Bonnilee Byers Ledford

Bonnliee Byers was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1898 in Clay County, NC, the youngest child of Zadie Ledford and Hicks Byers.

Bonnilee married Esther Penley Ledford on January 17, 1915, in Towns County, GA.

Penley was born on June 24, 1890 in Clay County, NC, the son of Joab Turner Ledford and Martha J. Isabella Reynolds.

Bonnilee and Penley were my great-Grandparents. I have fond memories of them both, and of visiting their farm in Hiawassee, Georgia during the summers as a young child.

Bonnilee had diabetes. Grannie said much of Sam's family had diabetes, his own son, Weaver, died of it at a fairly young age, and Gertie Burch's oldest son, Charles, Jr. had juvenile diabetes and died at age 15.

Penley died of natural causes/heart failure at home on December 13, 1975, and Bonnilee died on Mother's Day, May 8th, 1976. I don't know the cause of her death, but I remember that she was in the hospital at the time, so had apparently been ill at the time.
Both are buried in the Lower Bell Creek Cemetary in Hiawassee, Towns County, GA.

Bonnilee and Penley had 6 children:

1. Donald Johnson Ledford, b. April 8, 1916 in Towns Co., GA, d. December 16, 1986 in Fannin Co., GA?, m. February 1, 1941 to Julia Howell,
(Julia is still living in Blue Ridge, GA). Donald is buried at Copper Ridge Memorial Cemetary (Blue Ridge?)

2. Hazel Pauline Ledford, b. December 11, 1917, m1. Ernest Void Moss, b. May 3, 1917, d. December 24, 1957, m2. Crisp, m3. Carl McClure

3. Ronald Clyde Ledford, b. July 15, 1919, m. Hollene Harris, b. Jan 6, 1919, d. Aug 11, 1980

4. Wilhelmena Caroline Ledford, b. Feb 24, 1924 in Towns Co., GA, d. Oct 15, 1994, m1. JR Ledford, b. Dec 17, 1926, d. June 5, 1989, m2. Kenneth Edward Jones, b. Feb 27, 1926, d. Jun 26, 1992

5. Maurice Hix Ledford, b. Aug 15, 1926, d. Aug 2, 1975, m. Ola Ledford, daughter of Willard and Myrtle Ledford.
I believe Ola is still living in Hiawassee, GA.

6. Juanita (Cork) Ledford, b. Oct 29, 1933, d. June 18, 1993, m1. Earl McClure, m2. A.J. Free, Jr.
A.J. still resides in Hiawassee, GA


This photo was taken in probably early 1918.
The dark-haired lady to the far left is Bonnilee Byers Ledford, holding a baby Hazel, who was born December of 1917. She's still very small, and the weather is still obviously very cold.
The man next to her in the gigantimous hat is her husband Penley Ledford.
I don't know who the lady in the doorway is. I feel like it's someone related to Bonnilee, and her sister Gertie, but I think it's too old to be their mother, Zadie. I could be wrong about it being a relative of theirs, though.
The lady to the right of her is Gertie Byers Burch, and beside her is her husband Charlie.
I believe all the rest of the kids in the photo are Gertie and Charlie Burch's children. (That's what is wrote on the picture.)