The following came from a book in the Cairo, Georgia library, titled The Gleanings. There is no date as to when the article was written SPENCE FAMILY BY MRS HORACE SPENCE ALTHOUGH IT IS KNOWN THAT ISAAC SPENCE (1785-1856), ONE OF THE AREA'S EARLIEST SETTLERS, CAME FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AND SETTLED AS A FARMER NEAR THE PRESENT GRADY COUNTY'S PLEASANT GROVE CHURCH, THE EXACT YEAR IS UNKNOWN. IT PROBABLY WAS SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO 1824, THE BIRTHDATE OF THE FIRST OF HIS FIRST CHILDREN. ISAAC SPENCE MARRIED HANNA TAYLOR, WHO WAS REPUTED TO BE THE NIECE OF PRESIDENT ZACHARY TAYLOR. ISAAC AND HIS WIFE WERE BURIED ON A COPSE (THICKET) OF TREES ON HIS FARM WEST OF SPENCE BRIDGE ON THE MITCHELL=GRADY COUNTY LINE. THIS PIONEER FAMILY GAVE THE COMMUNITY THEIR NAME. THARPE SPENCE (1827-1905), SECOND SON OF ISAAC AND HANNA, MARRIED REBECCA WYNN (1829-1908). THEIR CHILDREN BORN IN THOMAS COUNTY WERE : AMERICA, GREEN, KILBY, BLUFORD, ASBURY, ISAAC, MISSOURI, AND CHARLIE. THARPE GAVE THE LAND FOR MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH AND HIS WIFE REBECCA NAMED IT. THEY AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE ALL CHARTER MEMBERS. THARPE AND REBECCA LIE BURIED IN ITS CEMETERY. MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH CELEBRATED ITS CENTENNIAL IN 1982. GREEN SPENCE (1851-1946), THE FIRST SON OF THARPE AND REBECCA WAS A PROSPEROUS FARMER LIVING HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THE SPENCE COMMUNITY. DURING HIS EARLY MARRIED LIFE HIS FIRST DWELLING WAS A LOG HOUSE. GREEN LATER BUILT A LARGE WOOD-FRAME HOUSE HAVING AN OPEN HALLWAY WITH AN ARCHED CEILING. THIS ALMOST 100 YEAR OLD, VIRGIN PINE HOUSE, HAVING BEEN KEPT IN GOOD REPAIR HAS BEEN OCCUPIED CONTINOUSLY TO DATE. THE OLD DINNER BELL STILL HANGS IN THE YARD. AMONG THE CROPS GROWN WAS SUGAR CANE, FROM WHICH A LARGE SUPPLY OF SYRUP WAS MADE. GREEN RAISED HOGS AND CATTLE AND USED OXEN FOR PLOWING DURING HIS EARLY FARMING. GREEN SPENCE'S MARRIAGE TO CATHERINE BRINSON PRODUCED FIVE CHILDREN. WILL, NORA, WARNER, COLUMBUS AND ELLA. FIVE CHILDREN WERE ALSO BORN TO GREEN AND HIS SECOND WIFE, MATTIE BRADY. BETHEULA, BESSIE, RUSSELL, CHARLOTTE AND A STILLBORN TWIN BROTHER. GREEN'S THIRD WIFE HENRIETTA MCKOWN (1872-1966)PRESENTED HIM WITH FIVE CHILDREN. JOHN EASTER, WHO MARRIED MARY LIZZIE CREECH, HATTIE LOU, WHO MARRIED ALLEN BARFIELD, BLUFORD, WHO MARRIED ODESSA LAIRSEY, CURTIS, WHO MARRIED JOYCE WILLIS, AND HORACE, WHO MARRIED OPHIE LEE BARFIELD. HORACE SPENCE (BORN APRIL 16, 1912), YOUNGEST CHILD OF GREEN SPENCE, FARMS THE OLD HOMEPLACE ALONG WITH HIS SON WAYNE. HORACE AND HIS WIFE OPHIE HAVE THREE CHILDREN. JANICE LAURELL, WHO MARRIED WILLIAM THOMAS MAJORS, HORACE WAYNE WHO MARRIED JANICE PALMER AND CARLOS YVONNE WHO MARRIED EDWIN EDWIN SEALY, JR. THE GRANDCHIILDREN OF HORACE AND OPHIE SPENCE ARE WILLIAM SPENCE MAJORS, LORI ANN SPENCE, MARK EDWIN SEALY, JAMES TIMOTHY SEALY AND LISA DIANE SEALY. COMMENTS: THERE ARE SOME DISCREPANCIES IN THE FACTS IN THIS ARTICLE WHEN COMPARED TO THE OTHER INFORMATION I HAVE. FIRST, SHE SAYS THAT ISAAC DIED IN 1856. THERE ARE SWORN STATEMENTS AND DATES THAT SHOW THAT ISAAC DIED IN 1871. SECOND, SHE DOES NOT MENTION THAT ISAAC HAD A FIRST WIFE WHO MOST LIKELY WAS THE MOTHER OF ALL OF THE CHILDREN AND NOT HANNAH. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AGES OF ISAAC AND HANNAH WAS GREAT. SHE ALSO SAYS THAT ISAAC CAME FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY LUCK FINDING ISAAC IN SOUTH CAROLINA BUT IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE. I THINK HE CAME FROM VIRGINIA BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVE THIS EITHER. A SIDE COMMENT: GREEN SURE WAS A FERTILE MAN. 15 CHILDREN HE SIRED. TOOK THREE WIVES TO DO IT.