MILDRED SNEAD AND RICHARD SORRELLSOF MADISON AND WALTON COUNTY, GEORGIACompiled by Thelma Faye Cain Prince, © Copyright 1998 |
300 THOMAS COURTLAND 6 SORRELLS (Thomas W. 5 ,
William Benjamin 4, Wiley 3, William 2,
Richard), born 15 April 1908, Gwinnett County; married SARA ELIZABETH ADKINS
(b. 2 1911, Clarke Co. Ga.), daughter of Sara Elizabeth Saye and Robert
Chaffin Adkins, on 12 June 1934, Gordon St. Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.
Courtland attended Bethesda School, and moved to Atlanta
with his mother, sister, Celia Adazoe Sorrells, and brother, William Benjamin
Sorrells, around 1926. He first worked at Rich's Department Store to
support the family, and later, he worked at Wormer's Hat Store and then Bond's
Clothing Store for many years until he retired. At Bond's he was the
display manager; his windows were greatly admired by all who saw them. He
made many trips to the Bond store in Birmingham, Alabama, to decorate their
windows.
Courtland served in the U.S. Army in 1944. He did not go overseas, because he received an eye injury at Camp Crowder, Missouri, and was medically discharged. He was hurt in a land mine accident, but suffered no permanent injuries. Soon after that, he attended the University of Georgia, Atlanta Division, for 5 years at night.
Courtland and Sara were members of Pinetree Park Baptist Church, Riverdale, Georgia. Through the years, Courtland was the Minister of Music at several Baptist Churches in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Among them were Lakewood Heights, Fairburn Baptist, and Sylvan Hills Baptist Church, Melrose Avenue, Atlanta, where the compiler was a member. When I married there in 1953, Courtland gave me away. He had a beautiful voice and sang for my wedding. Sara furnished the wedding cake and rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding and helped me plan the wedding. They both were wonderful to Bill and me.
Besides his musical talents, Courtland was a self taught carpenter and refinisher of furniture. He refinished my grandfather Thomas Sorrells' old organ. I first learned to play on that old organ. It was a beautiful piece and dates back to around 1915. It is now in the Thomas Wayne Sorrells family. He also used his carpentry talents in a home he had built by his uncle, Daniel Williams, on Beecher Street in West End during the fifties. Uncle Daniel was a master carpenter and had learned the trade from his father, Middleton Mix Williams (1829-1894). The Williams family is covered at http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/williams-004.html
About 1945, Courtland was seriously ill with typhus fever, and he was the first person to have the antibiotic, Aureomycin, used for treatment. It worked and he recovered from the illness.
Courtland was named after Courtland S. Wynn, mayor of Atlanta at the time and for whom Courtland St. in Atlanta was named.
Courtland also was talented in photography, and took a picture of me when I was still a student nurse (363). Courtland and Sara lived on Lucille Avenue in a private apartment downstairs in the home of Sally and Robert Adkins, her parents, when I first knew them. Their house and yard adjoined the backyard of my sister Elizabeth's place. I often stayed for dinner at Mrs. Adkins invitation because she was so nice and a good cook. I went to school with Anne, Sara's niece, who married Norman Smith.
Courtland Sorrells died of complications following a stroke. He and Sara are buried at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta. His funeral was held at Patterson's Spring Hill Funeral Home, Atlanta, 8 April 1991, 2PM, with Rev. Larry Stegall and Rev. Jim Posey officiating.
Tommy read the following tribute to his Dad: "My cousin, Norman, said that today had to be a celebration of one of the greatest lives any of us have ever seen. My Aunt Verda said that it was hard to imagine the world without Courtland Sorrells. If you knew Courtland when he was 30, or when he was 82, you knew the same man. People went to him for advice, help, and love. Not only could he do anything, he would do anything.
"I am the luckiest man in the world to have had him for my father. But that is a joy I shared with a great number of people. This week so many people, from simple children, to folks in their twenties and thirties, to those in middle age, have told me that he was like a second father to them.
"Until the day of his stroke people counted on him and he always delivered. From the time he was a teenager his family counted on him and his amazing talents and he was always there. How he loved his family, his sisters and his brother, his grandchildren and nieces and nephews but, most of all I remember how he acted toward my mother. It was one of the greatest love stories of all time. Until her death he treated her as if they were still courting.
"I remember all the churches and all the people. Most of all I remember the children. He was always surrounded by children; making rats out of handkerchiefs which mysteriously jumped when he rubbed them, making his tie go up and down when he pulled his ear. But more importantly I remember how he encouraged them, told them how great they were, and bragged about them to anyone who listened. It seems that the children and young people are the ones having a hard time dealing with his death--they haven't had him with them long enough.
"Everyone who ever knew Courtland Sorrells knew laughter. Those comedy routines of his brought down the house even into his eighties. I will remember that laugh of his as long as I live.
"If ever there was a Christian man it was Courtland Sorrells. His love for the Lord dominated every moment of his life. The love of God overflowed through him to everyone he touched. We grieve for ourselves, not for him. He knew where he was going and was ready to get there. Just weeks before he had his stroke and a year after mother died, he told the folks at Pinetree Park Baptist Church, whom he loved dearly and who gave so much love to him, how he felt. I wanted you to hear what he said." Then a tape of Courtland talking was played. He was ready to go when the Lord called for him.
"As my Cousin Ann said on Friday morning, April 5, 1991, at 2:00 AM, my mother in heaven said, Courtland, what took you so long?"
Thomas C. Sorrells d. 8 April 1991
He was survived by his son, Thomas W. Sorrells of Montgomery, AL; a brother, Ben Sorrells of Newport Beach, California; three sisters, Pearl Allgood and Celia Williford of Atlanta, Verda Cain of N.J., and three grandchildren, Thomas Wayne Sorrells, Jr., Edward Benson Sorrells, and Susan Sorrells, all of Dothan, AL.
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Sara Adkins Sorrells |
Thomas Courtland Sorrells (1908-1991) |
ISSUE OF SARA ELIZABETH ADKINS AND THOMAS COURTLAND 6 SORRELLS
Seventh Generation
364 THOMAS WAYNE 7, b. 2 Aug. 1939, Atlanta; m. MONTINE WHITE (b. 2 Nov. 1942, Dothan, Al.), on 28 Aug. 1965; they divorced about 1985.
Tom lives Dothan, where he was District Attorney, 22nd Congressional District in 1984. He was the Assistant District Attorney in Alabama during recent years. He was educated at Howard and at Sanford University in Birmingham. He was the executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association. He is retired now.
ISSUE: THOMAS WAYNE, Jr. 8, b. July 7, 1967; EDWARD BENSON, b. April 12,
1970, and SUSAN DENISE SORRELLS, b. January 16, 1974.
EDWARD 8m. TERRY MIMS, and they have ALEX EDWARD9SORRELLS, b. 3 September 1991. Edward and Terry
divorced. In April 1998, Edward m. STACIE HUGHES and they have REGAN PAGE
SORRELLS, b. 22 March 1999. All live in Dothan, Al.
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Edward, Susan, Montine, |
