Terrell County Georgia - Biography - Henry Martin Melton 1888 - 1969 ********************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************************************************** This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Charlene Parker" Sep 2002 On the 27th day of August 1888, Henry Martin Melton was born in the country about three miles northwest of Dawson , Georgia. About the time he was one year old his father moved to Dawson, and lived at the same place until his death. His mother is living at the home place on College Street. This has been her continuous residence since 1889. Brother Melton's boyhood was spent attending school and working afternoons, until he had graduated from the Dawson Public School. In the fall of 1905 he entered the Freshman Class of Mercer University. After four years at Mercer, he received the A. B. Degree and after graduation went to work in a hardware store in Valdosta, Georgia. For the next five years he was working and seeking to find his life's work, and in the fall of 1913 realized that God was calling him into the ministry. He immediately made his plans to enter the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, and graduated from that institution in June of 1916. That same month he married Miss Mary Layman. Also during that month he was called to the pastorate of the Arlington church in Bethel Association and entered on the field composed of the Arlington, Bluffton churches in Bethel Association and the Benevolence church in Summerhill Association. After seven years in this pastorate the Bluffton church called for half time instead of once a month and he resigned the Benevolence Church and served the Arlington and Bluffton Churches for the next seven years. He resigned this pastorate in May of 1930 and was called to the pastorate of the Norman Park Baptist Church in the Colquitt County Association and immediately moved to that field and is the present pastor of the last named church. In a letter the writer of this sketch received from Brother Melton, he seems to tell the story of himself. I therefore, quote his words as he said them: "As I now look back over these few wonderful years there stands out some events which may be of interest to some. First I remember when as a lad of twelve years old I was led into a deep consciousness of sin and of the fact that I needed a Saviour, and after an experience of secret prayer, Christ came and saved me. This experience came after I had attended the morning service of the church in Dawson and gone out to the corn crib to feed the horses and there on a great pile of corn I found Jesus. Brother H. L. Crumbley was the pastor of the church at the time and at the closing service of the meeting he baptized me. From the time of my conversion to the realization of my call to the ministry my life was not expressive of the experience, and many activities of those intervening years are best to be forgotten, but living was wonderful. My four years at Mercer were joyous and the many boys who are now my friends made the college years very happy. I was interested in athletics, as I am to this day, and was fortunate to play on all of the Varsity teams. For several months before I knew that God was calling me to preach I lived alone several miles out in the country and in this life of quiet and meditation God made himself heard and I answered. The three years at the seminary seemed like a dream and the different interests and activities made it appear that someone else was living in my body. Wonderful blessings came to me while in Louisville and perhaps the greatest was when my wife agreed to walk with me, and we have had a wonderful walk. One of the great fortunes of my life was to begin my ministry with a people like the people of Bethel Association. The preachers were the finest ever and the most active and interesting group of men welcomed me into their fellowship. Bethel can never forget such men as Crumbley, Black, Railey, Massey, Claxton and Dumas. In the first year of my ministry these brethren with the help and encouragement of the wonderful group of laymen of the Association sent their first car of provisions to the Orphans Home at Hapeville. I am sure that the Home had been supported with provisions before this time, but am almost sure that a car movement did not begin until the fall of 1916. Never shall I forget the work and travel through the country with these brethren to assemble enough provisions to load a car. I don't think that I ever realized the difficulties under which we were in our pastorate. The much loved Brother Thomas had died and the people were still grieving his loss, as indeed they are yet. The church building was incomplete at Arlington and a large amount of money was due on the building and to Mrs. Thomas. The Lord was good to us and it seems that in no time at all, all these obligations were met and soon the building was finished. The people at Arlington surely were led and helped by the Lord and exhibited a wonderful spirit during those difficult days. The people of the Bluffton Church were willing to demonstrate the possibility of planting plots for the Lord and went on each year for five years until other churches began to see the possibility and this movement has come to be a major contribution of our Denominational life from our rural churches in Georgia. I don't believe that any other Association could have put on the movement for a summer encampment which was maintained in Bethel. Of course, the people of Bluffton put themselves out to entertain the Encampment each year but the Encampment was possible only by the great spirit of cooperation of the churches of the Association. We are thankful to God for the part we were permitted to have in this great development movement. It seems to me that the women of Bethel have always been enlightened and enlisted, at any rate they were always looking for something they might do to advance God's Kingdom and through the years contributed to make Bethel a great body of God's people. It was during these years that active Sunday school and B.Y.P.U. conventions were launched. The church at Bluffton has been through the years a centre from which went out these organizations. The laymen of the Association have given themselves to advance the work. Bethel has a wonderful heritage and through the years has been reaping from the sowing of previous generations. The last one hundred years have been wonderful in achievement and opportunity. As we stand today the future is uncertain, but the same faith and consecration which our fathers gave to us can pyramid the next hundred years to bring God's kingdom in a marvelous way." This letter portrays the spirit of Henry Melton much better than any biographer could describe his life. May the spirit here manifested continue with him wherever he may go. following notes added by Debra Crosby ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1920 Calhoun County GA Arlington Ed 7 sheet 1 4- Melton, Henry M. 31 m/w Ga Ga GA Head Clergyman Baptist Mary M. 28?f/w Ky Ky Ky wife Annie?? 2 4/12 f/w Ga GA Ky daughter 1920 Terrell County GA Dawson College Ave page 300 ed 3 sheet 11a 285- Melton, Laura R. Head f/w 63 widow Ga Ga Ga Carl E. son m/w 29 single Ga Ga Ga Estelle dau f/w 27 single Ga Ga Ga Dewey dau f/w 21 single Ga Ga Ga Hill, Rebecca gr-dau f/w 15 single Ga Ga Ga Hill, Evelyn gr-dau f/w 13 single Ga Ga Ga 1930 Calhoun County Ga Arlington District 1435 ed 50-10 sheet 2b 62- Melton, Henry M 42 w/m Ga GA GA Clergyman Baptist Church Mary M. 33 w/f Ky Ga GA wife Laura V. 12 w/f Ga Ga Ga dau Marguerite 10 w/f Ga Ga Ga dau Buckner F. 6 w/m Ga Ga Ga son 1930 Terrell County Ga Dawson College Ave. ed 137-8 sheet 3b 86-Melton, Laura R. Head 70 w/f widow Ga Ga GA Carl E. Head 39 w/m marr Ga Ga Ga Agnes wife 32 w/f marr Ga Ga Ga Carlene dau 5 w/f sing Ga Ga Al Georgia Death Index Name: Henry M Melton Death Date: 04 Sep 1969 Race: W Gender: M County of Death: Calhoun Certificate: 025058 Age: 81 years County of Residence: Early Name: Laura ?? Melton Death Date: 05 Jul 1941 Race: W Gender: F County of Death: Terrell Certificate: 18366 Age: 83 years Melton Marriages in Terrell County 1851 - 1900 MELTON, B. F. Spouse: TURNER, LAURA R. Marriage Date: 23 Nov 1881 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, BOB Spouse: ADAMS, LILY Marriage Date: 13 Feb 1888 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, H. H. Spouse: KELLY, AMANDA Marriage Date: 27 Nov 1868 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, JAMES W. Spouse: THORNTON, ROSA E. Marriage Date: 07 Apr 1896 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, MARTIN Spouse: HIGDON, MARY A. Marriage Date: 01 Nov 1886 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, R. L. Spouse: HEARN, AUGUSTA Marriage Date: 07 Jan 1875 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, WILLIAM M. Spouse: McELHANAN, MELISSA Marriage Date: 06 Jan 1870 County: Terrell State: GA MELTON, WILLIAM R. Spouse: PACE, WILLIE B. Marriage Date: 24 Nov 1881 County: Terrell State: GA OLIVER, JOSHUA Spouse: MELTON, NANCY E. Marriage Date: 09 Oct 1859 County: Terrell State: GA ORR, MATT Spouse: MELTON, MARY ELIZA Marriage Date: 02 Oct 1897 County: Terrell State: GA OWENS, ROBERT Spouse: MELTON, HETTA Marriage Date: 19 Jan 1885 County: Terrell State: GA THOMAS, DANIEL Spouse: MELTON, JANE Marriage Date: 04 Sep 1880 County: Terrell State: GA