Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3195years he was vice president of the Norman Institute, and in September, 1908,he began the law course at Mercer University, and was graduated LL.B. in1909. He was soon afterwards admitted to the bar and did his first practiceas a lawyer at Moultrie, where he remained until February, 1910. Mr. Grinerwas then appointed private secretary to S. A. Rodenberry, but in September,1910. resigned and established his home and office at Teias.Mr. Griner is now serving as city attorney at Tifton. Along with the lawbusiness he has dealt extensively in farm lands and farm loans, and he ownsoutright about 300 acres of farming land which he operates through tenants.He is an active member of the Tift County Bar Association, is affiliated withthe Modern Woodmen of America, is a member of the Baptist Church and inpolitics a democrat.On October 18,1911, at Tifton, he married Miss Edna Sable, who was bornat Canton, Illinois, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Sable, who arestill living at Canton. Mr. and Mrs. Griner have one child, Oliver ClaytonGriner, Jr., born January 27, 1915, at Tifton.JOHN HENRY ALMAND. As a banker and manufacturer, the little City ofConyers in Rockdale County has no more prominent factor than John HenryAlmand. He possesses business faculty in a highly developed form, else itwould be impossible to conceive of his advancement from a worker in a blacksmith shop to the dignity and responsibility he carries in directing animportant financial institution-and one of the leading cotton factories in hissection of the state.John Henry Almand was born January 4, 1846, in Newton County,Georgia, a son of Joseph Hamilton and Catherine A. (Henry) Almand. Hisgrandparents were Thomas and Nancy (David) Almand, the former a nativeof North Carolina and the latter near Petersburg, Virginia. Thomas Almandwas a farmer, and early in the nineteenth century located in Newton County,Georgia. Joseph H. Almand was born in Newton County, November 15, 1818,and was a blacksmith'by trade, combining the vocations of blacksmith withfarming in Newton County until he retired. His death occurred October24, 1897, at the age of nearly seventy-nine years. In early life he was anactive member of the Baptist Church and later joined the Methodist. Duringthe war he was a member of the Georgia State Troops in the Confederatearmy, and was a very ardent democrat and a member of the Masonic order.His wife. Catherine A. Henry, was a daughter of Dr. James Henry, of HenryCounty, Georgia, and of the famous Henry family of Virginia. She was bornin Georgia and died in advanced years. Joseph Hamilton Almand was fourtimes married. By his first marriage he had four children, namely: NancyM.; James Thomas, who served in the Confederate army, in the Thirty-fifthGeorgia Regiment, during the Civil war; Sophronia A., and John Henry.There was' but one child born of the second marriage, Newton Monroe. Bythe third marriage of Joseph II. Almand there were four children: MaggieM.; Alpharetta; Gustavus A.; and Luther J. The mother of these childrenwas Mrs. Sarah J. (Chafin) Almand. No children by the fourth marriageto Nancy C. Born.John Henry Almand spent his boyhood and early youth on the old homestead near Conyers, attending the public schools of that village. He wasfifteen years old when the war came on. He served during the year of 1864and part of 1865 in the Twenty-second Georgia Battalion, Confederate army,and suffered many of the hardships and inconveniences of the war epoch.On leaving school he found plenty of work in his father's blacksmith shop,and developed a high degree of efficiency. About January 1, 1866, he joinedhis father in establishing a general merchandise store at Conyers, under thename of J. H. Almand & Son. They started with a very modest stock, buttheir trade soon grew to large and successful proportions. Later Thomas