Savannah Jay (1861-1918) & Lawrence Daniel (1852-1926)

In the late 1870’s Savannah Jay married Lawrence Daniel. Slavery was over and Lawrence was equipped with skills gained while working on the plantation and Savannah had become an excellent housekeeper and homemaker. The 1880 census listed 22-year-old Lawrence as a Mulatto farmer and 18-year-old Savannah’s occupation as “keeping house”.

Savannah was known as a no-nonsense person who would “take no tea for the fever” meaning that she dealt directly with issues and problems. She was a woman who tolerated no nonsense. Lawrence was born into slavery in 1857. By the time the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in 1863, Lawrence was six years old and had already begun cultivating his farming skills on the Daniel Plantation. With only two sisters, Georgia (or Georgiana) and Mamie, and one brother Jimmy, Lawrence was born into what was considered a small family. His mother’s name was Amanda (Mandy). It is not known if she was born on the Daniel plantation or bought at a slave auction. She was 25 years old when Emancipation was passed. Mandy died at 41.

Lawrence was 22 at the time of his mother’s death. From an early age farming was a large part of Lawrence’s life and his skills and knowledge enabled him to provide for his family. He became well known as a great farmer and people came from many miles to seek his advice about farming and farm equipment. Known as a sensitive and caring man, he was also aggressive and assertive. He eventually established himself as a landowner. This enabled Lawrence to hire other community members to help him tend his farm. Lawrence and Savannah were known as good providers and benevolent neighbors. They were active members of the church, the NAACP, and fraternal organizations. One of the pleasures that Lawrence received was having children “scratch his head.” He enjoyed having his dandruff scratched by the young grandchildren when they came to visit.

Lawrence was 60 years old when Savannah died after which he was briefly married to Lizzie Springs. She was his daughter Ella’s mother-in-law. Lawrence was struck by typhoid fever at the age of 69 and died as a result of an intestinal hemorrhage. According to this death certificate as reported by his son Mack, Lawrence’s father’s name was Jim Daniel who presumably was one of the white Daniels. Lawrence Daniel is buried at Mine Creek Baptist Church in Johnston. Growing up, all of the children got nicknames and worked on the farm in some manner.

When the Daniel children came of age, they all chose spouses from the local area. Resources did not allow for much travel outside the community so church was the primary meeting place for dating or “courting”. This centered around five local churches: Mine Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lockhart, Calvary (Cal-va-ree), and Pen Creek. All of the Daniel sons bought land and built homes adjacent to the family farm. As their families grew, all of the children made lives for themselves away from the family farm. A new century was on the horizon and the Daniel children wanted to seek new opportunities.
 

Children: Alice Bugg, Mack Daniel, James Daniels, Emma Wilson Andrews, Sophia Hurley, Winnie Watkins, Major Daniel, Johnnie Daniel, Ella Springs, and Lawrence Daniel.

Alice Bugg Rayford Dean (1882-1948)

Alice the oldest child of Lawrence and Savannah was married to Zonnie Bugg and three children were born Ora, Bunyon, and Fronnie. The children grew up on a farm in Saluda and attended Mine Creek Baptist Church. When son Bunyon was three years old and Fronnie was a baby, their father Zonnie died after a severe illness. Bunyon and Ora went to live with their grandparents Lawrence and Savannah for several years. Sometime later Alice remarried and the children resumed living with their mother and stepfather. Years later Alice moved to Washington DC to live with her daughter Ora.

Ora Watson McKelvin (1902-1982)

Ora married Mingo Watson in South Carolina and adopted one son. After Mingo died, Ora and her small son moved to Washington DC in the late 1930s and lived for a while with Aunt Emma. While in Washington, DC, Ora met and married Andrew McKelvin and adopted a second son, Jay. She worked at the General Services Administration as an elevator operator and retired in 1959. Ora was never too busy to lend a helping hand.

Bunyon Bugg ( 1904- 1977)

Bunyon married Elizabeth Nicholson and they had seven children: Muriel, Bertha, Zonnie, Edward, Jerome, Lela (Alice), and Theresa (Ora). Bunyon along with his wife and daughter Muriel left Saluda in 1929 to seek employment in New Jersey. In 1931, Bunyon moved the family to Washington, DC, he initially worked in construction. Later, he was employed by the US Government Printing Office and retired in 1957 after 30 years. He also drove a taxi cab for most of his adult life, often taking the youngest children with him on Sundays after church. Bunyon enjoyed playing checkers and telling funny stories.

Fronnie Bugg (1907- 1982)

Fronnie is the youngest child of Alice and Zonnie Bugg. She married Milledge Herrin in Saluda in 1929. They had four children: Alice (Mildred), Zonnie Mae, Mable, and Robert. Fronnie and her husband left South Carolina and moved to Garfield New Jersey. After living in Garfield for 
seventeen years, the family moved to Passaic, New Jersey. Fronnie is remembered for her great love of flowers. In 1966, she received a certificate of Merit from the Passaic Area Chamber of Commerce as part of the organization's beautification program. Fronnie was a fun-loving person.

Mack Daniel- b. 1884

Mack was married twice. By today's standards, his first wife, Mary Moore, was a "cougar" as she was 19 years older than Mack when they married. She had four children, some of whom were older than her husband. They had two children together, Shady and Fannie. They lived in Johnston until Mary's death. His second wife, Lou Ella Nicholson, was some twenty years his junior. She was a school teacher and they had four more children Sallie Lou, Thomas, Shirley, and Lindberg. Mack also had another son, Purvis. After Lou Ella and Mack's death, Purvis offered to raise Lindberg but Purvis wanted to go to NJ to live with his sister Shady. She had agreed to care for her younger siblings. Thomas was in the military and no longer lived at home.

Mack Daniel was described as a well-respected, hard-working, and frugal man. As a farmer, Mack also picked cotton walking behind a mule named Laura. Mack wanted all of his children to get an education, but that did not exempt anyone from working in the field. He felt they both went hand in hand. Mack was called to preach and was a good speaker. Although he never pastored a church, he would travel to other churches in SC. He served on the Mine Creek Church Deacon board along with Ned Daniel (no known blood relationship). Mack was the president of the Society Club. Club members would pool their money to cover burial expenses for one another. He is also described as an outspoken man. 

After his brother Johnnie came home from the Army, he would wear his Army uniform around town. In one instance, the local whites harassed Johnie and locked him up for it. Mack wrestled the billy club away from the police and never returned it. His daughter Sallie still has that billy club! Sallie was instrumental in getting a street in Johnston, SC named in his honor as Preacher Mack Road.

Shady Bugg
Daughter Shady eloped and ran away to marry Carroll Bugg. They had four children: Purvis, Cleveland, and Gladys are all deceased. They lived in New Jersey.

Fannie Bonner
Fannie married Sam Bonner and they lived in Johnston until their death. Fannie died three days after giving birth to her youngest child. Their children Anna Mae, Willie, Lois, Dorothy, Leroy, Mary Alice, and Velma, all migrated to New Jersey.

Sallie Lou Gamble

Sallie retired as principal in the Passaic School District. Sallie stays active in professional, 
social, and civic activities and was recognized as Woman of the Year. She and her husband Tho- mas Gamble have one son Thomas Gamble, Jr.

Thomas M. Daniel

Known by his family as Big Dan, Thomas was big, tall, and handsome with a crazy personality and a great sense of humor. Thomas was also smart as he had a scholarship to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. He left college for the Army and while stationed in Ft Campbell, KY.  

Thomas and his wife Sarah Virginia Griffey made their home in Clarksville, TN., and raised four children - twins Donald and Ronald, Donna, and Frederick. 

Shirley Baynes

Shirley married Tommie Baynes of Helena, Arkansas. She raised her two children Terrance and Tonya in Chicago. Tonya has three children Dia, Drelana, and Jerence Rambo. 

Lindberg Daniels

Lindberg was also called Lin. He attended Johnson C. Smith College in Charlotte, NC.  

James Daniels (b. 1886) & Sally Gomillion

James married Sally Gomillion in SC and their children Willie James, Abby, John Wesley, 
Russell, Hartford, Crawford, Herbert, and Raney were born there.  James was a hard worker and owned his farm. 

After migrating north and settling in New Jersey, he changed the spelling of his last name from Daniel to Daniels. 

 Willie James Daniels (1915 - 1993)

Willie James was the first family member to move to New Jersey and others soon followed. Willie  James was married to Dorothy Mae and they had three daughters Patricia Bowers, Muriel Grant, and Helen Daniels-Lowery, and two sons James "Sandy" Daniels and Christopher.

Abby Daniels

Abby graduated from college and taught school in Pittsburgh, PA.

 John Wesley Daniels (1917-1997)
John Wesley was married to Barbara Elizabeth. They had two daughters Ida and Leocadia. 

Russell Daniels

Russell was married to June and they had one son. In his youth, Russell was known as a snappy 
dresser who enjoyed a good time. Russell Jr. later changed his name to Rashad Hasan.

Hartford Daniels
Hartford was educated at Harborson in Columbia, SC He was the founder of Hartford Daniel Real Estate Company and briefly served as President of the local Real Broker Association in Roselle, NJ.  He is the father of Brenda and a son Kim Daniels.

Crawford Daniels Sr.
Crawford (deceased) was a great body and fender mechanic. 

Herbert Daniels (1925-2004)

Herb married Dorothy Bell and they had two children. Sandford and Deborah. During his life, Herb worked various jobs but loved truck driving.  He became a Mason back in the 1950s. During retirement, he loved to travel, fish, and garden. 

Raney Daniels

Raney and his wife Lillian had three children Raney Jr., Craig, and Alissa.

Emma Daniel Andrews (1887-1988) & Milledge Wilson (1883-1928)

Emma was the last surviving child of Lawrence and Savannah. She lived to the age of 101. Her home at 1219 Harvard Street NW in Washington, DC provided loving refuge for relatives and family friends for over fifty years.

A newspaper written by her great-nephew Courtland Millory, Jr for the Washington Post at the time of her 100th birthday, dubbed her the “Harriet Tubman of the Family” because her home was such a welcoming respite for so many family members making their way up from the South. 

Memories of her always involved food, be it her love of ice cream, the fact that there was ALWAYS a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the "ice box", grits for breakfast, or fried chicken stuffed in shoe boxes for those long car rides back down South. 

Emma’s memory never seemed to fade. Before her death, she contributed a lot to the family history. At the age of 99, she could still recall the food that was served at the family farm after her wedding to Milledge. She once even offered to confide in her grandson John Wilson, Sr. the name of the person who burned down Mill Creek Church some 70 years before their conversation! 
 
When Emma was 10 years old her mother got sick, so Aunt Beulah Jay came over to help out. Aunt Beulah gave Emma a cooking lesson that she never forgot. In those days all the pots and pans were neatly hung on the walls of the kitchen so the first instruction was always to wipe the pans before using, making sure no dust or spider webs were present. Since there was not the luxury of baking powder it was the custom to prepare bread overnight using buttermilk as a form of yeast. By morning when the biscuits would be full and plumb and ready to pop in the oven Aunt Beulah said, “Alright Emma, it’s your time to make the bread, get busy.” Emma felt such a surge of pride and excitement as she picked up the pan and went for the flour, when suddenly Aunt Beulah’s voice broke the excitement when she said, “Child you forgot to wipe the pan.” From that day on Emma never forgot anything necessary to perform successfully and when Aunt Beulah told her they were some of the best biscuits she had ever tasted little Emma said she felt ten feet tall.

Before her marriage, she taught school for $30 a month. She recalled looking forward to her first paycheck. When it didn’t arrive, her father checked with the post office and discovered that they had mistakenly sent it to the white Emma Daniel who was Dr. Daniel’s daughter. Papa Lawrence was able to get the check back without any problem and Emma had her big payday.
 

Emma also had a keen business sense. When everyone else was selling all of their season’s cotton harvest, she would hold a certain amount back. Everything did not go to the auction. She knew that if she were able to wait the market out, she could fetch a higher price during the off-season. She also raised chickens and sold the eggs to make her “purse money”.
 
While Emma was the second oldest of the five sisters, she was the last one to leave home. She married Milledge Wilson, Jr and they moved to Hephzibah, Georgia, about 17 miles from Augusta for better farming after the boll weevil ruined crops in SC.

Milledge's brother Hamp Wilson was married to Emma's first cousin Julia Allen Wilson so their children are all double cousins. They are Jays as well as Wilsons! 

Emma and Milledge had six children Lawrence, Sophie, James, Johnie, Garvey, and Estelle who died in infancy. Milledge rented his land and farmed it with the help of his children. He was also a well-known digger. Tragically, he was killed in 1928 when he was buried alive while digging a well at the age of 45. The Augusta Chronicle said it took two days to recover his body. Emma then moved back to SC. She was 38 years old in 1930 when she married Rev. John Andrews, age 57. That marriage ended two years later. She never got over the loss of her beloved Milledge. Days before her death of natural causes, she told her daughter Sophie that she dreamed that Milledge was coming back for her. 

 Lawrence (Bob) Wilson (1909-1989)

In 1932 Lawrence left South Carolina and moved to Washington, DC. His mother Emma and brothers soon followed. Eventually, his sister Sophie and her children moved there as well.

Bob married Kate Lindsey and raised two children, Veda Wilson Stein and Mark Wilson. After working for the US Government for more than twenty-five years, Lawrence retired and began operating a small taxi service until he became ill. He was also a Mason for over forty years.

Sophie Williams (1911- 2007 )

Sophie was a retired elevator operator and an excellent seamstress. She cared for her mother for over fifty years. Her nickname was "Bill". Sophie was married to George Williams and had four children: Marion Mayo, Emma Davis, George Williams, and Ruth Stephenson.

Johnie D. Wilson "JD" (1919- 2006)

JD was one of the charter members of the DC Daniel Family Reunion and served as president for several years.  He married Viola Stamper in 1948 and they had three children John Wilson, Eileen Gray, and Lois Wilson. His oldest child is Lillian Beard.

JD was a community activist in Washington, DC who fought racism and championed the rights of the underdog. He was a pioneer member of the DC Statehood Party and supported the battle for D.C. statehood; fought to keep utility rates low for D.C. residents; participated in an epic battle to build the DC Metro system instead of a freeway that would have sliced through inner-city neighborhoods.

JD was elected to the DC Advisory Neighborhood Commission Ward 4. This body provided community input on issues related to traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and the District's annual budget.

JD and his cousin Vitron attended the historic Bettis Academy, a boarding school established in 1881 to educate blacks. Even though his formal education ended in the 8th grade, he served as a founding board member and benefactor of the Roots Public Charter School in Washington, DC.

JD was a retired model maker machinist for the Naval Reserve Lab in Washington, D.C. Having been passed over for promotion, JD filed a discrimination charge with the EEOC.

During World War II, he served in the Army Air Force. His children were surprised to learn that he had been a member of a traveling gospel choir with other servicemen. When asked about it JD replied, "It was a good way to meet girls!"

Although JD was quite opinionated and liked to debate issues, he also had a good sense of humor.

James Wilson (Nip)

Nip never married and had no children. He was hospitalized for much of his adult life and died in 1993.

Garvey Wilson( 1921 -1993)

Garvey loved life and people. His philosophy was to do a good deed each day. An Army veteran, Garvey worked for the Department of the Army from 1947 to 1975 as an automotive and heavy engine mechanic. Garvey was active in his local Masonic lodge rising to the position of Worshipful Master and 32 Degree Mason. He was also a Shiner.

Garvey married to Anelda (Jane) Christian. They had no children of their own but were God parents to JD's daughter Eileen Wilson and Sophie's grandson Darryl Davis. 

He was a member of Vermont Baptist, Washington, DC for over sixty years. He also served as trustee of a small church located in Mill Point Shores, MD the location of his beach home, and was president of the Mill Point Shores community improvement association.

Garvey's father named him after Marcus Garvey, the controversial black nationalist who preached racial pride and started the Universal Negro Improvement Association which grew into 700 branches in 38 states in the early 1920s. 

As a child, Garvey was very enterprising. When moonshiners set up a still on his father's property, Garvey was paid to tend to their horses. They also regularly left moonshine as payment to his father. Knowing that his dad did not drink moonshine, Garvey saw another business opportunity. He boiled empty bottles and filled them with the leftover moonshine for sale. Garvey once commented that the church deacons were some of his best customers!

Sophia Daniel (1891-1981) & Romulus Hurley

Sophia married Romulus Whightman Hurley whom she always called “Mr. Hurley”. He was a farmer and school teacher in Saluda and Edgefield counties. Together they acquired over two hundred acres of farm and timber land in the two counties. Their houses were in Saluda County, where all of their children were born.

Sophia was a true Matriarch. She was a hard worker and demanded the same from all of her children. She tolerated no disobedience or “back talk”. Any violation was paid with a whipping on the nude buttock with the best hickory switch that could be found. Sometimes when she did not have time to get a switch, she would let go with a slap that would rival Joe Louis.

Although she worked in the field, helping with the main crops, chopping cotton, pulling fodder, tying grains, and many other chores, she always led the field. Even when picking cotton she rivaled the older boys and most of the time she would beat them. She was thrifty to the point of being downright stingy. She hated to see anything wasted or used in excess.

Even her “Mr. Hurley” who was a tyrant, would have to sneak to get extra sugar or butter. Even though she used ingredients very sparingly, she was an excellent cook. Her fried chicken and potato pies are still missed. She loved to sew. She made most of her children’s clothing. The winters were very cold so she had to make plenty of bed quilts for her large family.

Sophia always enjoyed visiting her children who had moved all over the country. She used to say that the “Lord scattered my children so that I could see all of these pretty places.” She especially enjoyed visiting Firpo who was a practicing veterinarian in Kansas. She loved the wide open spaces; the miles of wheat fields which she said “looked like oceans“. She always went with him on calls to treat the farm animals. It excited her to watch hundreds of cows being milked with machines. She was thrilled to see thousands of beef cattle in pastures and feed lots. She would even get out of bed in the middle of the night to go with him on emergency calls saying, “I have got to be with my baby.” She used to say “I sure thank the Lord for letting me see all this with my baby.” 

Children: 10 children, eight lived to adulthood James, Romulus, Edward Bruce, Cyril, Ethel, Blanche, Quentin, and Firpo.

James Whaley Hurley (Bied)

Bied was a large, strong, muscular man. He loved to work. While his siblings played and socialized, he always found some work to do. He insisted on doing things his way, which often put him at odds with his father.

He left home at age 17 to pursue his own goal. He got a job working at a sawmill which was very hard work, especially for a boy his age. He worked in the rattlesnake-infested forests of GA. He often told of his encounters with very large rattlesnakes. He later moved to Washington D.C. and worked for the Gas and Light Co. and helped to install the first underground
system sewer in D.C and thus became a part of history. He was later employed by the Southern Rail Road at the Union Station; a job he held until he retired. Bied was never without a job.

Romulus Whightman Jr. (Booster)

Booster had a very unfortunate accident when he was a baby. Half of his face, hair, and ear were lost. His hand was burned off at the wrist. Despite having only one hand, he was a driver for a trucking company. 

He married Carrie Black and moved to Washington, D.C.  They had four children: Ruth, George Elbert, Eunice, and Carrie.

Edward Bruce (Bibaby) Hurley

Truly, the light of the family. He moved to Washington, D.C. to work with his brother James (Bied) at the Gas and Light Company. He was killed when the gun that he was cleaning accidentally discharged. He had one son Harold Chester who died at the age 14.

Cyril Hurley 

After graduating from Benedict College, Cyril was drafted into the Army during World War II. He served in the Pacific theater, traveling as far as New Caledonia. After his discharge, he married Ophelia Marie Buggs. They lived in Garfield N.J. He was employed by the Hackensack Hospital until his retirement. They had 2 sons, both of whom live in Garfield, NJ. Bruce, and Cyril Jr. who did missionary work in California, Africa, and France. He is employed by the Department of Transportation in N.Y. His wife was from Africa. They have 8 boys including two sets of twins.

Ethel Elaine Hurley Massey

Elaine graduated from Benedict College and taught French and Algebra at Bennettsville High School, Bennettsville, S.C. She married Floyd Massey Jr, a Minister from Gastonia N.C. They moved to St Paul MN where he was the Pastor of Pilgrim Baptist for 20 years. They then moved to Los Angeles CA. where he retired as the pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church. They had 3 sons. 

Blanche Hurley Milloy

(Memories as reported to and recorded by Marilyn Milloy)

Blanche lived a hard scrabble life in Johnston, SC, but you'd never know it from the way she relished telling stories about growing up on a farm. "When I was around 12 and the hens would hatch, Ma would give me a biddy, and I would bring it into the house and take care of it. when the chick got too big, it would go out back with the rest of the chickens. He'd forgotten all about me. And the next thing you know, he'd be in the pot."

The values that her parents taught -hard work, frugality, spiritual devotion, and love of family
would stay with her as she set out to raise a family of her own. "Remember the Golden Rule," she liked to say. "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you."

After graduating from South Carolina State College in 1947, Blanche landed a job at Tuskegee 
Institute as a secretary and was later promoted to assistant personnel director. One day, while 
staring out of the office window, she spotted a young Courtland Milloy and declared, without having met him, "I'm going to marry that man."

Courtland was 24 and Blanche 22 when she took him home to meet her parents in Johnston. He wore a suit and tie and sported professional black horn-rimmed glasses. The adult, sophisticated look caught his future mother-in-law's eye, and Mama Sophia cautioned her daughter, "You know that man is 40," Blanche recalled her saying.

During the visit, Courtland was treated to Sunday dinner-Johnston style. "Somebody killed two 
chickens, and Mama used the necks, head, feet, and gizzard to make the gravy, " Blanche said. "The only thing wasted on the chicken was the waste."

Upon Courtland's graduation, they were offered teaching jobs in Shreveport, Louisiana. Courtland moved there first. The couple married on the same day that Blanche arrived. "He wore blue suede shoes," Blanche remembered, "He was what we call 'hep' back then. "

Courtland taught graphic arts and journalism and Blanche was promoted to a supervisory position. In 1965, Blanche and Courtland started a printing and photography business while still teaching. After taking an early retirement from the school system, the two gave more time to the business that grew rapidly and included a wide diversity of customers, including some of the nation's largest corporations.

Despite the success, Blanche never forgot where she came from. "It's the simple everyday pleasures that make life worth living," Blanche said.

Blanche and Courtland had three children Courtland Jr, Docia, and Marilyn.

Alfair Hurley
Alfair died at the age of two from pneumonia.

Quintin Aubry Hurley

Quintin was very bright as he graduated from Benedict College at 18. He lived in Newark, NJ, and worked for Revlon. There was an accident and he was killed in his home in 2005. He was divorced with no children.

Firpo Leonard Hurley

Firpo was the youngest of the boys. Since his brothers were either away in school or living in 
Washington, D.C., Firpo was left alone to work the farm with his father. He had to learn fast and get strong fast. Instead of going away to boarding school like his other brothers and sisters, he had to walk 14 miles round trip to school in Johnston.

Firpo served in World War II under "blood and guts" General George Patton in France and Germany.

After the war, Firpo attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University. While a student there a Congressman from South Carolina remarked that only white boys were veterinarians in South Carolina, so Firpo decided to go to Kansas instead. As he was preparing to start a practice in Harper, Kansas, a wheat farming town 50 miles west of Wichita, the Mayor came to him and told him not to stay in this town. He said that 25 years ago a colored man named "Nigger Bill" was run out of town and there had not been a colored person in this town since. There was also a town ordinance that prohibited colored people from living there. Despite it all Firpo stayed and built a successful practice.

Firpo became involved in many civic affairs. He joined the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club, which was featured in Jet Magazine. He also joined the Presbyterian Church and became both an Elder and Trustee. He was the guest speaker for many organizations, high schools, and colleges.

Not being allowed to vote in S.C., he was happy to vote for the first time in his life in Kansas.
Harper, Kansas was the home of John Brown, the white man who was hung in Harpers Ferry West Virginia for trying to free the Negroes. Firpo was asked to be Mayor of Harper but declined.

After 10 years in Kansas Firpo sold his practice and began working for the U.S.D.A. before opening the Hurley Dog and Cat Hospital in Detroit which is still in operation under new owners.

While in Detroit he cared for the pets of many celebrities, including Barry Gordy, Dianna Ross, 
other Motown stars, governors, and senators. He had an opportunity to shake hands with President Lyndon Johnson. Firpo was also featured on several television and radio shows.

After 30 years, he sold his Hospital and moved to Oviedo, Florida. He stayed active by performing relief work for local Veterinarians and consulting with the Institutional Animal Laboratory Use Committee at The University of Central Florida. He also counseled young people who aspired to become a veterinarian. 

Firpo and his wife Celeste Daugherty had one son Steven who retired as a Professor of Animal Science at North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, NC.

Winnie Daniel (1892-1971) & Elliott Watkins

Winnie eloped to marry Elliott Watkins when her father refused to give her permission to marry. She hopped out of the window while Elliott waited nearby with a horse and buggy. They moved to Newberry, SC. 

Children:  William (Bubba), Edith, Ella, Marion, William Frederick, Edward, Thomas, John,

 and Bobby.

Edith Watkins

Edith was a home economics teacher. She had two children, Adolph and Ralston, who both live in Massachusetts. Edith is remembered by her brother John as a woman with class and style.

Frederick Watkins

Frederick had one son, Anthony, who lives in Massachusetts.

Thomas Watkins

Thomas had three children. His son Thomas Jr. has two children Thomas III and Janet.

John WatkinsJohn graduated from Savannah State University and earned his LLB (JD) degree from Howard 
University. He was the founder of Watkins & Watkins, PC, in Augusta, GA, and CCWC (Citizens Concerned about the Welfare of the Community).

His interest in law began at the age of ten when he witnessed a black man being shot in the back while climbing a fence. This upset him greatly so he asked his mother what he could do about it and she told him to become a lawyer.

John has been politically active throughout his career. He participated in sit-ins to desegregate 
restaurants, theaters, and the courts in Richmond County, Georgia. He defended Paine College 
students who were beaten, spit on, egged, and charged with disorderly conduct while demonstrating against desegregation. He also filed the first petition to desegregate the schools in Richmond County.

He also was the author of two books 'Seven Minutes to Live (Or Die in Georgia)' and 'King's Last Visit to Augusta."

John and his wife Charlotte had seven children: Crystal, David, Michael, Jack, Leonard, Harriet, and Brian.

Major Daniel (1898-1920)

Major never married. He was killed in a gun accident.

Johnnie Daniel (1897-1973) & Varnetta Washington

With four older sisters, Savannah frequently insisted that little Johnnie be taken along when the young boys came to court his older sisters. Rather than sitting patiently, little Johnnie would get the girl’s dates to play with him instead, much to his sister’s dismay. Johnnie was a very outspoken man. He worked on voter registration drives with the NAACP. Once the Ku Klux Klan fired into his house in an attempt to silence him.
 
He married Varnetta Washington and had 10 children. Except for John Lincoln (Johnnie or Link) and Winnie, all of Johnnie’s children made their homes away from South Carolina.

Children: William Lawrence, Vitron Valentine, Emmett, Winnie, Roy, Ora Bunch, Alice Carter Wood, Johnnie “Link”, Ogner, James “Jimmy.

William Lawrence (1921-1997)William Lawrence finished high school and moved to Washington, DC. He was married to Marcella Whiteside. His children are Cynthia, Sydna, Joan, and Lawrence Daniel.

Vitron Valentine (1922-2008)

Vitron was one of the founding members of the Daniel Family Reunion. She served as the DC Chapter president for many years. Vitron retired as a special education teacher from the DC Public School System. She was an avid community service worker and volunteer at her church Vermont Avenue Baptist. Vitron was married to the late Willie Valentine.

Emmett Daniel (1924-1989)
Emmett married Sophia Juanita Cook of Edgefield, South Carolina. He served in the U.S. Army as a 1st Lieutenant and lived most of his adult life in Washington, DC. He and Juanita had three 
daughters who live in the Washington, D.C. area Valeria, Christine, and Linda. 

Roy Daniel (1925-1952)

Roy moved to Washington after high school. He joined the Army and later married Ruby Whiteside. They had two sons, Ronald and Nathan (both deceased).

Roy was mysteriously killed and his murder remains unsolved.

Ora Bunch (1927-1999)

Ora married Vinny Bunch. She worked at Howard University before moving to Dover, Delaware. She retired from Delaware State College.

Alice Carter Wood (1928-1991)

Alice taught school in Barnwell, South Carolina before moving to Washington, DC where she married Arvell Carter. While living in DC, she was a social worker with DC Department of Human Services. 

She later married Albert Wood and moved to Petersburg, VA. Alice had no children.

Johnnie Lincoln "Link" Daniel (1931-1966)

Link was killed in a plane crash in Vietnam as a member of a military team gathering materials to build a recreation center. After the construction project, the building bore his name in memory. Link's name (John Lincoln Daniel) is also on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. Link was married in 1956 to Gloria Rice. Their son Robert died in 1998.

Ogner Daniel

Ogner graduated from South Carolina State College. She retired from the DC Dept. of Human Services in Washington, DC, and was an avid golfer.

 James (Jimmy) Daniel

Jimmy graduated from South Carolina State College as a commissioned officer. He was a U.S. Army pilot and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Jimmy received a Purple Heart medal based on the lives he saved during the Korean War. While transporting a Korean officer and soldiers, the helicopter that he was flying came under intense fire. Even though his hand was wounded, he quickly devised an innovative flying technique that allowed them to take off quickly to get out of harm's way.

Jimmy and his first wife Myrtle Andrews had 5 children including Sonya, Marion, and James Jr (deceased); twin daughters died in infancy. Jimmy also has two other children, Dante and Katie.  At the time of his death, he was married to Chrissie.  All family members live in Texas.

Winnie Jones

Winnie graduated from South Carolina State College. She married Willie Edward Jones and had three daughters: Edwina, Jennifer, and LaRosa.

Winnie taught school in Columbia, SC, and retired from the Department of Defense. She still resides in Columbia, SC. 

Ella Daniel (1900-1986) & James Springs

Ella married James Springs in 1920 in Johnston, SC and they raised eight children including children from his previous marriages. When James died in 1955, Ella moved to the Washington, DC area and lived with her daughter Eunice, where she remained until her death.

Ella is remembered as a very sweet, good-looking woman who loved to cook and crochet. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren remember her love of delicacies like mango, coconut, and pomegranate - things uncommon in a mid-1900s Southern palette. She groomed her skin and hair with Pompeian olive oil and could still braid hair well into her 80s. She adopted her husband's Seventh-Day Adventist faith and raised her family in a Sabbath-keeping, devout biblical religion. But even against her husband's claims of "vanity", she always remained well-coiffed, wore heeled shoes every time she left home, and dusted her perfect cheekbones in Max Factor pancake foundation. She gardened with her son-in-law Johnie and made nutritious meals from scratch but now and then, she'd hand a couple of crumbled dollars to the nearest grandchild and wink for them to get her a Big Mac.

Children of Ella and James Springs: Jimmel, Mattie, Rosa Mae, Leonard, and Eunice.

Jimmel Springs
Jimmel is Ella's son, born in 1920. He married Bessie Talbert in 1944. He disappeared and was never found. Not much information is known about his whereabouts.

 Rosa Mae (1922-1988)

Rosa Mae married Harold Byrd of Edgefield. They made their home in Philadelphia, PA. They had one daughter Marion Pierre who has three sons Robert, James, and Brendad.

Leonard (1923-2002)

Leonard was known as a master brick mason and he left a legacy of craftsmanship in the many 
homes, schools, churches, and office buildings he built.

Leonard his childhood sweetheart Mildred had six children Ella, Lenny, Melvin, Brenda, Marvene, and Elaine.

Eunice  Willis (1926-2006)

Eunice married Johnny Willis. They made their home in Clinton, Maryland. She was a busy homemaker with six children including three adopted children and 12-13 foster children at various times. 

Eunice loved to talk. She'd have daily chats wither her sister, Mattie. Eunice was also known as a bit of a prankster with a great sense of humor. Johnny Willis died in 2008.

Children: Gwen Scott, Johnny Jr, Harold, Antikonette, Linda Willis, and Tashea (Toni) Cotton.

Getnie (1911-1991)
Getnie is the son of Viola Rosenboro and James Springs. Getnie left South Carolina as a teenager and died in the Washington area. He had eight children who reside in the Washington Metropolitan area. Grady, Shirley, Vivian, Getnie (June), Connie, Louis (Bubble), Carolyn and Yvette.

Minnie Pines (1914-1990)

Minnie is the daughter of Viola Rosenboro and James Springs. Minnie was married to Clarence Pines from Maine and lived in New York. Their children are Clarence Pines of Seattle, Washington, Violet Sample of New York, and Raymond Pines of Greenville, South Carolina.

Mattie (Lil) Burrell

Mattie was one of the original officers of the DC Chapter of the Daniel family reunion group and was very active in all family reunion activities. 

Born in 1915, Mattie was raised by Ella and James Springs. She married Mr. Burrell of Takoma Park, MD who died in 1965. Mattie was a hard worker throughout her career working as both a practical nurse for the Washington Home for the Aging and the main nurse for the John T. Rhines Funeral Home where she attended families during wakes and funerals. Mattie was a natural caregiver and was always ready to care for sick family members or make a wedding dress when asked.  She raised three daughters. Lauretta Newport, Winifred Donaldson, and Janice Burrell.

Lawrence Daniel (1909?-1973) & Ola Hill

Lawrence Daniel was the youngest child of Lawrence and Savannah-Jay Daniel. He was known as Lawrence (sounded like "Launce") when pronounced by his wife, Ola Hill Daniel, and close friends, Papa to his four sons, Pa-Pa or Papa-Daniel to his grandchildren, "Boy" and "Sugar-Lump" to his sisters.

Lawrence and Ola had four sons: Carey, Lafayette (who was called Lannie), Lawrence Jr. (who 
was called Billy), and Herman (who was called Peepsie or Peep). 

Lawrence was a successful farmer acquiring 44 acres of land in Saluda County. In 1949 he opened Daniel & Sons Funeral Home in Ninety-Six, SC to avoid competing with his friend’s funeral home in Saluda. The family lived upstairs, and the funeral home was downstairs. His wife Ola Daniel was also an entrepreneur opening a club in Ninety-Six.  

He chose Ninety-Six because it was close to the farm. He wanted to continue farming as well as operating a funeral business. However, the distance and the amount of land that needed attending was extremely challenging.

Daniel and Sons was the only funeral home in Ninety-Six, SC. Initially, there were some tough times. Eventually, the Daniel & Sons Funeral Home expanded to include a second location in Belton, SC. operated by his son Billy. Papa Daniel borrowed somewhere between $1200-$1400 to build the Belton funeral home.

Lawrence loved wrestling. His grandchildren recall him sitting in front of a black and white television set watching wrestling with his fists balled up as if he were in the wrestling ring. He would fuss at the television as if the wrestlers could hear him. He would become agitated when told the wrestling was staged. He went to a few live wrestling matches in Augusta, GA. On one occasion when taking granddaughters Rosalind and Audrey with him, he did the strangest thing while traveling down the road under a full moon, He took out his money and showed it to the moon! He remarked “Showing your money to the moon makes it multiply.” He later came back and said, “The only way to make your money multiply is by hard work.” He had other advice for his children, he said, “Always try to get a house of your own otherwise you will be paying for someone else’s.”

Children of Lawrence and Ola Daniel: Carey, Lafayette “ Lannie”, Lawrence Jr.” Billy” and Herman “ Peepsie or Peep”.

Carey Daniel
Carey worked in the funeral business and was also a talented brick mason. He was married to 
Mildred Valentine and raised four sons. Carey, Jr., Donald, Twins Kenneth and Kelvin. 
Carey died in 1988 and his wife Mildred died in May 2010.

Lafayette "Lannie" Daniel

Lannie married Dorothy Cunningham and raised three children in Laurens, SC. Reginald (Skipper or Red), Benjamin Lawrence (Ben), and Deborah Faye Barber. He died in 1988 at the age of 71. His wife died in 1977.

Lawrence "Billy" Daniel

Billy served a tour of duty in the military but spent most of his adult life in South Carolina. 
Billy is retired from the family funeral home business. His wife Josephine Lewis died in
1987. They had four children: Audrey Daniel, Rosalyn Daniel Walker, Maurice Daniel, and Dianna Robinson.