For those of you who read my story on the 180th birthday of Bethel Baptist church you learned of Rev. Green Berry Waldrop ( 1794-1854). You would have read that he was the great-great grand father of Sandra Doolittle of Columbus, He lived in the Harris County area 1827 till 1840 and constituted Baptist Churches into the Columbus Baptist Association. At the end of 1840 he packed his family and they left Georgia to go west to the newly seceded lands of the Indians in Pontotoc and later Desoto County, Mississippi.
Mrs. Doolittle has spent over 10 years doing the genealogy on G.B.Waldrop but has not gone to Mississippi to finish her research there. I ask why not, she replied to far for her to drive! In the normal Ron fashion I said "Lets Go". So September 1, 2005 , we also are Westward bound on the heals of hurricane Katrina.
September 2,2005-- We are in the city of Pontotoc, Pontotoc County, Mississippi. We go to the library to look in the genealogy section for anything on G.B.Waldrop. Pay dirt! It list his name in reference with the male academy and the First Baptist Church. The hunt ia on! We move to the church first and talk to the head of the history department of the church. She refereed us to Mrs. Cal lie Young , she wrote a book on the Pontotoc First Baptist Church in 1996. When we talked to her and ask about Green Berry Waldrop ; She said read the book and handed Sandra a copy of the book to keep free of charge. As Sandra scanned trough the book she discovers Her great-great- grand father had been on the presbyter with two others to constitute the church in the beginning in 1846. also he taught at the male institute 1841 -1846 in Pontotoc all done from the meeting house on Brooks Street.( Pictures included)
What a wonderful day for chasing the Preacher man!
September 3, 2005-- A full tank of gas (hard to find) and off we go 168mile round trip to Tate County, Cold Water area to Green Berry's next stop in his quest in spreading God's Word. We arrive around noon ask directions to an unknown cemetery in an area known only as Evenson over100 years ago and not on the maps! The nice lady looks us in the eye and says" Sure you are not far away from it now. Go to the first road to the right and follow it to Peyton road then go 2 miles and turn left; It will be in a cow pasture. Talk to the man at the house." Off we blindly go! To our amazement the directions were perfect; the cemetery was there! The old man was friendly. We go the the grave yard and walk in. as we walk trough Sandra cry's out There He Is!! After all the years of chasing the Preacher on his walk through life Sandra now looks down on his and his wife's graves, Her search is now over, but trough her search she has become closer to him than she probably would have if he was alive. Here lies the Preacher Man. |
