Brooks-Lowndes County GaArchives Biographies.....Berry, Alpha C. 1869 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 19, 2004, 10:12 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 822-823

   ALPHA C. BERRY. Prominent among the enterprising, self-reliant, and
progressive men who are so ably conducting the agricultural interests of Brooks
county is Alpha C. Berry, a successful farmer living about five miles from
Quitman, on the Tallokas road. A son of Rev. Joseph Festus Berry, he was born
June 6, 1869, in Marshalltown, Iowa.

   His grandfather Berry, was born in Stanton, Virginia, where his father
located on coming to this country. An energetic, enterprising young man, he
decided to begin life for himself in a newer part of the country, and,
foreseeing in a measure the great development awaiting the then far West, he
migrated to Illinois, settling in Washington county. Possessing excellent
business ability and judgment, he became an extensive dealer in real estate,
buying and selling several farms, always at a profit. He lived to the venerable
age of ninety years.

   The birth of Joseph Festus Berry occurred in Washington county, Illinois, in
1840. Brought up on a farm he acquired his preliminary education in the district
schools, this being supplemented with a course of study at Bethany College, in
Bethany, West Virginia. After his graduation from that institution he taught in
the public schools of Illinois for a time. Ordained, at the age of thirty years,
a minister in the Christian church, he preached for a short time in New York
state, and subsequently taught school and held pastorates in Iowa, Nebraska, and
Kansas. Coming to Georgia in the spring of 1886, Rev. Mr. Berry began his
ministerial labors in Lowndes county, where he organized several Christian
churches, including the one at Pine Grove, and also organized the Christian
church at Quitman. Going to Missouri in 1907 he resided first in the Ozark
region, moving from there to Dexter, Missouri, he was there a resident until his
death in 1910. His wife, whose maiden name was Maria Parmley, was born in
Warren, Ohio, and died in 1910, surviving him but one month. Seven children were
born of their union, as follows: Alpha C., the subject of this sketch; Elpie
Grace, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Dollie May lived but ten years; Scott, now an
instructor at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and a man of brilliant
mental attainments, earned as a student an international scholarship, which
entitled him to a year's schooling in Germany and five hundred dollars in cash;
Leslie Lee, a graduate of the Missouri Agricultural College, in Columbia,
Missouri, is now one of the leading agriculturists and horticulturists of
Dexter, Missouri; Milton, engaged in the grocery business at Denver, Colorado;
and Bessie, residing at Little Rock, Arkansas.

   After his graduation from the Valdosta Academy, in Valdosta, Georgia, Alpha
C. Berry turned his attention to agriculture, for which he had a natural taste
and aptitude. He first purchased, in Brooks county, two hundred and fifty acres
of land lying two miles from Quit-man, on the Morven road. Seven years later he
sold at an advantage, and bought an estate of five hundred acres situated two
miles northeast of Quitman. Ninety acres of the tract was under cultivation, and
he improved one hundred more, and lived there seven years. Selling then, Mr.
Berry purchased what was known as the Tom Folsom place, it being on the Tallokas
road, five miles from Quitman, and here he has since been actively engaged in
general farming and stock raising. His large and valuable estate contains nine
hundred acres of land, two hundred and seventy-five of which he has under
culture, while one hundred and fifty acres are covered with a magnificent growth
of oak, hickory, pine, gum, poplar and ash timber, the remainder being covered
with young pines. In the development and improvement of his laud, Mr. Berry
finds both pleasure and profit, his labors being well rewarded.

   On January 3, 1894, Mr. Berry was united in marriage with Lillie Wilson, a
daughter of Jeremiah and Delilah (Robinson) Wilson, of whom a more extended
account may be found elsewhere in this volume, in connection with the sketch of
Joseph D. Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. Berry are the parents of two children, namely:
Julia and Delilah.

   Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Berry are consistent members of the Christian
church. Mr. Berry is a member of the Hickory Head Club, an association of
farmers organized in 1899.



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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