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Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

Readers need Parrott, Griggs, Lester information

By Judy Fowler Kilgore

I’ve received some really great letters in the past few weeks. Some have included me in their e-mails to new-found cousins or tell me of finding their family connections. Others have written after having just found the column, wanting to know how to get started in genealogy. I appreciate all letters, especially those telling me of your successes.

Two recent letters in particular deal with well-known Fayette county surnames and I’d like to deal with those here. Both writers also are Fayette County residents.

Patricia Holloway Vermeer, as I mentioned last week, is looking for her Parrott ancestors in Fayette County. Patricia writes:

“Dear Mrs. Kilgore,

“I started doing research into my family history about a year ago. My paternal grandmother had given me a picture. On the back of the picture is written ‘Parrott1.’”

(Note: I couldn’t use the photo in the column but I’m sure Patricia would love to share it with those who are interested.)

“I found out that John Parrott and Wiley Jane Griggs were married in Fayette County in 1873. They are my great-great-grandparents. I know that I’m a branch of the Parrott family here in Fayetteville, but after looking at the family information at the Historical Society, I can’t figure out how I'm attached.

“John and Wiley are buried in the cemetery at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. I found out that Wiley Jane’s parents are also buried there. They were William H. Griggs and Nancy Naomi (Williford) Griggs and are my great-great-great-grandparents. Would there be a picture of William and/or Nancy somewhere?

“Interestingly enough, the book of the 1870 census of Fayette County is in the records vault at the court house. In the census book Wiley Griggs was 15 years old and listed as a male! John and Wiley’s daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Parrott, married Raleigh Jefferson Smith. Elizabeth and Raleigh are buried in the city cemetery in Sargent, Ga., and are my great-grandparents. I have to get a copy of John Parrott’s death certificate and one for Wiley Jane. Do you know if these would still be held in Fayette County or would they be in Atlanta?

“I have a very interesting story about finding other great-grandparents who had disappeared. Still haven’t found their gravesite.

“Please e-mail me or call me if you can. My work e-mail is pvermeer@fayss.org. Thank you for your time and patience,

“Patricia (Holloway) Vermeer (tootles525@worldnet.att.net).”

Patricia, I haven’t a clue about the Parrott family in Fayette County and couldn’t find your particular folks in any of my resources. But I know there are quite a few Parrotts in Fayette. I did check the Fayette County cemeteries book and found out John Parrot’s death date was 1900 and Wiley Jane’s (spelled Wyley in the book) was 1932. Therefore, you are not going to find a death certificate for John. The issuing of death certificates didn’t start until 1919. You may be able to find one for Wyley Jane at the Fayette County Health Department. If not, you can obtain one from the State Department of Human Resources in Atlanta. See www.vitalrec.com/ga.html for more information.

I hope any of you who have information on Patricia’s Parrott family will contact her.

The other well-known Fayette County name is “Lester,” a name familiar to those in northern Fayette County and in the South Fulton/Fairburn area.

Clare Hindman wrote and asked how to find some missing family members in her Lester family tree. She has been asked to write a story about her Lester and Harris families for the upcoming 150th anniversary of Bethany United Methodist Church. Clare said she had a book on the Harrises but could not find information on her great-grandpa Wade Lester’s brothers and sisters. Wade was born in 1872, she added.

I pointed Clare to the 1880 census for Fayette County which can be found on microfilm at the library, and told her to check the Georgia Room there to see if a book had been written on the Lesters. Also, I advised her to check with the Fayette County Historical Society’s files of loose papers and personal research. Clare gave me a few more surnames in the family ... and then she said the magic word — Boyd. Seems like Clare’s Lesters are connected to the Boyds at Bethany. A search in my personal genealogy program turned up Vinnie Lester and George Gardner Boyd and I was off and running, researching to add yet another connecting family to my family tree.

Wade (actually, Robert Wade Lester, 1872-1946) was the son of John Lester (1830-1914) and Sarah Elizabeth Rivers (1836-1912) and was married to Martha J. Ellington (1873-1963). John Lester was the son of Wade Lester (b. 1800) and Elizabeth Davis (b. 1802) who, we believe, were in Meriwether County before they came to Fayette. Actually, Wade was not in the 1850 census with Elizabeth and

may have died before the family moved to Fayette. A family story says that Wade was born aboard the ship that brought the family from Ireland.

After Clare found some more information in her mother’s earlier research, we came up with the names of Clare’s great-grandpa’s brothers and sisters, but she’s still looking for people who may have some personal stories about the Lesters in Fayette.

If you can help Clare with her Lester family information, you may e-mail her at chindman_1@msn.com.

I hope others who are writing stories for Bethany’s anniversary will share them with us also. I would love to learn more about those Bethany families.

I welcome all letters and e-mails about genealogy and info on south metro Atlanta families. Send them to The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; e-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com. Any letters and/or e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.

Until next week, happy hunting!