USA > Georgia > Colquitt County > History of Colquitt County > Part 17
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This writer called on this good man, in his ripe old age. He lived with his youngest son, V. F. Norman, and his wife. His wife had been dead for some time. He was uncultured in a way; but he presented a dignified appearance. Like a Roman Senator of the era of the Republic. Surrounded, he was by his numerous descendants who continued so long as he lived to be "ordered around" by "Pappy." Not a one of them ever even thought of crossing him. Not even "Wheeler."
"Pappy," or "Bryant," as his contemporary relatives called him was on the whole a conservative in his ways and thoughts. Kept his membership at Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church, as long as he lived; and, when he died, his children laid him to "sleep thegither at the foot" with his wife, "Aunt Sally Ann," in the graveyard, at that church.
Said he to Wheeler, when he was talking up his "Institute,"" at Norman Park,
"Yes; and when all the children are going to your dern school, who's going to do the work, in this county?"
J. B. NORMAN, JR.
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Jeremiah Bryant Norman, Jr.
THE SUBJECT of this sketch was born in 1853, being the fifth child and the second son of Jeremiah Bryant Norman, Sr., and his wife Sarah Ann Norman. J. B. Norman, Sr., was the oldest child of James Mitchell Norman and Ruth Till- man Norman, pioneer settlers in the Colquitt territory, before the county was created. As will appear from a review of the biographical sketch of J. B. Norman, Sr., appearing in this history, J. B. Norman, Sr., was a family and a county leader during nearly the whole of his life; and it is a fact that when the mantle of leadership gradually passed from his aging hand, it was taken up by his son and namesake, J. B. Norman, Jr., who possessed all the pushing qualities of leadership of his father, and had the advantage of exercising these talents in a far larger field.
By the time J. B. Norman, Jr., was forty years old he had extensive naval stores manufacturing interests, which rapidly became prolific sources of income. A little later, he was suc- cessful in interesting outside capitalists in Colquitt's re- sources, and induced them to join him in developing the lum- ber business on the eastern side of the county, among them D. C. Bacon, of Savannah, Ga., and Martin F. Amorous, a young industrialist of Atlanta. These two men and Mr. Nor- man organized the "Pinopolis Saw Mill Company," at Bay- boro, in the eastern part of the county, buying up extensive timber, and constructing a tramroad from Sparks on the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad to their mills at Bayboro, and westward to Moultrie, which was reached a little after the Georgia Northern Railway line reached it, as it was pressing on towards Albany. About 1900, this con- cern was merged with the Union Lumber Co., a big concern organized to cut the extensive holdings of W. W. Ashburn, lying generally to the south of Moultrie. The merger was
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incorporated under the name and style of "Union Pinopolis Saw Mill Company." What had happened was that Messrs. Bacon, Amorous and Norman had bought the holdings of the Union Lumber Company. What matters in this writing is that Mr. Norman was increasing his holdings, which he held until the timber of the Union Pinopolis Corporation's hold- ings were entirely cut over.
When there was an end of the timber of the Union Pinop- olis Company, Mr. Norman's associates turned over several thousand acres of cut-over pine lands to Mr. Norman, on very easy terms; and he proceeded to offer them for settlement at very low prices. He sold nothing with the idea that he might get it returned to him, plus the improvements; but fixed such prices on these lands that the purchaser could manage to make his payments and retain possession and title to them.
During the last fifteen years of Mr. Norman's life, he was constantly in the market for rent-yielding property in Moul- trie-especially brick buildings located centrally. Such was his desire to purchase such property that he simply bought it when ever offered, and without any haggling over prices. Of course, the event has justified Mr. Norman's judgment, since there has been a steady increase in the demand for such property, and its rental value, at all times during the past thirty-five years; and the prospects seem good for a further enhancement in such values.
Mr. Norman was a man of tireless energy-so much so that his father called him "Wheeler"-a nickname that came to be applied to him by his relatives and friends throughout the county, and far beyond. He was first a "wheel-horse;" and this was shortened into "Wheeler." Martin F. Amorous, personal friend and intimate business associate of Mr. Nor- man for a quarter of a century, once said, "Wheeler Norman was the greatest executive I have ever known."
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Like John Tucker, Wheeler Norman came into the world with his hands wide open. He "stood for" more men, and indorsed more paper of Colquitt citizens than any five men that ever lived here. Hundreds of his neighbors took ad- vantage of his perpetual desire to be of help; and, as was once said of a French Prince, "When a favor was asked of him it was he that appeared obliged." But he dismissed this trait with a laugh, claiming that he got pleasure out of it, since a man who asked him for a favor was paying tribute to him. And, to a remarkable degree the persons whose obli- gations he indorsed paid up. He lost practically nothing.
Mr. Norman was catholic in his ministrations. He would help a youth pay his expenses at Emory as quickly as one who wanted to go to Mercer. When he was a youth of 17 years, he subscribed fifty dollars towards a fund for the erection of the first Methodist Church building in Moultrie. It was perhaps the heaviest contribution of all. This he told this writer. "And I paid it, too. I killed deer, and sold the hides and the smoked venison, and got the money, and paid every cent of it."
He was deeply sentimental and deeply emotional. Miles Monk, Sr., who married his sister, "Sookey," once told this writer that, when his mother died, he would wake up of nights, and sob and cry till dawn; and this for a long time. They were afraid he would lose his mind, Mr. Monk said.
He passed under another and heavier dispensation of an afflictive providence, when he was an old man comparatively. His oldest son was killed in Florida. For this he never ceased to grieve, so long as he lived.
He was deeply religious; and often resorted to prayer. He gave more than half of the cost of the fine Baptist Church building at Norman Park. For some years he maintained a missionary school in China.
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JEREMIAH BRYANT NORMAN, JR.
While he was a sentimental mystic, as we have said; at all that he was eminently practical. He believed that the best way to help people-especially young folks was to put them in the way of earning their own keep. He early reached the conclusion that education cost too much. Also, he easily saw that the idea of sending a boy or girl away from their parents was not only expensive; but that it was a very dan- gerous thing to do. So he decided that he would bring the education so close to the youth of Colquitt that they could spend their week-ends, at least, at home. The result was "Norman Institute," which is now "Norman Junior College."
Of course, Mr. Norman was too canny and resourceful a canvasser to let any of his business acquaintances off from making a helping contribution; even at that, his contribution explained more than half of the total, amounting to more than $80,000.00 originally; and he continued to work at this charity till the end of his life. This contribution to human welfare entitles Mr. Norman to high rank among the philan- thropists of all time; and constitutes his claim for immor- tality. He geared his resources and his life into forces that range into eternity.
In early life, Mr. Norman was married to Miss Lovedian Permelia Livingston. From this union there were children as follows:
Missouri Elizabeth (Mrs. K. W. Horne), deceased.
Lovedian Permelia (Mrs. J. H. Hall) .
Georgia (Mrs. Sam Harrell) .
John Hansell (died unmarried) .
Matthew Bryant. Nancy Annie (Mrs. Charley Beall) . James Franklin.
Turner Davis (died in infancy) .
Joseph Kiser (died in young manhood) .
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All these live in Colquitt, except, of course, the deceased ones. The wife and children of J. Kiser Norman live at Norman Park, in Colquitt County.
J. B. Norman, Jr., held the office of sheriff of Colquitt County two terms; he represented Colquitt County four years as a member of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of Georgia and he represented this county four years as a member of the Georgia State Senate.
Lindsey Monterville Potts
THIS CITIZEN OF COLQUITT COUNTY was born on April 14, 1864, in Cherokee County, Ga., and had his education in the common schools of that county. He was the son of Monter- ville Potts, who was born in Cherokee County, in 1843. The parents of Monterville Potts were Henry Potts and Clara Jane Potts, natives of South Carolina. The mother of L. M. Potts was Martha Jane Wetherby, also a native of Cherokee County. L. M. Potts married in December, 1882, Miss Lula Cagle, a native of Cherokee County, Ga., who was the daugh- ter of James Cagle and his wife, Jane Sumner Cagle, both natives of South Carolina. James Cagle was a son of George Cagle, Sr., who lived at one time in Hall County, Ga.
L. M. Potts, in his young manhood, moved to Bartow County, Ga., where he remained eighteen years, engaged in farming and the management of a country store near Pine Log, Ga. In 1909 he removed to Colquitt County, Ga., and bought property a few miles north of Moultrie, which he suc- cessfully developed.
The children now in life, being the issue of the marriage of L. M. Potts and Martha Jane Wetherby Potts, are as fol- lows:
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Lela Potts (Mrs. Hope Dooley) .
Dillard Potts, Automobile Business, Atlanta, Ga.
Clifford Potts, Swift and Co. Employee, Moultrie, Ga.
Emma Potts (Mrs. George Tucker), Moultrie, Ga.
Curran Potts, Atlanta, Ga. Mayo Potts, Moultrie, Ga.
Eugenia Potts (Mrs. Lester Thompson), Moultrie, Ga. Zuma Potts, Moultrie, Ga. Bobbie Grace Potts, Moultrie, Ga.
L. M. Potts, Jr., Moultrie, Ga.
Myrtle Potts (Mrs. Herbert Conger), Worth County, Ga.
In addition to these is Verner Potts, accidentally killed at Tampa, Fla., in young manhood, and two girl children, Lind- say Jane and Bertha, both of whom died in infancy.
Mr. L. M. Potts is a Democrat, and a member of the Baptist Church. He has been all his life a hard-working farmer, and a shrewd business man; and is now very nicely situated on his large farm near Moultrie, upon which he has lived since coming to Colquitt County. He is a trustee of the Okapilco Consolidated School, and is looked upon by his neighbors and acquaintances as a sterling good citizen of the county, being interested in social enterprises of all kinds.
Emanuel William Rhoden
THIS CITIZEN OF COLQUITT COUNTY is a native of the county, having been born here on November 16, 1885. He was edu- cated in the Moultrie Public Schools, having been graduated from them in 1906. His diploma is the first ever to be issued to a male student in Colquitt County.
By profession Mr. Rhoden is a printer, commencing work in this profession in Moultrie in 1898. He was proprietor of the Moultrie Printing Company in 1907, and is present
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proprietor of Rhoden's Stationery and Printing Company, and has been such since 1922.
He is a Missionary Baptist and a Democrat. He was Ser- geant in Company "B" of the National Guard ("Moultrie Rifles"). He was elected First Lieutenant, but the organiza- tion was disbanded before his commission was received.
Mr. Rhoden was the son of Emanuel Rasberry Rhoden, a native of the State of Georgia, and a Primitive Baptist preacher. The mother of Mr. E. W. Rhoden was Martha Patten, a native of Berrien County, Ga. She was the daugh- ter of James Patten and Kizzie Drawdy.
E. W. Rhoden married Cora Lee Daniel on February 13, 1911, at that time a resident of Moultrie, Ga. She was born on August 23, 1889, in Ware County, Ga. She was gradu- ated from Moultrie Public Schools. She was president of the Adult Baptist Training Union of the First Baptist Church of Moultrie, Ga. She is President of the Ladies Bible Class of the First Baptist Church now. Her father was William James Daniel, who was born July 11, 1852, in Brooks County, Ga .; married his wife in Ware County, Ga., and died in April, 1915, in Colquitt County, Ga. His wife, the mother-in-law of E. W. Rhoden, was Nancy James, born July 9, 1871, in Ware County, Ga., and died in 1914 in Colquitt County, Ga. Mr. E. W. Rhoden has been Clerk of Colquitt County Baptist Association since 1934. He is Past Illustrious Master of the Moultrie Council R. and S. M. (Masons). He has been High Priest of Moultrie Chapter Royal Arch Masons from 1935 to 1936. He has been Worthy Patron Moultrie Chapter No. 139 Order of the Eastern Star from 1936 to 1937. Senior Warden Moultrie Lodge No. 391 Free and Accepted Masons. Prelate in Beth- lehem Commandery Knights Templars, 1935-1937. He is Intermediate Leader, Baptist Training Unions, Colquitt County Association of the Missionary Baptist Church; Adult
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Leader Sunday Schools, Colquitt County Association. He is Adult Superintendent Sunday School, First Missionary Bap- tist Church, Moultrie, Ga. He is Senior Deacon, Colquitt County Masonic Convention. He has been a member of the Woodmen of the World for twenty years.
Children in life, being the issue of the marriage between Emanuel William Rhoden and Cora Lee Daniel Rhoden, are as follows:
Emanuel William Rhoden, Jr., born January 10, 1911.
Martha Neta Rhoden, born June 16, 1912. Helen Vivian (Jackie) Rhoden, born September 24, 1914. James Lee Rhoden, born September 2, 1919.
All these children are graduates of the Moultrie High School. The girls, Martha Neta Rhoden and Helen Vivian Rhoden, are both graduates of the Georgia State College for Women at Milledgeville, Ga., and are now engaged in the profession of teaching.
William Henry Rhodes
THIS CITIZEN of Colquitt County, and who lives near Moul- trie, Ga., was born on May 21, 1890, at Moultrie, Ga., and obtained his education in the Moultrie Public Schools. Since his graduation from the Moultrie High School, he has taught some in the common schools of Colquitt County, and is now operating extensive farming interests near Moultrie.
He is a Methodist, a Democrat, a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a W. O. W.
He participated in the World War. Was stationed at Fort Oglethorpe as a private of the first class, and served in Gen- eral Hospital 14. Trustee of Okapilco Consolidated School, 1936, 1937, 1938.
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Name of father was William Joseph Rhodes, born October 31, 1858, in Dougherty County, Ga .; married on December 30, 1888, in Colquitt County, Ga., and died on September 21, 1921, in Moultrie, Ga. U. S. Postmaster at Maple Ford and Justice of the Peace in Colquitt County. By profession he was a merchant and a farmer. Maiden name of the mother of W. H. Rhodes was Leila Jackson McCollum, born March, 1871, in Mitchell County. Leila M. E. Church, South, situated in the northeast part of Colquitt County, was named for her. She still survives, living at Moultrie, Ga.
Name of paternal grandfather of W. H. Rhodes was John A. Rhodes, born October 13, 1834, in Dooly County, Ga., and died April 17, 1918. Confederate veteran and farmer. Name of paternal grandmother was Mary Thorn Calhoun, born January 12, 1836, in Calhoun County, Ga. Name of maternal grandfather was Moses A. McCollum, born March 26, 1847, in Monroe County, N. C., married January 6, 1868, in Colquitt County, Ga., and died July 17, 1906, in Colquitt County, Ga. He was a local Methodist minister and a farmer. Maiden name of maternal grandmother of W. H. Rhodes was Arra P. Hayes, born January 28, 1846, in Camden County, S. C., and died on April 16, 1918, in Col- quitt County,
W. H. Rhodes married on November 26, 1922, in Moul- trie, Ga. The maiden name of his wife was Nellie Clyde McFather, and she was born on October 9, 1897, in Worth County, Ga. Her father was Wm. D. McFather, who was born August 11, 1871, in Randolph County, Ga., and died on January 3, 1933, at Tarpon Springs, Fla. He was a farmer. The mother of Nellie Clyde McFather Rhodes was Jessie Rogers Cosby, who was born March 15, 1875, in Randolph County, Ga., and who died on March 31, 1910, in Colquitt County, Ga. She was a teacher in the common schools of Randolph County, Ga., before her marriage.
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One child, Edgar Olin Rhodes, the issue of the marriage of W. H. Rhodes and Nellie Clyde McFather Rhodes lives with his parents near Moultrie, Ga., and was born February 3, 1924.
William Henry Rhodes is at present Commander of Thomas S. Teabeaut Post 41.
George Alexander Shaver
G. A. SHAVER was born on the 29th day of April, 1881, at Plano, Cherokee County, Ala. His education consisted of at- tendance in the common schools of Cherokee County, Ala., and two years at the Normal School at Jacksonville, Ala. Oc- cupations of G. A. Shaver have been farmer, school teacher, bank clerk and bank cashier. Since October, 1921, he has been Clerk of the City of Moultrie, Ga., continuously. Mem- ber of the Church of Christ. Democrat. Mason. W. O. W.
Parents of G. A. Shaver were John Reed Shaver, born September 1, 1851, in Cherokee County, Ala., and died September 23, 1931, at Piedmont, Ala., and Mary Amanda Crews, who was born on March 23, 1864, in Cherokee County, Ala., and who is still living. Parents were married on December 25, 1879. Parents just good, clean people, much interested in each other and in their children and grandchildren.
Paternal grandfather of G. A. Shaver was George Shaver and his paternal grandmother was Nancy May. They were both natives of North Carolina, where they were married. George Shaver was drowned in a stream in Cherokee County, Ala., known as "Terrapin Creek," in 1875. The place is still known as "Shaver's Ford," about 15 miles from Piedmont, Ala. With him were two of his sons. Paternal grandmother
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was born April 12, 1812, in North Carolina, and died in 1896, at Pope, Ala.
Paternal grandparents of G. A. Shaver were Alex Ellen- burg and Mary Crews, both of whom were natives of South Carolina, and both of whom died in Cherokee County, Ala. Grandfather Ellenburg was a noted rifle shot, and much in- terested in relics and antiques.
G. A. Shaver was married on January 4, 1910, in Carters- ville, Ga., to Miss Ella May Bradley. She was a daughter of Joe Bradley and Catherine Matilda Miles. Her maternal side came from the Sluders of Asheville, N. C. She and her husband, Joe Bradley, were reared in the same home from childhood, being brought together by marriage of a widower and a widow, each of whom had a bunch of children which were reared together, and these two intermarried.
The children of the marriage of G. A. Shiver and Ella May Bradley are:
John Bradley Shaver, May 13, 1912.
Geo. Alexander Shaver, Jr., July 10, 1914.
Mary Catherine Shaver, March 7, 1924.
Mina Margurite Shaver, February 9, 1927.
John Bradley Shaver married Florrie Mitchell of Morrow, Ga., on June 26, 1932. They have a child, Barbara Anne Shaver, born October 3, 1933.
John Suber
JOHN SUBER was born in Colquitt County, Ga., on October 15, 1892. His parents were James F. Suber, a native of Macon County, Ga., and Susie Eleanor Tucker. John Suber was a son of George Suber, a native of South Carolina, who was born in 1825. The wife of George Suber was Sarah Ann
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Truluck. James F. Suber was born in 1857, and still lives on his farm in Colquitt County, being a prosperous and re- spected citizen. Sarah Ann Truluck Suber was born in Geor- gia in 1828.
Susie Eleanor Tucker Suber was a daughter of Richard Tucker and Civil America Hancock. Richard Tucker was a son of Elder Henry Crawford Tucker, frequently referred to in this History as a pioneer settler in Colquitt County, Ga. His wife, Civil America Hancock Tucker, was a member of a pioneer family of Colquitt County. Richard Tucker was at one time sheriff of Colquitt County, Ga.
As will be seen from the above sketch, every drop of the blood in the veins of John Suber came out of the veins of the pioneers; and Mr. Suber is properly proud of this fact.
John Suber is a W. O. W. and a Democrat. He is a mem- ber of the County Executive Committee of that party. He is at present an efficient member of the Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenues of Colquitt County. He has never married.
William Tillman
WILLIAM TILLMAN was born on October 20, 1879, in Col- quitt County, Georgia. He obtained such education as the common schools of the time afforded and has resided in Colquitt all his life. He was the child of John A. Tillman, who was a farmer, living in Colquitt all his life. William Tillman is also a farmer.
The mother of William Tillman was Harriet Baker, a daughter of Absalom Baker, a representative of a distin- guished pioneer family of Colquitt. The wife of Absalom Baker was Zilpha Tillman.
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HISTORY OF COLQUITT COUNTY
--
Speaking of big families among the Colquitt pioneers, here is a "bunch of children" got up by MR. and MRS. W. M. TILLMAN, since the beginning of the present century. One thing that characterizes the big families of Colquitt is that they are generally "raised" to adulthood. Take a look, ye generations to come, at these fourteen children of MR. and MRS. BILL TILLMAN. Also take a look at MRS. TILLMAN. And oh well, take notice of MR. TILLMAN pere. Names of this little army, from right to left, may be found in family sketch of Mr. W. M. TILLMAN in the chapter devoted to such matters, hereinafter.
William Tillman married Ollie Doris, a daughter of Jesse Doris of Thomas County, Ga., in the year 1898. The maiden name of the mother-in-law of William Tillman was Lela Gandy.
The children being the issue of the marriage of Wm. Till- man and Ollie Doris Tillman are as follows:
Ed. Tillman, employee of the City of Moultrie, married Ruby Mock.
Frank Tillman, mechanic, living in Tampa, Fla., married Ruby Lindsey.
Lester C. Tillman, employee Swift & Co., married Ray Livingston.
Samuel Tillman, employee of Colquitt County, married Gladys Wilks.
Rosie Lee Tillman, married Strickland of Colquitt County.
Hattie Tillman, married Elbert Dorminy of Colquitt County.
Charley Tillman, resident Colquitt County.
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WILLIAM TILLMAN
Robert Lee Tillman, electrician, resident of Moultrie.
Alice T. Weeks.
Paul Tillman, U. S. Navy.
Dixie Tillman, child, living with parents.
Margie Tillman, living with parents.
Russell, living with parents.
Jessie, schoolboy, living with parents.
The group picture appended here shows Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Tillman seated and their fourteen children standing. The names of these children may be ascertained by commenc- ing on the right with Ed. Tillman, No. 1, and proceeding to the right in order of their ages, ending with Jessie Tillman, on the extreme left. We believe such an attractive family is rarely seen. There are no twins and not a single blemish in the family.
Here is a picture of John Tillman and Fariba Mercer Tillman, grand- parents of Wm. Tillman. John Tillman was a Geor- gia State Senator in 1859- 60. He was born in 1800, and his wife was born in 1805. They are - buried in the cemetery at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, a few miles out of Moultrie, near the Moultrie and Quitman paved highway. JOHN and FARIBA MERCER TILLMAN The 1860 census of Col- quitt shows Fariba Mercer resided at the home of John Till- man. She was ninety years old, and died, later in the year. 1
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HISTORY OF COLQUITT COUNTY
W. R. Tucker
THIS CITIZEN OF COLQUITT is a resident of Moultrie, and was born October 4, 1898, in Colquitt County, Ga., and was edu- cated in the common schools of Colquitt County. Reared on his father's farm, he has been a meat cutter for twenty years, and operates a meat market at this time in Moultrie. He is a Missionary Baptist, a Democrat, a Mason, an Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, Modern Woodman, and a member of the Royal Arcanum. He was a volunteer seaman in the World War.
He was a child of John C. Tucker, born in Colquitt County, where he still lives, and Sallie Newton Tucker, born in Colquitt, in 1868, who died in Colquitt County in August, 1934. His paternal grandparents were John Tucker, born March 24, 1833, and died in Colquitt in 1919, and Susan A. Stephenson Tucker, born in Raleigh, N. C., in 1835, and died in Colquitt County, Ga., in September, 1917. John Tucker was a son of Elder Henry Crawford Tucker, born in 1803, and died in 1881, who is buried in Bridge Creek Church cemetery, in Colquitt County.
His maternal grandparents were Geo. F. Newton, born in North Carolina, who went to the Civil War from Brooks County, Ga., and Julia Norman, who was born in Colquitt County, Ga., being a daughter of Jeremiah Bryant Norman and Sarah Ann Elizabeth Norman, who are buried side by side in the Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church cemetery in Colquitt County. Jeremiah Bryant Norman, Sr., was the oldest child of James Mitchell Norman, a native of Liberty County, Ga., and Ruth Tillman Norman. Reference is here made to the family sketches of these pioneers to be found in this chapter.
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