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By JUDY FOWLER KILGORE
By Judy Fowler Kilgore Following his remarriage, Henry became estranged from all his children. They had all married and moved away except Edgar and Ola (Viola Alvanono). Ola married Charles J. Short and remained in the Campbell County area, butdid not visit her father often. Mary Oleana married Guy L. Maddox and moved to Texas. Henry always believed the move was intended to humiliate him. Edgar married Mamie Camp and, after Henry asked them to move out of thehouse, remained distant from his father for a number of years. Lillie married Thomas Harrison Northcutt and moved to Alabama. When Lilliedied in 1907, her two young daughters, Eloise and Elaine, returned to theCampbell County area and were raised by relatives. Henry and his new wife, De, soon began a second family, but Henry still had to take care of Dock, his crippled son. Shortly before Henry and De’s first son was born, Dock became ill and Henry, in his diary, lamented the fact that none of his children were around to help him. Henry writes: “On the 24th day of July, 1902, the first little boy, Hayne Maxwell was born, 10 months and nine days after our marriage. “Dock was taken sick the first day in July, and required a great deal of attention. He was down at the time one month. Lillie had come back with a young Babe at her breast and among it all anyone may know I had a rough time ... “I placed Dock in the cabin where I could give him my whole attention. I did not even plant a crop for 11 months and a few days ... Except for 3 nights when I was too sick to be with him I gave him all the care a mother could. I had 22 changes of clothes for him as he had to be stripped often, most of the time 2 to 3 time each day and night. Often when I would strip him and his bed it would be to do over again in 15 minutes. I could not get anyone to wash his clothes, so I had to do it myself. “Children, do you remember this? “Ola, do you remember that Dock begged you for a year to come and take him down to your house for a few days? ... Do you remember that the day he died you were at Clark Campbell's on a visit and Dock looking for you to come so he could see you? He would ask me every few minutes to go and look for you. I at last told him that I reckoned you had forgotten him and he said that he reckoned you had. This was the last time he ever mentioned your name. “... Did any of you ever help me care for him? Yes, Edgar came over there after John Cochran had gone to him and talked to him about it. Yes Edgar, came over and asked me to let the past be the past and that you would come and help me strip Dock when you could get off. You helped me strip him several times during his last days. “Perhaps the reader will think what has been written is an exaggeration but I could never tell it if I tried for pages. “Dock breathed his last, and the hands that had tended him through his affliction helped with Edgar to dress him for the grave. Perhaps those who were afraid to touch him will need help. I will help them if I can, which I have already done for some of them. “... Well, I feel that I have done my part throughout all of this and am willing to account to my God for myself. Now, I solemnly ask, are you willing to do this? “... Oh, that God would show them how much I have loved them, and show them how they have made my heart ache. “Yes, children you have snubbed the little woman that I call my wife, and it has been her desire to be on good terms with all of you. Her and her children have been very kind to me, much more so than my own Grandchildren have been ... “Edgar has moved to Fairburn and left me after I had bought the 10 acres for a house, so I could be near him. He refused to permit me to sell the 10 acres, without I would give him the first of the money I got for it, as he has the right of refusal to purchase it at a discount of 25%. I was forced to take this kind of a deed as I had done put up my buildings on it. He had taken this advantage of me when I could not help myself. What of that for a son to a father. If he thinks more of a few dollars than he does of a father's love, so be it. “Ola has moved to Fairburn, she did not even tell me she was going to move. I have been deserted by my former children and will have to go down to my grave without their love and companionship. As they have thus treated me while I was living, I do not want them to have anything to do with my body after my death. “De, Ola and myself went to New Decatur Alabama the last week of August, 1907 to see Lillie, she was lying at the point of death with consumption. She died the 7th of September, 1907. “Lillie gave Eloise her youngest daughter to my wife De. But as we thought it best to do so, we gave her back to T.H. Northcutt about the middle of December (12),1907, and I took her down to J.C. Northcutt's where she has remained up to the present time. It was my desire for her and Elaine to be raised together. Lillie is buried in Alabama. “We all have our trials in this world.” Next week we’ll conclude Henry’s diary with happenings around Fairburn, names of people who stopped by to visit, and records of several deaths in the county. Once again, many thanks to Bill Cochran (saltercoc@aol.com) for sharing this family treasure. Send your south metro Atlanta family histories 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.)
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