Sympathy Saturday

 Sympathy Saturday will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently.  When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day.  As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died.  You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me." 

    For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death.  I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.

    So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email.  Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree. Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none. This week there are two who actually passed away a few months ago as I got behind on email for while. So I may be doubling up for a several weeks.

    Please join me in offering condolences to their families and holding them in the light.

George Saffole Kight

February 15, 1934 - July 11, 2026

Cochran - George S. Kight, age 92, passed away Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 6:00 A.M. in Pinewood Healthcare Center in Hawkinsville. Funeral services will be held Monday, July 13, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. in the Chapel of Mathis Funeral Home with Pastor Robbie Passmore officiating. The family will greet friends from 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Sunday, July 12, 2026, at Mathis Funeral Home. Burial will be private in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Saffole (as he was known by most of the family), born in Kite GA. had lived in Cochran GA. since 1974. He was the son of the late George Marcus and Madeline Fortner Kight and was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years Roberta Maddox Kight. He was a graduate of Kite High School and was retired after more than 33 years as an Avionics Mechanic at Warner Robins AFB. A 65-year Freemason and Past Master of Cochran Masonic Lodge No. 217 he had been a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Middle Georgia for more than 38 years. He was a U.S. Army Veteran. One of his greatest joys was being “Poppa” to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His sister, Robbie (Forrest) Meeks and nephews, Forrest Colon Meeks Jr. and Daniel Marcus Meeks, preceded him in death.

Survivors include two sons, George S. (Lora) Kight Jr. and Edward O. (Kathy) Kight; two granddaughters, Christina (Jonathan) Ayers and Amanda Kight; two grandsons, Christian (Shelby) Kight and Colin Kight; two great-granddaughters, Hadleigh Ayers and Ella Kight; several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Masonic Home of Georgia, 1417 Nottingham Drive, Macon, GA 31211, or online at masonichomeofgeorgia.com/donate in memory of George S. Kight.

Mathis Funeral Home has charge of the funeral arrangements. This is a courtesy announcement of Stanley Funeral Home and Crematory/Wrightsville Chapel.

Peter Lynn Tapley

April 4, 1967 - July 28, 2026

Peter Lynn Tapley, of Opelika, Alabama was born in Alexander City on April 4, 1967 and passed away on July 28, 2026. He was 59 years old.

Lynn is survived by his wife of 18 years, Rachelle Tapley, and his 2 children: Camden Tapley and Clayton Tapley.

He is also survived by his sister, Beth Waldrep, his brother, Matt Tapley and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, J.W. Tapley and Jeanette Tapley, his brother Kevin Tapley and his niece, Destiny Tapley.

Lynn was a devoted husband, proud father, loyal friend, and hardworking businessman whose life was defined by faithfulness, perseverance, and a deep love for his family.

Lynn dedicated 38 years of his career to D&J Enterprises, where he earned the respect of his coworkers through his strong work ethic and unwavering commitment. In 2010, alongside his wife, Rachelle, he pursued a lifelong dream by founding Lynn Tapley Trucking, LLC. What began as a shared vision, grew into a thriving business built on integrity, determination, and a genuine care for the people he served and worked alongside. Lynn poured his heart into creating something that would outlive him; a legacy measured not only by the company he built, but by the lives he touched, the relationships he formed, and the opportunities he created for others.

Above all, Lynn loved his family. He worked tirelessly to provide for those he loved and believed in giving his very best in everything he did. His strength, generosity, and unwavering dedication to his family, friends, and the work he loved will be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His legacy will live on through the family he cherished and the business he built with love, vision, and determination.

Services will be held Saturday, August 1, 2026 at Fredrick-Dean Funeral Home at 3:00 and will receive family and friends immediately following.

Frederick-Dean Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Friday Funny

 

Pssst... I cannot express enough how "me" this statement is!  Happy Friday!

Wedding Wednesday

 

Pauline Dudley Powell

(1909-1990)

and

Vernon Eddie McDaniel

(1909-1934)

(Pictured above on their wedding day)

were Married

1933

in Kite, Johnson County, Georgia, USA

Sadly, Vernon Eddie McDaniel passed away just a year later from malaria. I had not seen malaria as a cause of death before so I asked Google Gemini and of course, learned something new.

Malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitos.  We have plenty of those here in the South.

Was Malaria Common in the U.S. in the 1930s?

Yes. During the 1930s, malaria was still a significant public health problem and a notable cause of illness and death across the Southeastern United States.
Geographic Spread: The disease was endemic throughout much of the American South—stretching from Texas and the Mississippi River Valley up through parts of the Midwest and along the Atlantic seaboard. Rural, low-lying, and swampy regions with high mosquito populations were hit hardest.

Economic hardship during the 1930s due to the Great Depression exacerbated the crisis, as many families could not afford window screens, quinine treatment, or proper housing repairs to keep mosquitoes out.

Malaria remained a persistent threat until the federal government launched intensive eradication campaigns during and after World War II. Utilizing widespread mosquito control (such as draining wetlands and spraying DDT) alongside the distribution of effective treatments, the U.S. Public Health Service successfully eliminated endemic malaria from the United States by the early 1950s.

Their child, Eddie Allen McDonald, was born less than a month before his father passed away.

Time Capsule Tuesday

 Julia A Kea Sumner was born on this date in 1850 in Adrian, Emanuel County, Georgia, USA.  Let's see what was going on the month and year she was born.

August 25, 1850, was a Sunday.

In the United States, the most popular baby names for the era were absolute classics: Mary, Elizabeth, and Sarah for girls, and John, William, and James for boys.

The generation born around this midpoint of the 19th century belongs to what historians often categorize as the Victorian Generation. Americans of this era experienced a rapidly expanding nation on the brink of profound sectional conflict, navigating a farming-to-industrial transition, the expansion of the railways, and the westward movement.

The President of the United States was Millard Fillmore, who had just unexpectedly taken office a month prior following the sudden death of President Zachary Taylor. Because the office of the Vice President remained vacant under the constitutional rules of the era (Fillmore's elevation left the seat empty), there was no Vice President.

On August 25, 1850, the United States was in a period of intense political friction and sweeping transformation, most notably driven by the debates surrounding the expansion of slavery.

While no single massive, day-defining breaking news event occurred precisely on that date, the country was wrapped in several major historical contexts:

The Looming Compromise of 1850: Congress was deep into the grueling legislative battles over what would become the Compromise of 1850. Led by figures like Henry Clay and Stephen Douglas, lawmakers were attempting to defuse sectional tensions between North and South over territories acquired from the Mexican-American War. The resulting package of bills—which would soon admit California as a free state, establish popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, and enact the stricter Fugitive Slave Act—was being fiercely debated.

The California Gold Rush: California was rapidly hurtling toward statehood (formally achieved just a couple of weeks later on September 9, 1850). Towns like San Francisco were experiencing explosive, chaotic growth, dealing with the daily realities of the Gold Rush, including rapid infrastructure buildouts and massive influxes of prospectors.

Cultural and Scientific Currents: Around this exact era, American science and literature were making quiet leaps. For instance, amateur scientist and women's rights campaigner Eunice Newton Foote was conducting her pioneering experiments on atmospheric gases in upstate New York, and literary giants like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville were preparing masterworks of mid-19th-century American fiction.

Historical Events Around August 25, 1850

• July 9, 1850: President Zachary Taylor dies in office, and Millard Fillmore is sworn in as the 13th U.S. President.

• August 6, 1850: President Fillmore sends a special message to Congress officially throwing his support behind the landmark Compromise of 1850.

1850 Estimated Prices 

(Note: Exact government tracking of daily consumer goods like milk or bread didn't exist in modern formats in 1850, but typical contemporary values reflect an economy where $1 had roughly the purchasing power of about $28 today.)

• New Home (Northeast/Brooklyn): ~$2,500

• Good Quality Piano: ~$195

• Doctor's House Visit: ~$2.00

• Pound of Coffee: ~$0.80

• Bottle of Imported Port Wine: ~$0.11

Notable Books Published Around 1850

• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

• The Prelude by William Wordsworth

• Representative Men by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notable Birthdays on August 25

    

• George Wallace (1919-1998)

• Sean Connery (1930-2020)

• Blake Lively (38 years old)

• Billy Ray Cyrus (64 years old)

Google Gemini and Onthisday.com were used to write this post.

Amanuensis Monday

 This is a copy of a deed that I printed off microfilm at the North Carolina Archives in Raleigh, North Carolina several years ago. There are several of these in a folder so I am trying to get them organized and transcribed to share and have in my records. Most of them pertain to Hosea Tapley, my 6th great grandfather.

The following is an indenture concerning 402 acres located on both sides of the north fork of Little River, Orange County, North Carolina dated 1756.

Tapley, Hosea, Orange County (North Carolina), Indenture dated January 2, 1756 for 402 acres
located on both sides of the north fork of Little River, Office of Secretary of State, Granville Proprietary
Land Office, Call Number SSLG 101B, North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.

"This Indenture, Made the Second Day of January In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Six

BETWEEN the Right Honourable John Earl Granville, Viscount Carteret, and Baron Carteret, of Hawnes, in the County of Bedford, in the Kingdom of Great Britain, Lord President of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, of the One Part, and Hosea Tapley of Orange County in the Province of North Carolina, Plantere of the Other Part. WHEREAS His Most Excellent Majesty King GEORGE the Second, in and by a certain Indenture bearing Date the Seventeenth Day of September, in the Eighteenth Year of his Reign, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Four, and made between his said most Excellent Majesty, of the One Part, and the said John Earl Granville, (by the Name, Stile, and Title of the Right Honourable John Lord Carteret,) of the other Part, DID, for the Considerations therein mentioned, Give and Grant, Release, Ratify, and Confirm, unto the said Earl, (by the Name, Stile, and Title of John Lord Carteret, as aforesaid,) and his Heirs and Assigns for ever, a certain District, Territory, or Parcel of Land, in North-Carolina, in America; and all the Sounds, Creeks, Havens, Ports, Rivers, Streams, and other Royalties, Franchises, Privileges, and Immunities, within the same, as they are therein set out or described, allotted, and granted, and confirmed, to the said John Earl Granville, as aforesaid, for One Eighth Part of the Charters granted by King CHARLES the Second, in the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Years of his Reign, to Eight Lords Proprietors of Carolina, as by the said Indenture, duly Inrolled in the High Court of Chancery in Great-Britain, and in the Secretary's Office in North-Carolina, Reference being thereto had, will more fully appear. NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, That as well for and in Consideration of the Sum of Ten Shillings Sterling Money, to the said John Earl Granville in Hand paid, by the said Hosea Tapley at or before the Sealing and Delivery of these Presents, the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, as also for and in Consideration of the Rents, Covenants, Exceptions, Provisos, and Agreements herein after mentioned, reserved, and contained, and by and on the Part and Behalf of the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns, to be paid, kept, and performed, he the said Earl HATH Given, Granted, Bargained, Sold, and Confirmed, and by these Presents, DOTH, from himself, and his Heirs, Give, Grant, Bargain, Sell, and Confirm, unto the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns for ever, all that Tract or Parcel of Land, situate, lying, and being in the Parish of St. Matthew in the County of Orange in the said Province,

Lying on both Sides of the North Fork of Little River, Beginning at a Hickory on the East side of the said River, running thence North 60 ch: to a Pine, then West 67 ch: to a Pine, then South 60 ch: to a Red Oak, then East 67 ch: to the first Station.

Containing in the Whole, Five Hundred and two Acres: All which said ____________ more particularly described and set forth in the Plan or Map thereof, hereunto annexed; together, with all Woods, Underwoods, Timber, and Timber-Trees, Water-Courses, and the Privilege of Hunting, Hawking, Fishing and Fowling, in and upon the Premises, and all Mines and Minerals whatsoever therein to be found, excepting and reserving always, out of this present Grant, and to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, One Fourth Part of all the Gold and Silver Mines, to be found in and upon the Premises; and also, excepting and always reserving ______ onto the said John Earl Granville, his Heirs and Assigns, one Moiety or half Part of the remaining Three Fourths of all such Gold and Silver Mines: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said Tract or Parcel of Land, and all and singular other the Premises, with their Appurtenances, (except as before excepted) unto the said Hosea Tapley, his Heirs and Assigns for ever; YIELDING AND PAYING therefore, Yearly, and every Year, unto the said John Earl Granville, his Heirs or Assigns, the Yearly Rent of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, which is at the Rate of Three Shillings Sterling, for every Hundred Acres, and so in Proportion, for a less Quantity, at or upon the Twenty-fifth Day of March, and the Twenty-ninth Day of September, in every Year, by even or equal Portions; and to be paid at the Court-House for the said County of Orange unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or to his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being, the first Payment thereof to be made on such of the aforementioned Days of Payment as shall first happen after the Date hereof, and the said Hosea Tapley for himself, his Heirs and Assigns, and for either and every of them Doth hereby Covenant, Promise, and Agree, to and with the said Earl, his Heirs and Assigns, and to and with either and every of them, by these Presents, in Manner and Form following: That is to say, That Hosea Tapley his Heirs or Assigns, shall and will, Yearly, and every Year, for ever, well and truly pay, or cause to be paid, unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or unto his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being; the first payment thereof to be made on such of the aforementioned Days of Payment as shall first happen after the Date hereof; and the said Hosea Tapley for himself, his Heirs and Assigns, and for either and every one of them Doth hereby Covenant, Promise, and Agree, to and with the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, and to and with either and every of them, by these Presents, in Manner and Form following:  That is to say, That Hosea Tapley, his Heirs or Assigns, shall and will, Yearly, and every Year, for ever, will and truly pay, or cause to be paid, unto the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, or unto his or their lawful Attorney or Deputy-Receiver for the Time being, on the Days, and at the Place aforesaid, the said Yeaarly Rent or Sum of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, by half Yearly Payments, as aforesaid: Provided alwys, and this present Grant is hereby expressly Declared and Agreed, by and between the said Parties, to be, nevertheless, UPON THIS CONDITION, viz. That if it shall happen, that the said Yearly Rent of Sixteen Shillings and one pence, or any Part thereof, shall at any Time hereafter, be behind or unpaid for the Space of Six Months, next over or after any or either of the aforementioned Days of Payment, (and no sufficient Distress can be found on the Premises, to levy such Rent and Arrears, with the full Costs, Charges, and Expences in making the same) That then, this present Grant, and all Assignments thereof, shall be utterly void, and of none Effect; and it shall be lawful for the said Earl, his Heirs or Assigns, to re-enter into the said Lands, and to re-grant the same, to any other Person or Persons whomsoever, as if this Grant, and such Assignments thereof, had never been made. IN WITNESS whereof, the Parties above-named, have hereunto set their Hands and Seals, the Day and Year first above written.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,
in the Presence of Us,  

                                                                              Hosea Tapley

• Thos. Haywood

• John Haywood Junr"

I asked Google Gemini to explain this document to me.  It did not disappoint.

"What is this document?

This document is a Lord Granville Land Grant (sometimes called an Earl Granville deed or indenture) dated January 2, 1756.

• The Parties: The agreement is between John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (represented as the Lord Proprietor of the northern half of North Carolina) and Hosea Tapley.

• The Land: It grants 402 acres of land situated in Orange County, North Carolina (specifically in the Parish of St. Matthew, located on both sides of the North Fork of Little River).

Key Sections Explained

• The Historical Background (The Recital): The long preamble explains why Lord Granville has the authority to sell this land. It references a 1749 indenture where King George II formally confirmed that Earl Granville retained a one-eighth proprietary share of the old Carolina territories originally granted by King Charles the Second.

• The Sale & Price: Lord Granville transferred the 402 acres to Hosea Tapley in exchange for ten shillings sterling paid upfront, alongside ongoing annual fees (quitrents).

• Mineral Reservations: True to colonial land grants, the Crown and the Earl kept a tight grip on potential wealth beneath the soil. The document reserves one-fourth of all gold and silver for the King, and half of the remaining three-fourths for Earl Granville himself. Hosea Tapley owned the surface, timber, and farming rights, but not the royal precious metals.

• The Quitrent (Yearly Tax): Hosea Tapley was required to pay a yearly rent of sixteen shillings and one pence (calculated at the standard rate of three shillings per 100 acres). This payment was due annually (split across March and September) and had to be paid directly at the Orange County Court-House to the Earl's deputy receiver.

• The Default Clause: If the rent went unpaid for more than six months—and if no physical property or livestock could be seized ("distressed") on the land to cover the debt—the grant would become void, and the Earl had the legal right to re-enter the property and give it to someone else.

• Witnesses: The document was formally signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of of two witnesses with Hosea Tapley signing at the bottom."

Google Gemini also provided the transcription with me having to read it line by line and correct several mistakes.  Those mistakes mostly came from the handwriting, specially the spelled out numbers.