Ben Alford was born to slaves. He met and married Mamie, they had four children that we know about: two sons and two daughters.
According to George Manuel, Alfred’s obituary (February 27th, 1977, Lane Memorial Chapel, Adel, Georgia), Ben and Mamie lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For reasons unknown, the brothers and sisters moved to Southeast Georgia around the year of 1912 by way of Patterson, Georgia, from Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Later years, the brothers and sisters met and married their spouses and went their separate ways. The names of the brothers and sisters and their spouses are:
George –
Eula Roberts and Daisy Cummings Hobbs
Hahira, GA
Annie –
Patterson, Georgia
Mary –
Alec Nesmith, Sr.
Hahira, GA
Jethro –
Chicago, ILL
Mary and George were the two children of Ben and Mamie that stayed closer to each other. They both met, Mary and reared their families in the County Line community of Hahira, Georgia. They became pioneers in their community and in the county line AME Church of which they served.
George was born on May 12th, 1904. During his early life, he resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Goldsboro, North Carolina.
George moved to Hahira, Georgia, by way of Patterson, Georgia. He met and married Eula Roberts. They had six sons (Willie, Homer, Ralh, Elmo, Elco, and Elijah). Eula, his wife, and Ralph, his son, preceded him in death. Eula died in July 1925. As time passed, George married Daisy Cummings Hobbs, who was also widowed with four children (Annie Bell, Ernest, Vernon, and H Bernie). Three children were born to George and Daisy (Joshua, Maudell, and Clifford). Together, George and Daisy reared their children with their first spouse plus their three.
George’s occupation was a farmer. When opportunity presented itself, he purchased a two-horse farm. George was a member of the County Line AME church and was ordained into the ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the South Georgia, Valdosta District. He pastored 2 churches: Rose Hill in Adel, Georgia, and a church in Sparks, Georgia.
George was a Mason at the time of his death. He earned the honor of being a Gold Card Member.
George was buried in the cemetery at County Line AME church, Hahira, Georgia, in February 1977.
Annie remained in Patterson, GA, after moving with her two brothers and one sister from Goldsboro, NC. Anne’s children are: Mamie Rheem of Patterson, GA.
After moving to Hahira, Georgia, along with her brother, George, Mary met and married Alec Nesmith, Sr. Mary and Alec reared their family in the County Line Community. Their children (Gertrude, Laura, Jannie, Alice, and Alec, Jr.) except one, met and married their spouses and reared their families in the County Line Community also. The one child, Jannie, moved with her husband to Vero Beach FL. Mary was buried in the family plot at County Line AME church cemetery Hahira, Georgia.
The writer is not sure where Jethro was born. He lived in Patterson, Georgia, and other places. Later moving to Chicago IL where he died. No immediate relatives live there (that we know about). However, upon being informed of his uncle’s death, his nephew, Joshua, the seventh child of George, traveled to Chicago from East St. Louis, Illinois, to make final arrangements for his burial.
Jethro had no children that we knew about.
