New Details about Billy & Betty Patterson

 After all these years, and this weekend I have stumbled across information regarding the actual death dates of my great-great-grandparents that I had overlooked for decades. I had been told many years ago that William Harden Patterson (Billy) had died in 1884. But his tombstone, which was placed many years after his death, says "1883". So I wasn't sure. The stone also has his wife's death as "1914", but no specific date. Her name was Elizabeth Jane Akins Patterson (Betty).

  

I had been aware of some anecdotal writings of Claude Patterson (1901-1970) but had not paid much attention to it many years ago, and had subsequently forgotten about them. This past weekend, while in Blairsville, GA, I stopped into the old court house in the town square where the historical society operates. Among the papers they pulled out and showed me, were two different (similar but still different) writings of Claude Patterson. I had them scan these and email them to me.

Claude wrote these in 1943. He does have some errors in them but his information is still more reliable than my own, as he actually lived among and knew these people. Claude was the twin brother of Clyde Patterson, and they were the 3rd and 4th sons of Elisha "Lishe" Patterson (b. 1871). Lishe was the twin of my great-grandpa, Elijah "Lige" Patterson. Therefore, Billy and Betty Patterson were the grandparents of Claude.

Claude was born in 1901, although at one point he writes 1900, which is strange to me. His first cousin was my grandpa, Clint Patterson, born June 4, 1904.

At any rate, Claude specifically states that Betty died on Jan 10, 1914. He further states that Billy took ill suddenly on April 19, 1884. There's the 1884 year again, which so many relatives have put in their personal writings. Therefore I will go by that year from now on. But he also gives a specific date that Billy became ill, and that he died "about 10 days later". So, I am estimating his death to be April 29, 1884 from now on, based on Claude's writings.

Billy Patterson was born in Cherokee Indian Lands on April 10, 1832 - in what became Union County, GA the following December. The family had initially settled around Ivy Log and Lower Young Cane around 1831, having moved from Rabun Co., GA (the northeastern-most county in GA). 

Betty was born April 16, 1836 in GA. They were married on November 5, 1853 in Union County, GA. See the following marriage license.

Wes