Finding Your Folks: The Gables of Line Creek, Part 1

Moving on to the next family in the newspaper article of 1907 about the "fruitful" families of Line Creek, we come to the family of George Washington Gable, to whom Robin Parker, author of the two previous articles, also is related. From 1907: " ... These three families (Hutchinson, Thompson, Kempson) live on adjoining plantations and are in sight of each other. Within sight of these three mentioned is the family of our late worthy County Treasurer George W. Gable, deceased, which is composed of ten children and the widowed mother. All of the children are at home with the mother. Thus the four families are 46 children all living within a mile of each other ... "

Robin tells us the Gable family story:

"My interest in genealogy began when my great-aunt, Nonie Ella Gable, became interested in tracing her family back to their ancestral roots in the Dutch Fork area of South Carolina. When she learned that the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society was gathering information for their upcoming 1988 publication "History of Coweta County, Georgia," everyone wanted to pitch in and submit their family material.

"Aunt Nonie became acquainted with Norma Gunby during this time, and between them developed quite a close relationship. Mrs. Gunby provided the genealogical expertise, and Aunt Nonie provided as many family details as possible. They made several trips to the Lexington County area of South Carolina, gathering information on the Gable family.

"Aunt Nonie was the keeper of many family records ... Bible records, old letters, Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church records, etc. Mrs. Gunby became so interested in the Gable family that she published a great deal of the information in the 'Coweta County Genealogical Society' magazine. Mrs. Gunby was a driving force of the Coweta County Genealogical Society, and I cherish all her assistance and help in fostering my love of genealogy.

"There are quite a few theories that have been presented by various researchers as to the progenitor of our Gable Family and the father of my Great-great-grandfather David Gable. From personal experience, I have found that the Gables were blessed with exceptional mental faculties. Therefore I have chosen to base my earliest ancestor on the handwritten notes found in the possessions of Emma Permelia Elizabeth Gable Tillery, and submitted by Sandra Dutton to the "Gable Family of the South" website.

"My Great-great-grandfather David Gable was born May 15, 1802 in Lexington County, S.C. and died Nov. 12, 1886 in Carroll County, Ga. He was the son of Valentine and Eva Margaret/Martha Gable. David did not speak any English, only German, until about the age of 12. His grandsons Albert, Oscar and Henry Gable stated that even during their childhood, Grandpa David still spoke with a very heavy German accent. They told the story of when they were young and tried to remove the axe from the tree, Grandpa David would scold them, and ask them "if they vanted him to get his fitch after them?"

"On Feb. 4, 1830 in Lexington County, he married Nancy Leitner, daughter of Christian and Abigail Ann Leitner. Nancy was born Dec. 15, 1807 in Lexington County, S.C. and died Jan. 22, 1884 in Coweta County. David and Nancy are buried along with other family members at the Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church Cemetery in Haralson.

"David and Nancy Gable moved with their first seven children from Lexington County, S.C. to the Line Creek area of Coweta County. David purchased this land from Wiley and Samuel Nixon on April 17, 1847. This transaction was recorded in Coweta County Deed Book H, on May 1, 1848. Family history states that no one except the Indians had inhabited this land until Grandpa David moved here and established his homestead. His land extended from the original property line just west of George W. Gable's home, all the way to Line Creek. All the Gable children fondly remember family picnics on Line Creek in an area that was kept tidy just for this purpose. Also, on the property, many generations of David and Nancy's descendants learned to swim in a specially prepared "swimming hole" on Gable Creek located on the original property.

"Great-aunt Nonie described Grandpa David Gable's home as a log cabin put together with wooden pegs, the logs being felled and hewn from timber on the property. Grandpa David's homestead was located across the road from what later became the home place of his son, George Washington Gable (this home still stands today and is a portion of the original purchase, being owned by Gable descendants for 160 years). Grandpa David through the years deeded portions of this land to sons' Edwin, Jacob and George. On Jan. 16, 1886, Grandpa David sold his remaining portion of the property containing the original homestead to William M. Blanton.

David and Nancy Leitner Gable were blessed with ten children: (1) Noah Wesley Gable, M.D., born Jan. 20, 1831 and died July 11, 1893; (2) Daniel Patrick Gable, born May 22, 1833 and died May 27, 1851; (3) Joseph Edwin Gable, born Aug. 31, 1834 and died Dec. 10, 1904; (4) Emma Permelia Elizabeth Gable (Aunt Lizzie) was born July 20, 1836 and died Dec. 27, 1932; (5) Sarah Frances Gable, born Oct. 6, 1838 and died July 1926; (6) John Jacob Gable, born Dec. 23, 1843 died Dec. 17, 1912; (7) Charlotte Anna Gable, born Oct. 24, 1845 died Dec. 24, 1935; (8) Mary Martha Gable, born Aug. 8, 1847 and died Feb. 23, 1863; (9) George Washington Gable, born March 15, 1850 and died Dec. 10, 1906; (10) "Louisa" Jane Gable, born May 30, 1852 and died Sept. 29, 1881."

Next week: More detail on the Gable children