Stories from Gus Adams, published in Tifton Gazette, Tift Co. GA Whitley Family ==================================================================== USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: J. E. (Edd) Dorminey edormine@starband.net http://members.surfsouth.com/~edormine/ ==================================================================== Around the "turn of the Century" (1912) there was a man by the name of Gus Adams (friends called him "Pat") who lived near Chula, Tift County, GA with several families. First with William and Louisa Jane Branch and then at the home of some of their grown children. After a while he moved in with the D.H. Hogan family. Gus was from Brooklyn, New York and came to Georgia about 1878 where he followed his occupation as a painter and decorator. While residing and working around the Chula area, he went from home to home and knew all the old residents of this section and visited with them. He attended family reunions, annual meetings and celebrations, and his writings of these gatherings were an interesting feature of the "Tifton Gazette" in Tifton Georgia for many years. Gus died in 1933. These stories live on to tell some very interesting histories of the different families of the area. Look especially at the "Whiddon" write up as it is very interesting in relation to the Dorminy family and where they originated. SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION Bob Morrell was editor of the Tifton Gazette 30 years ago when he and his wife Betty discovered and salvaged these genealogies from some old Tifton Gazette papers that were crumbling and falling apart from being exposed to age, dust, South Georgia heat and humidity. Betty took these old papers and copied the Gus Adams genealogies onto "teletype" paper on her typewriter. She said that during the process the act of turning the pages would tear the brittle newsprint and she had to have something placed under them to turn them or they would crumble in her hands. If she hadn^Òt saved these family histories, they would have been lost forever as no other source has been found that has copies of these articles except the one on the Paulk^Òs and part of the one on the Dorminy family which we obtained from another source CAUTION!!! Please be aware that Mr. Adams did not have the benefit of a computer to cross check his information. He has a LOT of mistakes in these histories but if you use them, and are aware of this fact, you can benefit by having a starting point. Do not use this information as your final reference . I know for a fact that a lot of Dorminy information as well as other information is partially WRONG so to be forwarned is to be forarmed. ==================================================================== Tifton Gazette Feb. 9, 1912 Vol. XX1 No. 40 THE WHITLEY'S Wiley Whitley, who married Mary Smith of Laurens county, accompanied the Paulks to Irwin. They settled near Willacoochee creek and not long after, they bought the lot of land now owned by Tom Whitley for $30. The elder Whitley was an orphan boy and had few opportunities in life but was industrious and thrived, raising a large family who have become prosperous, honorable citizens. They were the parents of Wiley, Thoday, Micajah, Tom, George, John, Richard, Mary and Jane. Judge Wiley, son of Wiley I, was Ordinary of Irwin county and the first County School Comissioner of Irwin. He served in the war; married Susan Fussell: she died. He then married Mrs. Kate Hobby, formerly Kate Henderson, daughter of Faraby. She had one daughter, Sally, who married Dr. Wiley Fussell; they parted; she then married Dan Hall. The children of Wiley were: Sullis, Alice, Ludie, Ida, Ada, Pearl, Salanda, Wiley, Reason and Anna. Sullis, the oldest daughter never married. Alice married George Young: their children: Cora married Albert Paulk, Gilbert, Katie, Martha, Hubert, Sykes and Autrey, single. Ludie, son of Wiley II, married Ella Dix; children all small. Ida, daughter of Wiley II, married J.Y. Paulk; children small. Ada, daughter of Wiley II, married Clinton Harper. Pearl died of Typhoid fever. She was a member of Willachoochee church and requested Rev. Albert Sutton to refrain from politics and made him promise on her death bed never to enter the political field again. She claimed that he had a more important duty to perform in preaching and teaching the word of God. Wiley married Bertha Whiddon. Slanda, Reason and Annie, not married. Thoday, daughter of Wiley I, married Boney Fussell; he died. Their children were Dr. Wiley and Jacob. Dr. Wiley married Sally Hobby; they parted; he then married Martha Hunter; she died. He next married Sally Young. He was killed by Wm. Brantley, leaving John, Beulah, and other small children. Jacob, son of Rhody, daughter of Wiley I, married Catherine McInnis, daughter of Archie McInnis, father of Sheriff Dan McInnis. They were divorced. He next married Sussie Redick. Micajah, son of Wiley I, died in the war. Tom Whitley, son of Wiley I, married Nannie Harden, daughter of Elder Harden. She died leaving Willie, who married Betty Paulk. William, son of Tom, died of Typhoid fever in 1908, after being married about a week. Tom Whitley, son of Wiley I, next married Matilda Fletcher, daughter of Sandy Jim. Their children were: Jim, George and John. They died with fever. Jim, George and Willia, died in a few weeks and were buried at the Paulk cemetery. The whole family were stricken with the disease at the same time. John died a year later. Nannie, who also was afflicted with the fever, recovered and married Pearlie Harper, son of Buck. The other children are: Theron, Beauford, Frank and Royce, all small. Mary died in infancy. Matilda died Nov. 26, 1911. George, son of Wiley I, married Margaret Henderson. He died, leaving Mary, Judy, Wiley and Fereby. Mary married Benning Hobby. Wiley married Mary Paulk, daughter of Dan Paulk. He is Clerk of Superior Court of Ben Hill County. Fareby married John Roberts, he died. She then married Thomas Boykin. Julia is single. Richard Whitley, son of Wiley I, married Jane McMillan. He died, leaving Becky, Sally, Sarah and Sophronia, all single. John married Maude Wilcox, daughter of J.K. Wilcox. Archie married Lula Mixon, daughter of George Mixon. Thomas married Dora Vickers, daughter of Youngie Vickers. Wiley is single. John, son of Wiley Whitley I, married Martha Henderson. He died, leaving Jim, Ella, Della, Tommie, Lula and Lillian. Jim is Ordinary of Irwin County. He married Mattie Royal, daughter of Prof. W.J. Royal; she died at Ocilla. Ella married Jim Royal, son of Prof. Royal; he was elected tax receiver of Irwin in 1910. Della married Frank Ewen, son of Dave Ewen. Tommie married Essie Paulk, daughter of J.Y. Paulk. Lula and Lillian are single. Mary Jane, daughter of Wiley Whitley I, married John McMillan, son of old Archibald McMillan. (In the McMillan group). Jacob Whitley, son of Wiley I, married Caroline Gaskins. Their children: Walter married Annie Cannon. Oliver married Nannie Guest. Jordan and Wortie, single. They settled near Tifton, in Berrien county, and then the boys grew up they embarked in the mercantile business at Tifton. John Whitley, brother of Wiley I, married Polly Purvis. Their children were: Jacob, Dicey, Martha, Nancy, Sarah, Annie, Wiley and Needham. Jacob married Mary Grantham; he died in 1901, leaving; Piety, who married Jacob Barnes; Martha, who married Bud Broughton; Rhody, who married John Walker; Jack, who married Sarah Roberts; and Jim, not married. Dicey married Sidney Morris; they moved to Florida. Martha married Jack Harper. Their children were: Needham, Mack, Rance and Pearly; Annie who married Micajah Harper, and Tom, who married Miss Metz. Nancy, daughter of John, married Dick Roberts. Sarah Ann, daughter of John married Peter Harper. Their children were: Seward, who married Miss Vickers, and John. Wiley, son of John, married Mary Burns. Their children were: Jennie, who married George Dykes; Maggie, Ida, Ed, Needham, John, Jim, and Albert, not married. Needham, son of John, married Nancy Roberts. Their children were: Sol, who married Nancy McMillan; Jacob, who married Roxey Roberts; she died; he next married Miss Hickman; George married Hettie Sutton; Dan married Kate Grantham; Warren married Gertie McMillan; Judy married Wiley Stone. Jim, Ava, and Charlie, single. Rhody Whitley, sister of Wiley I, and John, married John Henderson, brother of Dan, father of Nas, etc. (In the Henderson group). Becky, daughter of Dicey, married Dan Tucker. (In the Tucker group). Tom, son of Dicey, married Margaret Paulk. --- Please take note that this information came from long ago and has not been corrected for accuracy. Many of these sketches have names transposed or just plain wrong information so use this as a starting point, not the final end to your research. THIS IS NOT AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT. It is a summary of the genealogical findings of one man, Gus Adams, which were unsubstantiated and should be used as such. ---