Brother Donehoo


Rev Ralph M. Donehoo was born in Cobb County east of the town of Roswell near area now known as Post Oak Tritt. He was the son of William and Dora Johnson Donehoo. He attended school at a one room school house. When he was seven years old, he was learning with the students in the higher grades. His teacher D. A. Sewell approached him while he was eating a baked sweet potato at lunch, and told him he should go to college. After that he was determined to actually go to college. He attended Rhinehart College for a short time then attended Mercer University. He originally intended to study law, but after a profound religious experience, studied for the ministry. He graduated in 1912. Rev. Donehoo married Ethel Frances Scott who was his staunch supporter. Some of us can remember once, after he started his sermon, Mrs. Donehoo reminded him that he had preached that sermon a couple of weeks before.
He entered the ministry and at that time traveled from one small church to another. He would be gone from home for weeks at a time. After years of traveling around he bought a small farm in Roswell. He struggled to make the farm work. One year he grew a lot of sweet potatoes and he needed crates to store them. There was a shingle mill nearby so he set up a wood shop and powered it with a T Model. From that he got started in wood working and made pews in 1927 for a church where he was preaching. His Roswell Seating Company was incorporated in 1947 and is the oldest licenced business in Roswell.
He became pastor at the First Baptist Church of Alpharetta and the First Baptist Church of Roswell. It was easy to pastor both churches since they only had services every other Sunday. At that time his monthly salary was $25 or less. Regardless he found time to visit everyone in Old Milton County and the Roswell area who were sick and preached or assisted in the services of most of the funerals. In addition to his other duties he found time to teach at Milton where he was a favorite teacher.

Rev and Mrs. Donehoo raised seven children, Patrick, Scott, William, Samuel, Frances, John and Sarah; one child died.

Rev. Donehoo did not keep records, however, he estimated that he performed at least l00 weddings per year and preached for 58 years. He married couples in church, at home, at his home, in his yard, in the yard at his business and sometimes standing outside a couples car when the couple never left their car at the seating company.

He died in 1965 and those of us who knew him still miss him. He exerted a powerful influence on Old Milton County and surrouding areas. He is definitely one of the most memorable parts of Old Milton County history

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