Ancestors and Descendants of
Frank B. Fortson, Sr. and Alice Brock Fortson
Reference: "A Family History, Lt. Thomas Fortson (1742-1824) and Some of His Descendants, Early Settler of Elbert County, Georgia", John Wright Boyd, Tignall, Wilkes County, Georgia, 1973, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 68-26729, printed by Heritage Papers, Danielsville, Georgia 30633. The current publishing company is Boyd Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 367, Milledgeville, Georgia 31059, 478.452.4020, Fax 478.452.6380, http://www.boydpublishing.com/, boydpublishing@alltel.net. The book, reprinted in 1999, is listed as BP-22 in their on-line catalog under "Family Histories". Subsequent updates to this web page were provided by family members, including a significant update compiled by Martha Fortson (Mrs. Frank B, Jr.) that was later updated again by Ann Fortson Fossett.
Last Revised 2014-08-31
Ancestors
Thomas Fortson, Junior, Revolutionary soldier
(5-1-1742 - 2-15-1824), b. Caroline County, Va., youngest son of Thomas Fortson,
Sr., and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth (Winn?) Richards, widow of Ralph Richards
of Caroline County, who died in 1735. Thomas Fortson, Sr. died a month or two
after Thomas, Jr.'s birth. Thomas, Jr. married about 1764 in Caroline Co.,
Va, Rachel Winn (ca 1744-after 1795), daughter of Benjamin Winn (died 1779)
of Caroline Co., and his first wife, a Miss Taverner (Tavenor, Tavner).
Thomas Fortson, Jr. and Rachel moved to Elbert County, Georgia in 1792 to 330
acres on Beaverdam Creek purchased from Thomas Carter (Deed Book A, folio 89,
Elbert Co., Ga.).
Children:
Benjamin Fortson, ca 1765-1823
Elizabeth Fortson, ca 1767-after 1828
William Fortson, 1774-1846
Richard Fortson, 1778-1836
Mildred (Milly) Fortson, 1780-after 1839
Jesse Fortson, 1783-1827
Benjamin Fortson (above) and first wife, Sarah (Sally) Head's
children:
James Fortson, 12-22-1792
John Fortson, 2-10-(12?)-1794
Benjamin Fortson (above) and second wife, Elizabeth Gaines'
children:
Easton Fortson, 6-4-1798 - 7-19-1851
Sarah Fortson, 3-30-1800
Thomas Fortson, 2-12-1802
Maud Fortson, 2-19-1804
Mahala Fortson, 4-4(30)-1806
Rachel W. Fortson, 5-15-1808
Elizabeth A. Fortson, 11-1-1810
Richard F. Fortson, 1-2-1813
Benjamin G. Fortson, 7-6-1815
Amanda N. M. Fortson, 8-19-1817
Easton Fortson (above) b. Elbert County, Ga.; married first in Elbert Co. on 12-16-1819 to Tabitha Haley (1801-1828), daughter of William Haley and his wife Mary Turman. After Tabitha's death, Easton married second 2-10-1831 Susan Ham (11-12-1803 - 8-17-1866) of Elbert Co., sister of Martha Ham, wife of Easton's son Benjamin F. Fortson.
Easton Fortson (above) and Tabitha Haley's children:
Haley Fortson, 5-24-1821
Benjamin F. Fortson, 10-31-1823
Thomas Jefferson Fortson, 10-9-1825
George Green Fortson, 5-9-1828 - 7-5-1912
Easton Fortson (above) and Susan Ham's children:
Elizabeth Ann Fortson, 2-15-1833
John Easton Fortson, 3-17-1835
Stephen Ham Fortson, 10-19-1836
George Green Fortson (above), Confederate soldier in Company C, 7th Georgia Cavalry, b. Elbert Co., Ga., buried Elmhurst Cemetery, Elberton, Ga., married 4-9-1852 Louisa S. Wall, (1-23-1836 - 7-17-1893) daughter of Bud C. Wall and his first wife Martha Nunnelee.
Children:
Wilton G. Fortson, b. 10-3-1853
Martha (Mattie) Wall Fortson, 9-9-1856
Lawrence B. Fortson, 9-12-1858
George Haley Fortson, 10-19-1860 (see Fortson Square in Seattle, Wa., Spanish-American
hero, Captain in the Phillipine Islands, mortally wounded)
Louisa Elizabeth Fortson, 10-14-1863
Annie Laura Fortson, 7-4-1866
Francis
Benjamin Fortson, 5-8-1869 - 12-7-1960, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Sarah Augusta Fortson, 5-13-1872 - 11-7-1962 and twin
Frances Mamie Fortson, 5-13-1872
Minnie Nunnelee
Fortson, 6-19-1875
Francis Benjamin Fortson married 2-5-1894 
Alice
Carrie Brock (2-5-1875 - 2-29-1956) of Hart Co., Ga., buried
at Elmhurst Cemetery, Elberton, Ga.
Descendants
Children:
Carrie Louise Fortson,
2-11-1895 - 8-25-1906, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Francis (Frank)
Benjamin Fortson, Jr., 8-26-1896 - 9-28-1959, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Dewey Lee Fortson,
4-24-1898 - 9-6-1981, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
George Haley Fortson,
1-20-1900 - 5-14-1963
Wilton Clark Fortson, 11-17-1901 - 6-15-1902, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Charles Brock Fortson, 6-30-1903 - 6-24-1913, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
James Lawrence Fortson,
8-29-1905 - 4-2-1963
Alice Carrie Fortson, 3-22-1907 - 6-8-1907, buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Hoke Smith Fortson,
7-10-1908 - 1-29-1990
Homer Brock Fortson,
8-29-1911 - 9-25-1995
Alice Fortson,
11-20-1915 - 9-5-2006
Wilton Green Fortson,
8-2-1917 - 5-29-2004 (in Atlanta), buried Elmhurst Cemetery
Francis Benjamin Fortson, Jr. married
4-16-1944 in Anderson, S.C., 
Martha
Cornelia Holland (1-16-1919 - 12-12-2004), Hartwell, Ga., daughter of William
Erskine Holland (6-8-1882 - 1-17-1958) and his wife Mamie Robertson, (12-28-1892
- 9-9-1968), of Hartwell, where they are buried in Northview Cemetery.
Children:
Francis
(Frank) Benjamin Fortson, III, 3-8-1947, University Hospital, Augusta,
Georgia. Living in Fortsonia, GA in 2004.
Rebecca Ann Fortson,
7-9-1949, living in Fortsonia, GA in 2004.
Frank Fortson married 12-19-1969 in Atlanta, Georgia, 
Marilyn
(Sandy) Kay Wolf, b. 11-22-1947, Lithonia, Georgia, daughter of Louis
Joseph Wolf, b. 2-25-1914 in Missouri and his wife Annie (Anne) Ruth Flanigan,
b. 5-5-1924 near Covington, Georgia, both living in Conyers, Georgia, in
2004.
Child:
Richard Parker Fortson,
3-17-1978, Dekalb General Hospital, Decatur, Georgia. Living in Chattanooga,
TN in 2004.
Ann Fortson married 8-16-1969 
William
Randall Fossett, b. 11-23-1949, son of William Andrew Fossett and 
Kathryn
Faye Yeats.
Children:
Cassandra (Casey) Marie Fossett, 11-10-1970, Georgia Baptist Hospital, Atlanta,
Georgia. Living in Charlotte, NC in 2004.
Cynthia Leigh Fossett, 2-15-1977, Cobb General Hospital, Austell, Georgia.
Living in Atlanta, GA in 2004.
Casey Fossett married 8-18-1997 Jeffrey Thomas Powers.
Dewey Lee Fortson married 10-11-1933 
Marjorie
Peters.
Foster Child:
Douglas Gary Oliver, March 1942, NYC. Lived with Dewey and Marjorie from about
age 1 to 7. Name after adoption by another family is 
Stephen Douglas Clarke.
George Haley Fortson married first
10-1927 Anna Julia Bunch (4-13-1910 - 5-3-1937), buried Elmhurst Cemetery,
daughter of G. Boles Bunch (1877 - 1928), and his wife Ossie Cofer, b. 1886
of Wilkes Co., Ga.; married second 1-23-1943 
Frances
Ellen Childs, b. 8-11-1921, daughter of Thomas Banks Childs of Elbert Co.,
b. 2-11-1884 and his wife Clara Texas Roberson (1-31-1884 - 7-8-1957), buried
Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery, Elbert Co., Ga.
Children of George H. Fortson and Anna J. Bunch:
George Boles Fortson,
9-11-1933. Living in Athens, GA in 2004.
Children of George H. Fortson and Frances E. Childs:
Haley Willis Fortson,
1-10-1944. Living in Elberton, GA in 2004.
Benjamin Fortson,
7-25-1946. Living in Milledgeville, GA in 2004.
Patricia Ann
Fortson, 9-22-1947. Living in Opelika, AL in 2004.
George Boles Fortson married 9-1-1956 
Martha
Alice Holloman, b. 2-13-1937, daughter of Harry Edward Holloman, b. 4-7-1903,
and his wife Ruby Alma Gunter, b. 11-2-1909, of Oglethorpe County, Ga.
Children:
Alma Julia Fortson, 5-16-1957
Julia Fortson married Johnny Farron Paul.
Children:
Jason Fletcher Paul, 2-8-1979
Jennifer Denise Paul, 12-7-1981
Haley Fortson married twice. He married Shirley Elizabeth Churney.
He married 7-8-1981 
Fe
Pinero.
Children with Shirley Churney:
Rebecca Elizabeth
Fortson, 9-28-1972
Mary Ellen Fortson, 8-20-1974
Benjamin Fortson married twice. He married 
Judith
Ann Hudson. He married 
Mary
Elaine Wheeler 2-15-1986. Elaine is the daughter of James Lloyd Wheeler
and Bernice Littsha Tatum.
Patricia Fortson married 1-24-1969 
Wendell
Lee Sandlin, (1-5-1945 - 1-12-2016), Hartselle, AL.
Children:
Leigh Anne Sandlin, 7-3-1970, Athens, GA.
Jonathan Mark Sandlin,
4-15-1973, Athens, GA.
Leigh Sandlin married 3-6-1993 Jonathan Andrew Wallace, 7-3-1968, Gainesvile, GA.
Children:
Matthew Blaze Wallace, 6-20-1997, Hattisburg, MS.
Cassidy Faith Wallace, 10-16-2001, Hattisburg, MS.
Jonathan Mark Sandlin married twice.
Children:
Charles Edward Sandlin, 12-21-1993, Florence, AL.
Jordan Michelle Sandlin, 3-8-2002, Opelika, AL.
James Lawrence Fortson married 4-25-1931
in Anderson, S.C., 
Louise
Hudson (5-10-1909 - 8-30-2001), Elbert Co., Ga., daughter of William Oscar
Hudson (5-6-1880 - 3-12-1944) buried Elmhurst Cemetery, and his wife Maude
Jones of Fortsonia, Elbert Co.
Child:
Louise Hudson
Fortson, 2-7-1945. Living in Elberton, GA in 2004.
Louise Fortson married 5-10-1983 
Dr.
Brad G. Martin (8-14-1925 - 4-10-2006).
Child:
Andrea Martin, 7-5-1985, Bloomington Hospital, Bloomington, Indiana. Living
in Elberton, GA in 2004.
Hoke Smith Fortson married 
Zelma
Hulme (9-15-1913 - 5-10-2005), daughter of John Gordon Hulme and his
wife Beulah Vesta Daniel of Elbert County, and members of Vann's Creek Baptist
Church.
Children:
Hoke Smith Fortson,
Jr., 12-24-1938
Francis Gordon Fortson,
8-5-1940
Josephine Fortson,
1-25-1944
Dewey Charles Fortson,
7-25-1946
Hoke Fortson married 9-1-1962 
Linda
Cheryl Norman, b. 4-29-1944, daughter of 
Albert
Norman, 1/29/1916, and 
Joel
Norman, 3/19/1921, married 6/20/1941.
Children:
Hoke (Chip)
Smith Fortson, III, 5-20-1970
Sherry Lynn Fortson,
7-29-197
Chip married 6-9-1995 Lauran White.
Francis Gordon Fortson married twice. He married 8-4-1961 
Janelle
Massey, b. 3-10-1942. He married 7-14-1979 
Aurora
Dizon Villegas, b. 8-14-1941.
Children with Janelle Massey:
Francis Gordon
Fortson, Jr., 10-3-1962
Lisa Renae Fortson,
3-21-1964
Brian Keith Fortson,
3-7-1969
Child with Aurora Villegas:
Leif Eric Fortson,
11-12-1980
Francis Gordon Fortson, Jr. married 2-18-1989 Heidi Joy Eustace, b. 9-16-1968. Divorced September 1997.
Child:
Alexa Jade Fortson, 11-21-1990
Lisa Renae Fortson married 11-19-1988 Roger Mason Wise, b. 2-2-1946. Divorced May 1999.
Brian Keith Fortson married 11-1990 Staci Vance. Divorced 1992.
Child with 
Toni
Weaver, b. 11-5-1973:
Austin
Michael Fortson, 10-16-1995
Child with 
Alesha
Bortel:
Alex McCain Fortson,
6-14-1997
Josephine Fortson married three times. She married 8-6-1966
Maxwell Brown Hardy, b. 10-21-1942. She married 7-10-1993 Albert Howell Mann.
She later married 
Glen
Hagan.
Children with Max Hardy:
Courtney Paige Hardy,
2-27-1971
Brandon Chad Hardy,
1-31-1975
Courtney Hardy married 9-6-1997 Andrew Levy.
Children:
Carson Blake Levy, 10/31/2000
Brooke Savannah Levy, 10/6/2002
Lacey Alexandra Levy, 4/16/2005
Brandon Hardy married 12-30-2006 Courtney Kemp.
Dewey Fortson married 8-31-1968 
Frances
Heath, b. 12-4-1948.
Children:
Dewey Charles
Fortson, Jr. , 8-15-1969
Stacy Yvonne Fortson,
9-6-1971
Valerie Fortson,
8-13-1976
Dewey Fortson, Jr. married 
Lara.
They live in Simpsonville, SC, in 2005.
Children:
James Fortson
Daniel Fortson
Stacy Fortson married 8-3-1996 
Thomas
(Tom) Edward Behnke, 5-19-1972, the son of Edward and Mary Jane Behnke,
in Cincinatti, OH. They live in Greenville, SC, in 2005.
Children:
Mary-Frances Behnke,
9-26-1998, Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Logan Edward Behnke,
11-11-2001, Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Valerie Fortson married 
Stephen
Ferguson. They live in Greenville, SC, in 2005.
Homer Brock Fortson married 2-20-1937 
Wilma
Bridges, b. 11-26-1911, Oglethorpe Co., Ga.
Children:
Sandra Fortson,
2-11-1941
Nicholas Homer Fortson,
1-25-1947
Sandra Fortson married 1-16-1990 
Milton
Leroy Jenkins, b. 1-09-1936, in Marietta, Georgia.
Children:
David Milton Jenkins, 12-09-1961
Michael Homer Jenkins, 11-09-1963
Sheila Dianne Jenkins, 09-26-1968
David Jenkins married 7-6-1985 Victorial Lee White.
Nick Fortson married 3-31-1977 Elizabeth Green Robertson and
later divorced. Nick then married 
Paula.
Alice Fortson married 9-20-1941 
Hubert
Julius Bell, b. 3-23-1915, Fortsonia, Elbert Co., Ga., died 03-31-2012 in Elberton, son of Henry Abner
Bell (1-31-1893 - 10-20-1956), buried Fortsonia, and his wife Marietta Dye,
b. 12-14-1895.
Children:
Hubert Julius
Bell, Jr., 9-24-1942
Jane Bell, 6-8-1944,
Elberton
Carolyn Bell,
9-9-1949
Martha Bell,
10-29-1951
Mary Bell, 6-24-1955
Hubert Julius Bell, Jr. married Shelley Pinkerson, b. 6-15-1946, daughter of LeRoy Pinkerson of Charleston, SC and Atlanta and Eleanor Gamble Pinkerson of Spartanburg, SC and Atlanta, on 9-3-1966, in Atlanta, divorced 3-10-1992, no children.
Hubert Julius Bell, Jr. married 
Eileen
Margaret Crowley, b. 12-14-1950, daughter of Cornelius Crowley of Kilcatherine,
Eyeries, County Cork, Ireland and New York City, NY and Ann Callan Crowley
of Ardee, County Louth, Ireland and New York City, NY, on 5-22-1993 in Atlanta,
no children.
Jane Bell married 
Johnny
Jack Coleman, b. 3-8-1934, Postelle Tenn., son of John William Coleman
(10-25-1896 - 4-25-1985) and Lois Mae Howard (9-10-1905 - 7-12-1975), both
of Tennessee, on 11-7-1969 in Decatur, Georgia.
Child:
Lara Kelley Coleman,
7-9-1973, Decatur, Georgia.
Lara Kelley Coleman married March 29,1997 
Michael
Shane Moon, b. 7-13-1974, Anderson, S.C., son of Darrell Moon, Elberton
and Barbara Moon, Torrence, California.
Children:
Kinsley Jane Moon,
12-30-1998, Athens, Georgia.
Chloe Allice Moon, 3-30-2002, Athens, Georgia.
Claire Alaina Moon, 3-28-2012, Athens, Georgia.
Carolyn Bell married 10-27-1990 
William
E. Schreiber.
Martha Bell married 5-15-1982 
Dirk
Gerald deBroekert, b. 9-4-1949.
Child:
Erika Maria deBroekert,
2-4-1990, Eugene, Oregon.
Mary Bell married 9-23-1984 
Fred
Harrison Beerman, b. 9-16-1955.
Wilton Green Fortson married 
Annie
Ruth Albea (born 7-16-1921 in Lincolnton, Ga, died 11-8-2001 in Elberton).
They were married 7-27-1942 in Los Angeles, California. Both are buried at
Elmhurst Cemetery in Elberton, Georgia.
Child:
Kay Fortson,
6-27-1948, Elberton, Georgia.
Kay married Walter Marcy Remsen, born 5-17-1948 in McCormick, SC, on 11-10-1968 in Elberton. Divorced January, 1986.
Children:
George Drinkard
Remsen, 2-17-1976, Toccoa, Georgia.
Anna Elsbeth Remsen,
10-30-1979, Augusta, Georgia. Lives in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004.
George married 
Riki
Hammock, born 3-24-1975, on 1-2-1994, in Lincolnton, Georgia. Divorced
November, 2003.
Children:
Katherine Grace
Remsen, 4-23-1994, Washington, Georgia.
Thomas Drinkard
Remsen, 11-16-1997, Augusta, Georgia.
Francis Benjamin Fortson, Sr.'s sister Sarah Augusta Fortson married 1898 Claude Duncan Bolton (10-25-1876 - 11-30-1943), son of George Linus Bolton (7-31-1847 - 2-16-1914) and Sallie C. Bush (8-4-1852 - 11-9-1929) (also see the Bolton family at Elizabeth Fortson Gibbs, daughter of Thomas Fortson, Jr. and Rachel Winn). Sarah and Claude are buried in the churchyard at Independence Methodist Church, Tignall, Ga.
Child:
George Fortson Bolton, 9-9-1899 - 9-28-1983
George Fortson Bolton married 8-3-1927 Laura Latimer, 9-25-1907 - 1-4-1994, Wilkes Co., Ga., daughter of Luther Latimer (2-20-1868 - 4-25-1958) and Emma Callaway (4-18-1871 - 8-31-1914) who married 11-5-1895.
Children:
Sara Fortson Bolton, 5-2-1929
Claudia Latimer Bolton, 10-16-1931
Sara Fortson Bolton married 6-28-1952 Noah David Derrick, b. 12-29-1928, Leesville, S.C., son of Michael David Derrick, b. 12-23-1909, Prosperity, S.C., and Elee Ham, b. 3-26-1908, Little Mountain, S.C.
Children:
Michael Bolton Derrick, 6-19-1953, Columbia Hospital, Columbia, S.C.
Laura Lee Derrick, 9-1-1956, Providence Hospital, Columbia, S.C.
Jeffrey Latimer Derrick, 10-14-1960, Roper Hospital, Charleston, S.C.
Michael Bolton Derrick married 11-19-1977 Sharon Taylor, b. 7-28-1954, Pensacola, FL.
Children:
David Taylor Derrick, 11-24-1983, Panama City, FL.
Michael Edward Derrick, 12-21-1989, Jacksonville, FL.
Laura Lee Derrick married 6-25-1983 Jeffrey Bentley Ashe, b 9-10-1956, Lockhart, SC.
Children:
Mary Lauren Ashe, 3-30-1984 twin of
Sara Bentley Ashe, 3-30-1984, Rock Hill, SC
Katherine Lee Ashe, 3-3-1992, Rock Hill, SC.
Jeffrey Latimer Derrick married 4-3-1983 Joan Amanda Williams, b. 11-5-1959, Anderson, SC.
Children:
Sallie Carlisle Derrick, 6-15-1987, Kaisenschalden (may be Kaiserslautern),
Germany.
Mary Beth Fortson Derrick, 4-3-1991, Dayton, OH.
Jeffrey Noah Derrick, 9-26-1996, Montgomery, AL.
Claudia Latimer Bolton married 12-6-1952 Henry Cooper Ellenberg, b. 3-11-1925, Greenwood, S.C., son of William Joseph Ellenberg, b. 7-11-1901, Greenwood, S.C., and Christine Elizabeth Cooper, b. 9-22-1902, Edgefield Co., S.C.
Children:
Laura Latimer (Lattie) Ellenberg, 10-24-1953, Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood,
S.C.
William Joseph Ellenberg, 4-8-1955, Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, S.C.
George Bolton Ellenberg, 1-13-1958, Anderson Memorial Hospital, Anderson, S.C.
Christine Cooper (Teena) Ellenberg, 7-13-1960, Anderson Memorial Hospital,
Anderson, S.C.
Robert Hornsley (Bob) Ellenberg, 5-17-1963, Anderson Memorial Hospital, Anderson,
S.C.
Mary Nan Ellenberg, 3-6-1966, Oconee Memorial Hospital, Seneca, S.C.
Please send updates to: frank@frankfortson.com
