+Thomas Jefferson Fortner

    Thomas Jefferson Fortner was born August 1, 1881 in Georgia, to Thomas Jefferson Fortner Sr and Lucy Ann Reynolds. In researching I find Thomas Jr. in the 1900 Census living in Hulett, Carroll, Georgia, married to Ludie L. Fortner (Boyd maiden name).  They are both living with Ludie's father William M Boyd and her mother Julia A.C.Boyd, also living in the house is Andrew J Adderhold age 81 born in Germany who is the father in-law of William. Thomas Jr is 18 years old and Ludie is 16 years old when they marry.

Mamie, Thomas, John Preston, Ludie
Thomas Grady, Ruby, William Hobson

Thomas and Ludie were married in Georgia but so far I haven't been able to find out the place. They had fifteen children:

John Preston b: 1901-1973
Mamie Gertrude b: 1903-2002
Ruby Bell b: 1906-1991
Thomas Grady b: 1908-1981
William Hobson b: 1910-1990
Horace Timothy b: 1912-1970
Raymond Wilson b: 1914-1994
Joseph Stephen b: 1916-2000
Living brother     b: 1918-
Marvin Austin b: 1920-1981
Miriam Lovina b: 1920-1985
Enola Mae b: 1923-1923
Earl b: 1924-1995
Earlene b: 1924-2011
Boyd Dowdy b: 1926-1993

 Most of the people that probably knew anything about Thomas's private life have all passed away.  I heard from some family members that he worked for the railroad but because of the Depression of 1920, he lost his business with the Railroad and moved from Georgia to Alabama.  In the 1910 census, Thomas and Ludie are living in their own home, married 9 years, Ludie's parents are living next door and Thomas is a general farmer able to read and write. There is one child listed as the youngest named Theodore Fortner who they might have changed his name after the census was taken, because the next child that we know of is William Hobson. It could be that the child either died, or the parents changed his name to William or it was a mistake by the census taker.  Since no one has mentioned a Theodore in the family as of yet, we will have to do more research on baby Theodore.

By the 1920 census, Thomas age 37 and Ludie age 34 are living in Villa Rica, Carroll Co. Georgia with their nine children.  The 1930 census Thomas is 48 years old, Ludie 45 yrs, living in Weltie, Cullman, Alabama with their ten children, four children have left home. More about Thomas in next post.





Sources: 
1900 United States Federal Census ( data base on-line) Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2004.

1910 United States Federal Census ( data base on-line) Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2006.