Johnnie Benjamin Daniel (1882-1918)
Johnnie Benjamin Daniel was born July 23, 1882. He was the son of James Daniel of Baldwin County, Georgia. Johnnie Benjamin married Sallie Eliza Driskill February 8, 1905. Sallie was born January 13, 1888 to William H. Driskill. Johnnie and Sallie lived in Sylvestor, Worth County, Georgia. They had six children: Lillian (Leon) Deurell, Dec. 12, 1905; Goode Price, Aug. 8, 1908; Charlie James, Aug. 6, 1910; Lulu Mae, July 28, 1913;Johnnie Lee, April 28, 1916; and Myers Watson, Sept. 13, 1918.
Johnnie Benjamin died November 29, 1918 and this left Sallie with six children. Myers would have only been 2 months old and the oldest, Deurell, only thirteen. Johnnie was buried at the Salem Baptist Church cemetery in Pavo, Georgia (see his grave in Pavo). Pavo is west of Worth County in Southern Georgia.
...the scoop on Johnnie Benjamin as related by Pat Druce... "J B, his wife Sallie, their 5 boys and 1 girl lived in Pavo, Thomas Co., GA. In 1918 work was scarce there, so JB went to LaGrange, Troup Co., GA and found work there; leaving behind his wife and children. The youngest boy was born in Sept. 1918. In LaGrange he was staying with his sister Stella and her husband George Bishop. I haven't been able to determine just when he went to LaGrange (perhaps after Sept. when his last child was born). While in LaGrange, JB got pneumonia and died. Sallie received a telegram from George that JB would be arriving on the train on such and such a day. It must have been a day or two after he died on Nov. 29. George didn't tell her that JB would be arriving in a box. Sallie didn't know JB had died until she went down to the train to meet him. Surprise!! A few years later in 1925 Sallie moved her children to Thomaston, Upson County, GA, where they all grew up and where most of them died."
Sallie later married James (Jim) Clay. Her children married the following: Deurell married Bertie Beatrice Reddick and had four children (James Benjamin, Bobby Lee, Juanita, and Patsy Joyce)Deurell divorced and married Corrine Williamson and they had two children (Richard Wayne and Janice Marie); Goode married Eva Myrtle Gordie and had two children (Julian and William Ernest); Charlie James married Mattie Cotton and had one child (James Lamar) Charlie divorced Mattie and married Mary Francis Burnette and they had five children (Charles Francis, Gary Banks, Franklin Benjamin, Roy David and Mary Diane); Lulu Mae married James Dwight Burnette and had one child (Sylvia Burnette); Johnnie Lee married Minnie Caldwell and had two children (Margie Ann and Margaret Elizabeth); Myres Watson married Sybil Inez Duncan and had six children (Beverly, Brenda Diane, Sheryl, Jack Allen, Pattie Ann, and Jill).
Sallie died December 11, 1964 in Thomaston, Upson County, Georgia and was buried at Antioch Methodist Church Cemetery.
Sallie lived 76 years. She lived in Worth and Dougherty Counties in southern Georgia and Upson county in central Georgia.
Sources: Gary Daniel,Rick Daniel, Pat Druce, Margie Voyles, and https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gaworth.
Written by Angie Collier, March 2002, Updated December 4, 2013
