James Pinkney Dillard, better known as Jim Dillard,
was born
February 10, 1870 near Pelham, S. C. He spent his boyhood on
his
father's farm and attended the country school nearby. At an early
age he joined the First Presbyterian Church at Greer, South Carolina.
Later he attended a school in Greenville.
When a young man he was employed by the Pelham Mill
Co. as a
cotton buyer and overseer of the yarn shipments. At the same
time,
for several years, he was also overseer of the farm owned by the
mill company.
On June 21, 1894 he married Miss Nannie Morgan, born
April 14,
1874, of Pelham, S. C. where they made their home. Later he was
employed for ten years by Mr. John Baker in his general store.
After his service here he moved to his farm near Greer where he
continued to farm until his death, January 20, 1914.
The home of Jim and Nannie Dillard was blessed with
eight
children.
James P. Dillard died when he was hardly fourty-four
years of
age. He is buried at Pleasant Grove Church where he was a member
at
the time of his death.
He was a good husband and a good father, a loyal
member of his
church. His honesty and goodness endeared him to his family and
a
large number of friends. Those in need always found him eager
and
ready to help.
The children are:
A. Jessie Dillard, born June 24, 1895, married April
18, 1917 to
A. J. Greer, born August 23, 1896.
Their six sons are:
(1) James Davis Dillard, born
July 30, 1918, married March 8,
1947 to Mildred Andrea, born May 5, 1917.
(a) Gary James, born November 9, 1949.
(2) A. J. Greer, Jr., born September
17, 1920, married
September 4, 1941 to Janett Underwood. They have one
daughter.
(a) Linda Gayle Greer, born December 4, 1942.
(3) Prentis Greer, born October
23, 1923, married February 9,
1950 to Vera Mae Vaughn Brown, born August 30, 1922. Their
children are:
(a) Larry Julian Brown, born October 4, 1941.
(b) Patricia Karene Brown, born July 3, 1943.
(4) Keith Greer, born January
9, 1926, married August 15, 1948
to Veroyl Vaughn, born February 14, 1930.
(5) Roy Lewis Greer, born May
13, 1938, married May 31, 1949 to
Doris Morgan, born August 27, 1930. Their only child is:
(a) Sherrill Lynn Greer, born August 25, 1949.
(6) John Wallace Greer, born December
29, 1932, killed in wreck
August 14, 1947.
B. Gladys Dillard, born January 22, 1898, married
April 5, 1942 to
James Anthony Pearson,
born February 1, 1893,
died April 6, 1958.
C. Grace Dillard, born July 4, 1899, married August
14, 1918 to
Gettis Wood, born
February 22, 1898. They have two children:
(1) Goldie Wood, born
October 3, 1919, married July 18, 1946
to William McCullough Gambrell. Their four children are:
(a) John William Gambrell, born July 27, 1947.
(b) Grace Dean Gambrell, born June 2, 1949.
(c) William McCullough Gambrell, Jr., born March 15, 1953.
(d) George Breazeale Gambrell, born May 23, 1955.
(2) Gettis Dean Wood,
Jr., born December 20, 1923, married May
14, 1947 to Mary Vincent Tucker from Williamston, S. C.,
born November 29, 1927. Their two children are:
(a) Butler Dean Wood, born June 23, 1952.
(b) David Gardner Wood, born June 25, 1954.
D. Mellie Dillard, born January 3, 1901, married
November 26, 1919
to William Troy Smith,
born August 3, 1896. Their twelve
children are:
(1) Docie Louise Smith,
born October 28, 1920, married October
28, 1949 to Thomas Clarence Griffieth, born September 29,
1925. Their only child:
(a) Linda Ann Griffieth, born January 2, 1952.
(2) James Kenneth
Smith, born February 27, 1923, married
June 28, 1946 to Grace Irene Vaughn, born April 28, 1927.
They have two children:
(a) Rachel Ilene Smith, born September 6, 1947.
(b) Sheila Ann Smith, born April 4, 1959.
(3) Nancy Elizabeth
Smith, born April 8, 1925, married July 28,
1944 to William Lee Mayfield, born April 5, 1923. Their
four children are:
(a) William Larry Mayfield, born March 2, 1947.
(b) Juanita Elizabeth Mayfield, born September 8, 1949.
(c) Nancy Cora Mayfield, born March 20, 1951.
(d) Peggy Christine Mayfield, born September 26, 1953.
(4) William Harry
Smith, born November 22, 1926, married July 5,
1949 to Betty Jean White, born May 31, 1930.
(5) Lucy Mae Smith,
born December 4, 1928, married July 28, 1951
to Richard Hayden Howell, born January 8, 1926. They have
one child:
(a) Robert Scotty Howell, born November 29, 1955.
(6) Betty Jean Smith,
born December 24, 1933.
(7) Sara Helen Smith,
born September 24, 1933, married Odis D.
Rumsey, born December 15, 1928. Their two children are:
(a) Sara Loretta Rumsey, born March 5, 1955.
(b) Michael Daniel Rumsey, born November 11, 1957.
(8) William Daniel
Smith, born October 24, 1931, married Marion
Seay, born April 10, 1933.
(9) Ruby Dillard Smith,
born October 25, 1937, died October 28,
1937.
(10) John Virgil Smith, born May
16, 1939, married Norma Isreal,
born November 7, 1937. They have one child:
(a) Virgil Lynn, born November 1, 1958.
(11) Mildred Ann Smith, born July
29, 1941.
(12) Marion Eugene Smith, born
December 18, 1943.
E. James Stanley Dillard, born October 15, 1902,
married August 20,
1923 to Mozelle Christopher,
born August 21, 1907. Their two
daughters are:
(1) Marice Dillard, born
October 29, 1924, married July 5, 1946
to Marvin Young Coster, born August 15, 1922. Their only
child is:
(a) Stanley Marvin Coster, born April 23, 1952.
(2) Martha Dillard, born
January 1, 1930, married May 4, 1951
to Frank Blodgett Edwards II, born October 3, 1931. They
have one son:
(a) Frank Blodgett Edwards III, born February 25, 2959.
F. Mae Dillard, born January 4, 1905, married June
30, 1927 to
William Leroy Jones, born
September 1, 1904. Their two
children are:
(1) William Sloan Jones,
born January 29, 1930, married August
29, 1953 to Marlyn Louise Farsberg.
(2) Donald Lee Jones, born
June 5, 1935.
G. Bessie Lois Dillard, born December 24, 1908.
H. John Turner Dillard, born January 19, 1913, married
July 26,
1946 to Inez McElrath,
born June 11, 1922.
