Sunday, August 2, 2020

Forget Me Not: G. K. Fortenberry, 1959 MS; Genealogist


 If you have researched the Fortenberry family you may have read “The Abstract History of the Fortinberry Family" by G. K. Fortenberry. He was like many of us; learning about his family & recording his findings for future generations.Wish I could have thanked him for all his work.
[Note: On his book he spelled his name 'Fortinberry' but his obituary spelled it 'Fortenberry' as most of the family does.]


George Kellie Fortenberry

23 March 1889 MS – 28 Aug 1959 MS
Son of Willis Monroe Fortenberry & Victoria May

World War I Veteran

My 2nd cousin 3x removed




Rev. G. K. Fortenberry Dies at 70. The Reverend G. K. Fortenberry, Baptist minister and family historian, died at Amite, La. Friday. Funeral services were held Sunday from the First Baptist Church of Amite, with the Rev. O. B. Robertson and Dr. Sam R. Gordon in charge. 

Burial was in the Amite city cemetery.

George Kellie Fortenberry was born near Tylertown, March 23, 1889, a son of Willis Monroe Fortenberry and Vickie May Fortenberry and a grandson of the Rev. Willis Fortenberry, pioneer Baptist preacher of Southwest Mississippi.

Kellie was educated at Mississippi College and the New Orleans Baptist Bible Institute, and was ordained to the ministry at Gretna, La., April 18, 1920.

He served many months in World War I, part of the time overseas. An American flag on the casket was presented to the family through the American Legion. 

Besides his work in the ministry, he spent many years gathering data on the Fortenberry Family, and in 1942 had published a volume, “Abstract History of the Fortinberry Family.” He was widely known as an authority on family relationships.

He held pastorates in Baptist churches at Independence, Sunny Hill, and Zachary, La., Silver Springs church in Pike County and other places.

On Aug. 19, 1922, Kellie was married to Miss Clare Miller, who survives him. One son also survives, George Kellie Fortenberry Jr., an uncle, W. M. May, lives in McComb, and there are many other relatives in this area. 



Source: Rev. G. K. Fortenberry Dies at 70. (McComb, MS: Enterprise - Journal, 1 Sep 1959) 8; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed June 2020).

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