Butler County AlArchives Biographies.....Lazenby, E. M. September 27 1823 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 14, 2004, 11:32 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   E. M. LAZENBY. - Conspicuous among the old and reliable families of Butler
county, the name of Lazenby is especially prominent. The Lazenbys are of
Welsh-Scotch extraction and the history of the family in this country is traced
back to Maryland, where, in an early day, was born one Ellis Lazenby, who when a
young man emigrated to Georgia, in which state he married and reared a family.
One of his sons, Ellis Lazenby, was born in Columbus county, Ga., in 1794, and
served with distinction in the war of 1812. He was married in his native state,
about the year 1815, to Frances Zachrey, a descendant of an old Virginia family,
and became the father of the following children, namely: William, of Columbus
county, Ga.; James, deceased; Jesse, deceased; Martha, widow of John Ferdon; E.
M. ; John, deceased; George, farmer of Columbus county, Ga. ; Frances, widow of
James Hatcher, and Artemus M., a resident of Georgia. Ellis Lazenby and wife
passed their entire married life in their native county and state, dying there
in the years 1852 and 1860, respectively. E. M. Lazenby, the fifth child of the
above parents, was a native of Georgia, born in the county of Columbus on the
27th day of September, 1823. He was bred a farmer, with no facilities for an
education save those furnished by the indifferent schools of that day, and early
assumed the supervision of a farm and chose agriculture for his life work. On
reaching the years of maturity he came to Alabama and engaged with the Western
railroad as bridge builder, but acted in various capacities while in the employ
of the company, which embraced a period of about eight years. In 1853, he moved
to a point about four miles from his present location and engaged in farming
until after the war, since which time he has been prominently identified with
the milling and mercantile business at Forest Home, where he owns large and
valuable interests. He operates a saw and grist mill and personally oversees a
valuable plantation of 1,000 acres, but has recently divided the bulk of his
wealth, which was considerable, among his children, nearly all of whom reside at
or near the town of Forest Home. Mr. Lazenby has been very successful in his
various enterprises and is one of the foremost citizens of Butler county, and
occupies a prominent place in the esteem of his fellow-citizens. He is an active
worker in the democratic party, served as county commissioner for a period of
seven years, and for thirty-five years has been a steward of the Methodist
church, to which body his wife and children also belong. Mr. Lazenby was
married, December 14, 1848, in Butler county, to Mary Benson, daughter of James
K. Benson, one of the earliest settlers of Butler county. Mr. Benson became a
resident of Butler county in 1816, and was the first white man to locate in the
vicinity of Forest Home. He served as quartermaster in the war of 1812, and was
one of the garrison of Fort Bibb, in the spring of 1818, when Captain Butler (in
honor of whom Butler county was named) and several others were surprised and
massacred by the Indians. He was also a member of the squad that received the
body of the brave captain, and buried it with the honors of war. The marriage of
Mr. and Mrs. Lazenby has resulted in the birth of five children, namely: John
G., James, George, Henry G., and Frances, wife of J. G. Reynolds. John G.
Lazenby, eldest son of the above parents, was born in Macon county, Ala.,
September 21, 1849. He received a practical English education and early engaged
in farming, which useful occupation he is still pursuing in the vicinity of
Forest Home, where he owns a beautiful and highly improved plantation.
Politically, he is a democrat, and is also identified with the farmers' alliance
movement and belongs to the Masonic fraternity: He was united in marriage,
December 2, 1883, with Mrs. L. J. Powers, who has borne him three children,
Minnie, Ruth, and Mary Iva. Mr. Lazenby is one of the highly esteemed citizens
of the community and a leading member of the Methodist church. James E. Lazenby,
second son of E. M. and Mary Lazenby, is a native of Alabama, born in the county
of Macon on the 13th day of March, 1852. He received a liberal education in the
Cooper institute, Dalesville, Miss., and spent one year in the Alabama
Agricultural college at Auburn, and began life for himself as a farmer, and he
still carries on agriculture with the greatest success. Mr. Lazenby also
conducts a mercantile business at Forest Home, representing yearly sales of
$25,000, the stock being carefully selected to suit the demands of the general
trade and now valued at about $6,000. Beside merchandising, Mr. Lazenby is
interested in planting, owning a fine farm of 1,000 acres, and also has an
interest in the milling business of Lazenby, Reynolds & Co. Mr. Lazenby and Miss
Carrie Green, daughter of captain A. C. Green, were united in marriage on the
6th of September, 1875, and they are now the parents of the following children:
Claude G., Etta E., Vandier and Augustus G., all living. H. D. Lazenby, youngest
son of E. M., and Mary Lazenby was born November 5, 1858. He was educated in the
common schools and Greenville Collegiate institute, and for a number of years
has been prominently identified with the commercial interests of Monterey, being
a member of the well known business house of Lazenby, Shanks & Co. He is also
engaged in agricultural pursuits and is deservedly classed among the substantial
citizens of the community in which he resides. He is a democrat in politics, and
belongs to the Methodist church, being at this time superintendent of the Sunday
school in Monterey congregation. October 16, 1883, Mr. Lazenby and Ella,
daughter of William Floyd, were made man and wife, and their union has resulted
in the birth of four children, as follows: William L., Edna R., Fannie M., and
Gertrude.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 562-564


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