Person Page - 1205

     Hattie Lufair King was born on 16 September 1879 at Steinhatchee, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Joseph L. King and Martha S. King. She married George Bunion Kelly Sr., son of Charles A. Kelly and Martha Bertha Huckaby, on 8 July 1900 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She died on 17 April 1964 at Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 84.¹ She was buried at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹

     George Bunion Kelly Sr. was born on 15 October 1879 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of Charles A. Kelly and Martha Bertha Huckaby. He married Hattie Lufair King, daughter of Joseph L. King and Martha S. King, on 8 July 1900 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He died on 19 August 1958 at Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 78.¹ He was buried in August 1958 at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹
     Biography of George Bunion Kelly Sr.:

George lived in the Spring Warrior area and was a farmer and stockman. He was a loyal member of the Spring Warrior Church of Christ and was highly respected for his industry and integrity. He demonstrated his commitment to the county by serving many years as a member of the Board of County Commissioners (a non-salaried position during his tenure) and on the Board of School Trustees for a long period. He was a man of stature, standing over six feet tall with beautiful blue eyes. He was known for his integrity and hard work, always providing for the needs of his wife and children. He was well-thought-of in Taylor County, known and respected by many.

The following memories are courtesy of George's Granddaughter Janice Courtney Byrne, daughter of Leo Lorine Kelly: Grandma and Granddaddy Kelly raised their nine children on the homestead located on G.B. Kelly Grade. He was a farmer with many acres of land where he raised cows, hogs, chickens, horses, a mule, and a wagon. He grew tobacco and peanuts and maintained a large vegetable garden that provided food for the family, including corn, tomatoes, peas, beans and anything else that was edible. Every year, he would grow a big field of tobacco. Young men and women would come to the farm to gather tobacco, going through the fields to crop the leaves. The leaves were brought to tables, strung on tobacco sticks, and hung in the barn for curing. After curing, the tobacco was taken off the sticks, tied up in large croaker sacks, and taken to the market and sold to the highest bidder, after which the workers were paid for a job well done.

Every day at dinnertime, a huge meal was prepared for the workers at noon. It was a big farm meal with all kinds of meat, a variety of home-grown vegetables, with homemade biscuits, corn bread, and a dessert or two, served with sweet iced tea with cracked ice. This was a time workers looked forward to because they knew they were in for a good home-cooked feast. Grandma Kelly and her daughter, Lorine (my mother), could cook good food. After dinner, the workers took a short rest before going back to the fields. The day had started about 6:00 AM and continued until around 6:00 PM. The workers would take another short rest in the afternoon when Grandaddy would get watermelons for the workers to share. Later, around knocking off time, they would be taken to Waldo or Carlton Springs for a cool, refreshing dip in the ice-cold waters of the springs.

Grandma and Grandaddy lived in a wooden house with two large bedrooms and smaller rooms attached. A large hallway separated the rooms, with a dog trot attached to the outside kitchen. The outside kitchen housed a large wood cooking stove and a wooden table with benches on each side. Many a huge meal was served on this table, consisting of fried chicken, chicken and rice, ham, collard greens, fresh creamed corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a variety of desserts, all homegrown and preserved. Don't forget the homemade biscuits and cornbread were all cooked on the wood stove in cold and hot weather.

Many a hog killing was held in the winter months when it was very cold. The hogs were butchered at this time so the meat would stay cold. The meat was cut up and hung in the smokehouse for curing with a continuous wood smoke until it reached the right temperature for preserving the meat. The hog fat was rendered out into lard and preserved in large five-gallon buckets for cooking during the year, Also used for seasoning vegetables, frying fish and chicken, and homemade biscuits and anything it was needed for. The leftover cracklings from rendering the fat were tasty treats, often used in cracklin' cornbread or enjoyed on their own.¹

     Augustus Alexander 'Gus' Kelly was born on 9 December 1917 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King. He married Reva Padgett on 26 May 1940 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He died on 30 January 1969 at Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 51.¹ He was buried at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹
     Biography of Augustus Alexander 'Gus' Kelly:

Born and raised in Perry, Taylor County, Florida, Gus was the youngest member of the George B. Kelly, Sr. family. He joined the U.S. Army where was a marksman and left with the Field Artillery Battalion with the rank of Private First Class. After the Army he returned to his hometown of Perry to work at Proctor & Gamble's Buckeye Paper Mill.¹

     Francis Clifton Cole was born on 28 January 1925 at Chester, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States.¹ He married Joyce Jurelene Kelly, daughter of George Bunion 'GB' Kelly and Vera V. Sadler Stephens, on 28 April 1945 at Valdosta, Lowndes, Georgia, United States.¹ He died on 4 December 2005 at Maryland City, Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States, at age 80.¹ He was buried at Veteran's Cemetery, Hurlock, Dorchester, Maryland, United States.¹

     Betty Joann Kelly was born on 7 December 1937 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of George Bunion 'GB' Kelly and Vera V. Sadler Stephens. She died in February 1938 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States; Betty Joanne Kelly was born twin to Billy Joe Kelly 7 Dec 1937. She died of pneumonia at two and a half months old.¹ She was buried in February 1938 at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹

     Vera Izena Kelly was born on 21 May 1903 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King. She married Calvin Green Morgan, son of John Morgan and Julia E. Parker, on 24 January 1921 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She died on 27 November 1991 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 88.¹ She was buried at New Hope Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹

     Leo Lorine Kelly was born on 2 October 1909 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King. She married Charles Thomas Courtney, son of Edgar James Courtney and Miley Martha Grubbs. She died on 29 November 1995 at Wakulla, Florida, United States, at age 86.¹ She was buried at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹

     Annie Belle Kelly was born on 26 August 1910 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King. She married Franklin Holmes Bloodworth circa 1942 at Florida, United States.¹ She died on 22 January 2003 at Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States, at age 92.¹ She was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, Duval, Florida, United States.¹

     Joseph Colin Kelly was born on 15 September 1914 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King. He married Pearl Mae McCall on 22 August 1937 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He died on 11 August 2001 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 86.¹ He was buried at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹
     Biography of Joseph Colin Kelly:

Lessons from my grandfather by Michael Patrick Kelly: Papaw was what I called him. He took me hunting and fishing, taught me things about the woods and gave me some very special memories. He is part of who I am and he will always be with me.¹

     Charles Edward Courtney was born on 1 September 1953 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ He was the son of Leo Lorine Kelly and Charles Thomas Courtney. He married Betty Pearl Pitts on 24 December 1949.¹ He died on 30 October 2011 at Oakland Church Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 58.¹ He was buried at Taylor, Florida, United States; Unknown GEDCOM info: Oakland Church Cemetery.¹
     Biography of Charles Edward Courtney:

Charles was born to Charles Thomas and Lorine Kelly in Perry, Florida. He attended school in Salem, Florida. He completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas and married Betty Pearl Pitts 24 Dec 1929. Charles was a surveyor for the Department of Transportation until 1968 when he began working for Proctor & Gamble at Buckeye, Florida. He worked in pulp drying and finishing until his retirement in 1996. He loved fishing, gardening and reading. Charles died 30 Oct 2011 at Doctors' Memorial Hospital. Charles and Betty had two children.¹

     Betty Jean Courtney was born on 17 December 1930 at Perry, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She was the daughter of Leo Lorine Kelly and Charles Thomas Courtney. She married Lee Roy Morgan on 24 July 1950 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She died on 3 December 2021 at Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 90.¹ She was buried at New Hope Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹
     Biography of Betty Jean Courtney:

Obit: Betty Jean Morgan, 90, passed away on Dec. 3, 2021, in Perry. She was born Dec. 17, 1930, in Perry to Charles Thomas Courtney and Leo Lorine Kelly Courtney. Betty was a Baptist and a faithful servant for God and member of Athena Baptist Church, she loved singing in the choir and teaching Sunday school. She worked as a lab secretary with Procter & Gamble for more than 25 years. She also volunteered for the American Red Cross for many years. She served as a second mother to many and enjoyed spending time with her family and her grandchildren.
Betty was preceded in death by: her parents, Charles Thomas Courtney and Leo Lorine (Kelly) Courtney; her husband of more than 64 years, Lee Roy Morgan; her brothers, John Larry Courtney and Charles Edward Courtney; and her sister, Willean Courtney Philmon. Betty is survived by: her two daughters Joyce Woods and Sandy and her husband, Ronald Bunton; her two sons, Royce and his wife, Brenda Morgan, and Kevin and his wife, Tammy Morgan; and two sisters, Beatrice Strickland and Janice Byrne; as well as a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held on Monday, Dec. 6, at 11 a.m. at Athena Baptist Church with Brother David McMullen and Brother Vergil Morgan officiating. Interment services followed in New Hope Cemetery.¹

     Franklin Holmes Bloodworth was born on 14 January 1903 at Moultrie, Colquitt, Georgia, United States.¹ He married Annie Belle Kelly, daughter of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King, circa 1942 at Florida, United States.¹ He died on 13 February 1985 at Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States, at age 82.¹ He was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, Duval, Florida, United States.¹

     Pearl Mae McCall was born on 30 August 1921 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She married Joseph Colin Kelly, son of George Bunion Kelly Sr. and Hattie Lufair King, on 22 August 1937 at Taylor, Florida, United States.¹ She died on 23 February 1994 at Taylor, Florida, United States, at age 72.¹ She was buried at Spring Warrior Church of Christ Cemetery, Taylor, Florida, United States.¹