Green Braselton died this past Saturday. He was a true Southern gentleman and he lived to be 100 years old. If you read his obituary in our local newspaper you will also be rewarded by seeing his photo. You may read the obituary from the Rockdale Citizen here. I am happy to tell you that I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Braselton over the past 14 years or so and you could not ask to meet a finer man. I love this line from his obituary, " He had many friends and he loved them all". And I also love that he called his wife, "The Babe"!
When I first met him, and he told me his name, I teased him a bit about his name, asking if he owned the town by the same name. "Well...." was his modest reply, and of course, I knew that meant that he was too polite to tell me the background of his family so I had to do a bit of background reading...
For me, the story of his family sounds like a wonderful outline for a historical novel.
In 1876, William Harrison Braselton, who was a poor dirt farmer, married Susan Hosch, the daughter of a rich plantation owner. Braselton built a house on 786 acres that he purchased that was just north of the Hosch Plantation. Harrison and Susan Braselton had three sons, William Henry, Green and John. In 1887, John, the youngest son of William and Susan, began selling goods to the workers on the farm out of a small 6ft by 6ft building. (He was only 8 years old!) Later, the business expanded and his two older brothers joined him. This business became known as the Braselton Brothers Store and was a well respected and much loved business. The company was one of the first to extend customer credit and to have the most up to date goods. The business grew and grew and they built a beautiful brick building covering over 70,000 square feet in 1904. These three brothers, or the Three B's, as they were called, were ahead of their time...their store was almost one stop shopping...departments for clothing, food, furniture, toys, hardware, linens, housewares, gifts, and there was also room for the local bank!
You might notice that the middle brother was named Green, so I believe that Mr. Green Braselton who was born in 1914 would be his son. I find this kind of family history quite interesting and I find it especially fascinating since I met this man and liked him very much. It makes me see why this business was so very popular. I am sure that the brothers were just as charming and gracious as I found Mr. Green Braselton to be. Honestly, can't you just see this become a best-selling book or very popular movie?
Hi Kay! Aloooha! This was such an interesting post. Mr. Braselton sounds like he was a wonderful, accomplished man. I love the photo of him. He's got a twinkle in his eyes and such a sweet smile. How terrific that you got to meet him.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay! And thank you for looking at his obituary, I so agree with you, I think you can tell a lot about a person just from a photo!
DeleteGlad you are back, Aloha!
It is always lovely to hear snatches of family history that impinges on a community in such a way and to meet people who are part of it.
ReplyDeleteI love to learn about family histories and when it is someone that I have known, that makes it even more interesting to me!
DeleteGreat post, Kay of a most interesting man and family. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee! And if someone writes a book about this family, you can say you heard about it here first!!
DeleteIt sounds like the community lost a great man, and a good man, from a great and good family. May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteI am most impressed by people who are successful through hard work and this family seems to fit the bill!
DeleteIt would make a fascinating book indeed, or a great movie!
ReplyDeleteBut how odd - what were the parents thinking when they named their baby "Green"?
Yes, I thought you would agree with me too, a good book or movie, perhaps I will try to write one myself!
DeleteI wonder if "Green" might be a surname of someone that the couple admired, or else an old family name...I really don't know but I like the name myself, but then, I did meet Mr. Green Braselton himself, so of course, I would!
Yes! This would make a great book! Have you ever thought about writing a book?
ReplyDeleteHa! I struggle with writing this little blog of mine, but I guess I don't have to tell you that! :-)
DeleteKay, This was an interesting post. A very unusual name. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteHey Susie!
DeleteYou should see some of the names in my family tree!
Blessings to you, my friend! xx
Kay, thank you for this beautiful tribute to Mr. Green Braselton, who was just as you describe him. My great-grandmother was a Braselton born in Jackson County, Georgia, and on several trips through Braselton over the years, I stopped and talked to various members of the Braselton family, including Mr. Green Braselton. All were gracious to me, hospitable and kind to claim me as a distant cousin.
ReplyDeleteThe given name Green came into the Braselton family from Hannah Green (1757-1832). Hannah and her husband Jacob Braselton were the progenitors of the Braselton family in Jackson County and surrouding counties. Hannah was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Green of Baltimore and Frederick Counties, Maryland, who came down to Granville County, North Carolina, in 1778, along with Jacob and Hannah Braselton, who lived in Frederick County where Jacob's father John had settled when he arrived in the colonies from — we think — the British Isles.
I can't thank you enough for leaving this comment! I am glad that you consider this a nice tribute to Mr. Braselton. It is really hard to convey the charm of this true Southern gentleman!
DeleteI like the name of Green as a first name. Thanks for telling me how it came to be!