When Seth Abernathy was born on 6 July 1811, in Lincoln, North Carolina, United States, his father, Nathan Robert Abernathy, was 21 and his mother, Eve Cline, was 16. He married Elizabeth Bradshaw on 7 August 1834, in Lincoln, North Carolina, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Arkansas, United States in 1870 and District 1028, Cherokee, Georgia, United States in 1880. He died on 23 January 1899, in Bartow, Georgia, United States, at the age of 87, and was buried in Macedonia Cemetery, Allatoona, Bartow, Georgia, United States. (Source: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KJZQ-8VF/seth-abernathy-1811-1899)

Seth and his wife, Elizabeth Betsey Bradshaw (b: 3 Oct 1816, Lincoln Co, NC d: 29 Jun 1900, Cobb Co, GA), had seven children, Eva Abernathy 1829–1874; Mary Abernathy 1835-; Elihu Richard Abernathy 1838–1903; Elizabeth Abernathy 1841–; John Franklin Abernathy 1843–1930; Nathan J. Abernathy 1849–1917; and Minarchas H. Abernathy 1853–

Elizabeth Betsey Bradshaw was the daughter of John Bradshaw and Mary Shutley. She married Seth Abernathy on 16 May 1828 in Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Elizabeth Betsey Bradshaw (b: 3 Oct 1816, Lincoln Co, NC d: 29 Jun 1900, Cobb Co, GA), and her husband, Seth Abernathy, had seven children, Eva Abernathy 1829–1874; Mary Abernathy 1835-; Elihu Richard Abernathy 1838–1903; Elizabeth Abernathy 1841–; John Franklin Abernathy 1843–1930; Nathan J. Abernathy 1849–1917; and Minarchas H. Abernathy 1853–

The 1850 Census shows Seth's occupation as collier. He probably was involved in the manufacture or transportation of charcoal for the furnaces. A collier is defined as a person in the business or occupation of producing (digging or mining coal or making charcoal) or in its transporting or commerce. His brothers, James and Daniel are listed as woodcutters. His sister Elizabeth's husband, William Summy was also a collier.

At the time of Governor Joe Brown's 1863 state militia census, Seth was identified as a farmer. In 1864, he accompanied his brother-in-law, James Keever to Atlanta to retrieve the clothing and collect the pay of James' two sons, who had died in Confederate service. Daniel F. Keever and Thomas J. Keever enlisted in Bartow County in 1862 and both died in Confederate hospitals in Atlanta. James Keever and Seth signed an oath, which is now on file at the Georgia Archives, stating that James was the father of the two boys.

Sometime after 1864 and before 1870, Seth Elizabeth moved their entire family to Yell County, Arkansas. He may have done this because of the destruction of the Etowah Community during the war. Two of his sons, Nathan and John, were married in Arkansas. Eventually, the entire family moved back to Bartow County or Cherokee County, Georgia.

The following article appeared in the November 18, 1897 edition of the Cartersville The Current American:
"Up in the Stamp Creek District of this county about eight miles from Cartersville, their lives an old couple whose descendants reach even to the fifth generation and who are yet enjoying good health and look after their home affairs and little farm just as they did long years ago.

'The subject of this sketch is Mr. Seth Abernathy and his wife. Mr. Abernathy was born July 6, 1811 and his wife, Miss Elizabeth Bradshaw is his junior by five years having been born October 3, 1816. They were married August 7, 1834 and eight children were born to them, six of whom are living and two have preceded their parents to the great beyond and to wait for their coming on the other shore.

'Of the living, there are three boys and three girls the oldest of whom is about sixty years old. These six are all married and have together thirty-two children of the next generation there are thirty-six and of the next there are two children who are the great-great grandchildren of Seth and his wife.

'Altogether there are seventy-six descendants of this grand old couple, all of whom respect and honor them and look up to them for advice and counsel.

'Mr. Abernathy works in the fields every pleasant day and only a few days ago picked twenty-five pounds of cotton from little patches near his house and his wife looks after her daily household affairs.

'This is indeed a remarkable old couple at the ages of eighty-six and eighty respectively, both are in vigorous health."