Dear James,
Thank you for writing me back. I have been wanting to correspond with Mary Evelyn's family. Danny Godby (g.grandson of Daniel Webster Godby) has sent me a little of Mary Evelyn's material. I thought it was interesting to read about Albert and his farm. My e-mail is
lgtuggle@aol.comDanny told me the reason that Henry Benjamin changed his name was because he had a falling out with one of his brothers. Danny assumed that it was Stephan. Danny has researched records at the local courthouse and said that in 1858 Stephan sold his land to Henry Benjamin and his father Albert.
I found Jincy listed as the head of the household on the 1860 census. She lived next door to Albert. The Civil War did not start until 1861.
Jincy was a West. Her parents were James West and Nancy (Ward) West. According to Danny they lived near Albert's family. Jincy remarried in 1866 to a John Coffman. They are found on the 1880 census living in Carroll County (John lives with them). William had already married Ada Phillips.
My grandfather John Henderson Godbee married Susan Emaline Benefield in Carroll County in 1884. They moved to Cullman County, Alabama in 1889. My family still lives in the same community today. My grandfather, Albert Godbee (age 80 years) lives on some of the original family land. We attend the same church that John and Susan attended (they are buried there also). John told my grandfather that he never knew what happened to his father (Stephan). I think that the only Georgia Godbees he had contact with was his brother, William (we call him Uncle Bill).
In 1996 I contacted some of Uncle Bill's descendants. They said that they had been told to not contact the Godby family. Some of them had visited the family cemetary, but had never met any of Henry or William Albert's family. They were unclear as to why not to communicate only that there had been a family feud.
I ignored their advice and called "Dub" Godby who owns the cemetary with his brother. He was very nice and gave me the name of his nephew, Danny Godby. We corresponded several times, but I have not talked with him in 4 years. I recently read over the material that Danny sent me and wondered how I could find Mary Evelyn's family. Your response is a very pleasant surprise.
Lynn Godbee Tuggle