William Alfred Cleland (Sr) was the son of John Cleland and Elender (Ellie) Smith. Born in Pierce County on February 28, 1873. On October 13, 1897, Alfred married Mina Ellen Hogarth, the daughter of James W. Hogarth and Amanda M. Peacock; granddaughter of Isham S. Peacock (Vol VI) and Littleberry Walker Jr (Vol V) Mina was born on March 11, 1881.They had 10 children, two girls and eight boys:
1.James Clinton, B. 08/04/1898M. Lillian Proctor, dau. of Lemuel A. Proctor on 05/30/1920.. D. 03/03/1940. Both are buried at St Johns United Methodist, Pierce Co.
2. Amanda Ellen B. 03/07/1901 M. John Audy Dixon, son of James (Jim) Allen on 10/04/1923. D. 05/03/1982 Dixon. Both are buried at St Johns United Methodist, Pierce County.
3. Charles Ernest B. 11/19/1903 Never Married. D. 06/11/1927, buried at Ben James Baptist Cem., Pierce Co.
4. Vera Lee B. 09/04/1906 M. Ray DePratter, son of Brantley County Judge Robert Pleasant. DePratter on 10/16/1926. . D. 05/14/1990,both are buried at New Hope Baptist Cemetery, Brantley County.
5. William Alfred Jr. B. 08/04/1909 M. Maude Alma Harris, dau. of Noah Thomas Harris of Brantley county on 4/27/1927. Died 08/27/1959 and is buried at Symrna Primitive Baptist Cem., Brantley County.
6. Johnnie, B. 04/25/1912; . D. 7/10/1924 (Appendicitis) at the King's Daughter Hospital in Waycross while the family lived at Nahunta; buried at Ben James Baptist Cem., Pierce Co.
7. Lester Leon B. 12/25/1914 M. Alene Hickox, dau. of Walter C. Hickox. D. 02/17/1962. Buried at Boyington Beach Cemetery, Boyington Beach, Fla.
8. Farris Amby B. 08/12/1917 Buried at Ben James Baptist Cem., Pierce Co. D. 09/08/1918
9.George Washington B. 08/13/1919 M. Stella (Pittman) Herrin, dau. of Ellie Pittman on 11/12/1953. Died 02/24/1973 Buried at New Hope Baptist Cem., Brantley Co.
10. Wilton Hargraves B. 05/13/1922 Buried at Ben James Baptist Cemetery,Pierce Co. D. 08/07/1923.
After their marriage, Alfred and Mina lived on a farm near the St Johns United Methodist Church. Later this farm was identified as the Artis Powers place (now demolished). Alfred was a carpenter in his earlier work years. Later he became a construction contractor and was instrumental in building many public and private structures in southeast Georgia; Pierce, Brantley, Ware, Chatham and Glynn Counties.
Alfred died on August 11, 1945 (6 P. M), at the age of 72 in Waycross, Georgia. After returning home from a days work, he was relaxing in a favorite rocking chair on the front porch of his home at 1121 Church Street (now demolished). The evening edition of the Waycross Journal Herald and his old Primitive Baptist Hymnal lay in his lap. Alfred was buried at Ben James Cemetery. Mina was destined to join him there 14 years later on 09/04/1959. Alfred's death occurred just two days after the United States had dropped the second Atomic Bomb on Japan; a day when Congress was evaluating Japan's proposal for surrender. No doubt, Alfred was rejoicing in the safe return of his two sons (Leon and George) and one Grandson (James Clyde Cleland, the son of James Clinton) from World War II military service. William Alfred Jr. had served in the Army for approximately one year during WWII, but had been discharged because of bronchial health conditions.
The tragedy of World War II for the Cleland family was the death of Louis E. Proctor, who had been accepted into the Cleland family as a grandson. Louis, was the younger brother of Lillian Proctor, the wife of James Clinton Cleland. After the death of Lemuel A. Proctor, the father of Louis and Lillian, Lillian, an older sister, and James Clinton raised Louis as a son into adulthood. Louis died on February 13, 1945 of wounds received on a battle field in Germany just three months before V. E. day (May 8, 1945).