Husband Gordon Lafayette Coppage
Born: 27 May 1933 - Hahira, Lowndes County, Georgia, USA 115
Christened:
Died: 30 Oct 1999 - Hillsborough County, Florida, USA
Buried: - Oak Hill Cemetery, Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, USA
Father: John Bryant Coppage
Mother: Maggie Sellers
Marriage: 27 Sep 1956 - Lanier County, GA 115
Wife Willie Mae Chandler
Born: 22 Jan 1935 - Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, USA
Christened:
Died: 22 Aug 2022 - Hialeah, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA
Buried: - Oak Hill Cemetery, Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, USA
Children
General Notes: Husband - Gordon Lafayette Coppage
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139719993/gordon_lafayette-coppage: accessed November 24, 2025), memorial page for Gordon Lafayette Coppage (27 May 1933\endash 30 Oct 1999), Find a Grave Memorial ID 139719993, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Cat (contributor 47559732).
General Notes: Wife - Willie Mae Chandler
Willie Coppage
January 22, 1935 ~ August 22, 2022
87 Years Old
Willie Mae Chandler Coppage, 87 passed away Monday, August 22, 2022 at her residence. She was born in Quitman, Georgia, January 22, 1935, and soon moved to Hialeah, FL as a young child. She loved history and art. She painted and drew, and was also an avid photographer. She graduated from Miami Technical High School in 1954. She married Gordon Lafayette Coppage on September 27th, 1956; had their first child, Michael, in 1958, followed by Deborah Lynne (1959) and Gary Russel (1962). She was a homemaker for most of her life. Gordon (who was lead mechanic for Delta Airlines in Tampa) passed away in 1999, leaving her a widow. However, she remained active with the Delta Pioneers club until the past few years.
May her memory be a blessing.
Services will be held Monday, August 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Maxwell - Purvis Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery. Surviving as pallbearers are Jeff Pittard, Dale Haller, Gordon Coppage, Jacob Coppage, Lindsey Pittard, and Billy DeGuzman.
Source~Maxwell Purvis Funeral Home
Quitman Ga
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243031992/willie_mae-coppage: accessed November 24, 2025), memorial page for Willie Mae Chandler Coppage (22 Jan 1935\endash 22 Aug 2022), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243031992, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by SJ family (contributor 47533949).
Husband Reuben Henry Charles
Born: 1833
Christened:
Died: 11 Apr 1878 - Lake City (Columbia Co) FL
Buried: - Oaklawn Cemetery, Lake City, Columbia County, Florida
Marriage:
Wife Mary Crews
Born: 1837 - Camden Co., GA
Christened:
Died: 24 Aug 1900 - Lake City (Columbia Co) FL
Buried:
Father: Joseph Crews 148
Mother: Catherine Ann Turner
Children
General Notes: Husband - Reuben Henry Charles
Son of Rueben Charles b. 1785, Berks Co Pennsylvania and d. Columbia County, Florida and Rebecca Charles b 1800. Name Her 1st husband was Russell Ramsey Raneau. He enlisted in Company E, 50th Infantry Regiment, CSA on 22 March 1862 and was promoted to full 2nd Sergeant on 1 June 1862. He was killed on 14 Sep 1862 at Crampton's Gap, MD. Sophronia was widowed with two daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Sophronia Lucy Raneau. Name: Russell R. Reneau Private Benjamin Franklin Fudge Her 1st husband was Russell Ramsey Raneau. He enlisted in Company E, 50th Infantry Regiment, CSA on 22 March 1862 and was promoted to full 2nd Sergeant on 1 June 1862. He was killed on 14 Sep 1862 at Crampton's Gap, MD. Sophronia was widowed with two daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Sophronia Lucy Raneau. Name: Russell R. Reneau Page 120--BALL, ISAAC and wife Jane to Littleberry Crews, 400 acres adj. McCullar's land on the N. E., other sides vacant, orig. grant 1788 to said Ball. Sept. 20, 1788. Robt. Ashtry, John Torrence, J. P., Test. http://giddeon.com/wilkes/books/early-records-of-ga-vol1/267-282.shtml Name: Littleberry Crews Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243296120/esther_d-chesser: accessed May 3, 2025), memorial page for Esther D. Crews Chesser (Dec 1861\endash 2 Nov 1952), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243296120; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by: Find a Grave.
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS, Thursday, February 12, 1981 Page Two Events
• Residence: New Jersey.
• Residence: New York.
Events
• Baptism: 6 Feb 1698, New York.
• Residence: 1718, Tappan NY/NJ.
• Residence: Between 1724 and 1748, Ramapo Valley, NY.
Events
• Baptism: 21 Jan 1700, New York.
Events
• Residence: Hackensack, NJ.
Name
Military Beginning Rank
Military Final Rank
Military Side
Military Unit
Military Company
Event Type
Event Date
Event Place
Event Place (Original)
Affiliate Publication Number
Affiliate Publication Title
"United States, Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FS7V-YQQ : Thu Feb 13 02:17:06 UTC 2025), Entry for Reuben H. Charles, from 1861 to 1865.
Husband Charles Samuel Crews 29
AKA: Sammy
Born: 18 Mar 1960 - Lake City, Columbia Co., Florida, USA 324
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Charles Alvin Crews 325
Mother: Gloria Ramona Smithy 325
Marriage:
Wife Meg Chase
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
1 M Chris Crews
Born: 23 Feb 1979
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Heather
2 M Maxwell Crews
Born: 19 Oct 1988
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Charles Samuel Crews
Alias
Birth Date
Previous Residence Date
Previous Residence
Previous Residence Postal Code
Second Previous Residence Place
Second Residence Postal Code
Second Residence Date
Third Previous Residence Place
Third Residence Postal Code
Third Residence Date
Event Type
Event Date
Event Place
Event Place (Original)
Household Identifier
"United States, Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KGJ6-N3V : 18 November 2019), Charles Samuel Crews, 2000-2009.
Husband Russell Ramsey Raneau.
Born:
Christened:
Died: 14 Sep 1862 - Crampton's Gap, Maryland
Buried:
Marriage: 1 Jan 1857 - Thomas County, Georgia
Wife Sophronia Edna Chastain 4
Born: 31 Mar 1839 - Thomas County, Georgia
Christened:
Died: 15 Jun 1918 - Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA
Buried: - Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
Other Spouse: James Carroll - 28 May 1865 - Thomasville, Georgia 4
Other Spouse: Benjamin Franklin Fudge - 23 Apr 1874
Children
General Notes: Wife - Sophronia Edna Chastain
contributor Charles E. Carroll
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168363803/safronia_edna-fudge: accessed December 13, 2025), memorial page for Safronia Edna Chastain Fudge (31 Mar 1839\endash 15 Jun 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 168363803, citing Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Robert Strickland (contributor 47110874).
Notes: Marriage (Sophronia Edna Chastain):
Sex: Male
Spouse's Name: Sophronia E. Chastain
Spouse's Sex: Female
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 1 Jan 1857
Event Place: Thomas, Georgia, United States
Household
Russell R. Reneau
Digital Folder Number: 004849051
Microfilm Number: 000164388
Image Number: 200
Indexing Batch: M03498-2
Citing this Record
"Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXJD-HD4 : Mon Jan 20 07:54:25 UTC 2025), Entry for Russell R. Reneau and Sophronia E. Chastain, 1 Jan 1857.
Husband Benjamin Franklin Fudge
Born: 22 Jan 1822 - Jasper County, Georgia
Christened:
Died: 27 Jul 1882 - Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA
Buried: - Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
Marriage: 23 Apr 1874
Wife Sophronia Edna Chastain 4
Born: 31 Mar 1839 - Thomas County, Georgia
Christened:
Died: 15 Jun 1918 - Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA
Buried: - Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
Other Spouse: Russell Ramsey Raneau. - 1 Jan 1857 - Thomas County, Georgia
Other Spouse: James Carroll - 28 May 1865 - Thomasville, Georgia 4
Children
General Notes: Husband - Benjamin Franklin Fudge
Husband of:
1st Martha Alderman married 11-21-1851
Children of this marriage:
Benjamin D., Eugene and Catherine Fudge
2nd Elizabeth Norton married 11-15-1868
3rd Sophronie Edna Chastain married 04-23-1874
Son of Benjamin (1785-1870) & Lydia Collins Fudge (1854-1859)
From American Civil War Soldiers:
Name: B Fudge
RESIDENCE: Thomas County, Georgia
Enlistment Date: 14 Sep 1861
Side Served: Confederacy
State Served: Georgia
Service Record:
Enlisted as a Private on 14 September 1861.
Enlisted in Company A, 29th Infantry Regiment Georgia on 14 Sep 1861.
Mustered out on 19 Aug 1862 at Savannah, GA.
Discharged from Company A, 29th Infantry Regiment Georgia on 19 Aug 1862 at Savannah, GA.
Sources:
U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918
1860 Census Thomas Co GA Roll M653_138 pg 25 Image 25
1880 Census Thomas Co., Ga.
Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26625898/benjamin_franklin-fudge: accessed December 13, 2025), memorial page for Benjamin Franklin Fudge (22 Jan 1822-27 Jul 1882), Find a Grave Memorial ID 26625898, citing Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by d powell (contributor 48137798).
General Notes: Wife - Sophronia Edna Chastain
contributor Charles E. Carroll
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168363803/safronia_edna-fudge: accessed December 13, 2025), memorial page for Safronia Edna Chastain Fudge (31 Mar 1839\endash 15 Jun 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 168363803, citing Laurel Hill Cemetery, Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Robert Strickland (contributor 47110874).
Notes: Marriage (Russell Ramsey Raneau.):
Sex: Male
Spouse's Name: Sophronia E. Chastain
Spouse's Sex: Female
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 1 Jan 1857
Event Place: Thomas, Georgia, United States
Household
Russell R. Reneau
Digital Folder Number: 004849051
Microfilm Number: 000164388
Image Number: 200
Indexing Batch: M03498-2
Citing this Record
"Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXJD-HD4 : Mon Jan 20 07:54:25 UTC 2025), Entry for Russell R. Reneau and Sophronia E. Chastain, 1 Jan 1857.
Husband Littleberry Crews
Born: Between 1786 and 1790
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Gideon Crews
Mother: Jemima Wicker
Marriage: 18 Dec 1824 - Granville County, NC
Wife Nancy Cheatham
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
General Notes: Husband - Littleberry Crews
Littlebury Crews
mentioned in the record of Littlebury Crews and Nancy Cheatham
Name
Event Type
Event Date
Event Place
Gender
Spouse's Name
Spouse's Gender
Citing this Record
"North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFS3-4L3 : 22 December 2016), Littlebury Crews and Nancy Cheatham, 18 Dec 1824; citing Granville, North Carolina, United States, p. , Office of Archives and History, Division of Archives and Records. State Archive of North Carolina and various county Register of Deeds; FHL microfilm 1,758,775.
Notes: Marriage (Nancy Cheatham):
Sex: Male
Spouse's Name: Nancy Cheatham
Spouse's Sex: Female
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 18 December 1824 (18 December 1824)
Event Place: Granville, North Carolina, United States
Household
Nancy Cheatham
Digital Folder Number: 004704212_004_M9ZJ-DHW
Microfilm Number: 000306185
Image Number: 238
Citing this Record
"North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 ", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ8B-V7XG : Sat Mar 09 11:43:18 UTC 2024), Entry for Littleberry Crews and Nancy Cheatham, 18 Dec 1824.
Husband John Edward Chesser
Born: Oct 1856 - Charlton County, Georgia, USA
Christened:
Died: 22 Dec 1935 - Miami, Dade County, Florida, USA
Buried: - Woodland Park Cemetery
Marriage: 1878
Wife Esther D. Crews
Born: Dec 1861 - Georgia
Christened:
Died: 2 Nov 1952 - Miami, Dade County, Florida, USA
Buried: - Dade Memorial Cemetery
Father: William Cone Crews
Mother: Rachel Adeline Stokes
Children
General Notes: Wife - Esther D. Crews
Husband John Calvin Crews Sr.
Born: 6 Oct 1880 - Baker County, Florida
Christened:
Died: 29 Mar 1951 - Baker County, Florida
Buried: - Manntown Cemetery, Glan Saint Mary, Baker County, Florida
Father: Burton Calvin Crews
Mother: Georgia Ann Bennett
Marriage:
Wife Mary Ellen Chesser
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
General Notes: Husband - John Calvin Crews Sr.
THE WAY IT WAS-Gene Barber
John and Molly
A Valentine Story
John was born John Calvin Crews. He came into the world, the Georgia Bend to be more exact, in 1880. Molly was Mary Ellen Chesser, born in 1871 in the edge of the Great Okefenokee Swamp. John was big, handsome, and from middle age on possessed of gleaming white hair. Molly was short, lean, big-boned, wrinkled as a prune since thirty, and never had one grey-hair in her 91 years.
When they married, folks all over Baker County, the Bend, and west Nassau wondered, "Why did John Crews want that old ugly woman?"
But they who questioned never understood things like love, patience, devotion, acceptance, and understanding. "John is my man," said Molly, "and keep yore damned hands off'n'Im."
John would sometimes look at his dark little wife who would be making ready for church or trading and comment, "Molly's got that hair screwed up so tight her eyebrows is pulled up to her hairline."
Molly worshipped her John and stated, "My John is purty." John would say, "Molly's got to pull them wrinkles apart 'fore she can powder 'em."
And they would spend hours together on the front porch over the newspaper and books while John taught his Molly how to read. Little by little he guided her through the fundamentals of writing.
All was not always humorous and pleasant. The seemingly mismatched couple had their difficulties, usually over John's drinking and Molly's stubborn streak. John enjoyed his liquor and often pitched a good one in his youth. Molly took to the fields and worked, secure in the knowledge that John would come home. Sometimes Molly would get the mulligrubs and stay on a silence binge for days, but John would go to and from work every day knowing his Molly would have supper waiting for him when he returned. In a few days he would kid her out of her bad mood.
Molly never knew how to cook for less than a log rolling. She experimented making pies out of yellow squash and had parched corn and acorns for coffe substitutes when times were hard. She used hog lard in her cakes and asked her company to "have some more of this ol' bread." She raised Poland-China hogs bigger than herself and could wrestle them to the ground if necessary.
John was an artisan who could fashion anything out of almost nothing. He created keepsake boxes which were beautiful and elegant in their simpilcity and scant touches of decoration. He made fascinating hooks and pegs from satiny finished tree limbs. His eyes were blue and the expression "twinkle in the eyes" had to be inspired by him.
John was reared In Nassau County and near Burton Ford on the Saint Mary's River. He attended Crews School near Bay Branch and received a surprisingly good education for nineteenth century Florida. His letters were painstakingly perfected and his converstions could be most formal.
Molly had spent a total of three hours in the Barber Bay School in 1878 (and that begrudgingly). She might have been persuaded, by her Pa to have remained longer but barefoot and natural Molly refused to wear shoes in class. Her teacher, "Ol' Man Stokes," insisted she be shod while in his school or punished.
"You try it, you ol' son (etc.)," she hollered. When Prfessor Stokes grabbed her arm for her switching, Molly soundly slapped him and ran out the door for home. Molly cleared the walk-plank over the ever-standing pool of water at the front door and when Professor Stokes hit the plank, she flipped him into the mud.
Professor Stokes insisted that Mr. Chesser whip Molly, and Mr. Chesser agreed that her sass and the dunking called for punishment. "But," he advised the teacher, "I can't believe the wearing of shoes has that much to do with how well the head learns. Molly was wrong in what she did to you, and you were wrong in wanting to whip her about not wearing shoes. I figure It's even."
"Pa never made me go to school again, and he let me go to the fields and do the plowing," Molly remembered almost three quarters of a century later. "And I didn't wear shoes again till I wanted to. And when I set my cap fer John Crews, I wanted to."
When John and Molly's first child was born, they were living at Mattox Crossing between Macclenny and Baldwin. It was a violent little community full of rough customers, and few were surprised when one of the Mattox boys shot and killed one of the Barber boys.
Molly, abed convalescing from the birth of her baby, turned her gaze out the window in time to be a witness to the shooting. The Fernandina-held trial necessitated a near sixty mile trip for Molly and her infant in a bed prepared for them by John in a wagon. There were no accommodations aboard the train for a bedridden new mother and infant.
Molly gave her witness in the Nassau County courthouse and returned home. The baby died soon after.
John and Molly laid the child's body to rest in Manntown Cemetery and soon were blessed with Jesse. This new child was the light of their life. One day Jesse was killed, believed to have been murdered and his body tossed onto a railroad to be crushed by a locomotive.
Molly picked up her son's brains and placed them in his lunch pail. She covered them with Jesse's straw work hat, took John's hand, and they went home. Molly and her John were made of sturdy stuff, and they continued...alone together...and in love.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32537228/john_calvin-crews: accessed December 26, 2024), memorial page for John Calvin Crews Sr. (6 Oct 1880\endash 29 Mar 1951), Find a Grave Memorial ID 32537228, citing Manntown Cemetery, Glen Saint Mary, Baker County, Florida, USA; Maintained by Myrtice Crews Lee (contributor 47142007).
Husband James M. Chitty
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Marriage:
Wife
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
1 F Matilda Chitty
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: George W. Carter
Husband Isaac Van Deuser
Born: 1 May 1670 - New Amsterdam
Christened:
Died: After 1727
Buried:
Father: Isaac Abrahamszen Van Deusen
Mother: Jannetje Jans
Marriage:
Wife Metje Christiaens
AKA: Martha
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
1 M Isaac Van Deursen
Born: 6 Feb 1698 - New York
Christened:
Died: 20 Mar 1792 - Cornwall, Orange, New York, USA
Buried:
Spouse: Elizabeth Rosenboom
Spouse: Angeneitje Laroe
Marr: 24 May 1718 - Hackensack, NJ
2 M Christaan Van Deuser
Born: Bef 1700
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Marietje
3 F Catryna Van Deuser
Born: Abt 1702 - Acquackanonck (Now Passaic NJ)
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
4 F Jenneke Van Deuser
Born: Abt 1705 - Tappan, Orange, (Now Rockland) NY
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Jan Lewis
Marr: 20 Jan 1731
5 F Lea Van Deuser
Born: Abt 1716 - Rampooh & 1 In Cloof (Ramapo River Valley, NY)
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Wynnant Van Gelderen
Marr: 12 Dec 1735 - Hackensack, NJ
6 M Shadrack Van Deuser
Born: Abt 1727
Christened:
Died: Sep 1794 - Cornwall, Orange, New York, USA
Buried: