Family Adventures Through Savannah, Georgia

A photo of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother 

The ancestor I chose to do my project on is my great-grandfather Grover Abb Brinson Jr. He was from Savannah, Georgia and was born on January 4, 1913. He and my great-mother had seven children including my grandfather Ralph Brinson Sr.

My great-grandfather died on January 31, 1980, when he was 67 years old and he is buried in the Pine Crest Memorial Cemetery in Jesup, Georgia.

My great-grandfather's grave (lawn marker)

My grandfather was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944 during World War II. He was drafted to be an army medic for the duration of the war. While overseas, my great-grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge. There were over 100,000 casualties in the Battle of the Bulge and my great-grandfather was lucky enough to survive. 

A letter my great-grandfather sent to my great-grandmother

My great-grandfather would constantly write letters to my great-grandmother throughout his time in the army. In these letters, he would express how much he loved and missed his children and wife. Unfortunately, I do not know much about his time during the war because he could never bring himself to discuss it. 

My great-grandfather's parents are buried in the beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery. The Bonaventure Cemetery is a Victorian cemetery that was established in 1846. My family has two plots in the cemetery: the Brinson family plot and the Foley family plot. My great-grandfather's parents are buried in the Brinson family plot surrounded by vibrant azalea bushes. 

My great-great-grandparents graves in the Bonaventure Cemetery

When I first started this project, I knew I needed to talk to my grandfather about any possible ancestors I could do my project on. I talked with him about many people in my family, even my great-great-great-grandfather who was a Cherokee Indian from North Carolina. However, I found my great-grandfather the most interesting.

My aunt decided that the only way I could get this project done was to take a day trip down to Savannah, Georgia. In Savannah, I toured the Bonaventure Cemetery and rode around the city listening to my grandfather tell stories of him growing up there. 

The resources I used were mainly my grandfather and a Facebook group my family started. On the group's page, I found numerous photos of my great-grandfather and information about his life. 

Greenwich Park at the Bonaventure Cemetery