The Parks Family

(Information from Wayne County, Georgia; Its History and Its People, published by the Wayne County Friends of the Library, articles submitted by Gladys Proveaux and Viola Sharp, p. 298-299.)

When a colony of pioneer citizens from Buncombe County, North Carolina, migrated to Gilmer County, Ellijay, Georgia, in 1845, John Parks was in the group. He was the father of four sons, one of them bring Monroe Parks. Monroe was the father of six sons, among them was William Burton Parks, Sr. In 1867, he married Susana Marintha Hill, a native of Rutherford County, North Carolina. She came to Gilmer County in 1844.

William and Susana were parents of five sons and two daughters. George Monroe Parks was their oldest son, born July 22, 1872 in Gilmer County. His brothers were: William Burton, Jr., James Lawry, Jasper Martin, and Joseph Alfred. The two daughters were: Sarah Ann Parks (Wells) and Lou Parks (Harper).

Joseph Alfred Parks was born in Gilmer County, Georgia, September 1, 1882. Sarah Elizabeth Beaver was born in Murray County, Georgia, November 26, 1883. The two were married in Gilmer County, October 4, 1903, near Ellijay, Georgia, where they lived for 12 years. They came to Wayne County in 1915 to the farm of Jim Sharpe where they farmed for one year. They decided to stay in Wayne County, so they bought a farm from a Mr. Conner in the fall of 1916 in the Bethel Community, now known as Empire Community. Their neighbors were Will Roberson, Arch Roberson, Jessie Spivey and John Crook.

Their children, born in Gilmer County and moved to Wayne Cunty with them, were Alton, Ralph, Eunice and Sidney. The children born to them in Wayne County were Gladys and James A. The older children went to Bethel School. After a few years, Empire School was built and then all the children attended school there. Joseph Alfred Parks was a trustee of the school along with Aaron Nichols and J. B. Lastinger for many years.

The family all attended the Satilla Methodist Church, near New Bethel Baptist Church. Later, the church was moved to another site given to the church by J. "Brack" Lastinger in the Empire community. Joseph was a Steward of the church and led the singing for many years. The Parks brothers were from a devout Methodist background. When there was not a worship service at Satilla Methodist, the families went to New Bethel Baptist with their friends and relatives.

The father of Sarah Parks was William Beaver and her mother was Elizabeth Ann of Copper Hill, Tennessee. There were four Beaver children: Jim, William, Rowena and Sarah.

Alton married Ethel Wimpey and they had two children: Juanita and Ruby. Ralph married Louise Robinson and they had two children: Jackie and Ralph, Jr. Eunice married Theron Dix and they had one child, Joe. Eunice died October 7, 1972 and Theron died June 11, 1977. Sidney married Edna Mixon and they had two children: Peggy and Fay. Gladys married Woodrow Proveaux and had three children: Mary Elizabeth (Betty), Woodrow Joseph, and Victor William. James Alfred, born June 24, 1924, married Doris Cornelia Scott and had six children: Sue Nell, Judy Ilene, Gary Arthur, Jimmy Scott (Scotty), and twins Ricky Gerald and Randy Alton. Doris was the daughter of George Arthur Scott and Agnes Priester Scott.

Joseph Alfred Parks lived to be 97 years of age. He died October 31, 1979. His wife, Sarah Elizabeth, died August 29, 1960 at the age of 76 years.

When Joseph and Sarah retired from the farm in 1947, they built a house at 611 South Fourth Street in Jesup, where they lived out their lives. Joseph and Sarah Parks had six children, 16 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

On February 3, 1895, George Monroe Parks married Josie Harriette Elizabeth DeBorde, who was born April 18, 1880, in Gilmer County. She was the daughter of Joseph M. DeBorde and Rebecca Susana Tatum Deborde.

To this union eleven children were born. Three of the eleven died in early childhood. The others were: Lola Evelyn who married Harve McKinley Daniel; George Aaron, who married Essie Wimpey; Viola Beulah, who married William Hallen Sharp; Woodfin Grady, who married Marie Koemman in Greeley, Colorado; Kermit Arthur who married Eldis Kizer; Mildren Irene who maried William J. Royal; Hazel Alice who married Ralph R. Collins; Hugh Marvin, who maried Rosamond K. Smith in Malden, Massachusetts. William Hallen Sharp was the son of James Turner Sharp and Mary Ann (Mollie) Hill, thus giving another Hill connection with this family.

In November of 1920 the George Parks family made the journey to Wayne County. According to Viola Sharp,

"Getting ready for the move was a big job. Much preparation had to be made. I was so sad to see my cow "Dolly" sold along with the other livestock. Papa didn't sell his team of mules. They were to be the means of transportation for Papa and our neighbor, Mr. Will Daniel, who made the trip with him. They hitched the mules to a covered wagon, loaded with supplies, for the 350 mile trip to Jesup. It took them 21 days to make the trip. They would set up camp before sundown every day. After the team had been fed and watered and supper was over, Mr. Will Daniel would get his old banjo out of the wagon and pick a few tunes. Sometimes a few listeners would gather around and talk with the travelers.

Uncle Jasper and wife, their children Kenneth, Winnie and Redus, also, Mrs. Daniel made the trip with us. It was an exciting time when the day came for us to board the train in Ellijay and start the journey to Jesup. Our household effects were packed and shipped by train.

We had a few hours in Atlanta waiting to change trains. That gave us a chance to have a visit with my Aunt Beulah (sister to Mama and Aunt Mae). The sights of the big city were a new experience for us!

When we arrived at Jesup, our house was not ready. It was a rental house belonging to Mr. Arch Roberon. While waiting for the house to be vacated and for our furniture, we settled in with Uncle Joe and Aunt Sarah's family. Their six children and our seven called for a lot of meals to be cooked and places to sleep! My older sister, Lola Evelyn, had married Harve McKinley Daniel shortly after he came home from the war (World War I). They were living in Copper Hill, Tennessee.

Eventually, we got moved into our home, and started the new life known as sharecorpping. We also had some adjusting to a few different customs in everyday living.

Mama wondered how we could get by without apple trees to furnish fruit for the table. We have never forgotten the fried pies from apples dried in the sun. We missed the ice cold spring water that we depended on to keep milk and butter fresh and tasty! We kept good milk cows, and Mama used stone churns in a four gallon size. Bread baking two or three times every day called for lots of buttermilk, butter, and sweet milk....Most of the North Georgia clan never learned to enjoy the taste of sugar cane syrup, as they did the sorghum they had been used to eating before moving down South.....

In the fall of 1932, Papa felt a longing for the old home in the mountains he had left in 1920. He had rented out the farm in Gilmer County during our living in Wayne.

The depression was taking its toll on farming. Papa's strength had failed gradually and the decision to move back was easy to make. Hugh was the only child living at home who went back with Papa and Mama. When President Roosevelt had the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) organized, Hugh joined and served in that for a few years. During World War II, he volunteered for the U. S. Navy and served three years."