An old clipping from the Clinch County News, dated November 8, 1929 gives a brief history of the Mikell family, beginning with George Mikell who was a pioneer settler of Clinch County. Three of his grandsons, Rufus Lane Mikell, George Calhoun Mikell and Otis Willie Mikell (subject of earlier post – see Ola Crews and Otis Mikell) became residents of Ray City, GA. The news clipping, which provided in part the following information , is transcribed below.
George Calhoun Mikell, Ray City, Georgia
George Calhoun Mikell made Ray City his home some time before 1920. He was a Primitive Baptist and is buried at New Ramah Cemetery in Ray City.
Grave marker of George Calhoun Mikell (1876-1960), New Ramah Cemetery, Ray City, Berrien County, GA.
George Calhoun Mikell was born March 4, 1876, a son of Rebecca Lee and John A. Mikell. His paternal grandparents, Rachel Roberts and George Mikell (1818-1880), are buried at Wayfare Primitive Baptist church in unmarked graves.
His father, John A. Mikell (abt 1846 – 1889), was a respected Clinch County citizen who lived near Dupont, GA. “John A. Mikell was baptized July 5 1883 into the membership of the Primitive Baptist church, and on Dec 1, 1883 was dismissed by letter and united with Olive Leaf church near Dupont. Mr. Mikell served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff J. M. Jeffords who sheriff from 1881 to 1887. He was elected justice of the peace of the 1280 district, commissioned January 24, 1881, serving two terms of four years each”
When George was thirteen years old, he lost his father. John A. Mikell died April 9, 1889 and was buried at North Cemetery, Clinch County, GA.
George’s mother, Rebecca Lee, was a daughter of Phoebe Register and Zachariah Lee. She was born November 5th, 1845 in what is now Clinch county, GA. She married John A. Mikell about 1868. Following the death of her husband in 1889 she continued to live in Clinch county where she farmed, with the help of her children, in the 1280th district . After her sister, Elizabeth Lee Fiveash, died on May 05, 1912, Rebecca Lee Mikell married her brother-in-law George Appling Fiveash (1842-1927). On the death of George Fiveash in 1927, the twice-widowed Rebecca Lee Mikell Fiveash went to live with her son, George Calhoun Mikell, at Ray City, GA. She died December 08, 1932 in Lowndes Co GA. She was buried at North Cemetery, DuPont, Clinch County, GA.
George C. Mikell married Mary Hughes on January 31, 1904, in Clinch County. She was a daughter of James H. Hughes.
George C. Mikell and his brother John P. Mikell both became “leading members of the Primitive Baptist denomination in this section, one a layman and the other a minister; one adhering to the ‘old line’ association and the other to what is called the ‘Peace Movement’ association of the old Union Association. Elder John P. Mikell as a preacher is known far and wide for his gifts and influence as a Christian worker, and his brother George is making his association a capable clerk and as a layman is known and loved for his upright, Christian life.”
George C. Mikell, Nov 1, 1929, Clinch County News
In the census of 1910, George C. Mikell was enumerated with his wife and son, Ollie, in the 1280 district of Clinch County. Some time after 1910 he brought his family from Clinch to Berrien County. On September 12, 1918 he registered for the draft for World War I in Nashville, GA. At age 42, he was tall and slender with blue eyes and black hair. He was a self-employed farmer with a home on Rural Free Delivery route #2 out of Nashville. By the time of the 1920 census, the Mikells were living on a farm near Ray City on the Nashville Road.
The 1930 census shows George and Mary still farming at Ray City, George’s mother living in their household. His mother died in 1932, and was buried with her first husband at Wayfare Primitive Baptist Church in Clinch County.
George’s wife, Mary Mikell died April 25, 1939 and was buried at New Ramah Cemetery, Ray City, GA. Later he remarried, taking Nellie Hughes, daughter of John Jasper Hughes, as his second wife. When George C. Mikell passed in 1960, he was buried at New Ramah Cemetery next to his first wife.
Clinch County News
Friday Morning, November 8, 1929Our Column in History
GEORGE MIKELL
George Mikell, an old pioneer citizen of Clinch county, came to this section from Bulloch county, and settled in what is now Echols county where he married. Later he moved to a point near Dupont and spent the remainder of his life there. He was born in Bulloch county in 1816, and died about 1880. His wife was Rachel Roberts; she was born in 1830, but we have not learned who her parents were but we infer she was a daughter of John Roberts who also came to this section from Bulloch county.
To them were born only three children, viz:1. John A. Mikell who married Rebecca Lee.
2. Sarah who married Mark or S. M. Bennet.
3. Bettie or Elizabeth who married Samuel Tomlinson.George Mikell and his wife were members of Wayfare Primitive Baptist church, and are buried there. Their graves are not marked. George Mikell had two brothers, Bob and Charles. The former lived in Wayne county and the latter moved to Florida.
John A. Mikell
John A. Mikell was born in this county about 1846, and as above stated, the only son of George and Rachel Mikell. He lived near Dupont, where he was a respected citizen. He married Rebecca, a daughter of Zachariah Lee, and a sister to the late P. M. Lee of Dupont. She was born Nov. 5th 1845 in this county, and is now living with her son Mr. G. C. Mikell at Ray City, having just past her 84th birthday this week. Her husband had been dead forty years having died April 9th, 1889. He is buried at the North cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Mikell were born ten children, viz:
1. Ardelia who married Moses Pittman, living at Arcadia, Fla.
2. Alice who married Roland Zeigler.
3. Rufus L. who married ollie Morgan, daughter of Granville Morgan.
4. Charlton Z. who married Mrs. Lula Crews.
5. George C. who married Mary, daughter of James H. Hughes.
6. Perry C. who married Bessie Powell; living at Quitman.
7. Phoebe who married R. A. Dasher and lived near Bemiss.
8. John P. who married Sallie, daughter of George Corbitt of Echols county.
9. Otis W. who married Ola Crews.
10. Augustus T. married Annie Wilkerson of Berrien county. He is the only one of the ten children not living.
John A. Mikell was baptized July 5, 1883 into the membership of the Primitive Baptist church, and on Dec 1, 1883 was dismissed by letter and united with Olive Leaf church near Dupont.
Mr. Mikell served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff J. M. Jeffords who sheriff from 1881 to 1887. He was elected justice of the peace of the 1280 district, commissioned January 24, 1881, serving two terms of four years each, his last term expiring just before his death.
John P. Mikell and his brother Geo. C. have both become leading members of the Primitive Baptist denomination in this section, one a layman and the other a minister; one adhering to the “old-line” association and the other to what is called the “Peace Movement” association of the the old Union Association. Elder John P. Mikell as a preacher is known far and wide for his gifts and influence as a Christian worker, and his brother George is making his association a capable clerk and as a layman is known and loved for his upright Christian life.Some Other Data
The writer would like to find out more about the older Mikells or the forefathers of George Mikell. Back up in Bulloch county where they lived we find a number of references to them on the county records but of course we cannot identify them. The following Mikell marriages are of record there:
Alexander Mikell and Rebecca Hollingsworth, Dec 7, 1804.
Charles Mikell and Dicy Lee, Dec 17, 1804.
Thomas Mikell and Mary Row, April 3l 1805.
John Mikell and Hannah Stuart, Aug. 6, 1805.
Thomas Mikell and Mary Woodcock, Nov. 10, 1807.
William Mikell and Mary Anderson, Nov 21, 1809.
John Mikell and Catherine Lowther, Feb. 8, 1826.
John Mikell, an old citizen of Bulloch county, died in 1799, and his estate was administered by his widow Elizabeth, and Edward Mikell. They were appointed administrators Feb. 10, 1800. Their bond was for $20,000 and signed by Sherod McCall and James Mikell. The estate was appraised in 1800 by Stephen Denmark and John Rawls and Jesse Mixon, and valued at $8099.75. Among the property enumerated were 13 slaves and $3500 worth of cattle. A petition for division of the estate was filed by the widow in May, 1803, and the Court granted partitioners to divide the land, and among these were George Mikell, James Mikell, Sr., and James Mikell, Jr. In a sales account filed by the administrators in May 1803, Sarah Mikell, Francis Mikell and James Mikell were mentioned as younger heirs. In March, 1807, the administrators were required to show cause why they had not made any return. Further than this we did not find out about this estate. It seemed to be the only Mikell estate administered in Bulloch prior to 1820.
Related articles
- Ola Crews and Otis Mikell (raycityhistory.wordpress.com)
- A Brief History of New Ramah Baptist Church at Ray City, GA (raycityhistory.wordpress.com)
Ray City History Blog 