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. We have one this week

    Please join me in offering condolences to her family and holding them in the light.

Nancy "Darling" Powell Winfrey
Apr 14, 1943 - Sep 28, 2026

Funeral services for Nancy “Darling” Powell Winfrey, age 83, will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Kite First Baptist Church with burial to follow in Kite City Cemetery. Rev. Burton Dixon and Rev. Sammy Hall will officiate.

Mrs. Winfrey was born on April 14, 1943, in Wrightsville, Georgia. She was a retired supervisor with Easter Seals. She was a member of Kite First Baptist Church, where she served as secretary, and was a member of the Kite Homemakers Club. Her greatest love was her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Ezra Powell and Frances Logue Powell; siblings, Wilson Powell, William Powell, J.B. Powell, Russell Powell, W.S. Powell and Sally Pullen. Mrs. Winfrey passed away on Monday, September 28, 2026, at Fairview Park Hospital.

She is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, Harry Winfrey of Wrightsville; daughter, Wendy Powell (Rex) of Wrightsville; son, Jeff Winfrey (Cheryl) of Wrightsville; 4 grandchildren, Mandy Berry (Sean) of Brooklet, Krystal Tanner (Toby), Brandi Rowland (John Allen) and Jason Winfrey (Samantha) all of Wrightsville; 6 great grandchildren, Knox Tanner, Piper Tanner, Brooklyn Taylor, Rhett Rowland, Blakelee Rowland and Waylon Thompson; and a special nephew, Burnon Powell.

Pallbearers will be Jason Winfrey, John Allen Rowland, Toby Tanner, Sean Berry, Keith Powell, Ken Powell and Dale Powell.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. to 10:45 A.M. on Thursday at the church.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Kite First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 31 Kite, GA 31049.

Stanley Funeral Homes and Crematory/Wrightsville Chapel has charge of the funeral arrangements. 

Tuesday's Tombstone

 

Lizzie Lee Schwalls Powell
born 22 Feb 1894 in Kite, Johnson County, Georgia, USA
died 30 Sep 1991 in Sandersville, Washington County, Georgia, USA

with her husband,

Norris Watson Powell
born 26 Mar 1891 in Johnson County, Georgia, USA
died 04 Feb 1971 in Sandersville, Washington County, Georgia, USA

buried in the
Powell's Chapel United Methodist Church cemetery
Johnson County, Georgia, USA

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.

Wedding Wednesday

 

Newspapers.com, The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida,
Sunday, January 20, 1952, Page 56

"Period Gown Of Blush Satin Worn By Miss Geiger To Altar

Blush pink satin fashioned the period gown Miss Betty Ruth Geiger wore for her marriage Saturday to Alfred Harrison Powell, Jr. The ceremony was solemnized at 4 p.m. in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Miami Beach, by Msgr. William Barry.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Bryan, 7458 SW 52nd ave. Her father gave her in marriage. Her dress was made with fitted bodice with wing collar, full skirt that ended in a cathedral train. Her four-tiered illusion veil fell from a satin cloche, and she carried pale pink carnations.

IN PEACOCK BLUE

Mrs. Walker G. Thorsby was her sister’s matron of honor. She is the former Jackie Geiger. She wore a bouffant gown of peacock blue satin and net with matching cloche and gloves. Miss Evelyn Ballantyne and Miss Ardeth Dinger, as bridesmaids wore identical gowns. All carried white pompon chrysanthemums.

Richard Powell was his brother’s best man. They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Harrison Powell, Sr., 3714 Royal Palm ave., Miami Beach. Robert H. Powell, another brother; Robert Payton, Kenneth Wright and Dwight Collar, Sigma Chi fraternity brothers of the bridegroom, served as ushers.

A reception followed in the club room at the church.

The couple will live in Biscayne Gardens.

The bridegroom is employed by Cameron and Barkley Co. He is a graduate of the University of Miami, served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II.

Caption under photo: MRS. A. H. POWELL, JR. — LeMan Photo"

Transcription provided by Google Gemini.

Betty Ruth Geiger
1931-2007

and

Alfred Harrison Powell, Jr.
1927-2007

were married

January 19, 1952
in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida, USA
St. Patrick's Catholic Church

Church Sunday

 

   

     The following article is from The Wrightsville Headlight, Wrightsville, Georgia, Thursday, May 8, 1958, the Centennial Edition.  It was written by a Committee of Oaky Grove Church.

Oaky Grove History Dates Way Back to 1820 and Wee Log Church

    "Oaky Grove Church, located in Johnson County 10 miles east of Wrightsville [and 8.7 miles northwest of Kite] just off Highway 319 was organized in August, 1818 under the name of "Gum Log" by Elders Benjamin Manning and Jordan Smith.  Charter members were Bros. Hardy Johnson, Lewis St. John, Samson Powell, James Johnson, Michael Lighter, Ely Yates, Isaac Norris, John Taylor, Joseph Brantley, Thomas Fennell, Abner Sandford, Allen White and Sisters Milly Johnson, Rebecca Swain, Catherine Yates, Charlotte Johnson, Dorcos Johnson, Patience Powell, Susannah Davis and Lucy St. John.

    Log Church Built

    In May, 1920, the church agreed to the report of the committee 'to build the new meeting house below the public road on the north side of the Ohoopee River. The house to be built of  "hewed logs" size 22 X 30 feet.'

    About this time the monthly meeting was changed from the first to the fourth Sunday in each month. Services are held on the second and fourth Sundays now [1958].

    The church was identified with the Hepzibah Association until 1929. Division over the mission question about 1830 led to the organization of 'The United Baptist Conference.' This name was changed to Canoochee Baptist Association the same year.

    Church Name Changed

    In 1831 the name Gum Log was changed to Oaky Grove. In 1847 the association was divided into two bodies, upper and lower Canoochee.  Oaky Grove allied with the upper Canoochee. 

    In July, 1847, Brother Lanier Powell tendered a deed to a certain parcel of land on which to build a new church house. It was accepted and a larger church was built.

    In the contention over the question of churches continuing to accept baptisms from the Missionary Baptist Churches, in 1866 Oaky Grove, Sardis, Providence, and Philadelphia withdrew from the association and according to best information, organized the Ohoopee Association in 1867.

    Oaky Grove continued with that body until 1885, during which time quite a number of churches were added to the Ohoopee Association, but on account of some disorders a dissatisfaction arose and Oaky Grove, Sardis, Providence, Reedy Springs, Swift Creek (now Oak Ridge) and Piney Grove organized the 'New Union Association.'

    Records show that an effort was being made from about 1872 to reunite Oaky Grove Church with the upper Canoochee Assn. In 1879 a committee appointed by upper Canoochee Assn. made investigations and reported Oaky Grove an orthodox and orderly church. Having been received into the upper Canoochee Assn. in 1895, she has remained there until now [1958].** 

  

    The present church building was built in 1903. The present membership numbers about 200 active and inactive members [1958]. *

    * Current membership numbers are unavailable.

    ** Oaky Grove Church is now an independent/local fellowship and is not associated with the Upper Canoochee Primitive Baptist Association.

    Oaky Grove Pastors

    Pastors serving this church during the years were Elders:

        Benjamin Manning, 1818

        Jordan Smith, 1823

        Isaac Norris, 1839

        David Lamb 1860

        William Norris, 1862

        Edward Riner, 1877

        Henry Meeks, 1885;

        Joel Anderson to Meeks, 1890

        Elders J. N. Smith with Henry Meeks, 1891

        Henry Meeks, 1892

        W. J. Brown to assist Elder Meeks, 1896

        Meeks and Brown, 1899

        Meeks, 1900

        Henry Meeks and Joseph Kersey, 1910

        W. A. Lamb, 1912

        T. E. Silkes, 1915

        W. A. Lamb, 1916

        W. B. Screws, 1924

        W. H. Crouse, 1932

        S. M. Claxton, 1937;

        A. L. Brannen, Jr., 1949

        Elder Eugene Price and the Present Pastor, Elder Maurice Riner [1958]

        

        [The current pastor is Dr. Tom Akins, 1997-now.]

    Preachers ordained were Isaac Norris, Joseph Brantley, William Norris, J. P. Steptoe."

    There are 164 members of my family, especially the Tapleys, buried at Oaky Grove Church.  I believe the reason is proximity.  Oaky Grove is on the same road on which my great-great-grandfather's (Samuel Page Jr, 1800-1860) land was located.  This land became Tapley land after my great-grandmother, Becky Page Tapley, 1844-1924 married my great-grandfather, Jim Tapley, 1847-1912 .  

    Here are are a few family tombstones located at Oaky Grove:

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 that actually passed away last year. I got behind on email for while, but I did not think I was that behind. I am not sure how I missed them.

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

William 'Billy' Anthony Minton
May 2, 1949 - May 29, 2025
Swainsboro, GA

William Anthony Minton, Billy, Husband, Daddy, Paw Paw, Loggerhead

Billy was brought into this world on May 2, 1949 to the late Eddie Minton and Vina Bell Brantley and had four siblings; Lamar, Eloise, Martha, and Jack. He had several nieces and nephews. In his youth, Billy lived on a farm in Kite, Ga. and enjoyed hunting and fishing which was a hobby that continued throughout his life. During his high school years, Billy was a multi-sport athlete but his height and skills at center on the basketball court set him apart from other players. 

After high school, he attended Brewton Parker College and later transferred to Georgia Southern. Afterwards, he began a career at Thermo King in Louisville, Ga., became a National Guardsman, and eventually became owner of Billy Jack’s Bar and Lounge where he enjoyed and appreciated all his friends and customers. He was well known for making his famous Tom Collins drink which people stated was the best in five counties. It was also known that he and his brother Jack were the undisputed tag team champion bouncers.

The time his life really began to change was when he met a fiery red headed woman, Loraine Frederick from Norristown, who had two sons, Robert and Reagan Moxley. Shortly afterwards came a cute little Loggerhead Jr., William Andrew Minton. Billy enjoyed taking his boys dog deer hunting, riding dirt roads looking for deer tracks, fishing the Ogeechee River, watching Scooby-Doo every morning, and telling the same story over and over and over. He was also a master of making sure his boys were doing a job correctly while he stood back displaying his first-class instructing skills.

Billy and Loraine enjoyed sight-seeing while riding around Emanuel and surrounding counties. They would stop and eat lunch at small restaurants or grab some fried chicken from a convenience store. Loraine would eat a couple of bites and give Billy the leftovers.

His family continued to grow with the addition of two daughters-in-law, Marcie Jelf (Robert) and Joni McCoy (Reagan). His greatest prizes in life were his four grandchildren. River and Raimy Moxley (Joni and Reagan), Audrey Moxley (Robert and Marcie), and Willow Minton (Andrew). 

A private ceremony will be held at a later date.

Agnes Logue Harrison
September 14, 1931 - June 04, 2025
Kite, Georgia

Mrs. Agnes Harrison, 93, of Kite passed away at her residence on June 4, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on September 14, 1931, to the late Thomas and Marie Logue. Mrs. Agnes loved cooking and caring for her family. She worked for many years in the Kite school system, managing the school’s lunchroom. She was a long-time member of the Kite Baptist Church.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Talmadge Ovid Harrison, her parents, a son, Terry Harrison, a sister, Elizabeth Dickens, and her brothers, Gilbert Logue, Dupree Logue, Emory Logue, Lamar Logue, Clayton Logue, and Bill Logue.

She is survived by her children, Ron (Patricia) Harrison, Guy (Cathy) Harrison, Jim Harrison, and Marie (Mickey) Mimbs, ten grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, her sister, Katherine (George) Harrison, special friend, Inez Thomas.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the Kite First Baptist Church at 4pm with Rev. Burton Dixon officiating. The family will receive friends from 3:00pm until 4:00pm.

Interment will follow at the Kite City Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Connor Harrison, Tommy Logue, Aaron Harrison, David Wood, Michael Harrison, and William Harrison.

The family would like to extend their deepest thanks to University Home Health Services, nurse Sherie Lawrence, and Angela Wood for their care of Mrs. Harrison.

Condolences may be expressed at www.chapmanfhofswainsboro.com.

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of the arrangements Mrs. Agnes Harrison, 93, of Kite.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - A Name That Runs in Your Family

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  We all have many names (given, middle surname, and nickname) in our ancestry, whether we know them all or not.

2)  Do you have "A Name That Runs in Your Family??"  Is there a first name - or nickname - that keeps repeating generation after generation in your tree? Share the name, the pattern, and your best guess as to why it stuck.

3) Please share!

Here's mine:

The name that was handed down and through the Tapley family for several generations was "George Washington." 

I theorize that it started out as naming a son after the first president of our new country.  However, I think as time went by, it just turned into naming children after brothers, fathers, uncles, etc.

- The first instance is when my 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley (1775-bet. 1850-1860) named one of her twins, George Washington Tapley (1814-aft. 1880). He was married to Elizabeth Hicks (1824-aft. 1880). 

- His son, James Madison 'Jim' Tapley (1847-1912), named after George Washington's twin brother, along with his wife,  Elizabeth Rebecca 'Becky' Page Tapley (1844-1924) named one of their sons, George Washington Sentell Tapley (1876-1944). 

- James M. 'Jim' Tapley had another son James L. 'Jim' Tapley (1868-1941) who was married to Maggie Vicey Powell (1878-1959) and they had a son, Gordon Wesley Tapley (1894-1959) and he and his wife, Minnie Lee Garrett (1904-1995) named a son George Washington Tapley (1937-2016). 

- The other twin, James Marion (or Madison) Tapley Sr (1814-1884) and his wife, Martha Norris (1824-1901) named one of their sons after his brother, thus another George Washington Tapley (1858-1923).

- Another child of James M and Martha, Susan Isabella 'Babe' Tapley Norris (1852-1928) and her husband, Dr. Swain Madison Norris (1850-1918) had a son, Newton Dean Norris (1878-1947), who, along with his wife, Charlsie Claxton (1881-1963) named a son George Washington Norris (1911-1991).

- Sarah Tapley's brother, James L. Tapley (1780-1855) and his wife, Mary Benson (1791-1860), had a daughter named Julia Ann Tapley (1815-1891) who, along with her husband, James Thomas Pullen (1814-1891) named a son George Washington Pullen (1857-1924). 

- Another child of James L. Tapley, Thomas A. Tapley (1826-1892), along with his wife, Pherreba Ann Jane Rountree (1829-1905) named a son George Washington Tapley (1860-1939).

- My 1st cousin, 5x removed, Jordan Tapley (1801-1877) (who shared grandparents, Joel Tapley [abt 1720-1790/91] and Mary Avent Tapley [1735-1790]with Sarah) and his wife, Rebecca Hinsey Littleton Tapley (1815-1847) named a son George Washington Tapley (1836-1864).  

- George Washington Tapley (Sr) (1836-1864) and his wife, Sarah Ann Dye (1841-1885) named their son  George Washington Tapley (Jr) (1864-1912) also.  

- George Washington (Sr) had a brother named Thomas Pinkney 'Tom' Tapley (1843-1940), who, along with his wife, Mary Palestine 'Mit' Couch (1855-1929) named a son George Washington Tapley (1871-1950).

I am sure that is all very confusing, but I calculate that there were ten (10) George Washingtons in the Tapley family.  I have many more who married into other family lines.

This naming pattern covered 123 years - from 1814 when the twins were born - to 1937 when the last George Washington Tapley that I am aware of in the Tapley family was born.  The practice seems to have died out after that.  

Military Monday

 

Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.

  

Virgil Willard Powell

1916-1958

U.S. Navy, World War II

Virgil was my 2nd cousin.  Our common ancestors are James Madison "Jim" Tapley and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page.

Thank you for your service.

Friday's Faces From the Past

 

        Elizabeth Virginia "Lizzie" Tapley Powell is my grand-aunt, and James Marion Powell, Sr. was her husband for more than 60 years.  Our common ancestors are James Madison "Jim" Tapley and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page Tapley.

Wedding Wednesday - Alfred Harrison Powell Jr (1927-2007) & Betty Ruth Geiger (1931-2007)

 

Engagement Announcement

published in The Miami Herald

Miami, Florida

Sunday, October 28, 1951, Page 47

Wedding Announcement

published in The Miami Herald

Miami, Florida

Sunday, January 20, 1952, Page 56

Alfred and Betty Ruth were married for 45 years and had four children together.  She passed away less than 24 hours after he did.  

Betty Ruth was my (half) 4th cousin.  Our direct ancestor was Canneth Swain (1770-1831). 

These types of articles offer lots of information for the family tree.  They provide the bride's maiden name; the names of the parents of the couple and where they are from; the address of the both the bride's and groom's parents; how the couple met; where they each attended school; where Alfred was employed;  and that he had served in the military during World War II.  Because of the great information they provide, I save all engagement, wedding, and marriage announcements I find.