- The patriarch and matriarch of the Mason family are Alex and Elizabeth Mason. We believe Alex was the slave of William Mason. We do not have the birth dates of Alex and Elizabeth. Our family tree shows Rev. Charlie J. Mason as their only child. Through oral history, we have discovered additional members of the Mason tree. For instance, I have heard of a Elick Mason, aka cousin Strap. I have also heard of his daughter, cousin Marganna. The Chandler county census of 1920 has Elick Mason’s age as 54 and Rev. Charlie J. Mason’s as 53. I am still researching the exact relationship. )
Rev. Charlie J. Mason married Sara Ann and to that union eleven children were born: Wiley, Cohen, Austin, Cephus, Charlie, Harvey, Jane, Luvanna, Donnie, Linnie and Minnie (twins). After the death of Sara Ann, Charlie married Maggie. To that union three children were born, William James, Eliza and Andrell.
Notice that the census of 1920 does not include the names of Donnie and Jane. I heard that Hun Pullin and Donnie eloped at a young age. They lived in a small community named Buckeye. Donnie Mason and Hun Pullin started their family in a time in America where the lynching of a Black person had reached crisis portion. From 1859 to 1920, over 3,000 lynchings had occurred. The lynching of Claxton Dekle of Metter, Frank Erle of Vidalia, and Samuel Martin of Wrightsville by whites mobs were no doubt the ever imposing forces of control our ancestors had to overcome. In fact, Hun Pullin told me in an interview with him, that conditions in those times were so bad for Blacks, that some followed the program of the AME minister, Bishop Henry McNeil Turner. Bishop Turner felt that the best solution to the racial oppression of Blacks in America was to return to Africa. Of course, Hun Pullin was not one of those that agreed with this solution.
Continuing with the Mason lineage, we see that Wiley married Willie Mae. To that union three children were born: Wiley Jr., Charlie and Vassie. Wiley served in World War I. In about 1936, the US government gave WWI veterans a $600 bonus. With this bonus, Wiley purchased a new Buick while in Cincinnati, Ohio. So, with his new car and young family, Wiley returned home for the first time in many years. He spent several weeks with his sister, Donnie, my grandmother and his other relatives. Because of his asthma, doctors advised him to move to a high, dry climate. Thus, he moved to California. Over the years contact with him and his family have been lost. The last known place of residence was Bakersfield, California . We recently found in the California Department of Health Services of Health Information and research of Vital Records, a listing for Wiley Mason who was born in Georgia and died in 1973.
Charlie J. Jr. married Effie. From that union four children were born: Silver Lee, Talmadge, James Lee, and Betty. Charlie J. Jr. was said to have been slip jointed. Even at a old age, Charlie Jr. could sit in a chair and put his feet behind his head.
Harvey married Susie. To that union four girls were born: Eloise, Arizona, Jane Lou and Freda Mae.
Cohen and Austin died at a very early age.
Cephus and his wife Lennie Bell had two sons and four daughters: Joe Cephus, Beatrice, Sarah Ann, James, Rebecca and Roberta.
Jane was married to Rev. Arthur Birch (Bubba) Pullen. Their names are cited in the Pullen family history.
Luvanna was married to John Gamble. There were no offspring from this union.
Donnie Mae married Willie Oscar (Hun) Pullen. Their names are cited in the Pullen family history.
Linnie and her husband Fred Holloman had four children: Alberta, Bernice, Willie and Freddie Mae.
Minnie died at a young age. She added to the family one daughter Odessa.
Eliza married Hulin. No children were born this union.
Andrell was married to William Whitlow. No children were born to this union.
William James and his wife Minnie Lee added nine branches to the Mason family tree: Geraldine, Thelma, Dora, Andrell, Judith, Willette, Cynthia, Willie Hugh and Kenneth.
With the first generation consisting of the patriarch and matriarch,
Alex and Elizabeth Mason, the lineage of the Mason Family to date
consists of:
Charlie and Sara Ann, Maggie (2nd Generation)
21 children (3rd Generation)
32 grandchildren (4th Generation)
18 great grandchildren (5th Generation)
4 great-great grandchildren (6th Generation)