Life and Times of Joseph Alonzo Hall

Joseph Alonzo Hall or Alonzo Joseph Hall was born in Baldwin County Georgia near Milledgeville on 20 March 1853. His parents were James Madison Hall and Mary A Prosser. They married 29 January 1831 in Milledgeville. James Madison’s parents were Benjamin Hall and Rebekah Brantley Hall. All were farmers in Hancock and Baldwin County Georgia. 
Alonzo Hall was the ninth child of the 13 children born to James and Mary. His grandfather Benjamin died years before Alonzo was born and only his three older brothers benefited from his estate. So in the years 1876-1877 he taught school in Tenille Ga just outside Sandersville Ga, Washington Co Ga. This was the county adjoining Baldwin Co. In 1877 he enrolled in Mercer College in Macon Ga as a sophomore. He was a prize winning declamation student and was on the honor roll.

By January of 1879 he had accepted a job offer to teach in Sylacauga, Taladeega County Alabama. He taught English and lived with the family of Dr. David C Keller and wife Marie. The family had several other boarders who lived in their home. Alonzo married their daughter Mamie Keller on 22 June 1882 in Sylacauga Al. They had two children Lyman and Mamie Lucille who were half-brother and sister to my father Samuel. Mamie died. So Alonzo married Lula Wilkes on 8 October 1889 in Sylacauga Al. Lula was the daughter of the Reverend Washington Usher Wilkes, a Baptist minister and Mary Lamar Wilkes of Sylacauga.

By 1900 Alonzo was teaching English Literature in Lincoln, Taladeega County, Al. The family lived on a farm on the Coosa River. The farm was paid for. By then Lula and Alonzo has two children of their own, Myrtle and Samuel born 13 January 1899 in Lincoln Al. The household was “Alonzo, Lula, Mamie Lucille, Lyman, Myrtle, Samuel and an aunt of Lula’s, Mattie Lamar”. With so many people to support, Alonzo took a job in Talladeega Al with the US Postal Service. He was a rural mail carrier. They lived in a house (owned) at 307 Brignoli Street and is still occupied at this date.

Myrtle married Tom Mabry and had two children who both died at birth. Myrtle was a graduate of Judson College and was a voice major. Samual was a graduate of Howard College, now Samford University. Lula was a graduate of a music conservatory in Ohio and taught piano lessons in her home. The family attended the Baptist church. They truly believed in education.

Lula Wilkes Hall died February 1933 in Talladega. Alonzo retired from the Postal Service in 1920 and died 11 November 1938 at home.

His daughter Myrtle died 1 June 1979 in Talladega. She was a widow for many years and lived in the family home on Brignoli Street until she moved to a nursing home in her later years.

His son Samuel Wilkes Hall located in Charlotte NC after graduating from college. He married Thelma Josephine Suttle 16 August 1927 at Dilworth Methodist Church. Their wedding was the first to be held in the new sanctuary. Sam and a classmate Claude Carr and some friends established The Carolina Sporting Goods Company in Charlotte. The company was sold to Wilson Sporting Goods early in the 1930s due to the economic depression. Sam continued to work there until about 1946. He then was employed as an office manager for several textile companies and retired about 1971.

Sam died 11 February 1992 in Charlotte NC. Thelma died 21 January 1991 at home 827 Montford Drive. They were both active members of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church.