Sunday's Obituary

Newspapers.com, The Macon Telegraph,
Macon, Georgia, Saturday, July 07, 1956, Page 9

Tabitha "Bosh" Tapley Lampp

b. 10 Mar 1875 in Johnson County, Georgia, USA

d. 03 July 1956 in Louisville, Jefferson, Georgia, USA

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Pick a Day in the Life of an Ancestor**

 From Randy (a cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

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

(1)  Michael John Neill wrote "Pick a Day" on Thursday, February 3, in his Genealogy Tip of the Day blog.  

(2)  Read Michael's post, and then write your own post.  Tell us your day, your person, and then answer the ten questions.

(3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, in a post on Facebook, or on Twitter.  

Here's mine:

The person I chose for this exercise is my paternal grandfather, Lusion Keman 'L.K.' Tapley (1870-1935).  The date chosen was April 14, 1930.

* Where was my ancestor living?

    Papa was living in Kite (District 55), Johnson County, Georgia.  His farm was located between Highway 57 (going toward Wrightsville) and Fortner Pond Road, which runs into Highway 221 North (heading toward Bartow).  

* Who was in his household?

    In his household were his wife of 16 years, Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970), age 35; their sons, William Lamar (1915-1985), age 14; John Russell "Russ" (1917-1967), age 12; Dorsey Franklin "Dorse" (1919-2007), age 10; Jack Dempsey "Demp" (1921-1994), age 8; Gilbert (1928-2008), age 1; and their daughter, Irene (1925-2004), age 4.  

* What was the ancestor's occupation?

    Papa was always a farmer.  The 1930 census states that he was "working on his own account."  So I take that to mean he was farming his own land.  Lusion's parents gave each of their children some land, but I do not know the acreage of Papa's portion. This date is two years before Papa and Grandma lost their land to foreclosure.

*  What was the ancestor's age?

    On this date, he was actually 60 years old, though the census states he was 57.  

*  What was going on nationally on this date (at this point in time)?

    More than 4 million people are unemployed as a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

    Arizona scientists discover a ninth planet - Pluto. 

    For the first time, the 30th U.S. Census asks whether the respondents owned a radio, reflecting an increased interest in communication technology and consumer goods.

    The Nazi party becomes the second largest political party in Germany.

    Construction on the Hoover Dam started later in the year 1930.  The Hoover Dam was part of a larger public works relief program to create jobs for those struggling during the first years of the Great Depression.

    CBS broadcasts the New York Philharmonic live over the radio for the first time.

*  What was going on locally/regionally?

    The closest newspaper I could find was "The Atlanta Constitution."  Some of the Georgia news article titles on April 14, 1930 include:

    "State Education Convention Will Open in Macon Today"

    "Convicted Forger Escapes at Macon"

    "Wesleyan is Host to University Women" (American Association of University Women)

    "Thermometer Reaches 84.3 Degrees in Macon"

    "South Carolinian Shot to Death" (in Augusta)

    "Driver Dies as Auto Plunges Off Bridge" (Augusta)

    "Byrd Murder Case Will Reopen Today - Dan Tyre to Face Trial for Ax Slaying at Blackshear"

    "Aged Georgian Robbed, Beaten" (Savannah)

  

*  Were my ancestor's parents alive?

    No, his father had passed in 1912, and his mother died in 1924.

*  Were my ancestor's siblings alive?    

    Other than two sisters who died as children, all nine of Papa's other siblings were alive on this date.  These included Franklin Morgan "Frank" (1867-1938), James "Jim" (1868-1941), Elizabeth Virginia "Lizzie" (1873-1959), Tabitha "Bosh" (1875-1956), George Washington Sentell "Tell" (1876-1944), Bennett Olin "Ol" (1878-1955), Solomon (1881-1971), Vianna Bell (1886-1965), and Bascom Biship (1889-1967).  

*  Where would he have gone to church the previous Sunday?

    I'm not sure that Papa attended church.  But I can guarantee that Grandma Nealie was at Powell's Chapel every Sunday!

*  Who were my ancestor's neighbors?

    His immediate neighbors were Frank Rodgers and family on one side and C.L. Stephens and his son, Elmo, on the other side.  A couple of houses up the street was his son, Champ Lusion (1909-1974) and his wife, Pauline Horton Tapley (1912-2003).  Pauline's family lived next to them.  Next to Champ were the Pooles... their daughter, Reida Mae (1905-1979), ended up marrying Lusion's oldest son, James Tillman "Fella" (1904-1974).  

** Please note that this is the Saturday Night Fun prompt from last Saturday, February 5. I missed it last week, and since I am not any kind of sports fan, I chose to go ahead and do last week's prompt.  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021 (Week 2): Family Legend

 Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is again hosting the blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2021.  I'm going to try to participate more fully this year.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  

The Theme for Week 2 (Jan 11-17) is Family Legend. 

John Russell Tapley (1917-1967), a/k/a Russ, a/k/a Uncle Russ (to me) was my father's brother.  He was the second oldest child (of 6) of Nealie Drake Tapley and the sixth child (of 10) of Lusion Keman Tapley.  

From the stories I have been told through the years from my dad, my other uncles, my mom, my cousin, Ronnie, etc., it is obvious that Russ was a force to be reckoned with from the time he was a child.  He was mischievous, and I am sure that Grandma Nealie wanted to pull her hair out at times at his antics.  

By the time he was a teenager, he was big and strong, and definitely had his own mind.  I think he was the only one brave enough to run from his mother.  Whether he didn't want to do what Nealie told him at that moment or he simply had done something that he needed to be punished for, he would take off running across the fields.  Nealie would tell his brother, Dorsey, to go bring him back.  Now Dorsey could catch up with Russ, no problem.  However, he couldn't talk Russ into coming back.  This put Dorsey in an impossible position because if he laid a hand on his brother, Russ would beat him.  But if he came back to his mother without Russ, Nealie would beat him.  I think he just kept running with Russ, begging him to come back.  LOL.  

So Russ wouldn't get his punishment... that particular day.  Grandma Nealie would warn the kids that they would get it - when they least expected it.  Sure enough, it might be two weeks later, she would set the alarm to get up in the middle of the night.  She would get a switch and go into Russ's room, which he shared the room and the bed with Dorsey, and she would just start bringing that switch down on Russ while he was asleep.  Remember I mentioned how strong he was?  Well, he managed to grab the mattress on both sides and flip it over to protect himself from the blows.  Unfortunately, Dorsey would get dumped out and all the lashes fell on him.   LOL.

To be a big boy like he was, Russ was also nimble.  Nealie would get after  him and he would run across the room and jump behind the piano.  It sat across the corner of the room.  He would grab both sides and hold it so no one could pull the piano out.  LOL.

I have always wondered how long before Grandma Nealie just gave up.  Probably shaking her head.  

Around 1941, Uncle Russ, along with Nealie, my father, and their sister, Irene, moved to Jacksonville, Florida.  I do not know the reason, but I can theorize that it was for better job opportunities.  They were sharecroppers in Johnson County, Georgia. Two of Grandma Nealie's brothers lived in Jacksonville and perhaps encouraged the move.  They may have even offered to teach Uncle Russ construction.  He became a carpenter and was a really good one.

Then in 1942, when Russ was 25 years old, he was drafted into the Army and sent to fight in World War II.  I was able to get his DD 214 and this is how they described Russ when he was discharged in 1944:  He had blue eyes, red hair, and a ruddy complexion.  He was 5 foot, 11 1/4 inches in height.  His character was Excellent.  He completed 1 year, 11 months, and 18 days of service.  He was in the infantry and took part in the Italian Campaign in June 1944.   He earned a Combat Infantry Badge and a Bronze Star. He was only in Europe for three months.  He was given an honorable discharge.  

What the paperwork doesn't say is the hell Russ went through and the horrors he saw over there.  He was discharged because he suffered from PTSD (shell shocked they called it then).  For all his strength, Russ was tenderhearted and a peacemaker.  I am sure he could not reconcile this with the terrible things that he saw happen during combat.  I've been told that he never spoke of his time in the war.  

While Russ was away, his mother, Irene, and my dad, Gilbert, moved back to Kite, Georgia.  Again, I am sure it was a money issue since they depended on Uncle Russ for support, and he wasn't there.  While back in Kite, my dad got into some trouble and ended up in juvenile for 14 months.  When he got out, he went to Macon and stayed with his oldest brother, James "Fella."  

When Russ was discharged in October of 1944, he came through Macon and picked up my dad on his way back to Jacksonville. They went to work in construction and Nealie joined them at some point.

In 1946, Russ married the love of his life, Elizabeth Taylor.  Thankfully, she was of the same mind as him about family because there was almost always someone visiting or staying with them.  Their door was wide open.  They were never able to have children of their own so they spoiled the nieces and nephews.  If anyone was made to be a father, it would have been Russ, but instead he served as the father-figure for many of the children in the family.  Several of them stayed with him at one time or another.  Ronnie lived with him as a teenager.  My cousin, Jackie, that just passed away last weekend, stayed with them for awhile.  All of the children spent time over there at one time or another. 

 Russ was a fun uncle.  He was happy-go-lucky.  Always telling jokes and seeing the funny in any situation. He had a parakeet named Budgie that he could train to say anything.  Unfortunately a lot of what Budgie learned was cuss words, and if the kids tried to touch him, he would cuss them out!  Russ loved kids, animals, and a good steak!  He also loved his recliner (or chair as it was probably called back then).

Russ was the peacemaker in the family.  If there was conflict between any of the siblings, he was the one that got it smoothed over.  He was a kind man and just naturally drew people to him. I've been told it is hard to describe that quality he had, but everyone just felt it.  Oh, he had the Tapley temper, but it would blow over.  My cousin, Ronnie, did not grow up in a good situation, and he says he doesn't know what would have happened to him if Russ had not taken him in.  He said that living with Uncle Russ and Aunt Elizabeth was the only place that felt like a normal family situation for him.  Everyone loved Uncle Russ.  He was the glue that held our particular Tapley family together.  That became obvious after he passed away.

What about me?  Was Uncle Russ good to me, too?  Unfortunately, I was never given the chance to find out.  I was born on June 16, 1967.  (I'm a good 20 years younger than all of my first cousins.)  We were living in Augusta at the time, so Daddy called Russ to tell him about me.  Uncle Russ was ready to get in the car right then and drive 5-6 hours to see me.  However, Uncle Russ had experienced health problems for a few years, and all of the Tapleys have heart trouble, so Daddy told him it was too hot for him to drive up in his car, which did not have a/c.  He told him to wait and get Dorsey (who also lived in the Jacksonville area) to drive him up in his air conditioned car.  Sadly, that day didn't come.

Uncle Russ turned 50 on July 5, 1967.  Five days later, on the 10th, he suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly.  The news sent shock waves throughout the family.  Grandma Nealie was never the same.  She basically gave up after his death.  She died only 3 years later - on July 4th.  All of the siblings were hurting.  All of the nieces and nephews were, too.  Ronnie still wells up with tears whenever he tries to talk about it.  I am sure that Powell's Chapel church was overflowing the day of his funeral.  I was even there that day, at only about 4-5 weeks old.  My mom says it was so hot in the church, and I just wouldn't stop crying.  So my cousin, Joann, took me outside and calmed me until the funeral was over.

After Uncle Russ passed, things were never the same again.  Aunt Elizabeth remarried and none of the males of the family liked it.  Siblings had falling outs and didn't speak to each other for years.  No one got together anymore.  So it is no understatement to say he was the glue that held this family together.  Without him, they were lost.  He left a void that no one else could fill.  When Dorsey and my dad neared the end of their lives, they talked a lot about being ready to see Russ again.  I grew up hearing stories about him, and always have said that if there was one person who I would like to meet, it would be him.  He was a constant presence in our lives, but he was no longer the safety net.  

Russ was definitely the Tapley's family legend.  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 9): Disaster

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  (Yes, I skipped Week 8... for now.)

When I heard the prompt for this week, a topic came to mind immediately.  In 1932, my Papa and Grandma Tapley (Lusion Keman Tapley, 1870-1935 and Nealie Drake Tapley, 1895-1970) lost their property in the Great Depression.  It was a disaster in their world... and they never recovered from it.

On November 26, 1894, Papa purchased 147 acres of land in the 55th G.M. of Johnson County from R.L. Tapley.  I believe that was his uncle, Robert L. Tapley.  This land was located kind of "behind" his parents' land, in the Fortner Pond area.

Here is a plat for the land when Papa had it surveyed in 1915:

On April 5, 1906, Papa paid $500 to J.M. Tapley for 58 acres of land in the 1326th G.M. of Johnson County.  J.M. was Lusion's father, James (Jim) Madison Tapley.  From what I was always told,  Jim did that for all of his children - sold (gave) them a piece of property off their homestead.



Papa was a farmer.  He had a total of 10 children. That was a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of feet to keep shoes on.  Farming is hard work and is has many bad years to withstand.  While, I don't know the exact reasons why Papa and Grandma borrowed money on their land, I am sure it was to keep the family afloat.

So on May 17, 1924, they took out a mortgage on both plots of land for $1,000.  The semi-annual payments were to be $32.50 made payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year for sixty-five annual payments.  (Now there is a lot of fine print in the note that I don't quite understand, but I hope I've shared the gist of it.)

Five years later, in 1929, the stock market crashed.  Shortly after that, the country fell into the Great Depression.  It was not over officially until 1933, but I'm sure the effects lingered until World War II.  It had clearly been a tough time for my grandparents because they got behind on their mortgage payments, and on March 1, 1932, the bank foreclosed, and their property, their livelihood, their home was sold on the courthouse steps to satisfy their debt.

I cannot even imagine how humiliating and sad that was for this family.  At the time they had probably six children still at home - ages from 17 down to 3.  Not only did they have to find somewhere to live, they had to find new jobs... because they no longer had their farm.

According to his death certificate, Papa never worked again after that.  The family moved to Wadley, and Papa died there on July 3, 1935.  He was sick near the end of his life, but it has never been clear what the ailment was.  His death certificate is quite readable except for the cause of death.  I can only make out "Heart" something.  I remember my father telling a story about how one of his cousins would come take Papa for a ride in the car every now and again to cheer him up.  Did he die of a broken heart?  Very possible, I believe.

As far as my Grandma Nealie, she had a tough life.  When Papa died, she was 39 years old with about 4 children left to raise.  There may have been more that were over 18 still living at home.  She had to go to work.  She did a little bit of everything.  She took in laundry or sewing, she sharecropped, she worked at the phone company in Kite.  She never owned her own home again; she rented and then when she got older, she lived with her son, Russ, and, after his death, in a public housing apartment in Augusta.

It's not that she didn't have family support and love.  She did.  But they didn't have money to share.  However, Grandma Nealie had a strong faith in God.  I am sure that her faith and devotion is what got her through the hard times.  I was told that when the family was living in Wadley, she would drive a horse and buggy almost 10 miles to get to Powell's Chapel Church to play the organ every Sunday.  She wanted to give back, no matter how little she had.

This disaster in their lives had far-reaching effects throughout the next generations.  The children did not stay in Johnson County and moved away.  The grandchildren did not know Johnson County or the life their parents and grandparents led there.  The losing of their home forever changed the trajectory and tapestry of the Tapley family.

Tombstone Tuesday: B J Powell

Benjamin J Powell

b 05 (or 15) Nov 1849

d 04 Sep 1926

laid to rest at

Powell's Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery

Johnson County, Georgia

husband of

Sarah Lampp Powell

son of

Elias Powell

and

Teresa Black Powell

B J Powell was the uncle of my Grand Uncle Jim Tapley's wife, Maggie V Powell Tapley.

Thankful Thursday: Without their sacrifices, I wouldn't be here

 Today is Thankful Thursday and it also happens to be St. Valentine's Day.  So as Daisy-dog and I were returning from a McDonald's run with my dinner, thanks to a Valentine's gift of McDonald's gift cards from my mother (Thanks, Mom!), I began to think about my family, my ancestors, and how the brave things they did made it possible for me to be the person I am today.  It was their sacrifices and hard work that created a family and left a legacy that I am thrilled to track down today.  Here are a few things they did that I am thankful for:

- That several of my ancestors gave up the life they knew in their home countries and made the oftentimes treacherous and certainly terrifying voyage to the New World to make a life in America.  Among those:

   * George Hubbard (my 9th great-grandfather) left England and came to Hartford, Connecticut before 1639.

   *  Richard Watts (my 10th great-grandfather) brought his family, including his daughter, Elizabeth, who married George Hubbard, from England before 1640.

  * Thomas Rany (my 9th great-grandfather) left Scotland and settled in Middletown, Connecticut about 1657.

  * Hosea Tapley (my 6th great-grandfather) left England and came to North Carolina between 1691 - 1743.

  * Johann Conrad Hesser (my 6th great-grandfather) came from Germany sometime in the 1700's.

  * George Schwalls Sr. (my 2nd great-grandfather) left Germany and came to Georgia in the 1850's.

-  I am thankful that my 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley, was ahead of her time.  She bore and raised her children out of wedlock with her head held high, and she obviously raised them to be proud and productive members of society.

- I am thankful that so many of my ancestors and family members served in the military and fought for their country during the greatest conflicts in our history, including:

  * Nathaniel Ranney, my 6th great-grandfather, served in the American Revolutionary War.

  * Archibald Odom, my 4th great-grandfather, served as a horseman in the Georgia Militia during the War of 1812.

  * Francis M. Tapley, my great grand uncle, was killed at the Crater near Petersburg, Virginia, during the Civil War.

  * James Madison "Jim" Tapley, my great-grandfather and Francis's brother, fought during the Civil War and fortunately made it home.

  * George Schwalls, Sr. also fought in the Civil War after only having been in this country for a few years and suffered several health problems resulting from his service.

  * James William Drake, my 2nd great-grandfather, along with at least three of his brothers:  Francis Milton, John Saffold, and Richard Franklin, all fought during the Civil War.

  * Comfort Ranney, my 2nd great-grandfather, fought during the Civil War... on the Northern side.

  * Charles Morgan Tapley, my grandfather, served in the U.S. Navy twice, including in action during World War II.

  *  My uncle, John Russell "Russ" Tapley, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

  *  My cousin, James Cullen "J.C." Tapley, gave his life in Italy during World War II.

  *  My brother, Harry Earl Tapley, was a career Marine and served during the Vietnam War.

  *  And all the others who served.

- I am thankful that a childless couple named Charles K. and Sarah Melissa Schoonover Carter adopted an orphaned baby girl and doted on her their entire lives.  That little girl was my great-grandmother, Bessie Carter Ranney.

- I am thankful that my grandmother, Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley, persevered and retained her sweet soul despite being unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair for over half her life. 

- I am thankful that my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, was such a strong, God-fearing woman.  She raised five sons and a daughter by herself, worked many jobs to feed  her family, and still found the energy to drive her horse and buggy over 10 miles each way on Sunday to play the piano at Powell's Chapel.

- I am especially thankful for my mother, Linda Irene Tapley, who is always there for me.

- I am thankful and proud that I have been able to devote a good part of my life to preserving my family's stories, histories, heirlooms, and facts.  I do not write this blog because I don't have a life; I write this blog because it enriches my life. 

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Those Places Thursday: Johnson County, Georgia

 What can I say about Johnson County?  It is the cradle of my family.  It was home to my father and 3-4 generations before him.  It is my heritage.  It is where I come from.  It is where all the funny, sad, and poignant family stories start.  As a matter of fact, there really aren't many conversations about the Tapley family that do not include some mention of Johnson County, Georgia.

Johnson County was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858 from parts of Emanuel, Laurens and Washington counties. It was the 129th county formed in Georgia.  Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and unsuccessful U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.  The county seat is Wrightsville.  The county also has the towns of Kite and Adrian (which is actually partly in Johnson and partly in Emanuel County). 

 

County Courthouse, 1923

County Courthouse, 2010

My second great-grand uncle, James M. Tapley, was one of the founders of Johnson County, helped pick the location of the county seat, and was a representative in the Georgia Legislature when the county was first formed, 1859-1860.  Most of the family were farmers, but many of them took time out to serve the county.  My second great-grandfather, George Washington Tapley, was a Magistrate and Justice of the Peace.  Another second great-grandfather, George Schwalls, served as the county's coroner.  My grand uncle, Jim Tapley, was a deputy sheriff with the county.  Several members of the family served on juries.  My great-grand uncle, Francis Tapley, my great-grandfather Jim Tapley, and my great-grandfather, George Schwalls all represented the county as CSA soldiers in the Johnson County Battleground Guards, 48th Regiment. 

Most of my ancestors are buried in Johnson County.  My great-grandparents and many other family members are buried at Oaky Grove.  Other great-grandparents are buried at Minton's Chapel.  My Drake ancestors are buried at Popular Springs.  One set of grandparents and uncles are buried at Powell's Chapel.  My other grandparents and my father are buried at Gumlog.  Other various family members are buried at several different cemeteries throughout the county.  

I still have family members living in Johnson County.  My cousin, Bennett Wesley Tapley, Jr., who is my go-to person for Tapley family history, still lives there, and I try to visit him whenever I'm there. 

It is a relatively small county with a population of less than 10,000 people.  There is not much industry there - most folks are farmers - so the population has gone down due to the lack of jobs, I imagine. 

 

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	2,919		—
1870	2,964		1.5%
1880	4,800		61.9%
1890	6,129		27.7%
1900	11,409		86.1%
1910	12,897		13.0%
1920	13,546		5.0%
1930	12,681		−6.4%
1940	12,953		2.1%
1950	9,893		−23.6%
1960	8,048		−18.6%
1970	7,727		−4.0%
1980	8,660		12.1%
1990	8,329		−3.8%
2000	8,560		2.8%
2010	9,980		16.6%

However, if someone was looking for country, quiet, peaceful living, Johnson County, Georgia would be a good place to go!  Maybe that's why the population increased between 2000 and 2010!

I will continue to go back there... to visit my family and learn about my roots. 

Tombstone Tuesday: Bennett Claxton

 

Bennett Claxton

b July 2 1865

 d Aug 13 1942

laid to rest at

Nails Creek Baptist Church Cemetery

Jefferson County, Georgia

Husband of

Mary Tyson Claxton

son of

Zachariah and Temperance Powell Claxton

Bennett was my 1st cousin, 3x removed.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Longest Gravestone Line

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night!  Time for some Genealogy FUN.

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

 1)  Determine what is your longest unbroken line of ancestral gravestones - how many generations can you go back in time?  Do you have photographs of them?

2)  Tell us and/or show us in a blog post of your own, or in a comment to this blog, or in a Facebook status or a Google+ stream post.

Here's mine:  

(1)  I really cannot go back very far in gravestones... but here's what I've got.

My father, Gilbert Earl Tapley (1928-2008) in Gumlog Church Cemetery (outside of Kite, Johnson County, Georgia):

 My grandfather, Lusion Keman Tapley (1870-1935) in Powell's Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):

 

My great-grandfather, James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912) in Oaky Grove Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):

 

 After this, they are unmarked graves in unknown locations.  

 Of my Drake ancestors, I have the following:

My father as shown above... then his mother:

My grandmother, Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley (1895-1970) in Powell's Chapel Church Cemetery:

 
 My great-grandfather, Rev. William John Drake (1857-1927) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery (outside of Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia):

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my 2nd great-grandfather, James William Drake, but I do have...

My 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Ann Brantley Drake (1837-1891) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery: 

My 3rd great-grandfather, Francis Bryant Drake (1806-1875) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery:

(2)  Done!
 

Church Record Sunday: Johnson County, Georgia Churches

In the book, "A History of Johnson County Churches" compiled for The Johnson County Historical Society by Magnolia Press and copyright 1986, my ancestors are mentioned several times as founders, preachers, deacons, and members of many churches in that area.  I thought I would share these references here.  (I am sure I missed a few - there are a LOT of names in this book!)

Corinth Methodist Church 
  Organized in 1877.  Charter members included... Mr. and Mrs. John Drake, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Harrell, Mr. and Mrs. James Harrell, John Harrell, and Simpson Harrell.
  John S. Drake hewed the framing for the first church building.  The lumber for the siding and floor came from Dr. Odum's sawmill, located near the site of the church.
  The largest baptism in the church consisted of twenty-six people.  Among those baptized were:  Ed Drake and Verta Drake.

Gumlog (Mount Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church) 

  Constituted in July 1880.  
  Clerks of Church have included:  Z.W. Claxton.

Kite United Methodist Church
  Organized in 1914.
  There were 25 charter members on record.  These include:  Mrs. Henry G. Wheeler, B. B. Tapley, Gordon Wheeler, Mrs. Gordon Wheeler, and Mrs. Maud (B. B.) Tapley.
  Pianists of the church have included:  Mrs. Emma Townsend.
  Sunday School Teachers of the church have included:  Mrs. Charlie Sconyers.
  Sunday School Superintendents have included:  Gordon Wheeler.
  Stewards and trustees of the church have included:  J. Townsend, Sr., Gordon Wheeler, and Woodrow Wheeler.
  Treasurers of the church have included:  Woodrow Wheeler.

Minton's Chapel Advent Christian Church 
  Organized on the fifth day of September, 1885.  By 1895, there were 238 church members with Charles M. Schwalls of Kite as Secretary.
  The land on which the church was built was donated by George Jeff Minton after whom the church was  named and who built most of the original church.  He served as Church Secretary-Treasurer from 1903 until his death in 1905.
  Outstanding in the field of service for many years were...John T. Minton, John Perdue and John S. Wheeler.  J. J. Perdue was church clerk form 1905-1909.  John S. Wheeler was clerk from 1909-1913, and was secretary of the conference 1909-1917.  John T. Minton became a deacon in 1903.
  Church membership through the years has amounted to approximately 500 members.  Sam T. Schwalls had one of the longest membership records.

Poplar Springs United Methodist Church 
  Because families living on the west side of the Ohoopee River in Johnson County found it difficult to cross the river in row boats and a further hardship to walk two miles after crossing the river to attend church at Key's Church, these families resolved to organize a Church in this community.  Among the pioneer families were such names as ... Drake.
  The Reverend Jim Drake, a local preacher, held the first services on the spot under a brush arbor in 1866.

Powell's Chapel 
  In 1875, under a big oak tree on Powell land, a few of the people around in the community decided to begin having services under this tree, among those were...Jim Tapley.
  (While not in this book, I happen to know that my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, played the piano at Powell's Chapel for many years, even traveling more than 10 miles from Wadley by horse and buggy for a time.)


Sardis Church
  Established May 7th, 1853 by Elder Archiball Odom and Elder Spencer Meeks.
  Many of my family surnames are listed among the early members of the church:  Beasley, Tapley, Wheeler, Kight, Claxton, Odom, Schwalls, Townsend, and Price.

Scott Methodist Church
  Founded in 1910.
  Among the families who have been faithful members of the church:  Schwalls.

Smith Chapel Church
  The charter members included:  J. S. P. Lampp.
  Member list include the names Tapley, Lampp, and Bush.

Tombstone Tuesday: Bennett Wesley Tapley

Bennett Wesley Tapley

born May 15, 1918

died February 17, 2008

and his wife,

Mary Kathryn Johnson Tapley

born March 2, 1928

died May 20, 2009

laid to rest at

Powell's Chapel Methodist Church cemetery

Johnson County, Georgia

Wesley was the son of Bennett Olin Tapley and Florence Price Tapley.

He was my 1st cousin, 1x removed.

Tombstone Tuesday: Lila Lee Lampp Newsome

Lila Lee Lampp Newsome

born 23 April 1913

died 09 March 1977

laid to rest at Powell's Chapel Methodist Church,

Johnson County, Georgia

wife of Clevie Newsome

 

daughter of Benjamin A. Lampp and Tabitha Tapley Lampp

Lila was my first cousin, 1x removed.

Unfortunately, Lila Lee does not have a headstone; just the funeral home marker.  I always find it very sad when someone doesn't have a tombstone.

Wednesday's Child: Joyce Lampp

 

Joyce Lampp

daughter of

Benjamin James (B.J.) Lampp and Annie Jane Tapley Lampp

She was laid to rest at Powell's Chapel Methodist Church,

Johnson County, Georgia

As you can see, her parents were laid to rest on either side of her...

just as if she had crawled into their bed in the middle of the night

during a storm or after having a bad dream.

I need to put on my to do list to obtain a copy

of Joyce's death certificate.  I wonder what 

took this baby, just 4 days after her first birthday.

Joyce was my (half) first cousin on her mother's side,

and 2nd cousin on her father's side.