9-74   INTERACTIVE FAMILY HISTORIES

WILLIAM HARVEY OLLIFF (1.3.2) is the son of Benjamin Shears Olliff and Elizabeth (Turner) Olliff.  William was born on March 24, 1820 in Bulloch County, Georgia.  On July 4, 1846, William Olliff married Eleanor Caroline Tyner of Dooly County, Georgia.  Eleanor was born on July 6, 1828 in Georgia and is the daughter of Simeon Tyner and Hester Ann (Southwell) Tyner.  In 1850, William and Eleanor Olliff were living next to William’s father, Benjamin Olliff, in Dooly County, Georgia.  Around 1851, William and Eleanor Olliff moved to about six miles east of Fort Gaines, Georgia.  After several years, William decided that the soil was worn out on his farm and around 1856 he and his family moved about twelve miles further east near Edison, Georgia where they established what was later known as the “Old Homeplace.”  William and Eleanor Olliff were the parents of eight children:

   Benjamin Franklin Olliff (1.3.2.1), b. April 29, 1848, Savannah, Georgia
   William Simeon Olliff (1.3.2.2), b. June 23, 1850, Dooly County, Georgia
   George Washington Olliff (1.3.2.3), b. March 28, 1852, Bluffton, Georgia
   John Lacounte Olliff (1.3.2.4), b. June 17, 1856, Clay County, Georgia
   Mary Elizabeth Olliff, b. January 25, 1858, Georgia
   Hester Frances Olliff (1.3.2.6), b. January 26, 1861, Clay County, Georgia
   Joseph Jackson Olliff, b. May 17, 1862, Georgia
   Keeland Zadock Olliff (1.3.2.8), b. May 22, 1867, Georgia

Eleanor had already lost two brothers who died for the Confederacy and the draft was extended to men who were sixteen years of age.  In 1863, their son Ben was drafted but the family provided information that he was only thirteen at the time (declaring Ben to be two years younger than he actually was).  By stating his age to be younger, Ben avoided almost certain service in the Confederate in 1864.  On July 25, 1863, William Olliff, Sr. was drafted at the age of forty-three leaving his wife and seven children at home to manage on their own.  William served in Company “H” of the 22nd Georgia Battalion in General Joseph E. Johnson’s Army.  He was sent to the General Hospital in Savannah, Georgia on August 16, 1863 from his duty station at Thunderbolt, Georgia.  On December 11, 1863, he was again ordered to the hospital, this time at Whiteville, Georgia.  Eleanor must have suffered during this time, as she learned that her brother-in-law, T. J. Carnes had died in Knoxville, Tennessee on November 29, 1863 and that her husband was sick in the hospital.  In January and February of 1864, William Olliff, Sr. was sick in quarters at Fort Bartow, Georgia.  In late 1864, General Sherman began his purge of Georgia arriving at nearby Savannah on Christmas Day of 1864.  William was serving in Georgia during this time frame and was parolled on May 3, 1865.  He was shown in a list of the sick of Elliot’s Brigade, Anderson’s Division, Stewart’s Corps.


William Harvey Olliff and Eleanor (Tynor) Olliff
Ca. 1880
Courtesy of Martin T. Olliff, Jr.


When William arrived at home in 1865, he learned of more tragedy within his family as two of his children (Mary and Joseph) had died of disease on October 20, 1864 and a third had narrowly avoided death.  William Harvey Olliff died on September 12, 1888 and was buried in the Wesley Chapel Church Cemetery.  This church and its cemetery are located on land donated by Eleanor’s father.  After William’s death, Eleanor lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Everett and Hester Bass, at the family “Homeplace” where William and Eleanor had lived for many years.  In 1900, Eleanor (Tyner) Olliff was living with her daughter, Hettie, in Calhoun County, Georgia.  Eleanor (Tyner) Olliff died on December 15, 1902 and was buried in the Wesley Chapel Church Cemetery.  At the age of 74, Eleanor had outlived five of eight of her children.  Mary Elizabeth Olliff died as a child on October 20, 1864.  Joseph Jackson Olliff died as a child on October 20, 1864.

OLLIFF FAMILY HISTORY   9-75

References:  1)  1850 Census, Dooly County, Georgia;  2)  1900 Census, Calhoun County, Georgia;  3)  “History of Georgia,” by Clark Howell, Volume II, Page 489, 1926;  4)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OLLIFF (1.3.2.1) is the son of William Harvey Olliff and Eleanor Caroline (Tyner) Olliff.  Benjamin was born on April 29, 1848 in Savannah, Georgia.  Around 1873, Benjamin Olliff moved to Montclair, Florida and eventually settled in Morriston, Florida.  On September 27, 1886, Benjamin Olliff married Mary Frances Wills (born September 27, 1859 in Botetourt County, Virginia).  Benjamin and Frances Olliff were the parents of five children:

   John Benjamin Olliff, b. July 14, 1888, Bluffton, Georgia
   Julia Elinor Olliff, b. April 15, 1890, Montclair, Florida
   Annie Chaimberlain Olliff, b. September 5, 1892, Montclair, Florida
   Bessie Pauline Olliff, b. July 1, 1894, Montclair, Florida
   Mary Hester Olliff, b. October 6, 1896, Willowbrook, Florida

In 1920, Benjamin and Frances Olliff were living in Duval County, Florida.  Benjamin and Frances Olliff later lived in Hogan, Florida near Jacksonville, Florida.  Benjamin F. Olliff died on February 10, 1936 and Mary Frances (Wills) Olliff died on March 15, 1937.  Both were buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery at Jacksonville, Florida.  On June 27, 1915, John B. Olliff married Sue Bodine and they had no children.  In 1920, John Olliff was living with his parents in Duval County, Florida.  In January of 1929, John Olliff married a second time to Mabel Hunter (born Providence, Rhode Island) and they have one daughter:  -  Emily Ann Olliff.  John B. Olliff died in 1952.  Emily Olliff married a Mr. Conrad.  Julia Olliff married John Oscar Brumback (born February 5, 1901 in Lauray, Virginia) and they had no children.  John Brumback died on May 14, 1961 and Julia (Olliff) Brumback died in June of 1982.  Annie Olliff never married and died on February 2, 1912 in Gainesville, Florida.

Bessie Olliff married William Henry King (born September 17, 1885 in Lecanto, Florida).  William and Bessie King had five children:  -  Freida Olliff King, b. July 6, 1917,  -  Mildred Lucy King, b. May 3, 1920,  -  Dowell Bishop King, b. November 3, 1923,  -  Wilma Alice King,  -  Mary Eleanor King, b. April 4, 1925.  Bessie (Olliff) King died on November 21, 1947 and William H. King died on November 21, 1975.  In 1954, Freida King married Walton Hugo Wilson (born May 15, 1924 in Once, Florida) and they have two children:  -  Larry Alan Wilson, b. October 27, 1955,  -  Richard Grant Wilson, b. June 6, 1957.  On October 1, 1983, Larry Wilson married Bonnie Nadine Held.  On June 11, 1977, Richard Wilson married Deborah Tibbitts and they have one son:  -  Richard Grant Wilson, Jr., b. December 26, 1977.  Mildred King married Charles William Summers (born September 11, 1930 in Statesville, North Carolina) and they have no children.  Dowell King married Barbara Jean Clendenning (born October, 1928 in Galena, Kansas) and they have one adopted son.  Wilma King married a Mr. Elmore but they had no children and were later divorced.  Mary King married Ancel H. Kuckenbaker (born September 1, 1923 in Sacramento, California) and they have three children:  -  Teryl Lee Kuckenbaker, b. April 5, 1946,  -  Pamela Kaye Kuckenbaker, b. May 7, 1949,  -  Rhonda Gale Kuckenbaker, b. March 19, 1950.  Mary Hester Olliff died as an infant on July 7, 1897.

9-76   INTERACTIVE FAMILY HISTORIES

References:  1)  1920 Census, Duval County, Florida;  2)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971;  3)  Letter, Frances (Olliff) Frobos to Robert Casey, April, 1989

WILLIAM SIMEON OLLIFF (1.3.2.2) is the son of William Harvey Olliff and Eleanor Caroline (Tyner) Olliff.  William was born on June 23, 1850 in Dooly County, Georgia.  On January 11, 1874, William Olliff married Martha Leona Saunders.  Martha was born on March 15, 1854 in Dougherty County, Georgia and is the daughter of Irwin J. Saunders.  Martha’s great-great grandfather was John Shine, an officer in the Revolutionary War.  William and Martha Olliff were the parents five children:

   William Albertus Olliff (1.3.2.2.1), b. September 9, 1875, Coleman, Georgia
   Irvin Saunders Olliff, b. August, 1876, Georgia
   Charles Carlton Olliff, b. October 29, 1877, Georgia
   Stephen Chester Olliff (1.3.2.2.4), b. October 6, 1880, Coleman, Georgia
   Edgar Marvin Olliff (1.3.2.2.5), b. November 22, 1881, Coleman, Georgia

William and Martha Olliff settled in Coleman, Georgia where William was in the merchantile and funeral business.  In 1880, William and Martha Olliff were living in Clay County, Georgia.  William S. Olliff died of tuberculosis on May 12, 1888 in Clay County, Georgia.  Following William’s death, Martha boarded school teachers in her home.  In 1900, Martha (Saunders) Olliff and her sons were living in Randolph County, Georgia.  Martha (Saunders) Olliff died on November 20, 1903 in Clay County, Georgia.

Around 1904, Irvin Olliff married Mable Fort in Atlanta, Georgia.  In 1920, Irvin and Mable Olliff were living in Fulton County, Georgia.  Irvin Olliff practiced dentistry in Atlanta, Georgia.  Irvin and Mable Olliff had three children:  -  Irvin Saunders Olliff, Jr.,  -  Martha Leone Olliff, b. 1908, Georgia,  -  Laval Olliff, b. 1912, Georgia.  Irvin Olliff died on November 14, 1924.  Irvin Olliff, Jr. died in infancy.  Martha L. Olliff married Charles Goodman.  Laval Olliff married Maurice Sexton.  Charles Carlton Olliff was killed by one of the older boys in a gun accident in July of 1879.

References:  1)  1880 Census, Clay County, Georgia;  2)  1900 Census, Randolph County, Georgia;  3)  1920 Census, Fulton County, Georgia;  4)  “History of Georgia,” by Clark Howell, Volume II, Page 489, 1926;  5)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971

OLLIFF FAMILY HISTORY   9-77

WILLIAM ALBERTUS OLLIFF (1.3.2.2.1) is the son of William Simeon Olliff and Martha Leona (Saunders) Olliff.  William was born on September 9, 1875 in Coleman, Georgia.  On January 14, 1900, William A. Olliff married Nettie Lewis Young.  Nettie was born on September 19, 1876 in Dooly County, Georgia and is the daughter of Seaton Tarver Young (born 1819 in Georgia) and Martha (Lewis) Young (born 1832, Port Royal, South Carolina).  William and Nettie Olliff lived in southwestern Georgia near Coleman and Montezuma, Georgia after they married.  William and Nettie Olliff were the parents of four children:

   Martha Leona Olliff (1.3.2.2.1.1), b. November 14, 1901, Montezuma, Georgia
   William Albertus Olliff, Jr. (1.3.2.2.1.2), b. June 24, 1906
   Eleanor Caroline Olliff (1.3.2.2.1.3), b. February 20, 1908
   Nettie Louise Olliff, b. December 29, 1910, Moultrie, Georgia

In 1920, William and Nettie Olliff were living in Decatur County, Georgia.  William Olliff, Sr. was a traffic manager for the Atlanta and Saint Andrews Bay Railroad and lived in Panama City, Florida for many years.  Later in life, William was with the T. A. and G. Railroad, living in Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee.  William A. Olliff died on January 21, 1960 in Panama City, Florida and Nettie (Young) Olliff died on August 7, 1963 in Moultrie, Georgia.

In September of 1934, Nettie Olliff married Thomas E. Smith (born August 25, 1911 in Huntsville, Alabama).  Thomas and Nettie Smith lived in Titusville, Florida where Tom is engaged in educational administration with the Brevard County school system.  Thomas and Nettie Smith have one daughter:  -  Martha Ellen Smith, b. September 28, 1935.  Martha Smith married Joel Cecil Swann (born October 30, 1934) and they have one son:  -  Kenneth Michael Swann, b. January 27, 1958.

References:  1)  1920 Census, Decatur County, Georgia;  2)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971;  3)  World Family Tree, Volume 4, File 1784

MARTHA LEONA OLLIFF (1.3.2.2.1.1) is the daughter of William Albertus Olliff and Nettie Lewis (Young) Olliff.  Martha was born on November 14, 1901 in Montezuma, Georgia.  On June 14, 1923, Martha Olliff married George Arthur Horkan.  George was born on January 7, 1898 in Moultrie, Colquitt County, Georgia and is the son of George Arthur Horkan and Florence Arletta (Kendall) Horkan.  George and Martha Horkan were the parents of three children:

   George Arthur Horkan, Jr. (1.3.2.2.1.1.1), b. March 9, 1928
   Nettie Florence Horkan, b. July 4, 1929
   Martha Olliff Horkan, b. December 22, 1931

George and Martha Horkan lived in Moultrie, Georgia where George was engaged in the real estate business.  George Horkan, Sr. died on May 23, 1956 in Moultrie, Georgia.  Nettie Horkan married John Audrie Cauble (born January 1, 1929 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) and they have three children:  -  Sally Annette Cauble, b. December 1, 1951,  -  Susan Cauble, b. October 14, 1952,  -  David Horkan Cauble, b. July 2, 1954.  Martha Horkan married Paul H. Smith, Jr. (born November 25, 1921 in Haives City, Florida) and they have two children:  -  Paul H. Smith, III, b. April 3, 1957,  -  Martha Olliff Smith, b. August 21, 1963.

9-78   INTERACTIVE FAMILY HISTORIES

References:  1)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971;  2)  World Family Tree, Volume 4, File 1784

GEORGE ARTHUR HORKAN, JR. (1.3.2.2.1.1.1) is the son of George Arthur Horkan and Martha Leona (Olliff) Horkan.  George was born on March 9, 1928.  George Horkan, Jr. married Virginia Anne Davis (born June 11, 1929).  George and Virginia Horkan are the parents of three children:

   George Arthur Horkan, III, b. July 14, 1952
   Franklin Davis Horkan, b. June 19, 1954
   Martha Virginia Horkan, b. September 3, 1956

George Horkan, III married Alicia Moody Kent and they have two children:  -  Amy Kent Horkan,  -  Lisa Kent Horkan.  Franklin Horkan married Blanch Elizabeth Blanks.  Blanch is the daughter of Philip Sawyer Blanks and Mary Gupton (Johnson) Blanks.  Franklin and Blanch Horkan have two children:  -  William Patrick Horkan,  -  Davis Blanks Horkan.  Martha Horkan married Mark Young Tyndall.  Mark is the son of Jules Rene’ Tyndall and Joyce Lee (Young) Tyndall.  Mark and Martha Tyndall have one daughter:  -  Laurel Virginia Tyndall.

References:  1)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971;  2)  World Family Tree, Volume 4, File 1784

WILLIAM ALBERTUS OLLIFF, JR. (1.3.2.2.1.2) is the son of William Albertus Olliff and Nettie Lewis (Young) Olliff.  William was born on June 24, 1906.  In June of 1934, William Olliff, Jr. married Florrie Williams.  William and Florrie Olliff are the parents of three children:

   William Albertus Olliff, III, b. May, 1935
   Charles Michael Olliff, b. October, 1939
   Florrie Lee Olliff, b. May, 1945

William A. Olliff, III married Gay Smith.

Reference:  1)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971

ELEANOR CAROLINE OLLIFF (1.3.2.2.1.3) is the daughter of William Albertus Olliff and Nettie Lewis (Young) Olliff.  Eleanor was born on February 20, 1908.  On January 1, 1934, Eleanor Olliff married John B. Walters.  John and Eleanor Walters lived in Fairfield, Alabama where John is a foreman for the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Division of United States Steel.  John and Eleanor Walters are the parents of  three children:

   Eleanor Caroline Walters, b. February 18, 1935
   John B. Walters, Jr., b. March 24, 1937
   William Olliff Walters, b. October 4, 1947

OLLIFF FAMILY HISTORY   9-79

Eleanor Walters married Samuel B. Costanzo and they have two children:  -  Jo Ellen Costanzo, b. January 21, 1959,  -  Amelia Ruth Costanzo, b. 1960.  John Walters, Jr. married Jane Gilliam and they have two children:  -  John Malloy Walters, b. February 9, 1962,  -  Kendall Lee Walters, b. October 16, 1960.

Reference:  1)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971

STEPHEN CHESTER OLLIFF (1.3.2.2.4) is the son of William Simeon Olliff and Martha Leona (Saunders) Olliff.  Chester was born on October 6, 1880 in Coleman, Georgia.  On August 1, 1907, Chester Olliff married Jessie Flanders in Atlanta, Georgia.  Jessie was born on January 8, 1885 in Wrightsville, Georgia and is the daughter of Dr. W. J. Flanders and Arimenta (Walker) Flanders, both natives of Johnson County, Georgia.  Chester and Jessie Olliff were the parents of four children:

   William Flanders Olliff, b. May 23, 1909, Georgia
   Martha Walker Olliff, b. January 24, 1917, Georgia
   Jessie Olliff, b. March 8, 1919, Georgia
   Leona Ruth Olliff, b. June 28, 1925

Chester Olliff received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory College in 1902 and did postgraduate work at the University of Tennessee and Columbia University.  Chester began his career as an educator and was principal of Moultrie High School from 1902 to 1904.  He was then principal of grammar school at Valdosta, Georgia from 1904 to 1906 and superintendant of the Nashville, Georgia schools during 1906 and 1907.  In 1907 and 1908, he was superintendant of Broxton schools and superintendant of Loganville schools in 1908 and 1909.  In December of 1909, Chester Olliff joined the South Georgia Methodist Conference and filled pastorates at the following places:  Baconton (1910 to 1913), East Highlands, Columbus (1914 and 1915), Cherokee Heights, Macon (1916 to 1920), Sylvester (1921), Quitman (1922 and 1923) and Fitzgerald (1924 to 1926).  Eventually, Chester was called to Andrew College, a Methodist Women’s Junior College in Cuthbeth, Georgia.  He served as President from the 1920’s to 1951.  During his administration, the college was vastly expanded.  He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Florida Southern College in recognition of his work at Andrew College.  In 1910, Chester and Jessie Olliff were living in Mitchell County, Georgia.  In 1920, Stephen and Jessie Olliff were living in Bibb County, Georgia.  Chester Olliff died on November 2, 1955 in Atlanta, Georgia and was buried in Wrightsville, Georgia.

William Olliff married Frances Kaigler (born 1912) and they had one daughter:  -  Frances Kaigler Olliff, b. April 17, 1938.  William Olliff married a second time to Patricia Binder Reath (born January 15, 1908) and they had no children.  Frances K. Olliff married Mitchel B. Burt and they have one child:  -  Tracey Lynn Burt, b. 1958.  Martha Olliff married Max Norman Andrews (born March 4, 1912) and they have three children:  -  Max Norman Andrews, Jr., b. February 16, 1948,  -  Harold Bruce Andrews, b. August 3, 1953,  -  Gary Chester Andrews, b. August 6, 1956.  Jessie Olliff married Henry Jacob Rawls, Jr. (born May 19, 1917) and they have four children:  -  Henry Jacob Rawls, III, b. August 19, 1944,  -  Jessie Patricia Rawls, b. June 9, 1947,  -  William Chester Rawls, b. July 29, 1950,  -  Thomas Eugene Rawls, b. June 28, 1955.  Leona Olliff married William Alexander Phillips (born September 16, 1913) and they have three children:  -  Stephen Keely Phillips (adopted), b. March 31, 1947,  -  William Alexander Phillips, Jr., b. December 11, 1947,  -  Allene Esther Phillips, b. October 15, 1952.

9-80   INTERACTIVE FAMILY HISTORIES

References:  1)  1910 Census, Mitchell County, Georgia;  2)  1920 Census, Bibb County, Georgia;  3)  “History of Georgia,” by Clark Howell, Volume II, Page 489, 1926;  4)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971

EDGAR MARVIN OLLIFF (1.3.2.2.5) is the son of William Simeon Olliff and Martha Leona (Saunders) Olliff.  Marvin was born on November 22, 1881 in Coleman, Georgia.  On April 17, 1912, Marvin Olliff married Grace Kendrick (born October 17, 1894 in Ashburn, Georgia).  Marvin was an agent for the Seaboard Railroad.  Marvin and Grace Olliff were the parents of six children:

   Edgar Marvin Olliff, Jr., b. February 10, 1913, Georgia
   Helen Elizabeth Olliff, b. December 6, 1914, Moultrie, Georgia
   Walter Eugene Olliff, b. February 16, 1916, Moultrie, Georgia
   Annie Ione Olliff, b. May 31, 1921, Norman Park, Georgia
   Charles Kendrick Olliff, b. August 2, 1923, Sylvester, Georgia
   Leon Chester Olliff, b. July 2, 1925, Sylvester, Georgia

In 1920, Edgar and Grace Olliff were living in Colquitt County, Georgia.  Edgar Marvin Olliff, Sr. died on August 10, 1949 and was buried in Oviedo, Florida.  Edgar Marvin Olliff, Jr. died as an infant on May 4, 1914.  Walter Olliff was killed in action in the invasion of Germany during World War II and died unmarried on September 22, 1944.  Annie Olliff married a Mr. Dubose and they had one son:  -  Robert Olliff Dubose, b. February 10, 1943.  Annie married a second time to Charles Stokes and they had no children.  Annie married a third time to Merritt O. Holsenback and they have one son:  -  Marvin Luther Holsenback, b. April 17, 1953.

Charles Olliff married Dorothy Larue Little (born July 21, 1921) and they have four children:  -  Martha Charlene Olliff, b. May 28, 1947, Orlando, Florida,  -  David Randall Olliff, b. August 16, 1948, Orlando, Florida,  -  Rita Olliff (adopted twin), b. January 27, 1958, Kallsruhe, Germany,  -  Brigitte Olliff (adopted twin), b. January 27, 1958, Kallsruhe, Germany.  Leon Olliff married Pennie Mitchum and they have two children:  -  Larry Douglas Olliff, b. August 3, 1949,  -  Linda Gayle Olliff, b. September 28, 1956.

References:  1)  1920 Census, Colquitt County, Georgia;  2)  “History of the Olliff Family” by Martin Olliff, Jr., 1971