I am trying to prove/disprove the father of John Jefferson Gaither, born 24 Aug 1839 in Huntsville, AL.Circumstantial evidence shows he's probably William C*, son of Deli and Jane Gaither. Deli and Jane's children are:1) Thomas - married Lucinda, 2)Sophia, 3)Sarah (Sally) - married Moses McElhaney, 4) *William C - possibly married Margarett, 5) Nancy - married Thomas Neisbit, 6) Mahala - married Lacey Digh (Dye), 7) Bennett, 8) Richard G - married Matilda Thompson, 9) John - married Emaline Edna Burton

Family stories from several older generations of his family (all passed now) have given us the following information: John J's father was named William, and was probably from the Carolinas. (William, son of Deli Gaither was indeed in South Carolina, from at least 1790 to 1800.) Continue reading →

Dover, FL, October 15, 2017 - Greetings and salutations from the President's cubical and Howdy to all my Gaither cousins. First and foremost, as your new President, I would like to take a moment to give a huge thank you to our out-going Officers and Directors for a job well done in your service to the Society. You have set the bar high, as it should be, and I will strive to continue to build upon the firm foundation laid down by you and those that preceded you. I welcome this opportunity to serve the Society.

Goals, everyone needs Goals.

I think everyone will agree that to enhance and grow the Society, we should be willing to change and adapt with the times. The following is what I and others that I have spoken with see as means to accomplish these goals.

Grow Membership. Folks everyone knows that any organization is only strong as its membership. Without the continued contributions of its current members and the infusion of new members, we will slowly die on the vine, so to speak. Let’s all be proactive and renew our membership and encourage others to do so. Encourage other family members especially any children or grandchildren to get involved and join. With the holidays fast approaching a membership would make a great stocking stuffer. Continue reading →

Harmony, NC, October 15, 2017 - Another year is quickly coming to a close. I know this because this is the second newsletter for the year and I usually have to fight with the printer to get it in before Christmas materials. Not this year due to the prompt response from the folks you see submitting articles, many thanks! There have been some changes in the way our group operates that are not apparent to the average bear. For the first time in many years, all the officers are first and foremost, board of director members. This cuts down on the number of people necessary to do the business of the group. This also means if you want to have a say, you have to do so through being a board of directors member. If you want to have a say, volunteer to be a board member.

There have been no reports for new findings on the father of Alice Gaither Hyatt. I had hoped someone would find a clue hiding in a dusty old family Bible or a flaming law suit.. I did however find the connection of her husband Frank Hyatt to the Gaithers in western NC. Frank just looked too much like a cousin of mine not to be related.

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Until recently, I did not appreciate fully the extent of the service in the Revolutionary War of our patriotic ancestor, Colonel Henry Chew Gaither. By happenstance, I had the pleasure of encountering Colonel Gaither in two Revolutionary War settings this past summer that “book-end” his illustrious service. First, when paying a family visit to Greensboro, North Carolina, I learned that he was an officer in the battle of Guilford Courthouse in which the Patriots weakened and delayed a superior British force, directly leading to their final defeat at Yorktown.

My second surprise encounter was at a Maryland State Archives seminar about their research into the Battle of Brooklyn (also known as the Battle of Long Island). This British-won battle was the first major engagement of the Revolutionary War. The Archives’ project is to identify and formally recognize the Marylanders who fought in that horrific battle, holding their line and earning the appellation adopted by Maryland as the “Old Line State”. The project has identified Henry Chew Gaither as one of the heroic “Maryland 400” soldiers in that battle.

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