Anna Lydia "Birdie" Quillian: Brief Biography

Biography of Anna Lydia "Birdie" Quillian

Anna Lydia Quillian, called "Birdie," was the daughter of Lewis Wagner and Eliza (Hutchinson) Quillian. Birdie was born in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia, on September 1, 1865. She and her family moved to Dalton, Georgia, early on. Birdie never married. She belonged to the Methodist Church and was a faithful servant of Christ. In mid life, she cared for an orphan child, Ruth, from the Decatur Orphan's Home. She remained in Whitfield County for the rest of her life, dying at the age of forty-nine, after suffering from a long illness. Her obituary refers to the cemetery of burial as "Forest Hill," which may be a historic name for the Quillian Cemetery. Her obituary, written by a friend and entitled "In Memoriam," appears in The Dalton Citizen, on page 9 of the September 24th edition, 1914. May she rest in peace.

Written by: D. K. Pritchett, from various sources. Also submitted to Find A Grave for the memorial page of Anna Lydia Quillian.

The Dalton Citizen is indexed as North Georgia Citizen, and is currently available on-line through Galileo (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online).

Obituary of Anna L. Quillian

Extract of Obituary of Anna L. Quillian

Obituary of Anna L. "Birdie" Quillian, The Dalton Citizen news (1914)

Obituary of Anna L. (Birdie) Quillian 

Extracted Details:

Library/Database: GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online)
Newspaper: North Georgia Citizen
Place of Publication: Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia
Date of Publication: Thurs., 24 September 1914
Page: 9. Column: 4
Title: "In Memoriam"
Author: "A Friend"
Mode: Searchable Database with Document Images
Name of Deceased: Anna L. Quillian
Maiden Surname: Quillian*
Nickname: Birdie*
Age of Deceased: (not stated; est. 49)
Date of Death: 9 September 1914
Cause of Death: (not stated)
Duration/Description of Illness: "protracted," "terrible suffering"
Date of Birth: 1 September 1865
Place of Birth: Dahlonega [Lumpkin], Georgia
Residence: Whitfield County, Georgia
Length of Stay: "nearly all of her life"
Religious Affiliation: Christian
Denomination/Church: Methodist
Ward (cared for): "little orphan, Ruth, from the Decatur Orphan's home"
Funeral Services: (date, location, not stated)
Minister/Officiators: Rev. J. T. Richardson; Rev. E. M. Stanton
Burial/Cemetery: Forest Hill**
Extract By: D. K. Pritchett, 27 Feb. 2017, from doc. image
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Transcription Notes and Related Research (Other Sources):

*My first conclusion, because of the parentheses, was that "Birdie" (or Byrd) might be the maiden surname. However, a separate source (US Census, 1880) shows Anna L. Quillian, single, daughter of L W and Eliza Quillian. [Source]: US Census, 1880, Family Search database, FamilySearch.org, index and images, document image, East Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, Page 24, Sheet B, Dwelling 210, Family 215, Household of L W Quillian, Line 23: Anna L. Quillian, female, single, daughter. Birth: (est. 1866), Georgia. Occupation: Going to School. [Citation]: Georgia: Washington (cont'd: E.D. 127, sheet 23-end), Wayne, Webster, White, and Whitfield Counties (NARA Series T9, Roll 171).

**Not found on Find A Grave. See instead, Quillian Cemetery, Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia: Birdie Quillian, Find A Grave Memorial no. 37617556. On Find A Grave, the location of the cemetery is described as being "off Dawnville Road a bit past Brooker Farm Road, Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, USA." The summary describes an obscure cemetery, "in the trees behind a house," which had fallen into neglect at one time.
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[Source Citation]: "In Memoriam" [Obituary of Anna L. (Birdie) Quillian, North Georgia Citizen ["The Dalton Citizen," Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia], 24 Sep. 1914, pg. 9 (via GALILEO). http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers/id:ngc1914-0341 (accessed 27 Feb. 2017). 

Link to Find A Grave Memorial 37617556

Extract: Will of Samuel P. C. Howard, of Ophir, Placer, California (1906)

Will of Samuel P. C. Howard
Ophir, Placer, California
31 August 1906
Brief Extract by: John T. Coleman, Rabun County, Georgia

[This will mentions]:

• heirs of my deceased brother, Lafayette Howard, of Macon Co., North Carolina
• heirs of my deceased brother, Pulaske Howard, of Macon Co., North Carolina
• my sister, Rosetta Norton nee Howard of Macon Co., North Carolina, or her heirs
• my sister, Marcella McClure nee Howard of Clay Co., North Carolina, or her heirs
• my brother, Dr. Nicholas F. Howard, of Dahlonega, Georgia, or his heirs
• my brother, John H. Howard, of Greenfield, Missouri, or his heirs
• heirs of my deceased sister, Elizabeth Roane nee Howard, of Jefferson Co., Illinois

Appointed Executors: William R. Monahan and Otto F. Walter, of Ophir, Placer, California

"I wish to be buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Auburn, Ophir, Placer, California."

[Dated] 31 August 1906

Witnesses: Fred Lutz

                  A. W. Ellison

__________________________________

These are just brief notes by John T. Howard; he has published a more detailed transcript of the will in a self-published book on the Howard family. It may be found at Rabun County Historical Society and other libraries in Georgia and North Carolina.