Hill and Smith Notes

From a copy of a published account in the possession of Marie Smith May. It bears the handwritten notation "Published in 1893." Spelling and grammar as appear in article:

OLD SIXTY.
Writes About The Old Settlers About Elkmont.

David C. Hill

    Mr. Hill came from Virginia in the year 1820. His wife was Rebecca Buyse, she came from Lincoln county, Georgia, near the town of Augusta. They were married in the year 1833. When the writer first knew them they lived about one and a half miles north of Elkmont. Before Mr. Hill's death he bought a place at Pettusville and moved his family to it, to be convenient to his church and have better advantages of educating his children. At that place his life terminated, he was for many years a consistent member of the M.E. church and died in the Christians faith. His companion is still living; she makes her home with her children, principally with her daughter in Giles county, Tenn. They raised a family of eleven children, consisting of three sons and seven daughters. Socratees, the oldest, married Ananira Fogg. After the war he moved to west Tennessee and after a few years there he was murdered by a man whom he was trying to keep his daughter from marrying. His widow is also dead, but his children are still living in that country. John W. first married Emma Redus, daughter of Thomas and Martha A. Redus, after her death he married Emma Tweedy. He is know living in Athens, Ala. Fountain l'. married Albertie Westmoreland, a daughter of A. G. Westmoreland, of Pettusville, Ala., she only lived a short time after marriage. He also went to west Tennessee and died there a few months ago.

Emma married a Mr. Conoly and was left a widow with two children, after which she married J.W. Martin, of Mooresville, Ala., and is now living at that place. Mary married Milton Weatherford they lived in the forks of Elk and Tennessee river at which place she died leaving two children, a son and a daughter, her daughter married J.W. Davis, Jr., of State Line or Veto, Ala. Lucy married Ezekiel Hughey, they both died in this county leaving three little girls who are living in Tennessee. Rebecca married Samuel Donnevant, they settled near Pulaski, Tenn., at which place Mr. D. died several years ago, she still lives on the farm and is managing it spendidly, and is making a handsome support for herself and her children. Her mother makes her home with her principally. Dollie married Robert Donevant and is living near Blanche, Tenn. Sallie, a very amiable, lovely girl, just as she was budding into woman-hood died under the parental roof. She never married. Loui married Willis Alred and is now living at Hanceville, Alabama.

Comments by Mrs. May, September 2000:

*Three sons and seven daughters do not equal eleven children.
*Samuel and Robert Dunnavant were brothers who married Hill sisters.
*One of the three orphaned daughters of Lucy and Ezekiel Hughey was "Cousin" Kate Hughey who lived with Dollie and Robert Dunnavant. Kate died before 1925.
*Rebecca Hill Dunnavant and Samuel had two daughters, Ida and Pearl. Ida married Henry May (Bennett-May Funeral Home) and had one daughter Rebecca who taught art at Martin College. Pearl married a Rainey and had two sons, Horace and William Marvin (Burr). The Rainey family lived on East Washington Street.

Submitted by: Patricia May Touw



From a January 1965 newspaper clipping in the possession of Marie Smith May (Thurman Smith died February 2, 1967):

Thurman Smith
Citizen of the Week

Thurman Smith was born in a valley east of Mount Pisgah, in 1884. He was educated at Maclin and Pisgah Elementary Schools; Abernathy Preparatory atop Rose Hill, and the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. At the age of 17, he went into the produce business with two of his uncles in Birmingham, Alabama. He later sold his interest in the business and took up farming. Early in 1906, he took a position with Butler and Smith, as bookkeeper, and later accepted a bookkeeping position offered him by the Union Bank and Trust Company. By 1929, he was cashier of the Bank, and in 1937 he succeeded R.H. Porter to the presidency, a post which he held continuously until his retirement. He became Giles County's Citizen of the Year in 1964, and holds honorary membership in the Pulaski Exchange Club, is a member of the Board of Stewards of First Methodist Church, of the Trustees of Martin College, of the Trustees of the Mary Lou Crockett Scholarship Fund, and of the Austin Hewitt Home.

Submitted by: Patricia May Touw