Lowndes County GaArchives Biographies.....McDonald, William August 3, 1883 - January 12, 1946
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
William McDonald williamteomi@yahoo.com June 23, 2008, 3:19 am

Author: William McDonald

William Augustus McDonald was the first child of John and Virginia Caroline 
McDonald and was born on August 3, 1883 in the Cat Creek area of Lowndes 
County, Georgia. He married Mini Sue Rivers. 

Gus worked for the railroad in High Springs, Florida for several years. When 
the railroad experienced a strike, he and his wife moved to Valdosta, Georgia,
and took a job as a blacksmith for Lowndes County. Oddly enough, blacksmiths
in those days made their own tools.

The submitter's father, Henry McDonald Jr. states, "When I was in the first 
grade, about 1932, Uncle Gus owned a blacksmith shop across the street from
the school I attended. After school each day I would visit his shop to watch
him work. He had a charcoal fire on a hearth where he got the metal red hot
and used a mallet to beat the metal into the correct shape and size for
the horse he was shoeing. When the shoe was ready he would back up to the
horse, take the horse's leg between his legs and trim the hoof before he
would nail the shoe onto the horse. I also remember that Uncle Gus was
a good carpenter. He helped my dad repair a house we lived in." (1996)

William Augustus McDonald and his wife had four children: Donald, Oliver,
Jack and June. (June Lee McDonald achieved the rank of Sergeant Major
in the U.S. Marine Corps.)

"Gus" McDonald died on January 12, 1946.


Additional Comments:
While I (the submitter) don't remember Uncle Gus, as he passed away before I 
was born, I remember his brother, Perry, very well. My father has often talked 
about both of these near relatives, and seems very fond of them.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/lowndes/bios/mcdonald959gbs.txt

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