Hoyt Paul Burrell was born in Towns Co., Ga. on March 10, 1886. He was the son of Walter Mounteville Burrell and Icey Foster Burrell. Paul's grandparents were Walter Mounteville Burrell and Elizabeth Ann Denton Burrell. His grandparents were Bright (Brighton) Burrell and Ellender (maiden name unknown) Burrell.

When Paul was young the family boved to Pawnee City, Nebraska. There a brother, Clyde, was born on Feb 12, 1897 and six days later Paul's mother died due to complications. There were seven children in the family when she died. They were: Maude, Paul, Claude, Myrtle, Sally, Ida and Clyde. They buried Icey in Pawnee City. Paul was ten years old when that tragedy occured and the family moved back to Towns Co., Ga. The family later moved to Gwinnett Co., Ga.

When Paul was eighteen years old, he and his brother Claude returned to Nebraska to find work. They worked on a farm and Paul also worked for the local undertaker in Pawnee City. Then after a short time the two brothers came back home to Ga.

In Gwinnet Co., Paul met the girl who was to become his wife. She was Mattie Ocee Day and they were married on June 27, 1909 in Lawrenceville, Ga. Paul and Mattie made their home in Atlanta. They had two daughters: Essie Mae Burrell (5/13/1910 to 2/17/1954) and Ann Naomi Burrell (born5/23/1913). Essie married Jacob (Jay) S Cochran on May 9, 1934 and Ann married Mitchell M (Mike) Benton on Nov 12, 1938. Bessie and Jay had two daughters: Jayn Mary born Aug 16, 1939 and Jarah Ann born Dec 9, 1946. Jarah married James (Jim) H Wilk on Mar 1, 1969 and has one son, James (Jimmy) Harrison Wilk, jr., born June 27, 1978. Jayn married Wendell (Wen) L Schollander, Jr. on Aug 22, 1970 and has one son, Wendell (Wes) L Schollander, III, born Oct 15, 1974.

After his marriage Paul farmed in Gwinnett County for several years before securing employment with the Georgia Power Company in Atlanta. Later he went to work for the Southern Railway as a brakeman and he railroaded for the rest of his working life. Upon his retirement he was the Southern Yard Conductor at the Atlanta Terminal Station.

After retiring from Southern Railway, Paul operated several short order eating places at the Southeastern Fair Grounds inAtlanta. He then went on to develop and run a profitable fish bait business in Lakewood Heights.

One of the highlights of Paul's year was the Burrell-Foster family reunion held each year in Towns County. He and Mattie sometimes accompanied by their youngest granddaughter, Jarah, would attend the reunions as long as they were physically able to do so. There he could be with family and friends and renew old acquaintances.

Almost sixty years after their marriage, Mattie died in Atlanta, Ga. on April 10, 1969. She is buried there in Westview Cemetery.

Paul had to leave the mountains years ago but the mountains and the mountain people were an important part of his life and he loved them both dearly. Hoyt Paul Burrell died Feb 7, 1971 in Atlanta, Ga. and is buried there with his beloved Mattie in Westview Cemetery.

This was sent to me
several years ago
by a fellow researcher
from Georgia

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