Blair Family Records

Here are a few Blair family photos and other records that may be of interest.

My maternal grandfather Henry Lee Blair as a young man

Photo probably taken around 1915-1920

Rubye Lois Bailey Blair at Young Harris College about 1920

My grandmother had a 2 year college degree from Young Harris - almost unheard of at the time for a young woman living on a farm in rural NE Georgia.

1924

To my knowledge, they never lived in Atlanta

Martha Blair leaning on rocking chair; Gerald Bailey Blair is the infant in chair; Sarah Elizabeth Verner Blair is standing on the right. Circa 1927.

Henry Lee Blair, circa 1964

Henry Lee Blair in the fall of 1967 - 1 year before he died.

His cousin, Margaret Budd Stephenson is to his left. He and Margaret used to go "graving" together. The back of this photo states that it was taken at the home of John Verner (likely a Verner cousin) or possibly at a "found" gravesite of another Verner.

Rubye Bailey Blair and her son Gerald Bailey Blair

circa mid 1940s

Henry Lee Blair, circa 1950s

This was the last home that he and my grandmother lived in - it was located on Highway 320. It burned down in the 1990s. There is a Korean Church located on the property now.

Henry Lee Blair and Rubye Bailey Blair circa 1950s

Henry Lee Blair was elected Coroner for Franklin County. These documents are examples of what a coroner did back during the Great Depression. There were no forensics - it was mostly interrogatories. I believe he served from 1929-1932.

The following newspaper articles relate to Sarah Elizabeth Verner Blair, the mother of Henry Lee Blair. She is the author's great grandmother. She was 12 days shy of her 102nd birthday when she died in 1962. She was a small child during the Civil War and she remembered her father (Confederate soldier George Edwin Verner) returning home at the end of that war.

My great grandmother's 100th birthday party 1960. L-R: Bill Hollis, Sarah Blair, Gerald Blair, Martha Blair Hollis and Mary Blair (with back's turned), Morris Blair, Granny Blair (Sarah Elizabeth Verner Blair, and Rubye Bailey Blair. Granny Blair lived with my grandparents the last few years of her life. This was common since there were few, if any, nursing homes in the area and most were not within the financial means of my ancestors. I think the woman in the middle (facing left) is either Vivian or Reba Blair.

Circa 1947

Back L-R: Henry Lee Blair, Rubye Bailey Blair, Martha Blair Hollis, William J. Hollis

Front L-R: Mary Blair & Sarah Blair

Back of the home owned by Morris Blair. At this time, this is the only photo that I have of this house. This photo was likely taken around 1960 and the boy is probably the grandson of Morris' brother Lee. This home may also have been owned or rented by Harrison Franklin Blair or Henry Lee Blair at some point. Both my mother and her cousin Jimmie Ruth told me they had family memories of this house. As of today, this house is still standing and occupied.

Henry Lee Blair death notice

Rubye Lois Bailey Blair death notice

All of these newspaper clippings and photographs are from Rubye Bailey Blair's files. They were scanned into digital format by the author.

Map above shows locations of some historical Blair/Guest/Verner sites.

Key to map locations:

Sunshine Methodist Church and cemetery where many of my Blair and Verner ancestors are buried.
Homesite and cemetery of Captain Moses Guest on Leatherwood Creek. It is highly likely that Mary Blair and Sanford Guest and several other Guest family members are buried here. There is a Revolutionary War marker for Moses' grave.
Last homesite of Henry Lee Blair. The house burned down in the 1990s. Only the barn remains.
Prospect Methodist Church and cemetery where many Verners and other cousins are buried.
Last homesite of Morris Blair. The house is still standing and occupied. This house likely dates to the late 1800s. I believe that my grandfather lived in this house for some period of time. This is where Morris farmed cotton.
The original location of the 1700s era log house on Middle Fork of the Broad River - the house where my mother and her siblings were born. This log house is now located in downtown Carnesville on property owned by the Franklin County Historical Society.
Grave location of Robert Verner and Susan Moss - the parents of George Edwin Verner who married Annie Guest. Robert Verner was the son of the Revolutionary War soldier George Verner and Mary Dobson and the grandson of John Verner and Mary Pettigrew. George (Sr.) and his father (John) served in the Revolutionary War (as did most of John's other sons).

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The photos below are mostly unidentified or I am uncertain about the persons photographed. These were all in my great grandmother's possession (Sarah Elizabeth Verner Blair). These are likely a mix of her Verner kin and friends and also possibly some that were in the possession of her son Lawrence Blair who died before her in 1947. Lawrence's possessions were likely held by her or my grandfather. If I have not made a note beneath the photo, none of the individuals are identified. Perhaps someone will see these and let me know if they can help to identify them.

I would like to prove the identification of these individuals but I cannot: I suspect this is a "3 generation" photo of my great grandmother (Sarah Elizabeth Verner), her mother (Elizabeth Annie Guest) and her grandfather (Sanford Guest). If I am correct, it would have been taken about 1862-1863 when Sarah was a baby, Annie was early 30s and Sandford was in his early 60s. These 2 individuals all appear to fit those ages. Annie's husband (George Verner) was likely away fighting for the Confederacy. Also, if I am correct, this photo of Sandford Guest would be the only photo in existence of someone in my family born before 1800 (Sandford was born 1799). Sandford was the son of Captain Moses Guest, the Revolutionary War soldier that fought at Kings Mountain (among other battles).

Note also the obvious poverty-like conditions of the home and yard. This home would likely have been located within a mile or two of Sunshine Church and Prospect Church in the Mize community - these 2 churches have cemeteries where many of the Blairs, Guests, Keslers and Verners are buried.

This appears to be my great grandmother (Sarah Elizabeth Verner Blair) on the right. She appears to be about 60-70 so the photo would have been taken around 1920-1930. I do not know who the man or the boy are - I suspect the buried person was the wife and mother of the man and boy. It is likely they are all related.