FLORENCE LAVENIA CANADY

Florence Lavenia Canady was the first of nine children born to Susan and William Canady. She was born in Bryan County, Pembroke, Georgia on July 14, 1866. She was popular during her later teens and early twenties and wore bustles and bows which were the style. She took music lessons and became the organist at the Pembroke Baptist Church in the days when an organ had to be pedaled to produce music. She also enjoyed participating in dances, sing-alongs, parties, cane grindings, and picnics which were the custom of the day.

As a young adult she frequently came to Savannah where she enjoyed visiting her cousin, Mary Jane Smith, daughter of Tallula and James Emmett Butler. Mary Jane ran a boarding house on State Street and Florence purchased a boarding house at Montgomery and York Streets. Walter Cave had come to Savannah from Barnwell, South Carolina, and worked at a factory. He boarded at the house owned by Florence and respected her work ethic, ingenuity and integrity. He later became out of work when the factory closed but not wanting to move he asked Florence if he could work there for his room and board. She put him to work cleaning, laundering and helping to maintain the boarding house. He found out then what a hard worker she really was. The relationship developed into more than just mutual respect between co-workers and they became husband and wife in 1899. They eventually purchased another boarding house at West Broad Street and Congress Lane and were very successful in that business. Walter later worked for many years in the "hacking" business. He drove a horse-drawn surrey which taxied customers from the Union Station on West Broad Street. He and Florence purchased a new and larger house at 646 West 35th Street.

Florence moved her membership from the Pembroke Baptist Church to Southside Baptist Church in Savannah becoming a charter member. She became very active in the new Southside Church just as she had been at Pembroke, helping to maintain church records. The church moved to its new home on 32nd and Barnard Streets and changed the name to Calvary Baptist Temple. Calvary is now located at 63rd Street and Waters Avenue and houses a glass plaque bearing her name in memory or her dedicated service. Her church was second only to her family. Her niece, Bertie Barbour, remembers fondly, the egghunts and peanut boils her aunt gave to raise money for her Sunday School Class. She also recalls the streetcar trips for the children to the small zoo at Isle of Hope and the picnics at Tybee Island. On Sunday afternoons ice cream was a favorite treat. Florence prepared the ingredients and the children took turns churning the ice cream. They drew straws to see who got the dasher.

She was very active as a leader in the Women's Missionary Union occasionally having meetings in her home...in the living room, or parlor as it was called then. In the parlor was a foot-pumping organ, richly upholstered velvet chairs, an antique couch and "luxurious" carpet. During these meetings another niece, Adeline Miller (Limehouse) and her friend, Mary Gill, often entertained with little skits and antics.

Florence and her cousin, Mary Jane Smith were most instrumental in planning the annual family reunions at Hopeful Cemetery. They would organize the other women in the planning and preparation of the big dinner and made a barrel ice cold lemonade. Hoyt Canady and Joe Miller, nephews of Florence were young boys and were given the job of squeezing the lemons but couldn't taste the lemonade until they did their share of the work. Florence and Cousin Mary Jane always "stood guard" over the lemonade seeing that no one drank any until the work of cleaning the cemetery was done.

Florence Canady was strict, a good leader, personable, even tempered and pleasant. She was a friend to everyone and would always lend a helping hand to someone in need. She was short, very neat, and in every way a lady. She was loved dearly by her family and friends.

Walter Cave died of a heart attack in his backyard on November 12, 1929. He was of entertaining his grandson, Herman, Jr., and feeding the chickens when he suddenly slumped over. Florence lived another three and a half years before her death on March 22, 1933 at the age of 67. She is buried with her husband and two sons in Hillcrest Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. She has one grandson, Herman L. Cave, Jr.

Florence Lavenia Canady married Walter Simeon Cave (~1899)
July 14, 1866-March 22, 1933 June 1, 1873-Nov. 12, 1929

Herman Leroy Cave b. 08/30/1900 d. 08/15/1976. m. Bernice Sheppard
Herman Leroy Cave, Jr. b. 1928

Edgar Wilbur Cave b. 04/09/1905 d. 12/11/1981 never married

Thanks to Bertie Barbour and Hoyt Canady for the information contained herein.