Re: Lillie B. Gilreath Collins

Doing a lookup for your Lillie Bessie Gilreath.I am not related to the Collins family of Wilkinson County which you mention, but I can provide a little information about them.

Since you say that her first husband was a Collins, what would help would be information on her second marriage since there seem to be more than one Lillie Bessie Gilreaths.

These several Bessie Lillie Gilreaths were descendants of Green A. Gilreath (born about 1823, North Carolina) and his wife Rebecca Duncan.Their children included two brothers:Joseph Martin Gilreath (born 1847, Georgia) and Joseph M. Gilreath (born 1855, Georgia).These families lived in Union County, Georgia, in the late 1800s.(I never found any Gilreaths in White County.However, they did live on the Union-White county line.)In the early 1900s many of these Gilreaths moved to middle Georgia around Oconee and Jackson counties.

BESSIE GILREATH #1:The first Bessie Gilreath I found was born about 1908 or 1909 in Union County, Georgia.She was daughter of James Martin Gilreath (born about 1877) and Sarah Jane HOLLAWAY.This James Martin Gilreath was son of James Martin Gilreath born 1847.

In 1910 James (the junior) and his family -- including Bessie -- are in Union County.In the 1920 census they are found in Jackson County around Hoschton, Ga.By 1930 James Gilreath and his family had migrated to Greenville, SC.But Bessie is not found with the family in 1930.At that point I lose track of her.

BESSIE GILREATH # 2:Meanwhile, Green A. Gilreath's other son Joseph M. married Sarah Ward, and their children included Bessie L. Gilreath (born 1894).In 1900 census the Joseph Gilreath family (including Bessie) is in Union County.In 1910 they have moved to Dark Corner area of Oconee County, Georgia.By 1920 this Bessie has married Arthur Carter and is living in Hall County, Georgia.

LILLIE BESSIE GILREATH # 3:Joseph M. and Sarah Gilreath's children included Charlie B. Gilreath (born 1889).He married Claudia Whitehead and their child Lillie Bessie Gilreath was born June 1910 in Oconee County.In 1920 the family has moved to Monroe County (the COUNTY -- not the city).She is listed as LILLIE -- but she now has a younger sister named BESSIE (born 1920).

Lillie B. Gilreath married Richard Dewey Lavender (marriage date not known).In 1940 the Lavenders are living near Gordon in Wilkinson County, Ga.Her husband died in 1954 and is buried at Milledgeville, GA.She died Dec 5, 2000, and is also buried at Milledgeville, Georgia.

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But you had asked about the Wilkinson County Collins family.The fact that Lillie Bessie's first husband had a sister named Carrie Collins fairly well identifies the family as that of William M. Collins (born about 1846, Georgia) and Lizzie Thompson.William was the son of Byrd and Millie Colins.The family lived near Passmore in Wilkinson County and had the following children:

--James (born 1896)
       James married Myrtle (maiden name unknown) before 1920.

--Nathaniel (born 1897)
       

--Benjamin Hill (born 1892)
       Benjamin married Susan Bloodworth in 1921

--Hayward (born 1902)
       Hayward married Othelia Ethridge in 1921

--William Jr. (born 1904)

--Lizzie Mae (born 1909)
       Lizzie died young.

--Carrie (born 1913)
       Carrie married Grayson Hardie in 1927.

--George (born 1916)
       George died in 1929 at age 13.

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If Lillie Bessie married one of these sons it would seem to be between Nathaniel and William Jr.

In the 1930 census Nathaniel Collins is living in Baldwin County, Ga, where he is employed as an attendant at the Georgia State Hospital in Milledgeville.About 1928 he married Ruby (last name unknown) and they have one child.By the 1940 census Nathaniel and family has moved back to Wilkinson County.

William Collins Junior in the 1930 census is unmarried and living with his parents in Wilkinson County.He apparently never married, since is still listed as single in the 1940 census.He died in 1950.