Spalding County GaArchives News.....Aunt Mollie Griffin Keeps A Scrapbook ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Sparks Starr lsstarr@pilgrimage.us Sep 2003 **Note from contributor: The following are various newspaper articles covering GA related topics (mostly obituaries) which were pasted into a scrapbook by Pauline (Rankin) Starr, wife of Harry -- descendant of Benjamin & Charlotte. They probably subscribed to a GA newspaper(s), but these may just be articles sent them by people 'back home'. She was from Calhoun (Gordon Co.) and he from Sunnyside. The name of the newspaper, and alas date of obit / marriage announcement is not given in most cases.** 1950 is penciled in at the top. AUNT MOLLIE GRIFFIN KEEPS A SCRAP BOOK Still Active at 89 Years Old There is a little old lady living in the Birdie Community of Spalding county that has devoted more years of usefulness to our county than most of us could ever hope for. She is known far and wide as Aunt Mollie. She was Mary Catherine Elder before she married Jesse Griffin back in December of 1878. Aunt Mollie as she is affectionately known, was born the 12th day of June in the year 1861. Her father, John Hartwell Elder was a Methodist preacher. Just 17 years later she was married and moved into the house she has continued to live in for the past 72 years. It was in this house that her nine children were born and her husband and some of the children have died. She is the mother of Frank and Albert, famous throughout this section for their barbecue, Eunice, the mother of the Yates clan, and Mrs. Claude Rigel of Reigel's Curve and Mrs. Amos Mullins. All of her life Aunt Mollie has been devoted to her church. She joined the County Line Methodist church when she was very young but later transferred her membership to the Sunny Side church. After the Pomona Methodist Church was built she moved her letter there because it was nearer to her home. She remembers when church was held on Saturdays there and she would go and take all of her children with her. She has been an annual landmark at the Mt. Zion Methodist Camp Ground longer, perhaps, than any other living person. Her father took her there for the first time in his arms when she was just a baby and she has been going back every year. She has a tent there where her family and friends have met for years, after "laying-by" time, to enjoy a week of worship and thanksgiving. When she was younger and "hospitals were for the rich" she went any day or night to nurse sick neighbors and friends. It is her kind and understanding spirit that has endeared her to the people of her native county. And they come every year in June to help her celebrate her birthday, usually with an all day barbecue. This past June she was 89 years old. She has 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. When this reporter called to see Aunt Mollie she was sitting in the kitchen reading Time magazine. She said, "I can't read much any more. I ruined my eyes over at Bob Lee's looking at the television." Bob Lee is her brother, R. L. Elder of Sunny Side. Aunt Mollie is keeping a scrap-book "so I'll have something to look at when I get old." "I never have done anything much" she said, "but grow old," but when we looked deep into her sharp blue eyes we wondered at the great store of wisdom and understanding and love that has been an inspiration not only to her many descendants but to all who have had the pleasure of knowing this truly great little lady. Linda Sparks Starr lsstarr@pilgrimage.us http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lksstarr Found on the Georgia Death Index: Mollie Griffin Death Date: 08 Oct 1954 Age: 93 years Gender: F Residence: Spalding County County of Death: Spalding Certificate: 23828