a general farmer, and her brother Chester worked as a laborer on the home farm. Vesta, Pauline, William, and Otis were all attending school. Everyone except William and Otis could read and write.

On the night of December 28, 1914, in Bairdstown, a tragic incident occurred involving a group of boys engaged in mischief. Hugh Arnold, a local young man, fired his pistol aimlessly to scare the boys, accidentally hitting Vesta’s 14-year-old brother, Otis, in the head. Otis succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. Arnold, shocked by the unintended consequence, claimed he had no intention of harming anyone. He was later bound over to the Superior Court under a $400 bond. Otis was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery.

In the fall of 1914, Vesta took part in a subscription contest organized by The Athens Banner newspaper in Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. Contestants earned points by securing payments for new newspaper subscriptions. Additionally, they could submit coupons published in the newspaper to earn votes, provided they adhered to strict submission guidelines. The Banner awarded over $2500 in prizes and cash commissions to more than 100 young women.

In June 1917, Vesta and her sister Masina, residents of Bairdstown, traveled to Athens to visit Miss Ida Power, repeating the visit in September. Athens is roughly a 30-minute drive from Bairdstown. By 1918, Vesta had started her career as a schoolteacher in the community of Dorsey, Morgan County, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia’s summer school that year while living in Stephens. In April 1919, Vesta and her sister Pauline, also a teacher, took a weekend trip to visit Mrs. W. E. Monroe, attending both the Minstrel and the Teachers’ Institute. Later, in July 1919, Vesta visited friends in Stephens, and attended a Masonic barbecue in the town of Bostwick, nearby in Morgan County, Georgia.

On January 6, 1920, the Lankford family resided on Lexington Road in Bairdstown. Vesta’s father owned the home outright. Alongside 24-year-old Vesta, three of her adult siblings lived there: Masina (28), Pauline (22), and William (20). Their single, 62-year-old paternal uncle, Charles F. Lankford, also lived with them. Uncle Charles worked as a house painter. Vesta’s father and brother William both worked as farmers on the home farm, while Vesta was a common school teacher, and Pauline taught high school. A common school teacher was an educator who taught in a “common school” during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Common schools were the earliest form of public schools in the United States, offering free education to all children in the community. These teachers were responsible for teaching a variety of subjects to students of different ages and skill levels, often in a single classroom setting.

Next door, Vesta’s brother Robert lived with his wife Mendie (Hayes) and their eight-month-old son Robert. Robert, too, was a farmer on his own farm. The census was enumerated by William M. Langford, possibly Vesta’s father, despite the slight variation in spelling (Langford vs. Lankford).

On January 30, the Madisonian reported that Vesta, residing in Dorsey, was visited by her brother ‘Willie’ from Stephens. In February 1920, Vesta attended a ‘popcorn popping’ at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Bailey in Dorsey.

Vesta, described as “a popular teacher of the county” by the Madisonian, visited Madison in Morgan County, Georgia, in September 1921. She also made a trip to Athens with her sister Annie and a Mrs. Stephens. During the 1921–1922 school year, Vesta taught at Greenwood School in Morgan County, boarding with Mrs. Jim Thomas. In November 1921, she was appointed to a Harris district committee of the Morgan County Relief Association.

In 1923, Vesta lived briefly in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, where she renewed her newspaper subscription to the Madisonian. By the mid-1920s, several Lankford family members, including Vesta, relocated to Gary, Lake County, Indiana. Vesta’s brother Howard had moved there earlier, likely prompting the family’s move. In 1925, Vesta, her parents, brother William, and sister Pauline lived at 457 Fillmore Street, while Howard and his wife resided at 408 Fillmore Street. Vesta worked as a clerk, her father as a bricklayer, William as a millworker, Pauline as a stenographer, and Howard as an assistant superintendent at the United States Steel Corporation.

Vesta returned to Crawford, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, by August 1927, attending a wiener and marshmallow roast at the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Crawford. During the 1928–1929 school year, she taught at a Bibb City School in Muscogee County, living in a boarding house at 96 40th Street in Bibb City, owned by Eva Gardner.

Vesta continued to reside at Eva Gardner’s boarding house as of April 5, 1930, while teaching at a public school. The boarding house was quite large, housing 15 other boarders, mostly teachers, with one social worker. During the holidays, Vesta visited Misses Sara Anderson and Jean Walker at Winnie Griffith’s home. She spent another week with Winnie in June 1931 before returning home to Crawford.

In June 1932, Vesta was an honored guest at a bridge party hosted by Mrs. E. H. Griffith. The home was beautifully decorated with summer flowers, and an ice course, likely including ice cream or frozen sherbet, fruit salad, and ice-cold beverages, was served after the games. Vesta taught grammar school in Watkinsville, Oconee County, Georgia, during the 1933–1934 school year.

Vesta's mother, Ella (Young), passed away at her home in Crawford on December 9, 1933, after a short illness. She was laid to rest at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service at the Crawford Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. Alton Glazier, a Presbyterian pastor, and assisted by Rev. F. J. Hendrick, a Baptist pastor. At the time of her mother’s death, Vesta was living in Crawford.

In January 1934, Vesta attended a dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Elder in Watkinsville. In March, she spent a weekend visiting Laura Ware in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia, and made a shopping trip to Athens. In May, Eliose Sewart spent the weekend with Vesta in Crawford. In July, Vesta visited friends in Watkinsville. During the 1934–1935 school year, Vesta taught 7th grade classes and served as the principal of a grammar school in Watkinsville.

In August 1934, Vesta visited Winnie Griffith in Butler, Taylor County, Georgia, likely to attend a bridal kitchen shower for Wynnita Taylor at Mrs. S. B. Liggin’s home. Guests wrote recipes for a cookbook for the bride-elect, followed by gift openings and lunch. Vesta also spent a day in Athens with her friend Connie Hopkins. Later in August, Vesta attended a bridge party for bride-elect Dorothy Little at Connie’s home in Crawford, where she won top score. Guests enjoyed a salad course after the game. In December, Vesta, her sister Masina, and friend Connie spent the Saturday before Christmas shopping in Athens.

In March 1935, Vesta attended a dinner party at the home of Mrs. Harvey Downs in Watkinsville. In July, she spent several days with Mr. and Mrs. Jim Jones, also in Watkinsville. That same March, she served on the Library Committee for Oconee County High School. In August, Vesta went on a shopping trip to Athens with her sister Pauline and friend Connie Tomkins.

Vesta attended a bridge party hosted by Connie Hopkins in honor of her sister Pauline, who was visiting from Indiana. Connie’s home was adorned with summer flowers, and guests enjoyed a salad course after playing 12 hands of Contract Bridge—a competitive game where scoring is based on the contracts bid and fulfilled by players.

In September, Vesta and her sisters Masina and Annie hosted a bridal shower for newlywed Mrs. Ernest Rice. The event included a game of bridge, the opening of gifts, and a salad course. The Lankford sisters decorated the home with a variety of floral arrangements.

In February 1936, Vesta attended a miscellaneous shower hosted by Mrs. R. E. Rice and Connie Hopkins in Crawford, celebrating her nephew James Howard Mayo’s new bride, Mary Helen Smith. James was the son of Vesta’s sister Annie, who married John Francis Mayo. The home was adorned in valentine colors, and guests enjoyed a variety of games. Vesta won a prize for preparing and packing the bride’s traveling bag, while her sister Masina won for composing the best limerick of good wishes. After the games, a delightful salad feast was enjoyed. A few days later, Vesta hosted James and Mary for dinner at her home.

In February 1937, Vesta attended a finance committee meeting of the Watkinsville Civitan Club, featuring guest speakers Track Coach Weems Baskin, world champion hurdler “Spec” Towns, and sprint artist Bobby Packard. Baskin was a legendary track and field coach at the University of South Carolina from 1948 to 1969 and an outstanding hurdler at Auburn University. Forrest Grady “Spec” Towns, a Georgia native, was a renowned American track and field athlete who won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1936 Olympics and set the world record three times, winning more than 60 consecutive races during his prime.

Later that month, Vesta attended another bridal shower, this time in honor of Mrs. Ferdinand Johnson and hosted by Mrs. Albert Elder. The event featured a game of bridge, followed by the bride opening gifts, which were presented in a special ceremony by a young girl and boy dressed as a bride and groom, marching in to a violin rendition of the wedding march played by Eloise Stewart. After the gifts, guests gathered in the dining room for refreshments, with the home decorated in silver and white.

In May 1936, Vesta was appointed as one of the Oconee County grammar school heads. In April 1937, she represented Oconee County at an event in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. By December 1937, Vesta, who had been teaching in an Atlanta school, resigned her position to accept a new role in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia.

Vesta’s brother, Chester, who suffered from heart disease, passed away in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 22, 1938. His body was returned to Georgia, and he was laid to rest three days later at Bairdstown Cemetery following a funeral service at Bairdstown Baptist Church.

On December 5, 1939, Vesta attended a Watkinsville Civitan Club meeting aimed at organizing support for new uniforms for the Oconee High School girls’ basketball team. In 1935, Vesta lived alone in a rental home in Watkinsville and continued to live there when the 1940 census was taken on April 4, 1940. She remained a public school teacher during this time.

In August 1944, Vesta received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia and became a member of Kappa Delta Pi.

Vesta’s father, William, passed away at his home in Crawford on October 6, 1944, after a short illness. His obituary described him as “one of the best known influential men in Oglethorpe County.” William was laid to rest on October 8 at Bairdstown Cemetery, following a funeral service at the Crawford Baptist Church.

In mid-October 1944, Vesta and her sister Masina visited Athens. Vesta’s brother William, who lived in Gary, Indiana, visited her in August 1946, and she accompanied him to Athens. In late November 1946, Vesta attended a Clarke County Georgia Teachers’ Association meeting at the Holman Hotel in Athens. She visited Athens again in August 1947.

Sometime between late 1947 and early 1950, Vesta lived in St. Louis, Missouri. By early August 1949, she was back in Georgia, visiting her sister Pauline in Athens.

On April 4, 1950, Vesta lived in Crawford with her sister Masina, who was head of the household, and her sister Annie and Annie’s husband John. Vesta was a county high school teacher, Masina an elementary school teacher, and Annie a grammar school teacher. John, Vesta’s brother-in-law, was the city police chief.

In April 1951, Vesta co-organized the Winterville PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) birthday meeting. Attendees were asked to bring a dish for supper, and they gathered in the school gym for an evening of food, fellowship, and fun. Participants were seated at tables according to their birth month. Pennies were collected for each year of an attendee’s age, with the funds intended to help send two outstanding members of the school patrol on an annual trip to Washington, DC, as school representatives.

In May 1955, Vesta assisted James Coile in creating a backdrop for a piano recital for his mother’s students. The backdrop featured a black background with Mount Fuji at its center, viewed through the Prayer Gate of a Shinto Temple. Red gladioli adorned the tops of the two pianos, while potted palms flanked the stage entrance.

The 1955–1956 school term began on September 6, 1955. Back in 1906, the portion of Winterville in Oglethorpe County was transferred to Clarke County. However, in August 1955, the Clarke County school superintendent announced that Winterville students residing in Oglethorpe County would need to transfer to schools within their home county. Vesta and her sister Masina, who were assigned to Winterville Grammar School, were affected by this change. For the 1956–1957 school year, both Vesta and Masina were assigned to Winterville Elementary School.

In April 1957, both Vesta and Masina received approval to continue teaching the following year. While they were currently assigned to Winterville School, their assignments for the next school year were subject to change.

In late June to early July 1958, Vesta embarked on the trip of a lifetime, traveling to Southampton, England, on what appears to be a school-sponsored trip abroad. The RMS Queen Mary’s passenger list for the return journey, arriving in New York on July 8, 1958, included multiple teachers and students. While in London, Vesta stayed at the Bonnington Hotel.

Incoming passenger list for the RMS Queen Mary, 1958

In March 1959, Vesta, along with several family members and approximately 170 other guests, attended the golden wedding anniversary reception for Judge and Mrs. W. W. Armistead in Athens. The home was beautifully adorned with an array of floral and candle arrangements. Refreshments were elegantly served on silver platters. The highlight of the celebration was a three-tiered wedding cake, decorated with lily of the valley and topped with a bride and groom. Even the cake knife was beautifully adorned with ribbon and lilies.

In early November 1959, parents and students were encouraged to attend a Winterville School PTA meeting, where Vesta gave a presentation on her European travels. She shared color slides, highlighting the memorable experiences from her summer trip.

On January 23, 1960, Vesta joined family and friends for a luncheon celebrating the golden wedding anniversary of her brother Howard and his wife, Alma (Webb). The event was held at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in Athens, affiliated with the University of Georgia. The tables were decorated with yellow mums and King Alfred jonquils, and the centerpiece was a three-tiered wedding cake featuring a white and yellow theme.

Vesta dedicated 44 years to teaching in Morgan, Clarke, Oglethorpe, Fulton, and Rockdale counties. In June 1961, the Winterville school community honored Vesta, her sister Masina, and Connie Hopkins for their remarkable combined teaching service of nearly 100 years.

Masina, Vesta, and Connie Hopkins (photo from Athens Banner-Herald,
REM Studio, 1961)

In June 1963, Vesta was a patient at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. She passed away on Christmas Day 1963 in Oglethorpe County. Vesta was laid to rest on December 27 at Bairdstown Cemetery, following a service at Crawford Baptist Church officiated by Revs. Hoyt Miller, William Gafford, and Dan Jordan. She was survived by her sisters Masina, Annie, and Pauline; brothers Howard and William; sister-in-law Mendie (Hayes) Lankford; and several nieces and nephews. Vesta was a member of Lexington Presbyterian Church.

Lankford family plot, Bairdstown Cemetery

In a will filed in June 1958 in Oglethorpe County, Vesta bequeathed her entire estate to her sister Masina, whom she also named as the executrix.

References

• 100 to Finish at University, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, August 20, 1944.
• Around the County, The Taylor County News and the Butler Herald, Butler, Georgia, June 14, 1963.
• Bishop News, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 9, 1934.
• Columbus, Georgia, City Directory, 1928.
• Coming Events, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, November 1, 1959.
• County Schools Set Opening Date, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 31, 1955.
• Death Takes Mrs. Ella Lankford at Home in Crawford, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, December 10, 1933.
• Dorsey Social News, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, July 25, 1919, January 30, 1920, and February 20, 1920.
• Dr. Stump, Guest Speaker at Clarke Teachers Meeting, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, December 4, 1946.
• Education Board Approves Teachers for Next Year, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, April 17, 1957.
• Forrest Towns; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Towns.
• Funeral Notices, Lankford, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, October 23 and 24, 1938.
• Gary, Indiana, City Directory, 1925.
• Goldstein, Evelyn, The Public School in the United States: A Documentary History, 2001.
• Gordon, Felton, Schools Opened at Watkinsville: Three Hundred and Thirty-Two Enrolled as Term Opens Monday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 5, 1933.
• Greene County, Eatonton Messenger, Eatonton, Georgia, January 8, 1915.
• Grover B. Lankford tombstone, Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• History of Winterville, Georgia; https://www.cityofwinterville.com/history. 
• Judge and Mrs. Armistead Celebrate Golden Anniversary, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, March 22, 1959.
• Keeping in Touch: Mr. and Mrs. H. Y. Lankford, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, February 5, 1960.
• Lankford Rites Planned Friday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, December 26, 1963.
• Last Rites Held Sunday for Howard Langford, Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, November 2, 1967.
• Lexington Personal and Social News, The Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 31, 1927.
• Local Teachers Report for Duty: Registration of Students Taking Place as Scheduled, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 30, 1956.
• Miss Hopkins is Hostess at Home to Mrs. English, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 4, 1935.
• Miss Little Guest at Bridge Party: Miss Connie Hopkins Entertains Bride-elect at Crawford Home, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 6, 1934.
• Miss Vesta Langford, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, May 5, 1922.
• Misses Langford Entertain Recent Bride at Shower, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 4, 1935.
• More Than 800 Young Women in Attendance at the Summer School, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, July 20, 1918.
• More Than One Hundred Representatives Qualify in The Banner's Great Contest, The Athens Banner, Athens, Georgia, September 27, 1914.
• Morgan County Relief Association, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, November 25, 1921
• Mr. Chester Lankford, Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, October 27, 1938.
• Mrs. C. S. Coile Presented Pupils in Recital Friday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, May 29, 1955.
• Mrs. E. H. Griffith Honors Visitors, The Butler Herald, Butler, Georgia, June 16, 1932.
• Mrs. James Mayo is Party Honoree, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, February 16, 1936.
• Oconee County High School: School Bits, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, March 17, 1935.
• Oconee School to Open Next Monday: Phillips Announces Opening Exercises at Watkinsville for Monday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 27, 1934.
• Otis Lankford Dead from Pistol Wound, newspaper and date unknown.
• Our Honor Roll, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, February 16, 1923.
• Our People, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, April 11, 1919.
• Out in Society, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 21, 1917.
• Personal Mention, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, March 20, 1934, December 23, 1934, August 27, 1935, October 15, 1944, August 7, 1946, and August 6, 1947.
• Personal visit to Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• Personals, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, August 7, 1949.
• Prof. Roy David Elected Superintndent [sic] of Oconee County High School at Recent Meeting of Watkinsville School Trustees, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, May 3, 1936.
• Reynolds Department, The Butler Herald, Butler, Georgia, December 6, 1928, December 4, 1930, and June 18, 1931.
• Reynolds Department: Shower for Bride-Elect, Butler Herald, Butler, Georgia, August 23, 1934.
• Robert Lankford, Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no. 36755, 1938.
• Rocked by Boys, Kills One; Is Held for Trial, The Atlanta Georgian, Atlanta, Georgia, January 8, 1915.
• Saye, Wade, County Schools Set Opening Date, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, November 1, 1955.
• School Teachers: Morgan County, 1918–1919, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, October 18, 1918.
• Society, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, September 16, 1921.
• Tyack, David B., The One Best System: A History of American Urban Education, 1974. 
• U.S. Federal Census, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1910, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bibb City, Muscogee County, Georgia, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, Crawford, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Fluker, Greene County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Watkinsville, Oconee County, Georgia, 1940.
• Vesta B Lankford, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919–1998.
• Vesta Bell Lankford, Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records (1958, Oglethorpe County), 1792–1992.
• Vesta Lankford, Southampton, England, 1958; UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960.
• W. M. Lankford Dies Home Friday Funeral Held Today, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, October 8, 1944.
• Watkinsville News, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, July 1, 1934, March 31 and July 21, 1935, February 20, 1936.
• Watkinsville News: Mrs. Johnson Honored, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, February 2, 1936.
• Watkinsville Social News, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, April 25, 1937, and December 12, 1937.
• Watkinsville, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, January 24, and March 25, 1934.
• Watkinsville, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, May 2, 1934.
• Weemie “Weems” Baskin, USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Special Inductee; https://cahof.ustfccca.org/award-winner/weems-baskin-ustfccca-special-inductee. 
• White School Teachers: Morgan County, GA, 1921–1922, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, November 18, 1921.
• Winterville PTA Plans Supper Meeting Thursday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, April 10, 1951.
• Winterville School Community, The Athens Daily Herald, Athens, Georgia, June 27, 1961.
• Winterville, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, September 21, 1917.
• Winterville, The Athens Daily Herald, Athens, Georgia, June 15, 1917.
• Woods, Sam, Visitin’ With the Watkinsville, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, December 10, 1939.
• Woods, Sam, Woods Covers Two Dinner Meetings: Banner-Herald Writer Enjoys Kiwanis and Civitan Meetings Wednesday, Athens Banner-Herald, Athens, Georgia, February 3, 1937. 

Samuel Y. Young

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.

Samuel Y. Young was born in South Carolina on September 6, 1824. I am unable to verify who his parents are but another researcher records them as being John Robert Young and Elizabeth Price. The same researcher also records two siblings that I am unable to confirm—David Wesley Young and Martha Caroline Young. I include them here as a hint should I continue to research Samuel, who was the father-in-law of my 1st cousin 4x removed. Samuel’s daughter Martha Elizabeth Young married John Wesley Lankford and daughter Nancy Ella Young married William Mell Lankford. Both John and William were sons of Robert Chester Lankford, brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford. We have no common relative.

Samuel married Mariet Masena Morgan in Gwinnett County, Georgia on August 10, 1848. Other researchers record Masena’s parents as George Brown Morgan and Rebecca Bonham, but this is another pair that I am unable to confirm. Samuel and Masena had six children together—Amandeline “Amanda” O. Young (born 1849), John Melvin Young (born 1850), George Young (born 1854), Joseph Jerrigan Young (born 1855), James Walton Young (born 1857), and Nancy Ella Young (born 1859).

Samuel and Masena's marriage certificate

On October 31, 1850, Samuel, Masena, and Amanda (age 1) lived in the Goodwins District of Gwinnett County where he worked as a farmer. The head of the household was a 50-year-old widow woman with six children named Sarah Collins. Samuel was unable to read or write. The Thomas D. Young family lived next door. Thomas was 24 years old and born in South Carolina so it is possible he connects to Samuel but I have not found a link yet. If Samuel’s parents and siblings noted above are in fact correct, then his 15-year-old sister, Martha Caroline Young, died on May 10, 1852 and his father, age 62, on August 12, 1852. Both died in Georgia and Find A Grave shows they were buried at the Young Family Cemetery in Four Points, Macon County, Georgia.

Samuel’s wife Masena died in Greene County, Georgia at the age of 32 on January 27, 1860. Her death followed an eight-month illness of scrofula, a form of tuberculosis. Masena was buried at the Young Family Cemetery, but this one on Road 140 in Greene County, just .4 miles from the Oglethorpe County line. There are approximately 50 unmarked graves in this cemetery according to E. H. Armor’s book The Cemeteries of Greene County Georgia. Her tombstone reads: At rest, each of us hopes to join you at last on that beautiful heavenly shore.

Samuel did not wait long before he took a second wife. He married Matilda H. Guill, daughter of Augustus Guill and Martha Milner, in Greene County on March 11, 1860. I guess he needed help with his six children who ages ranged from 11 to 1.

Samuel and Matilda's marriage license

Samuel and Matilda added to the family with four more children—William Henry Young (born 1860), Lula Jane Young (born 1863), Wesley Bluford Young (born 1865), and Martha Elizabeth Young (born 1867). On June 2, 1860, the Young family lived in Woodville, Greene County, Georgia. Matilda’s parents lived next door. Samuel worked as a farmer and had a personal estate valued at $1000. Amanda (enumerated as Mandy), George, and Joseph (enumerated as Jerrigan) were attending school. They shared their home with a 17-year-old female named Jane Morgan and an 18-year-old male named Charles Bagby. Charles worked as an apprentice farmer. 

In April 1862, Samuel enrolled as a private in Company E of the Third Regiment, Georgia State Guards, Carswell’s Brigade, in Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. He appeared on the muster roll as absent, sick at home, for the period September 15, 1863 to January 31, 1864.

On June 10, 1870, the Young family lived in Maxeys, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Samuel worked as a farmer and had a personal estate of $300. Matilda was keeping house and Amanda “at home.” John and George both worked as farm laborers. James, Ella (Nancy), and William were attending school. A 24-year-old female named Nancy Young was living in the home. I have not determined how or if she connects to the Young family at this point in my research. 

On June 2, 1880, Samuel and his family lived in District 137 of Greene County. Samuel continued to work as a farmer while Matilda stayed home keeping house. Seven of their children were still living at home, four of them adults in their 20s. Daughters Amanda, Nancy, and Lula were enumerated as “at home.” Sons Joseph, James, and Wesley were working as farm laborers. Martha was attending school. Lula, Wesley, and Martha could write but not read. A 23-year-old male named Charles Lankford, with the relationship to Samual enumerated as “employee” and working as a farm laborer, lived in the home. He was most likely the son of Robert Chester Lankford, born April 1857. Samuel was listed on the Woodville, Greene County property tax digests for the years 1880–1883. His household goods were valued at $25, livestock at $100, cotton and corn crops at $10, and the value of property of defaulters not doubled was $10 for a total of $145. He paid $100 in taxes for that period. Samuel was listed on the Bowling Green district, Stephens, Oglethorpe County real estate rolls during the years 1883–1887. His household furniture was valued at $25 and his livestock at $120 for a total of $145 personal estate. There was no real estate listed on the rolls for Samuel at that time so he mostly likely rented his farm.

Samuel submitted a Confederate Pension Application in Oglethorpe County on October 11, 1890. At the time, his doctor swore on oath that when he met Samuel (about 1886), “he was afflicted with asthma and permanently, essentially, substantially, and absolutely unable to do any work whatsoever.” Several members of his regiment signed a certified oath in October 1890 stating that Samuel had no disease when he went into the service. Samuel received an annual pension of $50 until his death in Oglethorpe County on July 31, 1893. His illness began with shortness of breath, first noticed while engaged in the siege of Atlanta. This complaint was caused by exposure from constant confinement in the ditches which could not be covered in the summer of 1864. Samuel was diagnosed with severe asthma and bronchitis. The asthma produced dropsy and heart disease some years prior to his death, rendering him helpless for a long time before he died. Samuel was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Samuel and his wife Matilda were apparently well thought of in the Bairdstown community. When their daughter Martha died in 1922, a burial notice published in the Oglethorpe Echo on June 2 stated, “Her father was S. Y. Young and her mother was Matilda Guill whom most of the older citizens remember with great pleasure.”

Matilda submitted a widow’s pension application in Greene County after Samuel’s death and received a pension of $60 every January, most likely until her death in 1911.

References

• Armor, E. H., The Cemeteries of Greene County Georgia, p. 85, Agee Publishers, Inc., 1987.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52991536/samuel-yancy-young: accessed 15 September 2023), memorial page for Samuel Yancy Young (6 Sep 1824–31 Jul 1893), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52991536, citing Bairdstown Cemetery, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54397860/john-robert-young: accessed 15 September 2023), memorial page for John Robert Young Sr. (1790–12 Aug 1852), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54397860, citing Young Family Cemetery, Four Points, Macon County, Georgia, USA; maintained by C. T. Lewis (contributor 46817020).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54397842/elizabeth-young: accessed 15 September 2023), memorial page for Elizabeth Price Young (1 May 1793–3 Jun 1875), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54397842, citing Young Family Cemetery, Four Points, Macon County, Georgia, USA; maintained by C. T. Lewis (contributor 46817020).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54397790/martha-caroline-young: accessed 15 September 2023), memorial page for Martha Caroline Young (28 Sep 1836–10 May 1852), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54397790, citing Young Family Cemetery, Four Points, Macon County, Georgia, USA; maintained by C. T. Lewis (contributor 46817020).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39937348/david-wesley-young: accessed 15 September 2023), memorial page for David Wesley Young (15 Nov 1831–15 Jul 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 39937348, citing Winters Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery, Doraville, DeKalb County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Chrysé Wayman (contributor 47104160
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53848096/mariet-masina-young: accessed 16 September 2023), memorial page for Mariet Masina Morgan Young (4 Nov 1826–27 Jan 1860), Find a Grave Memorial ID 53848096, citing Young Family Cemetery, Bairdstown, Greene County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).).
• Massinah Young, U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850–1885.
• Matilda Young, Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879–1920.
• Matilda Young, Georgia, U.S., Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960
• Mrs. J. W. Young, Oglethorpe Echo, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, June 2, 1922.
• Samuel Y. Young and Masena Morgan, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Samuel Y. Young and Matilda Guill, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Samuel Y. Young, Georgia, U.S., Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.
• Samuel Y. Young, Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793–1892.
• Samuel Y. Young, U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850–1880.
• Samuel Y. Young, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793–1892.
• Scrofula, Cleveland Clinic; https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25156-scrofula. 
• U.S. Federal Census, District 137, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Goodwins, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Maxeys, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
• William Henry Young, Certificate of Death 30-3911, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• Wm. Henry Young, Fulton and Campbell Counties, Georgia, Cemetery Records, 1857–1933. 

James Stephens Cheney

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.

James Stephens Cheney, son of Enoch Reeves Cheney and Sarah Haseltine English, was born in Georgia on September 18, 1860. James’ family lived in Woodville, Greene County, Georgia in June 1860 so that is most likely where he was born. There were at least six children in the Cheney family—William Henry Cheney, Anna Irene Cheney, James Stephens Cheney, Mary Elizabeth Cheney, Enoch Callaway Cheney, and Charles English Cheney. James is my 1st cousin 1x removed of husband of 2nd cousin 3x removed. While we don’t have any common relatives, James’ family lived two houses from my 3rd great grandparents, James Meriweather Lankford and Caroline Hobbs Lankford in 1860 so would have known each other. Life for the Cheney family would have been comfortable at the time with his father having real estate valued at $4000 and a personal estate of $8000.

Before James’ second birthday, his father marched off to war, serving as a private in Company C, Third Georgia Infantry (Dawson Grays) C.S.A. until his furlough in February 1865. 

By the time the census enumerator visited the home on June 28, 1870, the family had moved to nearby Penfield, less than five miles away. James’ father now had real estate valued at $1800 and a personal estate of $1400. He worked as a farmer, assisted by son Henry. James’ mother was keeping house while his sister Anna was in school. At 8 years old, it appears James was not attending school at the time.

On June 5, 1880, the Cheney family lived in the 138th District of Greene County. James (age 20) and his father were both farmers, his mother kept house, and his sister Anna (age 24) was a schoolteacher. Only his sister Mary (age 14) and brother Enoch (age 9) were attending school.

James married Emily A. Young, daughter of John Young and Jane Goolsby, in a ceremony that took place at her father’s house in Greene County, Georgia on January 18, 1882. The Greensboro Herald published the following on January 19, 1882:

Married, at the residence of the bride’s father, on Wednesday evening 18th, inst., by Rev. H. D. D. Straton, Mr. Jas. S. Cheney and Miss E. A. Young. May success attend them through life.

James Cheney and Emma Young marriage license

James and Emily had seven children—Tallulah Cheney (1882), Robert Reeves Cheney (1884), William “Lee” Cheney (1886), Frank Colly Cheney (1888), Eva M. Cheney (1890), Florence Dell Cheney (1893), and Sarah J. Cheney (1895). Sometime after their marriage, James moved the family to Athens, Clarke County, Georgia where he was active in the community. He was selected for jury duty in Athens for the June term in 1892 and then elected an alderman serving the first ward. He began a second term in December 1897. The Athens Daily Banner, which provided a lot of personal information, published the following on December 10:

Alderman, J. S. Cheney. James S. Cheney is the senior alderman from the first ward. He is now serving his second term in that office, having been re-elected last year. He is a livery stable owner and a progressive young business man. As chairman of the fire department committee, he has looked after the affairs of the department most carefully. He also has done good work on other committees and in the general work in behalf of the city.

It was not all work though. In March 1894, he and a Mr. Wynn of Kentucky, visited Bairdstown. In May 1895, he, along with friends John Weir and C. N. Weatherly, traveled to Bairdstown for a fishing and hunting trip “on the waters of Little river about the old Mercer spring.” He made a third trip to Bairdstown in December 1896 with a friend named B. H. Kinnebrew to visit relatives.

On June 6, 1900, James and his family lived on Hancock Avenue in Athens. James worked as a stock dealer. The census enumerator noted that James and Emily had been married for 18 years and that Emily was the mother of seven children, all of which were living. The house was full with the two of them, all seven children, three boarders, and a young servant girl named Elsie Hull (black, 12-years-old). Two of the boarders had the last name Cheney so were probably family—W. P. Cheney, a 16-year-old student, and Roy Cheney, a 19-year-old telegraph operator. The third boarder was Luther Tolbert, a 26-year-old grocery salesman. With the exception of Sarah, all the children were attending school.

The wedding of James’ daughter Tallulah took place in Athens on July 18, 1901. The Atlanta Constitution published the following on July 19:

Were Married in Athens. Athens, Ga., July 18.—(Special.)—This morning at the home of Rev. Ellison D. Stone, Mr. Alonzo C. Hancock, of this city, and Miss Tallulah Cheney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James S. Cheney, were united in married, Rev. Stone officiating.

By 1902, James had completed his second term as an alderman and now worked as a sanitary inspector. The Athens Banner published the following on December 20, 1902:

The Steady March of Progress Made by the City of Athens. Mr. James S. Cheney, an ex-alderman is sanitary inspector and during his term of office has rendered valuable service the city.

There is not a city in the state whose officers rank higher. For the most part they have remained in office for a long term of years and are possessed of the experience that makes their services of additional value.

James continued to work with horses in 1903. The Athens Banner published the following on January 2, 1903 confirming that:

A Lot of Fine Horses Received. Messrs. James S. Cheney and B. C. McWhorter, who have formed a partnership in the stock business, have just received a lot of fine horses which they will set at prices that will astonish the purchasers. These horses are now at Carlton’s stables on Jackson street.

Mr. Cheney is one of the most experienced stock men in Athens, and Mr. McWhorter, who comes to Athens from Greensboro, and who will soon move his family here, has also had years of experience.

They are judges of good horses if there are any judges in Athens, and it will pay any prospective purchasers to call on them at once.

James’ son Robert, a traveling salesman, died at the age of 24 at home in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia on July 8, 1908. The Atlanta Constitution published the following on July 9, 1908:

Robert Reeves Cheney. The funeral of Robert Reeves Cheney, 24 years of age, who died at the residence, 119 East Georgia avenue, yesterday morning at 12:30 o’clock, will be held at the residence this morning at 10 o’clock. Rev. John E. Briggs, pastor of the Capitol Avenue Baptist church, officiating. The body will be taken to Bairdstown, Ga., for interment.

Robert was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown.

On April 15, 1910, James and his family lived in Atlanta. James continued to work as a stock dealer of horses. His son Lee worked as a horse salesman so most likely worked with his father. Son Frank worked as a ticket agent at the railroad office and daughter Eva worked as a stenographer in a real estate office. The census enumerator reflected the death of son Robert noting that Emily, enumerated as Emma, was the mother of seven children, six of which were living. Less than two years later, James was gone. He died of acute alcoholism in Atlanta on August 16, 1912. The Atlanta Constitution published the following on August 18, 1912 (getting his middle initial wrong):

J. W. Cheney, Bairdstown. Athens, Ga., August 17.—(Special.)—Quite a number of Athenians went to Bairdstown today to attend the funeral of J. W. Cheney, a former citizen of this place, and for some years a member of the city council here, whose death occurred in Atlanta yesterday. He was a brother-in-law of Judge C. T. Young, and the father of Mrs. A. C. Hancock of this city.

James was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, four daughters, two sons, his mother, three brothers, and two sisters.

Note: Updated middle name from Stephen to Stephen on May 5, 2025.

References

• A Lot of Fine Horses Received, Athens Banner, Athens, Georgia, January 2, 1903.
• Alderman J. S. Cheney, Athens Daily Banner, Athens, Georgia, December 10, 1897.
• Alderman J. S. Cheney, Athens Daily Banner, Athens, Georgia, December 10, 1897.
• Bairdstown, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, December 11, 1896.
• Bairdstown, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, March 23, 1894.
• Bairdstown, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, May 17, 1895.
• Enoch R. Cheney, U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861–1865.
• From Bairdstown, Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, January 19, 1882.
• J. W. Cheney, Bairdstown, Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, August 18, 1912.
• James S. Cheney, Fulton and Campbell Counties, Georgia, Cemetery Records, 1857–1933.
• James S. Cheney, Obituary abstracts, Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827—1955.
• Mrs. Emelyn Young Cheney Death Certificate no. 35474, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certificate of Death.
• Robert Reeves Cheney, Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, July 9, 1908.
• Robt. Reeves Cheney, Fulton and Campbell Counties, Georgia, Cemetery Records, 1857–1933.
• The Jurors Drawn, The Weekly Banner, Athens, Georgia, March 29, 1892.
• The Steady March of Progress Made by the City of Athens, Athens Banner, Athens, Georgia, December 20, 1902.
• U.S. Federal Census, Athens Ward 2, Clarke County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Athens Ward 2, Clarke County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta Ward 2, Fulton County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 141, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
• Were Married in Athens, Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, July 19, 1901. 

Ralph Morgan Lankford

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

Ralph Morgan Lankford, son of John Wesley Lankford and Martha Elizabeth Young, was born in Georgia on July 26, 1898. I haven’t found a birth record for Ralph but assume he was born in Greene County since his parents lived in Union Point in 1900. There were six children born into this family—Gussie Y. Lankford, Ralph Morgan Lankford, Robert L. Lankford, Ethel Louise Lankford, John Rollin Lankford, and an unknown child. Ralph would be my 2nd cousin, 3x removed with our nearest common relatives being Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore, my 4th great grandparents.

On June 15, 1900, the Lankford family rented a home in Union Point. His father, enumerated as Jno. Lankford, worked as a farm laborer. His mother, enumerated as Mallie, had given birth to two children (Gussie and Ralph), both of which were living. Ralph’s parents, who had been married for nine years, could both read and write. There was a five-year age difference in Ralph and his older sister Gussie. 

Ralph died on January 26, 1902, cause unknown. Because his family still lived in Union Point in 1910, I assume his death took place in Greene County. His parents buried Ralph at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, the same cemetery as his paternal grandparents, Robert Chester and Elizabeth (Bennett) Lankford. The bottom half of his tombstone is hard to read, but as best as I can tell, it’s engraved with the following:

RALPH MORGAN

Son of J. W. & M. E. LANKFORD,

JULY 26, 1898,

JAN. 26, 1902

A little time on earth he spent,

To God for him his angel sent. 

The tombstone is the only record I find that records his birth and death dates. He was 3 ½ years old at the time of his death.

The 1910 census record, taken in Union Point on April 25, shows that Ralph’s mother had given birth to six children, four of which were living. This record accounts for the unknown child mentioned above. 

References

• Ralph Morgan Lankford’s tombstone, personal visit to Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Georgia.
• United States Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1900, 1910.