Brooks County GaArchives Biographies.....Thomas, Welcome Hope 1872 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 19, 2004, 4:27 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 795-796

   WELCOME HOPE THOMAS. Prominent among the active and progressive
agriculturists of Brooks county is Welcome Hope Thomas, who owns and occupies
one of the most attractive and desirable farming estates in the Grooverville
district. A native of Florida, he was born, March 5, 1872, at Clear Harbor
Water, of Virginian ancestry, his grandfather, Robinson Thomas, having been a
life-long resident of Virginia.

   Henry Robinson Thomas, Mr. Thomas's father, was born, reared and married in
Brunswick county, Virginia. His health becoming impaired, he was ordered South,
and spent ten years in Florida, during which time he lived in ten different
places. Coming to Georgia in 1874, he settled in Quitman, Brooks county, where
he was engaged in business as a merchant until his death, in 1880, while yet in
the prime of life. His wife, whose maiden name was Matilda Catherine Simmons,
was born in Mecklenburg, Virginia, a daughter of John and Jane Simmons, who
spent their entire lives in the Old Dominion. She now makes her home in Brooks
county, living with her son Welcome Hope Thomas. To her and her husband seven
children were born, namely: Sally W., Minnie T., Florida V., Maggie M.. Welcome
Hope, John R., and Florence C.

   Having completed his studies in the public schools of Quitman, Welcome Hope
Thomas was there for four years clerk in a general store. Giving up that
position, he settled in the Grooverville district, on the farm which he now owns
and occupies, and for twelve years successfully carried on general farming.
Returning then to Quitman, Mr. Thomas embarked in mercantile pursuits, and there
continued in business until 1908. In that year he again assumed possession of
his own farm, and in its management has met with most gratifying results. He has
now one thousand and fifty acres of land, on which he has made improvements of
value, his buildings being commodious and convenient, and pleasantly located.
Here he carries on farming and stock raising in a profitable manner, never being
satisfied with less than the best possible results.

   Mr. Thomas married, in 1893, Lorena Groover, a daughter of Clinton D. and
Alice (Joiner) Groover, and grand-daughter of James and Elizabeth (Denmark)
Groover. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are the parents of seven children, namely: Herman
R., Allie C., Ernest G., Brantly D., Welcome Hope, Jr., Clinton D., and Lorena.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically
Mr. Thomas is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and
to the Knights of Pythias.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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