January 12, 1812 May 24, 1889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Charles Howard Kitchens was born, according to the 1850, 1870, and 1880 census records, in the State of Georgia. Family history states he was born in North Carolina. Although I do not know his parents’ names, census records show that his father was born in Virginia and his mother was born in Georgia. Apparently, he married Lurana Braswell sometime in the mid 1830s. According to census records and family history, she was born in North Carolina. Her parents are said to both have been born in North Carolina. From what I’ve been able to gather, Charles and Lurana both lived their entire married lives in the Macon, Bibb County, Georgia area.
I have not been able to ascertain when Charles and/or parents moved to Georgia, but there are two sources of information about Lurana’s family I’ve located. 1.) According to an article in the July 2, 1907 Macon Twice-A-Week Telegraph newspaper, Mr. J. W. Amason, a descendant of the “Kitchings and Braswells” states they migrated to Macon GA in the early 1820s from the Tar River area of North Carolina. . The Washington Memorial Library in Macon has the newspaper on microfilm. 2.) The 1827 Georgia Land Lottery identifies Lurana and her brother Jacob Braswell as orphans. Lurana Braswell Kitchens b. Feb 14, 1814 d. April 18, 1891 1850 Jones County Census:
1860 Bibb County Census:
1870 Bibb County GA Census:
1880 Bibb County GA Census:
In my research into the life of Charles, I came across at least three other Charles Kitchens who lived in the same vicinity during the same time. One such individual died in the Civil War and his Will was fought all the way to the Supreme Court of Georgia. I do not know if they are related; however, it is my opinion that Charles purposefully changed the spelling of his name in the 1870 census to distinguish himself from the other Charles Kitchens of the day. The Family of Henry Howard and Hattie Augusta Morgan Kitchings:
Sometime between the 1880 census and 1883, Henry Howard Kitchens moved to Prattville, Autagua County, Alabama. There he married Hatti Augusta Morgan on March 4, 1883 presided by Reverend Dr. Moore. Henry’s name was spelled Kitchings on their marriage certificate and he kept that spelling, passing it on to his children. Shortly thereafter, they moved back to Macon, GA where the first four of their seven children were born. Family records state that the first pregnancy of the marriage resulted in the birth of twins in 1884. My 84 year old mother-in-law states that Hattie was a very tiny person. The twins were premies and of course, the medical care was not available at the time to save the tiny babies. There are a number of unmarked graves in Shiloh’s cemetery, perhaps they are buried there. Henry is said to have been a very large man and so were his sons. Everyone in the family would wonder how such a tiny woman could birth such large sons?
After World War I, Macon hit a growth spurt fueled by crop failure, the boll weevil, and a drought (http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/macon.html) forcing them, after 1920, to move to Sulfur Springs, Hillsborough County, FL where Henry and his sons worked in the Phosphate mines. Hillsborough County issued Henry’s death certificate dated August 6, 1926. His body was transported back to Macon, GA where he was buried in the Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. The remainder of Hatti’s life was enjoyed living between the homes of her sons Howard, George and Dewey. She expired December 28, 1943 in Polk County, FL. Her body was transported back to Macon, GA and buried next to Henry. The Family of Ellafair Edgerton Kitchings Mackey:
Ellafair married Charles Howard Mackey October 20, 1907 in Monroe County GA by Reverend Wade. They remained in Monroe County through the birth of their third child then to Moran, Crawford County GA until after 1919, then to Yatesville, Ufison County GA and to Brewster, Polk County FL. Finally, they moved to Citra, Marion Co FL where the family worked in the orange groves and packing houses. I haven’t fully researched this branch of the family, so do not yet know the reason for all of the moves.
Ethel met Deuese Lorenzo Johnson in the Citra School when she was in the 5th grade. She told her best friend that she was going to marry Deuese. Sure enough, they married on March 9, 1940 with Reverend P. M. Yeargin presiding in Anthony, Marion Co FL. In 1942, Deuese enlisted in the army when the US became involved in WWII. He was stationed at Fort Rucker, Dale Co AL and Ethel stayed in a boarding house in Ozark, Dale Co AL about 10 miles from the Ozark gate. While Deuese fought his way through Europe, Ethel gave birth to their first daughter Sylvia, in McIntosh, FL whom died at birth due to complications. Deuese returned from the war in 1946 after 3 years, 8 months and 2 weeks when they resumed their lives as husband and wife in Citra. Deuese worked in the construction business the rest of his life.
Military Service Record CIVIL WAR
GEORGIA CIVIL WAR SOLDIER INDEX - Page 164 - Kirkpatrick thru Koch
BIBB COUNTY, GA - Military Civil War Co. D 10th Battln Whittle Guards
Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church. 
This headstone was provided by their son, George McDonald Kitchings after Hatti’s death.
I would like to express “Special Thanks” to Ethel A. Mackey Johnson for all the wonderful stories she has passed on to her children and for maintaining the family history book that her mother started some 40 years ago. There is much more information contained in that book than I have shared here in this document. Included therein are the names of the spouses of Henry and Hatti’s children and their children and the parents and grandparents of Hatti and Charles H. Mackey. I decided to concentrate on the direct line of descent from Charles H. Kitchens to my husband, Edward D. Johnson. A second “Special Thanks” to Karla Wigley of Dallas, TX who provided much of the information regarding Lurana’s family as well as the census records I’ve mentioned here. She has compiled and posted much information regarding the line of Jacob G. Braswell, Lurana’s brother.
If anyone who reads this has any information on Charles Howard Kitchens’ or Lurana (also spelled Lourana and Lourania) Braswell’s parents or other siblings, please email me, Tammy Knowles Johnson at zapha2@centurytel.net or Karla Wigley [wigleyk@esdallas.org]. We will be grateful for any information you can provide. Thanks.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||