Genealogy - Family History
Findley Family

Author:
Clare Findley Magbee "Tia"
Provided to us before her death.
Transcribed By:
Jodie Ritch & Quentin Ritch
Date: Unknown
Edit Date : 03/04/2008

Findley School founded about 1930 on the Findley Farm, in what is now North Fulton County. Findley Chapel founded about 1940 Location of Findley Chapel was on Findley Chapel Road off 141 Highway just south of the Forsyth County Line. Location is now Johns Creek Parkway.

Benjamin Jefferson Findley and his wife, Minnie Olivia Dodds, son of Benjamin Franklin Findley and Amanda Constantine Jones were the owners of a large farm in North Fulton County, formally Old Milton County. Benjamin Franklin Findley started putting together this farm about 1850; Benjamin Jefferson Findley, his youngest son inherited it from him. Many black children lived in the area and had no access to public schools. About 1930 he petitioned the Milton County School Board to provide a school for the children living on the farm. The nearest elementary school was in Alpharetta. In bad weather, the time when most children attended school, it was difficult for them to get to Alpharetta, because of the unpaved muddy roads in that part of the county. He told them he would build the school and provide a home for the teacher if they would pay her salary and supply the books. The board agreed to this, and the school was built. Grades one through eight were taught, in a one-room school, with one teacher. There were a couple of teachers, probably the first being Miss Snow, Mattie Floyd Johnson and later Louise Williams. The last teacher was Mammie Mahon Lawrence, certainly the most well known one. In 1939 she was asked by then Superintendent of Fulton County Schools, Dr. West, to go to Findley School to be the principle and teacher. She was from Tuskegee, AL, and had just graduated from Morris Brown College in Atlanta. She came to the farm and lived with Pete and Lelia Brown. She taught there until 1950 or 51 when roads were better and a new school for blacks was built in Alpharetta. Several of the children who went to school under “Miss” Mammie remember crying on the bus going to Alpharetta that first week because they had to change schools. They loved “Miss” Mammie and their little school. “Miss” Mammie also went to Alpharetta to teach. She died in 1955. She had two adopted children Anita and Bennie. “Miss” Mammie was a strict disciplinarian and a demanding teacher. If you went to school under Miss Mammie, you learned to read! (or else)

“Miss” Mammie was the inspiration for Findley Chapel, which was built next to the school, about 1940. The church was in operation until the Findley Farm was sold in 1962, after the death of Guy Findley, son of Benjamin Jefferson Findley. Many of the children remember wonderful Christmas and Easter programs as well as revival meetings at Findley Chapel.

Church Members included:
L.T. and Margie Borders, their children Shirley, Kathy, Becky, Jane, Richard and David Nathaniel and “Miss” Bet Rogers, daughter Louise and Echol Williams, her children Leon and Laura Ma.
Buck and Clyde Rogers, son LeRoy and daughter Mary Rogers and her husband James Brown, her children Pete and Roy Collins and grandson Leroy and granddaughter Annett.
Hack and “Miss” Bert Williams, children Anna Bell, Echol, dau. Ollie and husband Claude Burse Esther and Paul Rogers
Charles and Mammie Emerson, sons Leonard and Bennie
Essie and Earnest Rogers, children Mae, Cleve, Roosevelt, and Carrie Lou Jack and Lillian Waters Jones, son Eddie
Lee and Ada Strickland, son Robert and wife Francis, L.B., General Lee and wife Rebecca [Diana] Daughter Barbara Ann and Sue and her children Nap and Elizabeth
Aaron and Carrie Lou Rogers Strickland
Abbott and Louise Rogers, children Daisy Sue, Nathaniel, Lewis and Billy
Annie Lou Burse, Dude Burse, son Steve, Joe, Lewis, and Genevieve and Beatrice Lade and Dewitt Benton
Pete and Lelia Brown

Some of the Ministers were:
Rev. Clements
Rev. Wiggins
Rev. Abbott
Rev. Marsh
Rev. Morrison

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