My Family Tree

Alberta Downer Towns was honored on her 104th birthday Friday, February 14, with special visitors and a family celebration. Mrs. Towns was born in Wilkes County on February 14, 1910, to Sally and Albert Downer, one of ten children, five boys and five girls. She and her sister, Annie Laura Downer Porter of Atlanta, are the only surviving siblings. Mrs. Towns is the mother of seven children, Joe Lewis Towns of Washington, Fred Towns of Washington, D.C., and Evelina Johnson of Buffalo, N.Y.; also, Moses Towns, Leonard Towns, Jeroline Towns, and Annie Pearl Towns, who are deceased. On her birthday Mrs. Towns had a surprise visit from Flint Hill Baptist Church deacons, Tom Richards and Bobby Hill. Mrs. Towns was honored on Saturday, February 15, with a birthday celebration at her home given by her family. For this occasion Mrs. Towns wore a lace gold and white flowered scarf, a pink necklace, and silver bracelets to accent her black pants suit. Mrs. Towns’ grandson-in-law, Rev. O...

Clinton Wingfield finished high school in 2001 at age 77. At 81 years old he was getting ready to enroll at Georgia Perimeter College to study computers, but it wasn't to be. On July 5, a month before class began at the Decatur Campus on Panthersville Road, Wingfield, who lived in Decatur with Eutha, his wife of 27 years, died at DeKalb Medical Center. His wife said he was really excited about going to GPC. "He just wanted to do that," she said. "He told me that when he learned how to use computers he was going to teach me. But he didn't want me to tell anyone that he was going to college. He wanted to surprise them when he graduated." During the application process, Wingfield, a retired General Motors lineman, made such an impression on the admissions team, the college wanted to commemorate his efforts. On Sept. 13, they invited his widow to the college and presented her with a framed copy of his acceptance letter. Decatur Campus Provost Felita Williams sa...