Thelma was the third of seven children of Walter and Minnie Knight. Thelma's parents moved from Georgia to Tennesse in 1902 to manage a farm owned by a Mr. Cleveland. During those three years Thelma and her brother Frank were born, but they moved back to Laurens County, Georgia in late 1905 and then Fitzgerald, Ga. in 1921. Twenty year old Thelma married forty-three year old railroad conductor Percival Marvin Duke on August 14, 1925 and moved to Brunswick, Georgia. A few years later, during the Great Depression, Thelma and P.M. moved back to Fitzgerald to live with her mother in order to help Mrs. Knight with expenses. The couple later bought their own house across the street at 402 West Magnolia Street in Fitzgerald. P. M. had a childhood disease which left him unable to have children. Thelma was a homemaker except for a period of a few years in the mid 1960's after the death of her first husband, when she worked as church hostess at the First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald. Thelma married her second husband, Frank Pickett Fletcher, December 27, 1968 at a small ceremony at her sister Mary's house in Hapeville. Frank had retired from National Biscuit Company and was the father of former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Norman Fletcher. Thelma and Frank lived at 408 South Lee Street, Fitzgerald, Georgia. After Frank's death, Thelma moved to a nursing home in Jonesboro, Georgia to be near her niece, Verlyn Ritch Thomas. Thelma lived in the nursing home for about ten years and died of natural causes in 1996 at the age of 90. Thelma never had children; she helped raise her sister Mary Ritch's daughter Verlyn.
Thelma was the third of seven children of Walter and Minnie Knight. Thelma's parents moved from Georgia to Tennesse in 1902 to manage a farm owned by a Mr. Cleveland. During those three years Thelma and her brother Frank were born, but they moved back to Laurens County, Georgia in late 1905 and then Fitzgerald, Ga. in 1921. Twenty year old Thelma married forty-three year old railroad conductor Percival Marvin Duke on August 14, 1925 and moved to Brunswick, Georgia. A few years later, during the Great Depression, Thelma and P.M. moved back to Fitzgerald to live with her mother in order to help Mrs. Knight with expenses. The couple later bought their own house across the street at 402 West Magnolia Street in Fitzgerald. P. M. had a childhood disease which left him unable to have children. Thelma was a homemaker except for a period of a few years in the mid 1960's after the death of her first husband, when she worked as church hostess at the First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald. Thelma married her second husband, Frank Pickett Fletcher, December 27, 1968 at a small ceremony at her sister Mary's house in Hapeville. Frank had retired from National Biscuit Company and was the father of former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Norman Fletcher. Thelma and Frank lived at 408 South Lee Street, Fitzgerald, Georgia. After Frank's death, Thelma moved to a nursing home in Jonesboro, Georgia to be near her niece, Verlyn Ritch Thomas. Thelma lived in the nursing home for about ten years and died of natural causes in 1996 at the age of 90. Thelma never had children; she helped raise her sister Mary Ritch's daughter Verlyn.
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