Martha June Dowdy ran away with a young man by the name of John Ray, when she was very young.
Her father Rev. Robert Dowdy went after her and switched her all the way home.
But Martha was with child.
When the boy was born she named him John after the father, Byrd after her mother maiden name, and Dowdy after her father. 'John Byrd Dowdy'
After that Martha married a man name John Hipps.
I started working on my family tree when I was around 15 years of age. I set down with my Great Grand Mother Maude Estell Dowdy and talked to her about her family. She gave me the names of her parents and her grand parents. She told me of hay rides in Pendergrass Georgia and church events and great family times. She told me about trips into the city. And Maude said that her daddy would set the kids down and read to them from the bible.
Maude also said that her father did not have a father. The story she told me was that his mother, Martha, ran away from home with a man name John Ray when she was around 14 years old which would have been about 1852. John and Martha were together for about two weeks and then Martha's daddy, Robert Dowdy come and got her and whipped her all the way back home.
Later Martha gave birth to a baby boy and she named him John after the father and gave him her mothers maiden name and her fathers last name. Thus, John Byrd Dowdy was born. The 1900 census says his birth was 1860, and the 1910 census give 1858. Martha was born in 1838 so if John was born in 1858 then Martha would have been around the age of 18 or 19 or even 20 when she ran away.
A few years later I was also able to talk to Maude's sister called aunt Elb and she told me the very same story. She also insisted that Martha was very young which would mean that John had to be older than he thought he was or Martha was younger than she thought she was.
I show Marttha as being ten years old in the 1850 census which would make her 14 years old around 1854. Just 4 years off from when John was said to have been born in 1910 census.
Maude and Elb also said that their father John Byrd Dowdy was married to Sarah Elizabeth Kirby and that the Kirby family lived around Suwanee Georgia.
I was later told by Sally Jones that Sarah Elizabeth Kirby, the wife of John Byrd Dowdy, did not believe in God and was mean as hell. She also said that Sarah smoked a corn cob pipe.
Her father Rev. Robert Dowdy went after her and switched her all the way home.
But Martha was with child.
When the boy was born she named him John after the father, Byrd after her mother maiden name, and Dowdy after her father. 'John Byrd Dowdy'
After that Martha married a man name John Hipps.
I started working on my family tree when I was around 15 years of age. I set down with my Great Grand Mother Maude Estell Dowdy and talked to her about her family. She gave me the names of her parents and her grand parents. She told me of hay rides in Pendergrass Georgia and church events and great family times. She told me about trips into the city. And Maude said that her daddy would set the kids down and read to them from the bible.
Maude also said that her father did not have a father. The story she told me was that his mother, Martha, ran away from home with a man name John Ray when she was around 14 years old which would have been about 1852. John and Martha were together for about two weeks and then Martha's daddy, Robert Dowdy come and got her and whipped her all the way back home.
Later Martha gave birth to a baby boy and she named him John after the father and gave him her mothers maiden name and her fathers last name. Thus, John Byrd Dowdy was born. The 1900 census says his birth was 1860, and the 1910 census give 1858. Martha was born in 1838 so if John was born in 1858 then Martha would have been around the age of 18 or 19 or even 20 when she ran away.
A few years later I was also able to talk to Maude's sister called aunt Elb and she told me the very same story. She also insisted that Martha was very young which would mean that John had to be older than he thought he was or Martha was younger than she thought she was.
I show Marttha as being ten years old in the 1850 census which would make her 14 years old around 1854. Just 4 years off from when John was said to have been born in 1910 census.
Maude and Elb also said that their father John Byrd Dowdy was married to Sarah Elizabeth Kirby and that the Kirby family lived around Suwanee Georgia.
I was later told by Sally Jones that Sarah Elizabeth Kirby, the wife of John Byrd Dowdy, did not believe in God and was mean as hell. She also said that Sarah smoked a corn cob pipe.
Martha June Dowdy ran away with a young man by the name of John Ray, when she was very young.
Her father Rev. Robert Dowdy went after her and switched her all the way home.
But Martha was with child.
When the boy was born she named him John after the father, Byrd after her mother maiden name, and Dowdy after her father. 'John Byrd Dowdy'
After that Martha married a man name John Hipps.
I started working on my family tree when I was around 15 years of age. I set down with my Great Grand Mother Maude Estell Dowdy and talked to her about her family. She gave me the names of her parents and her grand parents. She told me of hay rides in Pendergrass Georgia and church events and great family times. She told me about trips into the city. And Maude said that her daddy would set the kids down and read to them from the bible.
Maude also said that her father did not have a father. The story she told me was that his mother, Martha, ran away from home with a man name John Ray when she was around 14 years old which would have been about 1852. John and Martha were together for about two weeks and then Martha's daddy, Robert Dowdy come and got her and whipped her all the way back home.
Later Martha gave birth to a baby boy and she named him John after the father and gave him her mothers maiden name and her fathers last name. Thus, John Byrd Dowdy was born. The 1900 census says his birth was 1860, and the 1910 census give 1858. Martha was born in 1838 so if John was born in 1858 then Martha would have been around the age of 18 or 19 or even 20 when she ran away.
A few years later I was also able to talk to Maude's sister called aunt Elb and she told me the very same story. She also insisted that Martha was very young which would mean that John had to be older than he thought he was or Martha was younger than she thought she was.
I show Marttha as being ten years old in the 1850 census which would make her 14 years old around 1854. Just 4 years off from when John was said to have been born in 1910 census.
Maude and Elb also said that their father John Byrd Dowdy was married to Sarah Elizabeth Kirby and that the Kirby family lived around Suwanee Georgia.
I was later told by Sally Jones that Sarah Elizabeth Kirby, the wife of John Byrd Dowdy, did not believe in God and was mean as hell. She also said that Sarah smoked a corn cob pipe.
Her father Rev. Robert Dowdy went after her and switched her all the way home.
But Martha was with child.
When the boy was born she named him John after the father, Byrd after her mother maiden name, and Dowdy after her father. 'John Byrd Dowdy'
After that Martha married a man name John Hipps.
I started working on my family tree when I was around 15 years of age. I set down with my Great Grand Mother Maude Estell Dowdy and talked to her about her family. She gave me the names of her parents and her grand parents. She told me of hay rides in Pendergrass Georgia and church events and great family times. She told me about trips into the city. And Maude said that her daddy would set the kids down and read to them from the bible.
Maude also said that her father did not have a father. The story she told me was that his mother, Martha, ran away from home with a man name John Ray when she was around 14 years old which would have been about 1852. John and Martha were together for about two weeks and then Martha's daddy, Robert Dowdy come and got her and whipped her all the way back home.
Later Martha gave birth to a baby boy and she named him John after the father and gave him her mothers maiden name and her fathers last name. Thus, John Byrd Dowdy was born. The 1900 census says his birth was 1860, and the 1910 census give 1858. Martha was born in 1838 so if John was born in 1858 then Martha would have been around the age of 18 or 19 or even 20 when she ran away.
A few years later I was also able to talk to Maude's sister called aunt Elb and she told me the very same story. She also insisted that Martha was very young which would mean that John had to be older than he thought he was or Martha was younger than she thought she was.
I show Marttha as being ten years old in the 1850 census which would make her 14 years old around 1854. Just 4 years off from when John was said to have been born in 1910 census.
Maude and Elb also said that their father John Byrd Dowdy was married to Sarah Elizabeth Kirby and that the Kirby family lived around Suwanee Georgia.
I was later told by Sally Jones that Sarah Elizabeth Kirby, the wife of John Byrd Dowdy, did not believe in God and was mean as hell. She also said that Sarah smoked a corn cob pipe.
Gravesite Details
The grave of John Byrd Dowdy is now lost. He was buried at the SugarHill Baptist Church Cemetery without a head stone. Sally Mundy-Jones said he was buried somewhere near th tree line in the west corner of the cemetery.
Family Members
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