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The pioneer Wilkerson Family moved from Cartersville to Milstead in 1917. C. R. (Mr. Charlie) and his first wife, Eula Childers, were of Irish descent. They married and raised the first of his 'three' families. From this marriage, Mr. Charlie had three daughters and one son. (1) Lillian Ophelia 10/29/1902 - 9/19/1993 m. Grady Columbus Shaw 5/15/1898 - 6/16/1965; (2) Jesse Mae 8/11/1905 - 12/27/1989 m Roger Mills; (3) Ruby Allene 8/12/1910 - 4/13/1970 m. Lewis Gordon Norton; (4) Charles Thomas 4/12/1907 - 7/26/1907.

After the death of his first wife, Mr. Charlie on 8/19/1912 married Mattie Kiser Chambers 9/12/1888 - 10/24/1964. She had one daughter from her first marriage, Thelma Inez Chambers 8/9/1909 - 10/11/1971 married first Linn Sawyer and second Floyd Chance. Mattie's parents moved to Milstead shortly after the Wilkerson's. After marrying into the Wilkerson family, Mattie rolled up her sleeves and went to work raising three families. She was famed for her cooking and skills as a homemaker and mother. Children born to Charlie and Mattie Kiser were: (1) Madelyn Patricia (Pat) 1/16/1914 - 11/8/1983 married Roy (Bud) Sawyer; (2) Lawrence Edward (Bud) 12/1/1915 - 7/13/1992 married Mary Lee Almand; (3) Winnie Ruth 2/22/1920 married Gardie W. Stansel; (4) Nellie Grace 2/22/1920 - 4/27/1993 married Robert (Bob) Barnett.

Mr. Wilkerson was second hand in the Acto Cotton Mill in Cartersville, Callaway Mill started a night shift and hired an additional one hundred people. In addition, they hired supervisors for each of the Departments. Mr. Wilkerson was recommended for one position. He moved his family to Milstead as night shift supervisor and later that year was promoted to the day shift.

The mill operated the day shift from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., five days a week and five hours on Saturday. The average hourly pay was about 18 cents per hour or about $10.50 for 55 hours of work. Before the child labor laws were enforced, many of the mill hands were children. His children received their education from the Milstead Public School through the ninth grade. They completed their education in the Conyers High School.

~ contributed by Frank D. Smith

Exert from an interview of Mrs. Lillian Shaw by Mr. Smith around 1992.

* Some of the birth and death dates from this interview are not consistent with the dates in other sources. I am attempting to verify which are the correct dates.