Towns County Georgia Bios John Russell and Nancy Dickey File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jason Lee Edwards" Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/towns.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm John Russell and Nancy Dickey John Russell was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, on May 20, 1803, to George and Rhoda Reavis Russell. Nothing is known of his early life other than the fact that sometime in the 1820 he moved to Macon County, North Carolina. This probably happened when his father, George, sold his slaves and land in Rutherford County and moved to Missouri. On June 18, 1827, he married Miss Nancy Dickey. She was born on January 18, 1804, to George and Hannah Taylor Dickey. In about 1832 they moved to Georgia. They seem to have been missed by the census taker in 1840 but they were most likely in the Union County area. They were certainly in Union County by 1850. Nancy passed away on August 22, 1859, of dropsy. She was buried in the family cemetery in Towns County. In 1860 John Russell was one of the largest slave owners in Towns County. After the War Between the States they kept on one of their old slaves, Jackson, he had been purchased at the estate sale of George Dickey in 1842 for $304. He later married Priscilla Padget in Clay County, North Carolina. In his old age John Russell lived with his son Andrew and his family. John passed away on April 5, 1883, and is buried next to his wife at the Russell family Cemetery. They were the parents of nine children: George Wherry Russell, b. April 19, 1829, Macon County, North Carolina; d. January 23, 1864, Rock Island Illinois; m. Lucinda M. Wood; b. April 24, 1832. Amanda Jane Russell, b. September 11, 1830, Macon County, North Carolina; d. January 04, 1904, Hiawassie, Towns County, Georgia; m. (1) George M. Wood; b. August 02, 1836; d. June 14, 1862; m. (2) George Washington Brown, January 10, 1867; b. May 09, 1829; d. November 21, 1889. Hannah Adaline Russell, b. March 10, 1832, Union County, Georgia; m. H. A. Craven. Martha Russell, b. May 09, 1834, Union County, Georgia; d. April 05, 1861, Towns County, Georgia; m. George M. Wood; b. August 02, 1836; d. June 14, 1862. Albert Burton Russell, b. July 19, 1836, Union County, Georgia; d. October 22, 1915; m. Martha Brown; b. June 20, 1845; d. June 22, 1884. Arminta Matilda Russell, b. April 13, 1838, Union County, Georgia; d. January 14, 1851, Union County, Georgia. John Harrison Russell, b. October 02, 1839, Union County, Georgia; d. May 15, 1881. Andrew Doriah Russell, b. August 26, 1843, Union County, Georgia; d. April 06, 1907; m. Nancy P. Stroud, November 21, 1865; b. April 25, 1845; d. February 15, 1921. Myrah Lousia Russell, b. May 26, 1845, Union County, Georgia; d. February 16, 1893; m. Josiah T. Kimsey; b. April 13, 1844; d. 1911.