Interested descendants of George C. Clark Sr. gathered on Saturday, March 28, at the Oak Grove Baptist Church, located west of U.S. Highway 29 between Gantt and Dozier near the Covington and Crenshaw County line, but just inside Covington. The purpose was to focus on the genealogy of the Clark, Rogers and Bozeman families and related lines, as well as conduct a dedication to honor ancestors who settled in the area by placing headstones at their graves, which are located in the nearby Goodhope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Those present were very encouraged with all the research available and plan future events and reunions.

The subject of this today’s narrative is George C. Clark Jr. who was a son of the above George C. Clark Sr. George Jr. is the one who brought and settled the family into Northern Covington County, which later became a part of Crenshaw County in 1866.

The earliest ancestor in this line provided to this writer was George C. Clark Sr. who was born in 1754 in Antrim County, Ireland. He was first noted in America in the 1790 Federal Census as a resident of Georgetown District, S.C., so he had emigrated from Ireland to the United States before that date.

George Clark Sr. was married during the late 1780s to Sarah, and they began their family in South Carolina. As best can be determined at this date, the couple reared the following known children: Burgess; Delilah, b. 1780, m. 1834 John Petty; ; Kenneth/Kennith/Kenion; b. 1800-1810; George C. Jr, b. 1791, d. 1869, m. Frances Knight; John/Johnston, b. 1792, d. 1840s, m. Amelia Monroe Hooper; Meedy, b. 1797, m. (1) John G. Tart (2) ? Rogers (3) William H. Canada; Mary Ann, b. 1804, m. Peter Sanders; Unknown daughter, m. John Kennedy. All the children were born in South Carolina, and many of them lived in Marion County, S.C. It is speculated that the first son listed, Burgess, was by a different mother.

The third son, George C. Clark Jr., was married to Frances Knight with whom he had the following children: John, b. 1818, d. before 1897, m. 1848 Elzada Rogers; Delia, b. 1822, d. 1892, m. 1847 Daniel Lloyd Mashburn Dauphin; Meda, b. 1823, d. 1907, m. Miles Ganus; David, b. 1828, d. 1864 during W.B.T.S., m. Telitha ?; Louise A.J., b. 1832, d. 1901; George, b. 1833, d. 1850; Phillip C., b. 1835, d. 1930, m. Savannah Parish; Elizabeth, b. 1842; William, b. 1845; and John, b. 1846, d. before 1870 at age 24, he also served in W.B.T.S.

George C. Clark Jr.’s oldest son, John Clark, was married to Elzada Rogers, daughter of Littleberry and Anna (Bozeman) Rogers. They reared the following children: Francis Marion, b. 1849, d. 1870; George Lowman, b. 1850, d. 1935, m. Elizabeth M. Hogg; John K., b. 1855, d. 1918, m. 1885 Frances Luverne Hudson; Richard M., b 1857, d. 1912, m. Nannie J. Owens; Rebecca Odessa “Becky,” b. 1862, d. 1937, m. (1) 1894 Jonah Green (2) Julius George Hallford; David Daniel “Bunk,” b. 1862, d. 1894, m. 1886 to Susan McNair; Lawrence L, b. 1865, d. ca 1922, m. 1896 Alice Fowler Hendricks; Robert Lee, b. 1866, d. 1941, m. (1) 1880 Jennie Wright (2) 1898 Della Roxanne Cheek (3) 1914 Lessie Lee Jackson.

John Clark inherited about 4,000 acres of land running from Chinquapin Creek to the Pastsalgia River and included Sap Bluff from his father, George C. Clark Jr. He also acquired 18 or 20 slaves who were named Hazelett—named for their previous owner—but John did not change their established name. After the slaves were freed in 1864, they would come to John’s cotton gin and ask for cotton seed, which they would use for food. John also owned and operated a gristmill. A cotton gin, and later floated timber down the rivers to Pensacola. During the war years, John engaged a Mr. Nall to deliver food and supplies hauled on his mules and wagon to assist the widows and families whose fathers were serving in the army. John, himself, served as a private doing home county defense, but he never claimed the pension. He did not take the Oath of Registration until November 2, 1880. John served in W.B.T.S. as a Home Guard.

John Clark’s son, Robert Lee Clark, was married three times. He and his first wife, Jennie (Wright), had one son: Sellers L., b. 1891, d. 1963, m. (1) ca 1930 (2) 1914 Mary Emiline Pou. Robert Lee and his second wife, Della Roxanne (Cheek), had the following children: James Madison, b. 1898, d. 1986, m. (1) Estelle ? (2) 1920 Lula Brogden; Lena Mae, b. 1903, d. 1993, m. 1920 Malachi C. Ballard; Lela Mae, b. 1908, d. 1958, m. (1) 1925 Marion Odom; (2) 1939 Joseph Daniel Tanner; and Dallas, b. 1909, d. 1989.

Robert Lee Clark and his third wife, Lessie Lee (Jackson), reared the following children: Charlie Lee, b. 1915, d. 1974, m. Mary Jane Majors Griffin; Eunia Vae, b. 1918, d. 2000, m. (1) 1938 James Robert Davis (2) 1942 Belgium Brown Scott; Jennie Mae, b. 1920, d. 1983, m. Samuel Arthur Smith; Bessie Lee, b. 1922, d. 2005, m. (1) 1941 Clarence James Warthen, remarried him in 1943; Katie Lou, b. 1924, d. 1987, m. 1943 Merie Odell Dinkins; Lonie Lee, b. 1927, d. 2002, m. Marvin Davon Brooks; Gladys Rae, b. 1930, d. 1974, m. 1949 Willie Maxwell Warthen; and Loretta Jackson, b. 1935, d. 2007, m. (1) 1949 Preston Quinley (2) 1950 Cloy Harvey Messick (3) 1982 Albert Dennis Taylor.

Robert Lee Clark’s daughter, Bessie Lee Clark, and her husband Clarence James Warthen, reared the following children: Charlotte Faye, b. 1944, m. (1) Charles James Stephens (2) James R. Dase; Lillian Juanita, b. 1946, m. (1) 1966 Joel Michael Gudhal, killed in Laos in 1972 (2) 1973 David R. Lavine. Lillian and Joel Michael Gudhal had one daughter, Sarah Inga, b. 1970, m. 1990 Joseph S. Kass. Lillian and David Lavine had one, son Benjamin Lavine, b. 1975, m. Rachel Miller. David adopted Sarah Inga Gudhal in 1981.

Appreciation is expressed to Lillian (Warthen) Lavine for sharing her research and records for this writing. She and her husband, David, have done extensive research on her families and have conducted several projects to preserve their history and heritage—one of those being the recent reunion at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Northern Covington County, Ala.

Anyone who might have a correction for any of the above information or questions related to this column is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.

HISTORICAL MEETING:

The Covington Rifles Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, in the Dixon Memorial Room of the Andalusia Public Library. Guests are welcome.