THOMAS
LEONIDAS (LONNIE) CANADY
Thomas (Lonnie) Canady was the first son, and the second child born to Susan Bacon and William Canady. He was born on April 17, 1868 in Bryan County, near Pembroke, Georgia. He grew up on the family farm where he learned to plow, plant and do the other chores associated with farming as did his brothers later.
Lonnie was smart and did well in school. He preferred school work to the hard labor of farming and planned to get a good education. He received his basic education in the Poor School (name for public school) in the 19th district of Bryan County. He later attended Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, majoring in higher education and received his certificate in 1892. He was awarded a gold lapel pin as special recognition for his skill in penmanship. His younger brother, Paul, often bragged about Lonnie's outstanding penmanship and winning "the best penmanship in the college".
He returned to Bryan County and taught school there for awhile. Some of his brothers and sisters were his pupils and thought he was a harsh teacher. He also taught a young boy named Danny Edwards who later became a prominent Savannah physician. Another of Lonnie's more notable students was a boy named William Washington Larsen, a young boy from a Dutch immigrant family who began his schooling with Lonnie's leadership at the age of 17. Mr. Larsen went on to college and served eight terms as a Georgia congressman. He always remembered Lonnie Canady as a friend and inspiration to achieve educational excellence.
Lonnie later taught in the public school of Bulloch County before moving to Florida to teach there. While teaching in Blountstown, Florida, he met and married Jessie Estel Willis. His health began to fail while he was there so the couple moved back to Georgia. Their oldest child, Lucille, was born in Florida. From Blountstown the family moved to Ocklocknee, Georgia, where a second child, Dillon, was born.
Lonnie was tall, slender and had very good
posture. He was quite intelligent, honest, and always worked hard at whatever
he did. He also had some strong opinions. One of which is the subject of a
story told about his strong dislike for butter and dairy products It seem
that one Sunday morning when the family was starting out for church Lonnie
refused to ride in the wagon with the others because the wheels had been greased
with butter. His, William, allowing his eldest son this opinion, said that
was fine, but he he was going to church and could walk beside the wagon. So
walk he did!
.
Lonnie joined the Forest City Masonic Lodge in Ocklocknee, Georgia, and later
transferred his membership to the Masonic Lodge in Pembroke, becomming a charter
member. He moved to Savannah and worked with the Seaboard Railroad. After
the move to Savannah, two daughters, Miriam and Myrtle, were born. Lonnie
and Jessie had one other son who died in infancy.
During the early part of the Great Depression in 1930, Lonnie got laid off from his job with the Seaboard and went to work for the City of Savannah. He was working at that job when he became ill and died on December 11, 1937 in the home of his sister, Julia Miller. He is buried in Hopeful Cemetery, Pembroke, Georgia.
Lonnie and Jessie Estel Willis Canady had five children: