Brooks County GaArchives Biographies.....Beasley, Redding Groover Ramsey 1865 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 19, 2004, 7:55 pm

Author: William Harden
p.803-804

   REDDING GROOVER RAMSEY. A prosperous and progressive farmer of Grooverville
district, Brooks county, Redding Groover Ramsey comes on both sides of the house
of substantial pioneer stock, and is a native, and to the "manner born," his
birth having occurred on the farm where he now resides, March 6, 1865, he being
the youngest child of the late Owen Ramsey.

   His grandfather, William Ramsey, was born, reared, and married in North
Carolina. Migrating with his family to south Georgia in 1829, he brought his
family and all of his worldly possessions with him, making the trip with ox
teams, and being six weeks on the way, a part of his course being marked by
blazed trees. Locating in the southern section of Thomas county, he bought a
tract of heavily timbered land, erected a log cabin, and began to clear a farm
from the forest, which was then inhabited by wild beasts and dusky savages.
Industrious and ambitious, he subsequently bought other land in that vicinity,
and was there a resident until his death, at the age of four score years. He was
twice married, by his first wife having one daughter, Sally Ramsey. He married
for his second wife Dorcas Bevin. a native of North Carolina, and to them ten
children were born, as follows: William H., Dorcas B., Richard, Ezekiel, Eliza,
Elizabeth, Thomas, Owen, Julia and Henry.

   But seven years old when brought by his parents to Georgia, Owen Ramsey grew
to manhood on the parental homestead, and in tender years began to assist his
father in his pioneer work of eliminating a farm from the wilderness. Marrying
at the age of twenty-three years, he built a small log cabin on land which his
father had given him, and in that humble abode he and his bride began
housekeeping, she performing her full share of labor, including the carding,
spinning and weaving of fine linens and homespun goods. There being no railroads
in those days, he used to team all of his extra produce to the gulf ports of
Florida, After clearing a part of the land, he sold, and bought again in the
same neighborhood. Coming to Brooks county in 1861, he came on to the farm on
which his son Redding Groover is now living. It was then in its virgin wildness,
but, nothing daunted, he built a small frame house in the woods, and began the
improvement of a farm. A part of this farm was given to them by Mrs. Ramsey's
father. His work, however, was laid aside when war between the states was
declared, he enlisting in the Confederate army for service, and continuing with
his regiment until his death, which occurred in Milledgeville, Georgia, in the
fall of 1864.

   The maiden name of the wife of Owen Ramsey was Martha Groover. She was a
daughter of James and Elizabeth (Denmark) Groover, and a sister of Dr. James I.
Groover, in whose sketch, which may be found on another page of this volume
further history of her family may be found. She is still living, and can look
back with pride and pleasure upon the work which she has accomplished. Left a
widow with ten children, the oldest a boy of sixteen summers, she assumed the
management of the home farm, continuing the improvements already begun, and
wisely reared and educated her children, keeping them together until able to
care for themselves, each one being now well established in life. There were
seven boys and three girls in her family, as follows: James W., Thomas C.,
Columbus, Eliza J., Lizzie, Clayton H., Washington W., Owen L., Mattie J., and
Redding G.

   As soon as old enough Redding Groover Ramsey, who has always lived with his
mother, began to superintend the work of the farm, and has greatly improved both
the land and the buildings, which now bear comparison with any in the neighborhood.

   Mr. Ramsey married, June 30, 1909, Maggie Harrell, who was born in Brooks
county, Georgia, a daughter of Samuel and Laura (Albrit-ton) Harrell, of whom a
brief account is given elsewhere in this work, in connection with the sketch of
M. J. Harrell. Mr. Ramsey is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church South,
while his wife is a Baptist. Mr. Ramsey's mother is a member of the Missionary
Baptist church, but his father was prominently identified with the Methodist
Episcopal church, South, and for many years served as superintendent of its
Sunday school.



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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