Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

Reader needs information on Wiley Reeves family

By JUDY FOWLER KILGORE
jkilgore@thecitizennews.com

Earlier this week I received an e-mail from Paul Reeves, who is seeking information on his Reeves ancestors in Fayette County. Paul also would like to have information on an old, now-non-existent church, the Church of Christ at Salem, mentioned in the early church records of Antioch church near Woolsey. Linda Blum-Barton, who maintains the Fayette County site on the Georgia GenWeb, had written me just before I received Paul’s e-mail and asked about the same church. The Antioch records are posted on the Fayette County GenWeb site, if anyone wants to read them (www.rootsweb.com/~gafayett/church/antioch.htm). Another site on the Fayette site also mentions the Salem church (http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/fayette/churches/davycookchchltr.txt).

I have never heard of the Church of Christ at Salem but perhaps some of you Fayette old-timers out there have.

Paul wrote what is probably the most well-written query I have ever received. Perhaps some of you out there have the information he needs.

Paul writes: “Dear Ms. Kilgore,

“I just visited for the first time the Web site that contains your current and past Fayette County genealogy columns. Linda Blum-Barton, webmaster of the Fayette USGenWeb site, referred me to it in response to a question I asked her about the now nonexistent ‘Church of Christ at Salem.’

“I was delighted to find such a rich repository of historical information about Fayette County, as well as tutorials on the art of genealogy. I have never before read a genealogy column that had such color and useful information. My thanks to you and your newspaper for making it available to those of us with an interest in Fayette County history.

“I have traced my ancestry to several people who lived most of their lives in Fayette County. Wiley Reeves and his wife Rebecca, along with three of their grown sons and their families (Allen, Alfred M., and William), moved from Jasper County, Ga. to Fayette County sometime in the 1820s. Perhaps they were winners in one of the land lotteries.

“Wiley Reeves, b. 1769, my g-g-g-grandfather, owned Land Lot 109, which straddles the Flint River in south Fayette County. My g-g-grandfather William Reeves, b. 1794, owned Land Lot 172 several miles north of Wiley's land. Wiley eventually sold his land and household possessions to William for unknown reasons, and apparently Alfred later bought Wiley's old land lot from William, as he is listed on later tax digests as owner. Rumor has it that Wiley sold out in his late fifties so he could relocate to Alabama, but this has not been proven.

“William's wife Camilla Cleveland Reeves died in 1833, and William remarried to Martha Ann Black in 1835. He had children by both wives. One of his children by Martha, Amos Reeves, served in the CSA, and died of illness at a hospital in Savannah. His body was reportedly shipped back to Fayette for burial. William died in 1850 and Martha moved to Mississippi.

“Two cousins and I are cooperating on tracing our ancestry in Fayette County, and have learned a lot. However, the lives of our ancestors in Fayette are like a jigsaw puzzle we are trying to fit together, and we only have scattered pieces. Our goal is to complete as much of the puzzle as possible, using all available resources.

“If you are able to mention our family in your column, I am sure there are people in Fayette who can provide or help us find some of the puzzle pieces. If you publish all or any part of this letter, please include my e-mail address (reeves1@bellsouth.net) in case anyone is able to help.

“One big unsolved mystery is where Wiley Reeves, William Reeves, Wiley's wife Rebecca, William's first wife Camilla, and William's son Amos Reeves are buried. In spite of extensive records research and on-the-ground work covering several years, we haven't found a trace of them. None of the recorded public or church cemeteries include their names in their records.

“We believe that this family is buried somewhere in the same cemetery, probably an unrecorded family cemetery or the graveyard of an old church long gone. Perhaps one of your readers will know of the location of one or more of these graves.

“If you wish to have more history on the Reeves family of Fayette County, please visit my family history file at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rreeves204&id=I395.

“Thank you and your newspaper for helping those of us interested in learning more about our Fayette ancestors. Please write me if I can provide any additional information you would like to have.

“Cordially yours, Paul Reeves.”

In addition, Paul gave his paternal ancestral lineage as: Wiley Reeves b. 1769 > William Reeves b. 1794 > James Milton Reeves b. 1824 > G.G. Reeves b. 1865 > R.W. Reeves b. 1895.

Information on the family of Wiley (also seen as Wylie) Reeves appears in the book, “The Fayette County, Georgia Heritage Book,” published a year or so ago by the Fayette County Historical Society. However, the story sheds no light on the burial sites Paul is seeking. Those of you who have information on this family are encouraged to contact Paul at the above e-mail address.

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!