Photos by Eileen Babb McAdams

Photos by Eileen Babb McAdams (pink chalk was already on grave when photo taken)
Left: Grave of George Thomas Chambers, Mt. Nebo Cemetery, Wilkinson Co.
Right: Grave of Sarah Margaret Shephard Chambers, Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville

George Thomas Chambers Family
Baldwin County, Georgia

     George Thomas Chambers was born March 23, 1840 in Jones County Georgia, son of John E. and Eliza Martin Chambers. The Chambers family, along with the Martins, lived in the western section of the Scottsboro district of Baldwin County in the Hopewell community.
     At the age of 19 he enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was a member of Co. H., Ga 57th, who fought in Vicksburg. One of the POW's at Vicksburg, he was captured on July 4, 1863, paroled July 7, 1863 and finally exchanged 2 months later September 9, 1863. Due to the diminished number of troops in the 57th infantry, he transferred into "D" Co. GA 1st Cons Infantry on 4/9/1865 and surrendered on 4/26/1865 at Greensboro, NC.2
     George married Sarah Margaret Shepherd, Nov. 28, 1867 in Wilkinson County, Ga.. She was the daughter of Mahaney Hatcher and Rev. Berry Bateman Shepherd of Wilkinson County, Georgia. Sarah Margaret was born June 24, 1847 in Wilkinson County, Ga and died August 11, 1891 of consumption in Baldwin County, Georgia, and is buried Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville, Ga.

Children of George and Margaret Shepherd Chambers:
1. John Bateman Chambers, Sr. was born April 1869 in Baldwin County, Ga. (1870 census, 1880 census Baldwin County), 1st wife Jennie C. Farrell, married in Baldwin County, Oct. 8, 1889. She died between 1893 and 1899.
John and Jennie Chambers' children were Frank Chambers, born Dec. 28, 1891 (printer for Valdosta Times newspaper in Valdosta 1917 per WWI draft records) and George Otis Chambers, born August 18, 1893 (printer for Valdosta Times newspaper in Valdosta 1917 per WWI draft records).
John Bateman Chambers, Sr. second marriage was to Maggie Bell Bennett March 26, 1899 in Clinch County. He had settled in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Ga. by 1900. John and Maggie B. Chambers' children were John Bateman Chambers, Jr, (1903-1985) and Elton Eugene Chambers (1908 - 1985). John Bateman, Sr. Died in 1949 in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Ga.

2. Lillie M. Chambers born June 16, 1873, married William Wayne Bentley in 1891 In Wilkinson County, Ga.. She died March 6, 1952, Baldwin County Ga, resident of Wilkinson County, Georgia. Their children- William Columbus Bentley 1893-1998, Sallie Bentley Chambers, 1895-1916, George Respess Wayne Bentley 1898-1995, Nancie Bentley Babb 1900-1971, Ella Bentley Gustafson 1902-1998, Della Bentley Little 1902-1985, Carl Lee Bentley 1905-1985, John Amos Bentley 1907-1978, Emills Lugand Bentley 1910-1990, Joel Grady Bentley 1912-1965, and Robert Nicholas Bentley, 1914-1994.

3. Mattie Chambers born abt 1875, 1880 census

4. Mollie Chambers, born in March 1878, 1880 census, married John G. Collins (born Feb. 1875) , in Emanuel County, 1894, John and Mollie, were living in Emanuel County and farming when there son Mitchell was born in May 1899. They had moved to in Bulloch County by 1910 and John died there in 1926. Mollie and 2 of her daughters, Maude and Mary moved to Savannah before 1930 and in 1935 she was still living there.. The Children of John G. Collins and Mollie Chambers Collins are Mitchell Collins, Lillie Collins, Mattie Collins, Maude Collins, Maggie Collins and Mary Mirtis Collins. Mollie Chambers Collins died in Savannah after 1935.

5. George Hansel Chambers, born April 23,1883 in Baldwin County Ga. Living next door to father and stepmother in Jones County, Ga in 1900 census. Living in Portal, Candler County, Ga. with sister Mollie Collins in 1918. Hansel was living in Metter, Candler County in 1920 living with David Fordham family as a farm hand. He was in Statesboro in 1930 with wife Rosa and daughters Mamie and Selma and there in 1935 per sister Annie Laurie's marriage announcement, Augusta Chronicle Nov 24, Dec 1, 1935. George H. Chambers died in Statesboro Nov. 22, 1963. Rosa White Chambers died in 1997.

2nd family
Children of George and Matha Beckworth Chambers

George married Martha Beckworth in 1899 according to the 1900 census. She was the daughter of Amanda and Simon (Tom? ) Beckworth of Gibson, Glascock, County, Ga. She and George lived in Jones County, Ga in 1900. He died in 1910 and Martha and the children moved to Riddleville, Washington County, Ga . Martha Beckworth Chambers married William B. Carter Nov 2, 1913 in Washington County By 1935 they had moved to Whitesville N.C. 1935 where Annie Laurie Chambers was teaching.

Children:
    1. Clarence Chambers, born about 1902 in Jones County, Georgia . In 1935 he was living in Harrison, Washington County, Ga (Sister's marriage Announcement, Augusta Chronicle Nov 24, Dec 1, 1935)
    2. Henry Chambers, born about 1903 in Wilkinson County, Georgia; died of tyhoid fever July 6, 1924 in Riddleville, Washington County, Georgia.
    3. Richard L. Chambers, born about 1905 in Wilkinson County, Georgia; died of typhoid fever Aug. 2, 1924 in Riddleville Washington County, Georgia
    4. Annie Laurie Chambers, born September 18, 1910. She lived in Washington County and went to school at the 10th District A & M school near Sparta. Laurie was extremely smart and made 100 in all her subjects for the four years she attended the high school. She graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville and was a Home Economics Teacher in Whitesville High School in Whitesville, N.C. at the time of her marriage to Charles Brand Parker, Sr (1910-1978) of Watkinsville/Athens,Ga /Washington DC. in 1935. Charles B Parker worked for the justice department in Washington D.C.
       Children of George B. Parker and Annie Laurie Chambers Parker are Charles Brand Parker, Jr.; George A, James C Parker; Stephen T Parker; Laurie P. Parker Williams; Patricia Parker Miller Reber and Velma LeClare Parker Trimmer. All of the children are still living except Laurie Parker Williams who died in 2004.
      Annie Laurie Chambers Parker died in December 1993 at the home of her son Charles B. Parker, Jr in Raleigh N.C.

George Thomas Chambers died February 28, 1910 and is buried in Mt Nebo Cemetery in Wilkinson County Ga. time.
Martha Beckworth Chambers married William B. Carter Nov 2, 1913 in Washington County By 1935 they had moved to Whitesville N.C. 1935 where Annie Laurie Chambers was teaching.

1. Andrew Carter born abt 1915 in Washington County, Georgia. 1920 Census Washington County, GA; 1935 in Savannah Augusta Chronicle Nov 24, Dec 1, 1935 )

Sources:

.1850 U.S. Federal Census - 1930 U.S. Federal Census ; Will of Eliza Chambers, Baldwin County Ga ; 2. Civil War Service Records; 3. Shepherd Family Bible; Augusta Chronicle online archives ;Washington Post online archives ; Baldwin County Ga marriage database at familysearch.org; Washington County marriages online data at Georgia Archives, World War Draft Records at ancestry.com, death certificates