Mail bag hodge podge: letters from readers

I receive several letters each week from readers ... both those who live in our area and those on the Internet and I thank you all for your responses. That is what keeps this column going. However, many of them are just short queries and would not fill an entire column.

So, I've been saving them up for the past several months and present some of them here in a group, hoping someone out there can make a connection.

By far, the most responses have been generated by the Norris Candy Company articles. It seems that many people still in the Atlanta area worked there at one time. I even received a phone call from Blanche Henderson of Decatur who was one of the former owners. She sent me loads of pictures and helpful information. I am grateful to all of you for your help and your interest in the columns.

I suppose you've noticed the little "blurb" I recently added at the end of each column stating that I am not a researcher, per se. Many of you have written wanting to know if I had information on your families.

The answer to that is, "Probably not." I try to give you an e-mail or snail mail address so that you can make your connections directly. I'm still trying to find my own family and I just don't have the time to research every family name sent in. And that was never intended to be the purpose of this column. What I hope to provide is a link between the Internet and non-Internet folks and help them find their family members, compare notes, and complete their family trees.

What I'm really interested in is your family's story ... where they came from, how and when they came to the Atlanta area, and what they did during their lifetime here. Do you realize that if we all did that we would have a little "heritage" book of southside Atlanta families? We particularly need that for the Campbell County area where there is no history book.

So, here are your letters. I hope they get great responses.

From Alan Cheney of St. Louis, Mo.:

"I enjoyed your article on the Jacob Franklin Cochran family. I felt like I may getting near to two of my ancestors, married to each other and both born in Georgia. William Alfred Cochran, DDS, was born 18 Feb. 1886 in Milton Co. and married Myrtice Mae Henry on 29 May 1910. She was born 16 July 1888 in or near Atlanta. However, I can't seem to find the names or information about either of her parents.

"Any chance you have any information on Myrtice May's folks? Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks much, Alan Cheney, amhlair@earthlink.net"

From Carleen Maurer of Riverdale:

"I want you to know how much I enjoyed your article on the Norris Candy Co. I have been searching for information on it since the last time we spoke and I was not getting very far with it. I would also be interested in the information you have from Union Grove Baptist Church Cemetery (in Douglas Co.) on the Norrises.

"I am still looking for my GGrandparents John Pownall Pendergrass and Lettie Worthy. I last found them together in the 1870 census for Campbell Co. and Lettie living with my Grandparents in 1900 census for Coweta Co. I was told by a cousin that some Pendergrasses still lived in Coweta.

"In the book, 'Family History of John Pendergrass,' it tells where Hiram Pendergrass, John and Lettie's son moved to Muscogee Co. about 1907 and became a police officer. I was able to find a J P Pendergrass death 5/26/1919 in Muscogee Co. I was hoping if you have any Muscogee Co. readers one of them would be kind enough to look up this death to find out if this is John Pownall Pendergrass. Thanks, Carleen Maurer, ccdm@msn.com, your cousin in Morrow, Ga."

From Cathy (no address):

"Judy, I believe we have corresponded before via the Genforum Web site. I have found many connections with our families.

"Currently, I am working on the William Wren/Martha Wilson line. Their granddaughter, Lula Pearl Stallings, was my paternal grandmother.

"Do you have any info on the ancestors of William Wren and Martha Wilson? I have read (with great interest) your columns in The Citizen that were posted on the internet. They were very helpful with some other lines that I was working with. However, I don't believe you ever mentioned the ancestors of William and Mary.

"I have also searched Genforum but wasn't able to find the info there either. I even went to the alternate spellings that you suggested for Wren. Thanks for your columns and your help. Cathy, newmanca@charter.net."

From Shirley Chapman in Houston, Texas:

"Thanks to Virginia Crilley I know about your column. I just read your article on 'History and Genealogy Go Hand in Hand.' I couldn't agree more.

"I wish that you would write an article on the economic times there in Georgia. I am researching the early 1800s in central Georgia. There seems to be a lot of foreclosures by the Bank of Darien as well as lots of fifas issued by the courts. I haven't a clue how to research that one. It would help to explain why so many folks had problems.

"Thanks for your column. Shirley Chapman, SChap463@aol.com

"(I thought I was a Texan but I have discovered more roots in Georgia than

Texas)"

Most recently, I received a letter by conventional mail from Sandra Moody of Sharpsburg who did a beautiful run-down of her Davis/Jones family of Fayette County. That will fill a full column and I will run that next week. More "short" letters will run in future columns.

Send stories about your southside Atlanta ancestors to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others. She will willingly share research information on her own family lines, including collateral and allied lines.)

Back to the Citizen Home Page