At the request of members of the family and relatives, I am going to write a brief sketch of my life and what I know about the Dillard part of this family. There were two brothers, George and Jeff, who came to America with Captain John Smith and helped in the settling of Jamestown. They were of French Huguenot descent-rather small, well built, with long fingers and toes. The women descendants did fine needlework and millinery. The men were good surgeons, gunsmiths, clock workers, etc. There were some tolerable artists among them, but the farmers predominated - large families, a few slaves, no great wealth but good livers. They were democrats and never failed to vote. The two families I knew most about are those of Allen and Dempsey Dillard. They moved from North Carolina to Marion County, Ga. in 1840. Allen settled new Good Hope Church - a Primitive Baptist (Hard Shell) Church. Dempsey settled near Mt. Sion, a Methodist church, and there raised a big family. One of Dempsey’s grandsons, William III, is President of the Central of Georgia railroad in Savannah, Ga. at the present time.

The Dillards were good citizens, good neighbors, kept fine horses and fox dogs - loved to fiddle and dance. They enjoyed life and wanted everyone else to. Both the men and women loved to fish and spent many happy hours on the river and creek banks.

Of the Allen Dillard family I shall take his son, Thomas Willis, who married Mollie McCann, whose mother was Ailce Ann McNeil of French descent. Her father was John William McCann, Irish, straight from Dublin. Coming to America he had a very stormy passage, having to throw overboard a lot of the cargo. One man who admitted that he was a murderer, was persuaded to jump into the sea for the passengers believed that he had caused the storms. The McCanns had 9 children. There were five children by his first wife and four by the second. The father fought in the Confederate Army and died in his seventies. Grandfather Allen Dillard was 98 when he died. He rode horseback to visit his children until he was 96. His wife Edie was 68 when she died. She fell dead while milking a cow one morning. Her maiden name was Shirley. Granny Shirley lived to be 103. They all cam from S. C. to Marion County, bought land from the Indians and had a sawmill on Whatley Creek. The McCanns lived in the same community - went to the same schools, so Tom Dillard and Mollie McCann met and were married.

To this union were born three children, Arrena, Ella and Johnny. I, the writer, am now 88 years old. The sister and brother both died while still quite young. My hearing has failed me completely and my eyesight is very poor, but I try every week to win the cashword puzzle contest. As a child I was small and healthy, quite active and loved school from the very start. My father and mother moved from Marion County to Fulton, near Atlanta when I was about 16. It was at this age that I began teaching. Taught Latin, algebra, A.B.C.’s, reading writing and arithmetic. I attended summer school every year, had good teachers and studied hard, so when I took teacher’s exams had no trouble in passing.

My first school was at Constitution, Ga., in DeKalb County, and I had to walk a distance of about two miles. I was accustomed to walking, as I had always lived from two to three miles from the schools that I attended. Judge Kilpatrick was school superintendent at that time, and he had a pet story that he liked to tell every time that he visited a school. I shall never forget going to his office in Decatur at one time. After I had discussed by business with him he began his story and kept me until I missed my train, and there was not another one until after dark. I lived three miles from the end of the line, and papa, of course, met the train I had missed. But it so happened that my friend Maud Brown, who was with me, had a cousin living near the end of the line. We went there and found that Papa had told them we would be in on the late train and they had promised to keep us for the night.

The next school I taught was at Mt. Olive, a Methodist church in a fine community, and there I had the finest children I ever had the privilege of teaching. Some were from DeKalb so I still had the Judge to contend with. For a part of the time while teaching there I boarded with the Meredith Browns for the sum of $1.00 for the five days that I taught each week. They were farmers, kept cows, hogs, chickens, and had a fish pond. The son loved to hunt so we often had quail, rabbits or squirrel - good old times in Georgia. There was a grown daughter whose room I shared and as I fixed my lunch basket, I was not much extra fuss or bother. My special job was to fix the lamps. At night we played cards or read.

I taught at Mt. Olive for three years, bought a horse and second hand two seated buggy and always took it full of children to school. This old horse had a bad habit of bucking if he saw something new in the road. Came near bucking me off a high embankment at one time because a new plank had been tacked over a hole in South River bridge. Fortunately a workman was near enough to jump and grab his bridle. One day while I was driving to school there was an awfully hard rain and the river rose up out of its banks. Naturally I dreaded the crossing that afternoon, for what my horse would do I couldn’t guess. When I got there the water was out a both ends of the bridge, but on the other side--there stood my father. He beckoned me to come on, it’s safe. I’ll never forget how thankful I felt. Years after I had a dream or vision, I had crossed that river - the last old river - and was in our old green pasture and was among a crowd of others who had gone on before. Jesus was milling about amongst the crowd. I began speaking to those whom I know. I came to my son Charley, and said: “And here’s Charley!” He said: “Didn’t you know we’d all be here Mother?” He spoke so loudly I woke up and lay there feeling so very happy. Tommy and Charley have crossed over and I am expecting to see them before very much longer. God grant that my six children, 13 grandchildren and seven great grands may all be there some sweet day.

I would like also to relate an experience that my father had while he was serving as a soldier during the War Between the States. He was a patient in the hospital with a severe spell of pneumonia. One night he heard the doctor and nurse talking - saying he would probably not live through the night. He had a vision that night - saw Jesus come down a bright path to his bed and stand and look at him - seemed to be giving him his choice - to go back with him or get well and go home. Said he thought of his mother and wanted to see her so Jesus turned and went back without him He told the nurse next day that he was going to get well - for if he had been going to died he would have gone back to Heaven with Jesus that night.

As soon as he was able he went home for a few days then was sent to a command in Florida. He often told his grandchildren of a narrow escape he had on his trip to that outfit. He was in the Cavalry and had to furnish his own horse. Riding along he came to a farm house near the river just about dark and stopped ask if he might get lodging for the night. “No,” they said. He told them he could pay well, that his horse was tired and he would be willing to sleep in the barn, but the answer was still an emphatic “No!.” So he rode away. His path was along the river. Just as he reached the bridge and started across someone shot at him - a close shave. He dismounted until he crossed the bridge, then had to ford the river for a ways. The horse became frightened and whirled to go back. He again got off and took the horse by the bridle and drew his pistol and waded out. He realized that the horse had been scared by a big lump of foam. Now he was wet and tired and desperately needed a place to sleep. He heard a dog barking and knew he was near a house. He rode up to the door and knocked. These people were kindly and friendly and invited him to spend the night.

I will now write a little about my next three years of teaching. It was at Buckhead in north Atlanta. Mt. Olive was an unusually good community - Buckhead was just the opposite. There I saw my first drunk person. One Monday I was a little late getting from my home - so I took in classes as soon as I arrived. I had not heard of the feuding over the weekend. When I gave recess two boys locked horns as they started out of the door. I took hold of them and made them sit down. Their sisters ran to their homes to tell that Tom and Jim were fighting. When I looked out of the door I saw the mothers of the two boys coming across the lawn. They picked up some stilts lying on the ground and went for each other. I had rung the bell and had taken in school. I went to the door and said, “Ladies, you will have to get off the school ground. It is against the law to disturb a school.” So they left.

The second year I taught there two young men from Alpharetta, Ga., bought a grocery store near the school. They were J. R. Burton (that good looking giant, Bud Burton) and Newt Kane. One night some Turkish Minstrelists came to town with bagpipes. Everybody went to hear them. There I met The Bud Burton, liked him and went steady for two years, then married and lived as happily as ***************folks could for thirty odd years.

The father of my husband was William Calvin Burton, the maiden name of his mother was Martha Clark. They came from South Carolina and settled in North Georgia, at Alpharetta in Milton County. He had two sisters, Mary Ella (Aunt Sissie) and Annie Gertrude. His father lost one arm in the Civil War. Bud, or J. R., was tall, good looking and good natured - always had a good word for everyone and weighed 240 pounds. He died at the age of 64 with Brights disease. Saw only one of his grandchildren, Clyde Winburn Kimball, Jr., son of our oldest daughter who married Clyde Winburn Kimball, Sr., who has been connected with the Southern Railway during their entire marriage and now holds a high ranking official position in Washington, D. C. Clyde, Jr. takes after his grandfather Burton in size and disposition. He is principal of one of the largest elementary schools in Atlanta and as of the present date has never married.

Out second daughter, Mamie Lee, married Gilbert Guernacy Ramsey, a Methodist Minister. They had three children, two boys and a girl, who is my only grand daughter. She, Mary Jacquelyn, teaches English in Carrollton High School, and seems to enjoy her status as the proverbial spinster school teacher.

Mamie’s two boys, Gilbert Lee and Robert Lafayette are both Methodist ministers. Gilbert, the older, serves in the South Georgia Conference and is married to Frances Smith, originally of Macon, Ga. They have two children, Pamella and Lee. Bob is a member of the North Georgia Conference and is married to Jo Ann Shackelford. They have one child, Robert Douglas. Their father lived to perform the marriage ceremonies of both sons and to baptize Pam, the oldest grandchild. He suffered a heart attack and died on April 12, 1956.

The oldest of our four sons, Thomas Roland, was given the name Thomas from his grandfather Dillard whom he took after in size - wore a No. 4 shoe and boy’s size suits. He was married twice - his first wife, Iora Forrester lived only five months. After her death he and Charley went to Miami, Fla. to work - weathered the 1936 hurricane - and Tom established a business of his own. He did well and was soon married to Gladys Wishort, who was a good business woman and fine help mate to him. They had four boys, Tommy, Jr., James Wishort, William Edward and Daniel. Tommy, Jr., is married and the father of three children. Among the business ventures of Tom was a partnership in a big jitney enterprise, called the Venetian Cause Way. He was also half owner of a big cattle ranch at Lake Placid which he loved and enjoyed more that anything. He contracted TB and was sick for a number of years. Before he passed away he sold his beloved ranch. He died in January of 1956.

Charley, the third son passed away also in January just three weeks prior to Tom’s death. He was named Charles from Dr.Chas. Benson, the physician who brought all six of the children into the world, as well as Clyde the grandson.

Calvin was named for his Grandfather Burton. He was married twice and has two sons, Charles George and Jerry. Charley has just graduated from Univ. of Ga Medical School and will intern at Macon Hospital.

My two surviving sons, John Robert, Jr., and Ben. Rob has one son, who is married to Patricia Sisson and has two sons, John Robert, III and Clifford Russell. Rob travels with a Wild Life Exhibit. Ben also has two boys, Jackie and Freddie. He lives in Atlanta and is connected with the Colonial Stores.