KANSAS ADELINE (MCCOLLUM) MARRIED JESSE MARCELLUS CLAYTON ON MARCH 9, 1890.

~~CHILDREN FROM THIS UNION ARE~~

1. BELLE
2. JAMES FRANKLIN
3.ADA LEE
4.WILLIAM SANFORD
5. LETHA MARIE (VAUGHAN)
6.LOUCILE (LEONARD)
7. JESSE
8. LEVIA Z.
9. LUTHER
10.LAURA MAE (SELF)

~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
LEVIA & LAURA MAE MARRIED BROTHERS

11.DEWEY DAVID MY FATHER
12.J.D.
13.BANNISTER EUGENE
14.MURPHY MARCELLUS
15.CLIFFORD WESLEY
16.JEWELL C.(PRIEST)

~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
THE FIRST FIVE CHILDREN WERE BORN IN
HOLLY SPRINGS, GEORGIA
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~~~NOTE ABOUT MY FATHER DEWEY DAVID CLAYTON~~~
MY DAD ALWAYS TOLD ME HE WAS BORN IN HOLLY SPRINGS?
UNLESS HE WAS BORN AT HIS GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER
SAMUEL MCCOLLUM'S HOUSE, DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE
SINCE GRANDPA JESSE, DAD'S FATHER, PURCHASED THE
FAMILY PROPERTY IN 1901 AND DAD WASN'T BORN UNTIL 1908.
JUST A THOUGHT?
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~~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
JESSE & KANSAS LIVED MOST OF THEIR LIVES AND RAISED THEIR CHILDREN ON THE OLD CLAYTON HOME-PLACE ON FORD PUTNAM ROAD, IN CHEROKEE COUNTY, WOODSTOCK, GA.
THEY HAD LIVED IN HOLLY SPRINGS, GA PRIOR TO JESSE PURCHASING THE OLD HOME PLACE, WHICH INCLUDED A HOUSE AND 140 ACRES OF LAND. JESSE PURCHASHED THE PROPERTY FROM
T.J. ROWAN ON NOVEMBER 17, 1901 FOR THE TOTAL SUM
OF $600.

JESSE SOLD HIS SON JAMES FRANKLIN, 35 ACRES, LEAVING JESSE A TOTAL OF 105 ACRES.
SINCE JAMES FRANKLIN ENDED UP IN ATLANTA, GA. I OFTEN
WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 35 ACRES GRANDPA SOLD HIM?
PERHAPS GRANDPA AT SOME POINT HAD IT BACK IN HIS
POSSESSION AND PERHAPS IT IS THE LAND WHERE THE OLD
SCHOOL HOUSE STOOD AND THE LAND JESSE DONATED FOR
PART OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS BASCOMB METHODIST CHURCH CEMETERY.

I WAS BORN AT HOME ON GRANDPA'S LAND, IN A LITTLE HOUSE
THAT SET ON HIS PROPERTY THAT MY MOTHER AND FATHER LIVED
IN AT THE TIME OF MY BIRTH. THE LITTLE HOUSE HAD AIR-CONDITIONING, BUT, NOT CENTRAL:-)
A MILLION DOLLAR PLUS BRICK HOUSE NOW SITS ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY WHERE I WAS BORN. I STILL TELL EVERYONE THAT IS WHERE I WAS BORN, BUT, DON'T THINK I NEED TO TELL THEM IT WASN'T IN THE MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE:-) I AM SURE MOST
PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW THAT!

THE HOUSE AND 105 ACRES OF LAND WAS AUCTIONED OFF AFTER
JESSE'S DEATH IN 1946. FLOYD BUTTERWORTH WAS HIGH BIDDER
FOR A TOTAL SUM OF $2,500.
THE OLD HOUSE WAS REMODELED AND THE OLD BARN TORN DOWN AND REPLACED WITH A NEW MODEL THROUGH THE YEARS, BUT THE HOUSE AND BARN SERVED GRANDPA JESSE AND HIS FAMILY WELL IN THOSE DAYS OF LONG AGO.
WHEN MR. BUTTERWORTH DIED IN 2003, THE LAST OF THE LAND, BELIEVED TO BE ONLY AN ACRE WAS SOLD FOR ONE MILLION PLUS?
WHO KNEW? MR. BUTTERWORTH PERIOCALLY SOLD LAND OFF THE ORIGINAL 105 ACRES OVER THE YEARS. AT THE TIME OF MR.
BUTTERWORTH'S DEATH THERE WAS ONLY A SMALL TRACT OF LAND LEFT TO BE SOLD.

NO ONE IN THE CLAYTON FAMILY AT THE TIME OF GRANDPA'S DEATH COULD AFFORD TO BUY THE PROPERTY. EVEN IF THEY WERE ABLE, JESSE'S WILL STATED EVERYTHING TO BE SOLD AND DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG HIS 16 CHILDREN. I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN
CHARLES, THEIR GRANDSON WAS INCLUDED, MAKING IT 17 CHILDREN IN ALL, THOUGH MOST WERE ADULTS BY THIS TIME.

GRANDPA JESSE APPOINTED HIS SON, BANNISTER EUGENE CLAYTON
AS THE EXECUTOR OF HIS WILL. UNCLE EUGENE CARRIED
OUT HIS ROLL AS EXECUTOR FAITHFULLY!
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~~~~~PERSONAL NOTE~~~~~
I REMEMBER THE OLD HOUSE WELL, REMEMBER GOING TO THE AUCTION WHEN I WAS EIGHT (8) YEARS OLD. JESSE & KANSAS LIVED A LONG LIFE TOGETHER AND ARE BURIED HERE IN BASCOMB CEMETERY, SIDE BY SIDE. JESSE WAS A FINE MAN AND LOVED BY EVERYONE! KANSAS WAS A FINE WOMAN IN HER OWN RIGHT!
JESSE AND KANSAS NOT ONLY RAISED THEIR CHILDREN
BUT TOOK THE BABY SON OF WILLIAM SANFORD CLAYTON, NAMED CHARLES, WHEN WILLIAM SANFORD'S WIFE AND CHARLES MOTHER,DOVIE ISABELL (GRAVITT) CLAYTON DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS OF CHILD BIRTH. AFTER WILLIAM SANFORD MARRIED A SECOND TIME, HE AND HIS NEW WIFE CAME FOR CHARLES, BUT GRANDMA KANSAS SAID IT WOULD TEAR HER HEART OUT TO GIVE HIM UP AT THAT POINT. I THINK UNCLE (WILL) MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE TO LEAVE CHARLES WITH GRANDMA KANSAS AND GRANDPA JESSE! AFTER ALL THEY LIVED CLOSE AND COULD VISIT WHEN EVER THAN CHOSE TO!
CHARLES WAS CERTAINLY LUCKY IN THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE LOVED HIM!
I ALWAYS KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE GRANDMA I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO KNOW!!!!!!
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~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
KANSAS IS THE DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL HOMER AND CAROLINE MALISSA (SMITH-SURNAME) ROACH MARRIED NAME MCCOLLUM.
JESSE IS THE SON OF LEVI RANSON & NANCY ANN (HENSON)
CLAYTON.
************************************************************
~~~NOTE~~~
KANSAS HAS TWO HALF-SISTERS
1) FANNIE
2) MOLLIE ALSO KNOWN AS (MARY JANE)

THE THREE GIRLS, KANSAS, FANNIE AND MOLLIE HAVE THE SAME FATHER, SAMUEL HOMER MCCOLLUM, BUT DIFFERENT MOTHERS. FANNIE AND MOLLIE'S MOTHER IS THERSA (TERSEY) ARTILLA WHEELER WESTBROOK
KANSAS'S MOTHER IS CAROLINE MALISSA SMITH-ROACH

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~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
CAROLINE: WAS PREVIOUSLY MARRIED TO LARKIN ROACH.
CHILD FROM THIS UNION IS: LAURA ROACH.
LARKIN SERVED IN THE CIVIL WAR AND IS BURIED IN
OAKLAND CEMETERY, ATLANTA, GA (FULTON COUNTY
************************************************************
~~~~~NOTE~~~~~
DEWEY DAVID: MARRIED EMMA LOUCILE (FREEMAN) CLAYTON.
40 YEARS TO THE DATE AFTER JESSE AND KANSAS.
************************************************************
~~~NOTE~~~
BELOW IS A MEMORIAL ENTRY PENNED BY MY GRANDMOTHER KANSAS ADELINE (MCCOLLUM) CLAYTON. IN LOVING MEMORY OF HER FIRST COUSIN, REV. WILLIAM E. MCcOLLUM
THE ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE CHEROKEE ADVANCE NEWSPAPER:
In nearby Cherokee County The Cherokee Advance edition of
March 18, 1921 carried the following memorial prepared by
his first cousin, Kansas Adeline McCollum Clayton,
daughter of the preacher's uncle, Samuel McCollum, and
his wife Caroline Roach:

IN MEMORY OF Rev. William E. McCollum
Penned by: Mrs. Jesse Marcellous Clayton
The death angels visited the home of Rev. W.E. McCollum
and called him from his family Monday night at 6 o'clock,
March 14th.

It is sad to give him up, but his work was finished and
the Lord saw fit, in his wisdom, to carry him home, where
there is no pain, sorrow nor death, but everlasting rest
and happiness. By the help of the Lord I am going to
meet him in that sweet land of rest some day.

He is survived by a wife, several children and a host of
other relatives and friends to mourn his death.

The funeral services were held at the Baptist church in
Kennesaw and was witnessed by a large number of people.
His favorite songs were sung over him, and then his
remains were laid to rest in Kennesaw cemetery to awake
the resurrection morn.

Sleep on, my brother.
************************************************************
The Noonday Baptist Association marked his passing at
their Sixty-Third Annual Session, held September 7th and
8th 1921 at New Hope Church near Acworth, Georgia. The
Committee on Deceased Ministers, in their annual report,
summed up his ministry and the ministry of an associate
with these words:

"We regret to report that the Lord in his wisdom has seen
fit to take from our ranks on earth two of our most
beloved and useful ministers, Brethren A.J. McCoy and
W.E. McCollum. They lived consecrated Christian lives
and their works do follow them. We pray that their
mantles may fall on some member of their family or
relative."

On a more personal note, a McCollum family story is that
Reverend McCollum preached the funeral of the man who
never acknowledged being his father.

Mary lived seven years after William died, comforted by
her children, all of whom lived in the area. When she
died on March 30, 1928 her children placed a card of
thanks in the April 5, 1928 issue of the Cobb County
Times expressing their appreciation to their friends for
"their kindness and sweet words of comfort during the
illness and death of our dear mother." Signing the card
were:

Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. McCollum
Mr. and Mrs. William H. McCollum
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. McCollum
Mr. and Mrs. Asa Clinton Darby (Levie Pearl)
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence A. Tedder (Lucille)
Miss Corrie McCollum
Mr. Roy McCollum
Mr. Cliff McCollum

Following in his father's footsteps, William Hayden
McCollum (1900-1974) became a Baptist minister.
Sources: Noonday Baptist Association minutes of annual
meetings, Kennesaw City Council meeting minutes, censuses
of Cherokee County and Cobb County, Marietta and Cobb
County newspapers, and family stories.
************************************************************
~~~NOTE~~~
Feel free to visit Rev. William E. McCollum' page. He is Buried in Kennesaw City Cemetery in Acworth, GA. (Cobb County).
************************************************************
~~~A POEM FOR GRANDMA KANSAS~~~

THERE'S MAGIC IN A GRANDMOTHER'S TOUCH,
AND SUNSHINE IN HER SMILE.
THERE'S LOVE IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES,
TO MAKE OUR LIVES WORTHWHILE.

WE CAN FIND BOTH HOPE AND COURAGE,
JUST BY LOOKING IN HER EYES.
HER LAUGHTER IS A SOURCE OF JOY,
HER WORDS ARE WARM AND WISE.

THERE IS A KINDNESS AND COMPASSION,
TO BE FOUND IN HER EMBRACE.
AND WE SEE THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN,
SHINING FROM A GRANDMOTHER'S FACE.
************************************************************
~~~NOTE~~~
THIS PAGE IS DEIDICATED WITH LOVE TO THE
GRANDMOTHER I WISH I HAD KNOWN!
I AM SURE IT WAS MY LOSS!
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