Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3233is in the prime of life, with the wisdom of a philosopher, the experience of astatesman, the enthusiasm of a philanthropist, the devotion of a Christian.In 1887 he married Miss Antoinette Curtright of La Grange. Their threesurviving children are: Mrs. Andrew Sledd, wife of Dr. Andrew Sledd, professor of New Testament Greek in the theological department of Emory University; John C.; and Samuel Charles Candler.ROBERT LEE AVARY. For twenty-five years Robert Lee Avary has practiced law at Atlanta. He is one of the comparatively few men whose mentaland social attainments are broader than his profession. During his activecareer Mr. Avary has gained many of the better distinctions that go withprofessional life arid has done much to serve the public and to supportbeneficent and vital institutions in his city and state.Mnch might have been expected of Mr. Avary from his ancestry. He isdescended from a lieutenant-colonel, James Avary, who emigrated from England to America in 1621. His great-grandfather was the Revolutionarysoldier John AVary, to whom was granted a large tract of land January 11,1798, in Columbia County, on the Savannah River, and part of this land isstill owned by the Avary famity.Judge Archer Avary, the paternal grandfather, was distinguished in thepublic life of Georgia in the first half of the last century. He served as judgeof the Court of Columbia County, was that county's representative in theGeneral Assembly of Georgia from 1815 to 1822, was senator from ColumbiaCounty from 1831 to 1837 consecutively, and at the time of his death in 1841was senator-elect from Columbia County. He occasionally presided over thejoint sessions of the General Assembly. By his father's will he was madeone of the executors and this appears of record in the office of the ordinaryof Columbia County. Later Columbia County honored his son, Ambrose J.Avary, by electing him representative and senator, and for a number of yearsthe county's representative was Major Moody Burt, a son-in-law of JudgeArcher Avary.R. L. Avary's father was Dr. James Corbin Avary, who, when quite young,represented Columbia County in the Legislature, doubtless being led to trypolitics for a season by the example of his father. Doctor Avary was a distinguished physician of his time, practicing medicine from the time of his graduation in 1843, from what is now the Medical Department of the Universityof Georgia, until his death. Soon after his graduation he became a memberof the Georgia Medical Association. He was a devoted Christian and was asteward in the^Methodist Episcopal Church South. Although always a busyphysician he also was engaged in planting, owning a plantation of 1,300 acresin DeKalb County, Georgia, where Robert Lee Avary was born. Colonel Avaryhas three brothers living in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Archer Avary, Dr. JamesCorbin Avary, Moody Burt Avary, Ph. G., and one brother, Dr. ThomasDabney Carr Avary of the State of Washington, and one sister, Mrs. HansfordDade Duncan Sams of Decatur, Georgia. His sister, Mrs. Clement A. Evans,died several years ago in Atlanta, Georgia,Col. R. L. Avary's mother was Miss Susan Frances Carr, daughter ofCol. Thomas Dabney Carr and Ann Watkins Carr, and is a lineal descendantof "William Carr of Spottsylvania County, Virginia. Ann Watkins' brother,John Watkins, and Col. Thomas Dabney Carr served in the War of 1812under Ignatius A. Few, a brother-in-law of Col. Thomas Dabney Carr. Col.Thomas Dabney Carr was for a number of years a member of the GeneralAssembly from Columbia County, Georgia, and his father, Col. Thomas Carr,who was a lawyer of extended practice and a major in the Revolutionarywar, also served as a member of the General Assembly from Columbia County,in 1808, and was a senator from Columbia County, Georgia. He died October5, 1820. Among his ancestors were Mathew Hobson of Augusta, Georgia,