The father of the Spurlins of Worth County was W. H. Spurlin, born in Shelby, N. C. He was a Confederate soldier, who moved to Pulaski County, Georgia, and married Nancy Bateman, daughter of G. W. Bateman. Children: J. G., W. C., and Sallie Spurlin. Sallie married D. Boland. They had one son, Denton.
The second marriage was to Mary Frances Dewitte. Their children are: Thomas Augustus (called “Gus”) Spurlin, R. L., J. D., G. Clarence Spurlin, and daughters, Ella and Edna.
Four of these, T. A. Spurlin, Col. G. Clarence Spurlin, Miss Ella Spurlin, and Mrs. Edna Webster, made their homes in Sylvester for a number of years.
Only T. A. Spurlin is a citizen of Worth County now. Miss Ella and Mrs. Edna Webster live in Florida. Col. G. Clarence Spurlin is Solicitor at Valdosta.
T. A. Spurlin came to Sumner in 1891, lived there nine months, then went to Tifton, Ga., and worked for H. H. and W. 0. Tift for six years as bookkeeper and salesman.
He married Miss Josephine Fogler in Tifton, Ga., June 10, 1896. She is the daughter of John Daniel Fogler and wife, Julia Elizabeth
(Havener) Fogler. Mrs. T. A. Spurlin was born in Brazos County, Texas. Her parents moved from South Carolina to Texas, where she was born. They returned to South Carolina, where she spent her girlhood in Port Royal, and at Boiling Springs, Barnwell County, S. C. She then moved to Brunswick, Ga., and to Tifton, with her parents, where she met and married T. A. Spurlin. On her paternal side, her father, a Confederate soldier, John Daniel Fogler, was born in Barnwell County, S. C. He was the son of J. D. Fogler, born in North Carolina, and wife, Annie (Johnson) Fogler, born in Beauf ort County, South Carolina.
The mother of Mrs. T. A. Spurlin was, before marriage to John Daniel Fogler, Julia Elizabeth Havener, born in Allendale, S. C. She is the daughter of Joseph Sayle Havener, born in Limerick County, Ireland. The mother of Julia Elizabeth Havener was, before marriage, Mary Elizabeth Evans, born in Charleston, S. C.
After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Spurlin moved to Sylvester, Sept. 13, 1897. He worked for the firm of J. S. Westberry and Brother as clerk until 1899, when he went into business for himself, at first a grocery business, later a dry goods, millinery and furniture store.
Mr. William H. McPhaul urged him to go into the undertaking business, which he did in 1900, taking the course of embalmer in Atlanta and Augusta. He has followed this business for thirty-three years.
In December 1899, he leased, and -later bought, the Worth Telephone Company, and organized- the Sylvester Telephone and Telegraph Company, which he sold to the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, Nov. 1, 1909.
T. A. Spurlin was made a deacon of the Sylvester Baptist Church thirty-five years ago, and has been on the active board of deacons to date (1934).
Mrs. Spurlin became a member of the Woman’s Missionary Society of Sylvester Baptist Church when it was organized in 1900, and has served in every phase of its work since. For a long time she was president, and has held every office. She has been, and is now, one of its principal leaders. This couple have two children : Annie Hazel (Mrs. Parker), of Edison, and Ernest L. Spurlin, who married Florine Giddens. They have two grandchildren, Patricia Parker, and Thomas Ernest Spurlin.
This family has been identified with every worth-while movement to build up a better community in which to live. Especially is this true in the building up of the cause of education and religion. They can always be depended upon for substantial help in these.