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Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

The Thomas family of Bethany

By Judy Fowler Kilgore

Several weeks ago, I received a letter from Jane Thomas Storey of Fairburn who had been reading our accounts of the families buried at Bethany United Methodist Church. She contributed another — the Thomas family.

This has turned into a delightful and very informative series and I have heard from several people who are connected to the families about whom we have written.

I say “we” because I certainly haven’t done this all by myself. Many have contributed stories and family lineages, and much has been written on the Harper family by Mary Harper of Florida. I’m very grateful to all who have contributed their Bethany family information.

Jane’s Thomas family also is connected to the Harper family (as well as many others buried at Bethany) and is represented by 13 graves at Bethany. Jane and I corresponded several times and the following is a compilation of her e-mails. Of her family, Jane writes:

“My parents met in singing school at Bethany. My name is Jane Thomas Storey and I am the daughter of Marvin Henderson Thomas and Mollie Gertrude Ellington Thomas.

“Marvin was born March 22, 1922 and died April 21, 1977 and is buried at Holly Hill Cemetery in Fairburn.

“Gertrude was born October 13, 1919 and died March 16, 1991 and also is buried at Holly Hill Cemetery in Fairburn.

“Marvin's parents were John Henderson (Hence) Thomas, born 1891, and Cora Belle Jones Thomas born 1891. Marvin was born in the Fife Community and both of his parents are buried at Bethany.

“Cora Belle Jones was the daughter of Lovic Jefferson Jones b. Oct. 15, 1858 d. Oct. 2, 1928 and Fannie Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lester, b. April 29, 1868, d. 15 Sept. 1968. Both are buried at Bethany.

“Gertrude's parents were Josiah Shelby (Joe) Ellington, born 1880, and Minnie Bell Camp, born 1887. Joe Ellington built a home in the Sandy Creek Community in 1907. Both of Gertrude’s parents are buried at Bethany.

“I know that Joe Ellington's mother was a Harper. I would like more info rmation about her. A lot of the Jones and Thomas history I got from Volona Thomas wife of James Earl Thomas.

“Marvin and Gertrude lived in the Rivers house across the road from Bethany when they first married. Later they moved to Fairburn.

“So, I have Thomas, Ellington, Harper, and Jones ancestors buried at Bethany.

“For several years we attended Bethany. Bill Thomas, my uncle, would keep one of our daughters during Sunday School. At that time she was the only child in the nursery.

“I remember attending the 100th anniversary of Bethany. I have pictures of Mattie Mae Harris with the cake.

“I enjoy your articles in the newspaper and always have to check to see which family you talk about each week. I would love to get any info that you have on any of these that I have mentioned.

“Thanks, Jane Storey, Fairburn, (jdstorey@fairburn.com).”

Jane actually has more families than the ones she mentioned buried at Bethany. Many of them go back to the same ones we have been writing about for the past few months.

I believe I found Hence Thomas’ parents, John W. and Georgia Thomas, buried at Bethany and also in the 1900 Campbell County census. If this is correct, some of Hence’s siblings would be Onie Thomas, Jessie Lee Thomas, Amos Thomas, Penn Thomas and Ada M. Thomas (census listing). There may be more. I hope Jane will let me know if this is correct. That is about all I could find on this Thomas family using the few resources I had available.

However, Cora Bell Jones’ parents, Lovic Jefferson Jones and Fannie Elizabeth Lester, have appeared in other lineages we have discovered at Bethany, namely the families of Enoch George Jones and John Lester.

You remember last week we mentioned Mattie Jones who married Nita McFarlin’s William Hugh Boyd Jr. Well, Lovic Jefferson Jones was Mattie’s brother, making him the son of Enoch George Jones and Elizabeth Travis.

Fannie Elizabeth Lester was the daughter of Clare Hindman’s John Lester and Sarah Elizabeth Rivers (the family which springboarded this series into existence), and the granddaughter of Wade and Elizabeth Lester who are buried in the endangered cemetery on Ga. Hwy. 74.

The “Joe” Ellington Jane mentioned (actually Josiah Shelby Ellington) was the son of Zachary Taylor Ellington and Rebecca Adeline Harper, and the grandson of Richard C. Ellington and Eliza Eleanor White and Benjamin Franklin Harper and Mary A.E. Patton.

I have nothing on the Camp family but would just venture a guess that Minnie Bell Camp may be from the Campbell County Camps, of which there were many.

If you look at the past several columns, you will find the families of, and more information on, most of these folks.

If you have Internet access, you may read all the past columns pertaining to these Bethany families at www.thecitizennews.com. All the columns are archived under “Genealogy: Finding Your Folks.” (All the way back to 2001.) The link is on the home page; scroll down and look on the right.

My thanks to Jane Storey for sharing her Bethany family with us. Next week, we’ll look into the Carroll family of Bethany (connects to the Harpers), submitted by Dorothy Greer Beaudoin.

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!