USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 51
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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When Chesley died Martha McMercer Williams became ill. She sur- vived her husband but three weeks, dying at their home, December 11, 1916.
Lula Williams Roughton and her children, Eloise and Willie T., Jr., bought the house which had been the J. J. L. Phillips' Tifton home. There they lived until Lula's death, January 16, 1926. This house was later pur-
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chased by the Twentieth Century Library Club and is now the Club House and Library.
Eloise Roughton attended Wesleyan College. There she studied china painting, in which she has exceptional skill and artistry. She is otherwise gifted, especially in needle work and knitting.
Willie T. Roughton, Jr., married Fannie Sue Stone. They live at Thomas- ville.
CECILIA MATILDA BAYNARD WILLINGHAM
Cecilia Matilda Baynard, born in Beaufort District, South Carolina, January 10, 1829, was one of five daughters of Archibald Calder Baynard (born Edisto Island, South Carolina, about 1797; honor graduate, Uni- versity of South Carolina, 1817; married, 1820; died 1865 or 1866, at Jerico Place, near Beaufort) and beautiful Martha Sarah Chaplin (born near Beaufort, November 5, 1805; died Tuesday morning April 23, 1889, Chattanooga, Tennessee; buried on Pound lot, Forest Hill Cemetery, Chat- tanooga). Archibald was a man of great scholarship and brilliance of mind, and was a member of the South Carolina Legislature. He was son of Thomas Baynard and Sarah Calder Baynard, and was a brother of John, William and Ephraim Mikell Baynard, the last, a liberal patron of Charleston College. Cecilia's mother, Martha Sarah, was daughter of Ben- jamin Chaplin II, who was son of Benjamin Chaplin I, owner of Jerico Creek Plantation, Saint Helena's Parish, now Beaufort County, South Carolina. She was noted for her beauty, and she inherited from her father a large landed estate.
Cecilia attended the Charleston boarding school of Madamoiselle Bonne, a French woman, with an elite clientele. In later years Cecilia treasured a letter from her old teacher who wrote that Cecilia "was possessed of the most brilliant mind, and was the most thorough pupil" she had ever taught.
Thomas Willingham (born July 12, 1825, at Lawtonville, South Carolina; attended Penfield Academy; attended Hamilton College, now Colgate Uni- versity, New York) and Cecilia set up housekeeping in a small new house which Thomas built on his plantation known as Mill Place, in Barnwell District. In about 1853 he built for Cecilia a large and handsome three- story mansion at Sm'yrna. Here was born to them on June 30, 1860, a dughter, Elizabeth, named for Cecilia's sister who married Thomas's broth- er, Benjamin Willingham. Bessie, as Elizabeth was called, was Thomas's and Cecilia's sixth daughter. When grown she married H. H. Tift, the founder of Tifton. At Smyrna was born on March 7, 1862, Florene Martha Willingham, who was named for Cecilia's sister who married another brother of Thomas, Winborn Joseph Willingham. Florie Willingham mar- ried Dr. W. L. Pickard, eminent Baptist preacher and president of Mercer University.
Cecilia and Thomas and their children, near the end of the War Between the States, refugeed from Smyrna to a plantation which Thomas owned in Mitchell County, Georgia, near what is now Baconton. Later Thomas's
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and Cecilia's eldest daughter, Sallie, married Dr. Edwin H. Bacon, and they lived at Eastman. Sallie's sister, Julia, married Ed's brother, Wallace Winn Bacon, afterward prominent as a physician in Albany. Ed and Wal- lace were first cousins of the distinguished Senator A. O. Bacon who was partly reared by their father, because, A. O.'s parents had died during his infanc'y. A. O. spent part of the time with another uncle, the head of a Georgia school famous in its day, but now no longer existing. A. O.'s par- ents are buried at Midway.
From Mitchell County the Willinghams moved to another plantation which Thomas owned in Daugherty County. Near Albany, this was former- ly owned by the Barksdales, and on it was the beautiful Blue Springs, at present widely known as Radium Springs.
Before the War Between the States Thomas was said to be the third wealthiest man in South Carolina. Cecilia's uncle, Ephriam Mikell Bay- nard, was reputed second wealthiest. By the war, which freed the slaves, Thomas lost heavily, but he afterward made another substantial fortune. He had extensive land holdings in South Carolina and near Albany. Much of his land he sold and invested heavily in large bearing orange groves in Florida. Almost immediately afterward came the Florida freeze which killed his trees. Overnight he lost a fortune.
In ill health, Thomas and Cecilia and their youngest child, Pearl, went to Atlanta, although they still maintained their Albany home. They stayed with Thomas's and Cecilia's daughter, Fetie, and her husband, Cornelius Daniel, at their home, at 100 Forest Avenue.
It had long been the wont of the Willinghams to hold daily family prayer. On May 29, 1891, at Fetie's, Thomas and Cecilia had been praying. Then Cecilia spoke to Thomas. He made no answer. Touching him, she realized he was dead.
Cecelia made her home in Atlanta for a time with her eldest son, Thomas Willingham, C. S. A., who after the war, practiced law in Macon, in At- lanta and at Dallas, Texas. After his death his orphaned children moved to Eastman where they were reared by the Ed Bacons. Cecilia then visited among her numerous offspring, but soon began to call the home of her daughter, Bessie Tift, at Tifton, HOME. There she lived many happy years. She was gifted in all the household arts, was a convincing speaker, and in her early days was an accomplished equestrienne, and swimmer, in a day when most women did not swim. (Her handwriting was so beautiful and her letters were so neat and her phrases so felicitously turned and her English so smoothly flowing that one would need see her letters to appreciate her ease with the pen.) Yet it was not altogether her accom- plishments which won for Cecilia the high esteem received from all who knew her. Hers was a strength of character not often met, and in her latter days she was a woman of deep piety.
In March of 1914, Cecilia had visited her friend Mrs. Briggs Carson. She crossed the street intending to call on a sick friend, Mrs. Goodman, wife of Tifton's pioneer physician. There was a step down into the yard. Cecilia missed her footing and fell. Her hip was broken. She was rushed on a special train to Atlanta, but she died there, in the Piedmont Sani-
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tarium, on April 11, 1914, about two weeks after the accident. Burial was beside Thomas, in Albany.
To Thomas and Cecilia Baynard Willingham were born seventeen chil- dren. Fourteen grew to maturity and all of these attended private schools and college. Most of them were graduated from college, and many of them with highest honor.
Children of Thomas Henry Willingham and Cecilia Ba'ynard Willing- ham were: 1, Thomas Willingham IV (married Mildred Lawton) ; 2, Sarah Jane (marriel Dr. Edwin H. Bacon, of Eastman) ; 3, Margaret (married T. O. B. Wood, of South Carolina) ; 4, Julia Baynard (married Dr. Wallace Winn Bacon, of Albany) ; 5, Anna Cornelia (married Cornelius J. Daniel, of Atlanta) ; 6, Cecilia Matilda (at birth so small that she slept in her mother's key basket, lived to be a normal-sized child, died of diphtheria, aged twelve years) ; 7, Benjamin Lawton (married Margaret Wood) ; 8, William Baynard (married Emma Davis, of Albany) ; 9, Elizabeth (called Bessie, married Henry Harding Tift, founder of Tifton) ; 10, Florence Martha (called Florie, married William Lowndes Pickard, D.D., LL.D.) ; 11, John Calhoun (died young) ; 12, Mamie (died young) ; 13, Belle Tift (married William Lawrence, skilled on the violin); 14, Winborn Joseph (married Katherine Couric, niece of Governor Shorter, of Alabama) ; 15, Baynard (married Lucile Doty, musician) ; 16, Calder (died young) ; 17, Pearl (married Irvine W. Myers, of Tifton).
MARGARET WILLINGHAM WOOD
Margaret Willingham, daughter of Thomas III, and Cecilia Baynard Willingham, was born at Smyrna, near Allendale, South Carolina, March 26, 1850. She attended Monroe Female College, Forsyth, and Andrews Female College, Cuthbert, where she graduated with first honor. Soon afterward she married handsome and dashing Thomas O. B. Wood, of South Carolina, her marriage being considered the brilliant social event of that season. The Woods lived at Smyrna, Thomas's former home, until it was destroyed by fire. They later lived in Atlanta, and then moved to Tifton where they leased the Vickers' house (now the Briggs Carson, Sr. home) on Sixth Street. They later bought the large A. O. Tift home on Love Avenue (now the Hendricks' home). Mr. Wood died and T. J., who managed his mother's business, sold the home. Maggie moved into Bessie Tift's guest apartment which was next door to the H. H. Tifts on Second Street. Here Maggie remained until her death in Tifton, March 28, 1926. Burial was at Tifton.
Children of Margaret and T. O. B. Wood were: 1, Thomas J. Wood; 2, Margaret (Marg. married Waring Lawton) ; 3, Cecilia (married Joseph Tabor) ; 4, Anna Cornelia (died unmarried) .
ELBERT EDMUND YOUMANS
Elbert Edmund Youmans, son of James Stephen Youmans and Elizabeth Cleland Youmans, was born near Beaufort, South Carolina, January 12,
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1851. When four years old he moved with his parents to Pierce County, Georgia. Later he moved to Appling County, Georgia, where he married Miss Mary Elizabeth O'Quinn, of Appling County, daughter of Jackson and Delilah McCall O'Quinn, both of whom were born, died and are buried in Appling County. Mary Elizabeth O'Quinn was born August 31, 1848. She and E. E. Youmans were married February 5, 1871.
E. E. farmed at Jesup, then moved to Screven, in Wayne County, Geor- gia, where he was in the mercantile business, in which he also engaged when he moved to Alapaha, and thence to Nashville, whence he came to Tifton, about 1890. At Tifton Mr. Youmans was with Love and Buck, a firm of wholesale grocers. The Youmans lived on Love Avenue, Tifton.
About 1893 E. E. Youmans built, several miles from town, a large white two-stor'y house which thereafter for many years was the Youmans home. This home was later sold to Miss Ida Dickerson who operated a dairy farm. Later still it was bought by Ralph Walton, a farmer, and while he was living there the place was destroyed by fire. At that large country house was dispensed a hearty and gracious hospitality, and the rooms were filled with the laughter of jolly young people; for Mr. and Mrs. Youmans had twelve children, a jolly brood, and their parents delighted in providing those things which would contribute to their happiness.
After several 'years with Love and Buck, E. E. Youmans opened in Tifton his own market which he operated for about twenty years. In his old age he sold the market and thereafter served as Justice of the Peace until his death, August 27, 1933, at Tifton. Burial was at Tifton. Mary Elizabeth O'Quinn died at Tifton, March 13, 1938.
Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Youmans were a devoted couple and their golden wedding anniversary was a family event of outstanding importance. It was celebrated by a large reception tendered them by their daughters, Mrs. George Coleman, Mrs. Leonidas Clifton Spires, and their son, Stephen A. Youmans, at the home of Mrs. Spires.
Other anniversaries were celebrated. On the sixtieth wedding anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Coleman entertained with a large reception at their Tifton home. On the sixty-second wedding anniversary Mrs. Spires honored them with a large turkey dinner at her home where many friends and rela- tives assembled.
Children of E. E. and Mary Elizabeth O'Quinn Youmans are: 1, Stephen A. Youmans (who became Tifton's City Manager) ; 2, Laura Elizabeth, who married William Henry Sneed (they celebrated their golden wedding at a reception at the Woman's Club, in Nashville, Georgia, 1938) ; 3, Carl Jackson (died, aged two years) ; 4, Minnie Belle (married Leonidas Clifton Spires) ; 5, Nettie Florence (married J. L. Mathis) ; 6, Sarah (married J. T. Mathis) ; 7, Lester Grace, a Valdosta dentist; 8, Ella Callie (mar- ried George Washington Coleman, Tifton City Manager) ; 9, Edmund Bryant (lives at Miami) ; 10, Thomas Gelzer (lives at Miami) ; 11, Elbert James (lives at Miami) ; 12, Henry Oswald (died in Valdosta, September 26,1936).
J. L. Mathis and J. T. Mathis, husbands of Nettie and Sarah Youmans. were not related. Mary Elizabeth O'Quinn was not of the immediate fam-
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il'y of the school-teacher John O'Quinn, here in Tifton's early days. The Tift County farmers, Elias and Silas, were very distant cousins. John moved away, but Silas and Elias continued in Tift County where their descendants still live.
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