Source:
Volume II, The History of Savannah and South Georgia, Pages 1029, 1030 and 1031.

Byron Alonzo Alderman a retired businessman and on the leading citizens of Pine Park, Grady County, is a life long resident of southwest Georgi, and beginning his own career in the woods and in a log cabin home he has used thrift and diligence acquiring a generous measure of prosperity and has provided well for his family, at the same time performing with fidelity his obligation to his community.

Byron Alonzo Alderman was born on a farm eight miles north of Thomasville, November 15, 1854. His father was Hon. Isaac Alderman, a man of unusual influence and ability. He was born December 5, 1826 in Sampson or Duplin county, North Carolina where his parents were life-long residents. He was reared in his native state by his widowed mother and acquired a better education than the average person. His great-grandfather, Daniel Alderman, married Abigail Harris and came to New Jersey from England about 1750; removed to North Carolina in the year 1755. Daniel Alderman had three sons, John who married Mary Cashwell; Daniel who married Sarah Newton and David who married Jemima Hall. David Alderman, Jr. who was Isaac Alderman's grandfather, had three sons: David who married Nancy Morgan; Isaac who married Elizabeth Morgan, and Elisha, who married a cousin, Rebecca Alderman. Daniel Alderman also had five daughters, Jemima, who married James Bland; Rachel who married Byrant Buxton; Sarah, who married James Newton; Mary who married John Crumpher, and Elizabeth who remained single. Elisha and Rebecca Alderman were the parents of Hon. Isaac Alderman and they had ten children whose names are: James, Jemima, Sarah , Joseph David Isaac, Daniel, Susan and William. Hon. Isaac Alderman when a young man, took the vocation of teaching and on coming to Georgie he followed that line of work for a number of years. His first residence in Thomas county, where he taught school and bough a piece of land eight miles northwest of Thomasville, where he built a log house in which his son, Byron A., was born. He continued to teach while superintending the improvement of his land, and in time had acquired a substantial home and the means to provide well for his family. In the year 1863, he enlisted int he Confederate army and was in the struggle until the close. After the war he again took up teaching and farming and remained on the old homestead until his death, Sept 24, 1900. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Alderman, daughter of Timothy and Sally (Williams) Alderman. She was born August 30, 1832, and died Novebmer 29, 1897. Timothy Alderman was a native of North Carolina and his wife, Sally, a native of Georgia. Isacc Alderman had a number of public honors during his career, serving as a member of the Thomas County Board of Education and also as a member the board of county commissioners. He was also honored by election as a representative of Thomas county in the state legislature. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Their six children were: Byron Alonzo, Laura, Virginia, Marcus E., Fannie and Mattie.

Byron Alonzo Alderman, as a boy, attended the rural schools and later given the privilege of attendance in the high schools of Warsaw, North Carolina. Though well-educated he did not adopt a learned profession, but chose the peaceful pursuits of agriculture. Early in his career he bought 250 acres of land covered with timber and cornering upon his father's homestead. He went into the woods and at an eligible site cleared off some of the trees, erected a log cabin and it was in that home that he and his young wife began married life. In time he effected the clearing of a large amount of land and was a prosperous and successful farmer there until January, 1899, and that year he moved into Pine Park and in September of the same year established himself in the mercantile business. In 1908 ill health complelled him to give up the close confinement of the store and he then was succeeded by his son, Early L.

Mr. Alderman was first married in 1878 to Janie Walker, who was born in Thomas County, a daughter of Jonathan and Mary (Kitchen) Walker. (See sketch of Dr. W. A. Walker)

Mrs. Alderman died in the year 1881. In 1885 he married his present wife Martha Harman Kemph. She was born near Camilla in Mitchell County, Georgia. Her father was Jacob Henry Kemph, a native of Georgia and a son of Faulton Kemph. Faulton Kemph was born in Germany and when a young man spent fourteen weeks in a sailing vessel, which brought him to Georgia. He lived a time in Burke county and thence moved to Lee county. He was a well educated man and was honored by preferment in Lee county where he spent his last years. He married a Miss Lewis, and reared two sons, whom John enlisted in the Confederate service at the breaking out of the war and lost his life in battle. Jacob Henry Kemph, father of Alderman, lived in Dougherty county for some years after his marriage and later moved to Mitchell county, buying a farm about three and one-half miles south of Camilla. That was his home and scene of labor when the war came on and in 1863, the month not now being known, he entered the service of the Confederancy and remained until the close. He returned home very ill and died on the third day of May, 1865, three days after he got home. The maiden name of his wife was Emeline Sapp, who was born in Mitchell county, daughter of DeLain and Mary (Chastain) Sapp, natives and life-long residents of Georgia. Mrs Aldermans mother, who died at the age of seventy two, reared five children, whose names are: Mary F., John Morgan, Julia L. , Martha Harman, and Henry DeLain. Mr. Alderman had just one child by his first wife, named Early Lenwood. He is now engaged in the mercantile business as successor to his father Pine Park.

Mr. Early Alderman married Miss Maybelle Sanford, and has three children named: Lenwood, William S. and Elizabeth Jane.

Mr. and Mrs. Alderman worship in the Baptist church in which he was a deacon. In the year 1912, he was honored by appointment as a member of the board of county commissioners of Grady county to fill a vacancy, and in the fall of the same year, he was elected by the people to the same office.

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