Descendants of Thomas Caleb Merrill

 

Generation No. 5

 

THOMAS CALEB MERRILL (JOSEPH BELL, JAMES JOSEPH MERRELL, CHARLES MERRILL, CAPTAIN BENJAMIN MERRILL and JEMIMA SMITH) was born 18 Nov 1859 in Heard County, Georgia, and died 25 Jul 1917.  He married LENA CROOK Abt. 1893.  She was born 21 Oct 1870 in Heard County, Georgia, and died 19 Jan 1941.

 

Notes for THOMAS CALEB MERRILL:

Moved to Pinetucky in 1890's.  Farmer, also ran a general store

 

11/2/1910

 

LARKIN BREED KILLED

 

In a shooting affray Saturday afternoon near Pine Hill, in the northern part of the county, Larkin Breed was killed and his brother Richard was wounded. Tom Merrill and Lem Edwards were landed in jail. Both are wounded, the latter seriously.  The deceased was the father of Mrs. W.T. Yates of this city.  It is said that he was trying to act as peace-maker.

 

Thomas C. and Lena (Crook) Merrill

    

     Thomas Caleb Merrill (11/18/1859 - 7/25/1917) and Lena Crook Merrill (10/21/1870 - 1/19/1941) were both born in Heard County, Georgia and are buried in the Pinetucky Baptist Church Cemetery in the Micaville community of Cleburne County.

 

     Thomas and Lena bought land and moved to the Pinetucky (Micaville) community in the early 1890's. Thomas was a farmer and with the help of his wife, ran a small general store located on their property. During the mid-1890s, Thomas also served as Postmaster at the Pinetucky Post Office. In addition to helping run the store, Lena was a homemaker whose chief responsibility was to love and nurture their seven children.

 

     Edna, the oldest child, married Fletcher Traylor (Randolph County) and they had one child, a daughter, Ruth. Edna, who attended Jacksonville State Normal School, taught in the public schools of Cleburne and Randolph Counties until she retired.

 

     Molly, the second child, married Elbert Traylor (Randolph County) a cousin of Fletcher. Molly and Elbert made their home in Carroilton, Georgia where Molly taught public school and Elbert ran a business. For a short time, Molly, who had also attended Jacksonville State, taught public school in Cleburne County. They had three children, Merrill, Horace, and Lena Ann.

 

     Emory Joseph was their first son. Emory married Grace Nell Alien (Cleburne County). Their marriage produced six children, Thomas Lee, Carl Alien, Emory Harold, Horace Sellers, Doris Sue and Norris Stanley. Emory was a farmer who also worked in a factory when the farm was not yielding enough income for his family. Helping on the farm as necessary, Grace was also a homemaker, church worker, and loving mother to their six children.

 

     William H. "Willie," the second son and fourth child of Thomas and Lena, married Lula Dean (Cleburne County) and they had no children. Willie was known far and near for his singing ability. He conducted singing schools, sang in quartets and began leading the singing at funerals by the time he was eighteen. Willie was a farmer, sawmiller, and barber by trade.

 

     Louise, the fifth child, married Alton Traylor brother of Elbert. A graduate of Jacksonville State Normal also taught in the public schools of Calhoun County until she retired. Alte, as he was affectionately called, worked at Anniston Ordinance Depot and ran a small business in Anniston.

 

     Lizzie Mae was the fourth daughter and sixth child of Thomas and Lena Merrill. She married Louis Nelson (Cleburne County) a farmer, and Cleburne County public works employee. Also a Jacksonville State graduate, Lizzie Mae was a devoted teacher in the Cleburne County public schools until she retired. They had no children.

 

     Homer Sellers, the seventh and youngest child, chose a career instead of a family. After graduating from the University of Georgia in Athens, he worked for the L and N Railroad which ultimately led him to Washington, B.C. where he lived for a while even after retirement. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he died. His body was brought back to Pinetucky for interment.

 

More About THOMAS CALEB MERRILL:

Burial: Pinetucky Baptist Church

 

More About LENA CROOK:

Burial: Pinetucky Baptist Church

    

Children of THOMAS MERRILL and LENA CROOK are:

                      

Child

Name

Birth

Death

Spouse Name

Marriage

Spouse Birth

Spouse Death

i.

EDNA MERRILL

25 Jan 1894, Randolph County, AL

 

FLETCHER TRAYLOR

Randolph County, AL

 

 

ii.

MOLLY MERRILL

Jan 1896, Alabama

 

HENRY ELBERT TRAYLOR

 

27 May 1910, Alabama

16 Dec 1975

iii.             

EMORY JOSEPH MERRILL

01 Mar 1898, Cleburne County, AL

08 Nov 1977, Heflin, Celburne County, AL

GRACE NELL ALLEN

16 Nov 1924,

 

 

v.     

WILLIAM H. MERRILL

19 Feb 1900

30 Mar 1976, Heflin, Cleburne County, AL

LULA MAE DEAN

26 Sep 1920, Arbacoochee, Cleburne County, AL

27 Oct 1901, Cleburne County, AL

12 May 1963

v.

LOUISE MERRILL

01 Apr 1903, Alabama

04 Nov 1988, Carroll County, GA

ALTON WALTER TRAYLOR

02 Dec 1904

27 May 1980, Carroll County, GA

 

vi.

LIZZA MAE MERRILL

Abt. 1906, Alabama

 

LOUIS NELSON

Cleburne County, AL

 

 

vii.

HOMER SELLERS MERRILL

Abt. 1910, Alabama

24 Mar 1980, Fulton County, GA