A History of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

Botsford, Sumter County, GA

The First Families Project

Sumter County, Georgia

http://www.researchonline.net/first/ga/sumter/index.htm

Botsford is a no longer in existence. It was a village 5 miles west of Plains. Its successor is St. Andrew's in Plains. Botsford was a half mile from the Sumter/Webster County line. Terrell County was nearby. Charter members were from all three counties. Over 90% of charter members were from the Dutchforks area of South Carolina (Newberry and Lexington Counties).

Excerpt from the publication,

"REMEMBERENCES of St. Mark Lutheran Church." St Mark Lutheran Church, Saluda County, SC

1827-2002 History of

St. Mark Lutheran Church In Its Early Days

"There are three churches which have been built up by members of this church and have been given the name of St. Mark. The first was in Georgia, near or at what is now called Plains, Georgia. The most of the members that organized this church were children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of John Wise and all were members of St. Mark Church. All of this was arranged around their camp fires, that is, the building of the church, and the name it should have, while they were trailing on in their covered wagons to their new home in Georgia. The Rev. Margart, their first pastor, in writing about the first years of this church, which he did very often to the Lutheran paper, always referred to it as 'the little church around the corner of Georgia'."

Compiled by Rubye E. Riser

from the memory and actual experience of her father, J. Elbert Riser.

The members of St. Mark's in SC transferred their letters of membership to the new church in Georgia, when it was built in 1870. The following members were listed as being members of the SC church before 1870 but have transferred written next to their names. Many of these people are buried in the St. Mark Cemetery, located 4 miles south of Plains, Sumter County, GA on Hwy 45.

There are two other related church histories which are related. Macon County: St. John's is the oldest, next is Mt. Zion. Their successor is Mt. Zion - St. Luke's in the town of Oglethorpe.

Information is taken from a 1933 talk by Mrs. Mary Bell Elmore Powers. She was the daughter of Pastor Elmore who was an early Pastor for the two Lutheran churches in Sumter and Macon counties. She writes about Pastor Jacob Kleckley, the first pastor. A third document includes notes from the research of Pastor

Lloyd Seiler who was Pastor of these churches for about 20 years in the first half of the 20th century. Pastor Seiler was attempting to establish that 1838 was the date the Lutheran Church was established in this area. In his research are notes from the Lutheran synod of Georgia. You will note there are other early Lutheran churches in Georgia. I suspect, but have never know, that some of the other early Lutheran Churches are immigrants from the Dutchforks.

For Macon County Mrs. Powers gave a list of immigrant families. For Sumter there is a 1870 document signed by 80 members age 6 to 68. Let me explain the 1870 document. It was likely typed from three original sources. One, a portion of February 1870 document found in Pastor Margot's diary. Second is a June 26, 1870 charter signed by 39 women and 41 men. Third is a list of church pastors in the 1930s. Thus I surmise this is a history typed from original documents, now lost. Last is my list identifying St Mark's charter members grouped into families. I used personal knowledge, cemetery tombstones, and family genealogies from the web to identify over 70 of the signers. The Sumter census was lost. That census asks for the state of birth. Many people say South Carolina.

Pastor John Margot was the first pastor for St. Marks. He moved to Eufaula Alabama during the war where his wife had inherited a farm. He took the train, riding free as was the custom of the time. There were other preaching points and societies in these counties. Pastor Margot kept a diary all his life from his youth. It is now in the Lutheran archives in Columbia at LTSS Seminary library, 4201 N Main St. Columbia.

The following transcription of the names was submitted by Belva Gurr, gr'gr'granddaughter of Lott & Mary Matthews Dozier Jennings Members who transferred their membership to St. Mark Lutheran In Georgia John McNeiry Joel Wise David Wise Lott Jennings Samuel B. Holly D.P. Holly Pertiller Dozier, step-son to Lott Jennings George H. Wise

Anderson Derrick G.C. Wise Joseph P. Wise Samuel P. Wise Philip Jennings J.B. Fellers L.C. McNeiry George W. Jennings William Jennings George W. McNeiry George Addy Levi Addy J.C. Kinard William Kinard A.M. Wise M.P. Black W.M. Wise Bud C. Etheredge Lourah J. Wise Mary B.U. Wise Martha A. Wise Mary P. Wise Mary M. Jennings, w/o Lott Jennings, m/o P. Dozier Rosa Wise Francis S. M. Wise Caroline D. Holly Christina L. Wise Nancy McNeiry Martha M. Wise Jincy Wise Mary Jane Bedenbaugh Elizabeth McNeiry Mary Jennings M. Elizabeth Wise Fannie Addy sis/o Lott Jennings Elizabeth Addy A**lla Etheredge

Sources:

Documents and history provided by Roy Wise <roytwise@comcast.net>

http://www.sumtercountyhistory.com/church/StMarksLutheran.htm

1870 Charter of St. Mark’s Botsford

Name on Charter Name and age Notes M19-Geo Addy * George Addy (56)

First wife: Jemima Wise Sister to David and Joel Wise: buried in SC.

Second wife: F21-Frances Addy * Frances Jennings Addy (36) Sister to Phillip, William, and Lott Jennings

Children by George and Jemima Addy:

M21-Levi W Addy Levi Wilson Addy (33) Husband of Elizabeth Addy F23

F23-Elizabeth Addy Julie Elizabeth Wise Addy (28) Daughter of David and Rosa Wise, Levi and

Elizabeth were first cousins. Later they

joined her brother Jeremiah Pickens Wise

(M18) in Haleyville, Ala

Children by George and Frances Addy:

F22-Mary R Addy Mary Rosannah Addy (11) Married Josie L Wells

M22-Wm Phillip Addy * William Phillip Addy (8) Married a) Josie Stephens

b) Rosa Lulu

F20-LCC Addy * Ellen Catherine Camilla Addy (13) In 1877 married Sam Wise M3

F24-Laura Rachel Addy Laura Rachel Addy (6) In 1881 married Burr T Wise M20

M38-J G Chapman John George Chapman (39) On web says he was charter member of

Bronwood Lutheran Church, Migrated to

Georgia on 11.25.1866. His mother was

Mary Margaret Addy. Related to both

Derricks and Wises.

Wife:

F35-Frances Chapman Elizabeth Frances Summers Chapman (39)

Children:

F38-G E Chapman Ellen Chapman (19)

F37-G F Chapman Georgia A Chapman (17)

M26-W W Chapman William Carlos Chapman (14)

M39-A P Chapman Adam P Chapman (10)

M40-J W Chapman James Walter Chapman (9)

Charles P Chapman (13) Not on list

M8-David S. Derrick * David Samuel Derrick (29) Brother to John Derrick M32

Wife: F11- P. M. Derrick * Martha Pauline Wise Derrick (24) Daughter of Joel Wise and Melissa Schumpert

M32-John L. Derrick John Thomas Derrick (43) Brother to David Derrick M8

F32-Mary E Derrick Likely wife of John L Derrick M32

Hiller M7-Geo E. Hiller * George E. Hiller (31) Son-in-law of Jensie Wise F10

F9-Hattie A Hiller * Harriett (Hattie) Wise Hiller (24) First wife of George Hiller M7

Daughter of Jensie Wise F10

F34-Sallie R Hiller Sarah Rebecca Hiller (21) Wife of Samuel Hiller M34?

M34-Sam'l J Hiller Samuel J Hiller (28) Husband of Sarah Rebecca Hiller F34?

Moved to Alabama

M9-J I Hiller Joseph S. Hiller (27) Husband of Cattie Hiller F12

Brother of George Hiller M7

F12-C S Hiller Catherine (Cattie or Katie) Hiller (20) Wife of Joe Hiller M9

M17-W W Hi1ler William Wallace Hiller (20) Brother of George Hiller M7 F27-Anna Hiller Anna Georona (Angerona) Parker Hiller (23) Wife of WW Hiller M17

Daughter of WJ Parker M41

Child buried at Botsford

F12-C S Hiller unknown

W6-Phillip Jennings * Phillip Jennings (30) Brother of Billy & Lott Jennings

Wife: F8-M M Jennings Mary Melissa Wise Jennings (27) Daughter of Joel Wise M3 and Melissa Schumpert

M5-Wm. Jennings* William (Billy) BC Jennings (33) Brother of Phillip and Lott Jennings (W6)

F7-Mary E Jennings * Mary E Wise Jennings (28) Wife of Billy Jennings M5 and daughter of

Jency Wise F10

M15-Lott Jennings * Lott Jennings (42) Brother of Billy (M27) and Phillip (M6)

Jennings

Wife: F15-Mary Jennings * Mary Mathews Jennings Her first husband was a Dozier.

Child of Mary Jennings and her first husband, Dozier:

M16-Pentiller Dozier Pertilla Dozier (18)

F28-Tempy E Dozier Temperance Dozier (19) Wife of Pertilla Dozier M16

Children of Lott and Mary Jennings:

F18-Carrie Jennings Martha Matilda Caroline (Carrie) Jennings (11) Married JJ Kennedy M28

M27-WBC Jennings William Buchanan Jennings (14)

M23-John T. Jennings John Tillman Jennings (11)

F17-E L Jennings Ellen Frances (Dumpling) Jennings (10) Both Lott and Billy had a daughter Ellen

F33-Ellen Has Jennings Ellen Hasseltine "Hassie" Jennings (8) Married Marcellus Parker, son of WJ

and Alethea Parker M41 F39

M29-Owen Kennedy Owen Kennedy (58) Husband of Rhoda F26

F26-Rhoda Kennedy Rhoda Wall Kennedy (54) Wife of Owen M29

M26-J J Kennedy Jesse Joseph Kennedy (20) Married Carrie Jennings F18

M25-H C Kennedy Henry Clay Kennedy (26) HC married L Kennedy

F29-Carrie E. Margart Caroline Margart Pastor Margart's daughter

M41-Wm. J. Parker William John Parker (58)

Wife:

F39-Allethna Parker Alethea Lawhon Parker (56) Parents of Aleathea Parker Murray

(Grandma Murray)

M1-John McNeary John McNeary (66) Brother–in-law of David M2 and Joel Wise

M3. Assume wife is buried in SC.

M4-L C McNeary Levi C McNeary (43) Son of John McNeary M1

M14-Geo. W McNeary George W McNeary (15) Son of Levi McNeary M4

Grandson of John McNeary M1

F6-Elizabeth McNeary Elizabeth McNeary Wife of Levi McNeary M4

Individuals M30-Joseph Ranal Joseph Rauch

M24-J T Ravin unknown

M31-Edwin Culpepper unknown unknown There is an infant Millie Culpepper (1892) in

cemetery

M33-Geo. Dickenee unknown

F25-Ella G Harges unknown

F30-Frances Minick unknown

F31-Annabel Adams unknown

M35-Sam'l E Market Samuel E. Market (21) In 1875 married Louise Wise F5. I think he

was born in Georgia. Not sure his

connection to others in the church

M3-Joel Wise * Joel Wise (age 50)

Wife: Melissa Schumpert Joel’s first wife is buried in SC

Mary Jane Moore Wise (41) Second Wife of Joel Wise

I think she died in 1870 and is not buried at

Bottsford because church was built in 1872.

Children of Joel and Mary Jane Moore Wise:

M12-Sam'l P Wise * Samuel Pickens Wise (19) In 1877 married ECC Addy F20

F36-Fannie Wise Frances L Wise (15) Died young (not on 1860 census)

F5-Lula J Wise Louise (Louisa) J Wise (14) In 1875 married Sam Market M35

F3 Mary E Wise Emma Wise (17) Married J F Stapleton.

F4-Laura J Wise Laura J Wise (14) Married Wesley McGill

M20-Bunn W Wise Burr Thomas Wise (12) In 1881 married Laura Addy F24

Parents of the three Wise doctors

F10-Jency Wise * Jane (Jency) Etheridege Wise (49) Widow of Joel and David’s brother Jesse

Wise who died in 1868 in SC

Children:

M10-Samuel N Rauch Samuel N Rauch (31) Son-in-law of Jency Wise F10

F13-M M Rauch Martha Matilda Wise Rauch (30) Wife of Samuel Rauch M10

(F3-Mary E Jennings Mary E Wise Jennings (28) Married Billy Jennings M27)

(F9-Hattie A Hiller Harriett (Hattie) Wise Hiller (24) First wife of George Hiller)

M2-David Wise David Wise (61)

Wife: F1-Rosa Wise Rosannah Elizabeth Etheridge Wise (49)

Children:

M11-G C Wise * George Calhoun Wise (26)

F16-Rhodella Wise * Rosa Della Etheridge (17) G C went back to Edgefield, SC in 1870

to marry her, his first wife.

(Not on charter list) Frances (Fannie) Coogle * G C met Fannie, second wife, at a Lutheran

Synod held in Oglethorpe, Ga. Her family

moved from the Dutchforks in the 1830's

M13-J P Wise Joseph Patrick Wise (23) Husband of Anna Josephine Derrick F14

F14-A J Wise Anna Josephine Derrick Wise (18) Wife of Joseph Patrick Wise m 13

Sister of Dave Derrick M8

M18-J P Wise Jeremiah Pickens Wise (20) Married Annie Whitehead and moved to

Halleyville, Alabama

F2 Fannie G Wise Francis Susanna Wise (17) Second wife of George Hiller M7

Hattie & Fannie were first cousins

F19-C C Wise Clara Camilla Wise (12) Married a Mr. Christie

M28-P J Wise Phillip Johnson Wise (9) Louise (Etta) Chappell

M37-David Luther Wise David Luther Wise (7) Married a) Lilla Dean

b) Addie Lunsford

* Buried at Botsford Cemetery

Lott, musician, Reg 14, SC

Phillip, musician, 7 Infantry Reg, SC