Ancestors & Descendants of
James B. STEPP  
1861 - 1931
Fannin Co., GA

James B. STEPP was born June 21, 1861¹, the son of George C.  STEPP 1842-1926 and Margaret Judah 'Judy' McCAY 1845-1910 of Flint Hill Dist., Fannin Co., GA.   On Apr 24, 1881⁴ in Fannin Co., GA, James married Mary Emmeline GODFREY  b. Sept 15, 1858.  She was a dtr/o Bartlett GODFREY 1821-1897¹ buried at Sugar Creek Bapt Ch Cem., Fannin Co., GA and Hannah WATKINS 1825-1920³ buried at South View Cem., Cherokee Co., GA. 

James and Mary Emmeline had 10 children with all 10 living in 1900 and enumerated 11 children  by 1910 census only 9 were still living.

#1 - William L. STEPP  b. Feb 1882 - aft 1900 in Sugar Creek, Fannin Co., GA.

#2 - Martha STEPP  b. Oct 1884 - aft 1900 in Sugar Creek, Fannin Co., GA   This Martha was  still single on July 1900 census, thus not the Martha STEPP that married J.R. PATTERSON by April 1900 census.  That Martha was James B. STEPP's sister.

#3 - George STEPP  b. Mar 1885 - aft 1900 in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.

#4 -  Poley C. STEPP b. Aug 12, 1887¹ in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA. He married Ella LANNING in 1912 and had 2 children:  Audie Lee and Helen/Ellen STEPP.  In 1917-1918 Poley was working at TN Copper Co.²  Ella died 2/11/1921 of pulmonary TB³ and is buried at Epworth Meth Ch Cem., Fannin Co., GA.   In 1929, Poley married Beatrice HILL b. 1902.  Poley died in 1971¹ and is buried at Copper Ridge Cem., Fannin Co., GA same as Beatrice ¹.

#5 - Lena Mae "Naner" STEPP-THOMAS was born May 8, 1889 in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA and died Nov 2, 1991 at age 102 in Life Care Center, Ducktown, Polk Co., TN.   She is buried at Old Ocoee Cem. in Benton, Polk Co., TN

#6 - Thomas G. STEPP was born Apr 8, 1891¹  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.  He married 1908-1909 to Callie A. CAMPBELL b. Mar , 1892 a dtr of Drury G. CAMPBELL and Rebecca EARLEY.  They had at least 5 children:  Grace M., Ruthie L., Thomas Earl, Ed G., and Dorothy G.  Thomas died 6/1/1974 and Callie died Mar 3, 1989 and they are both buried at Kingtown Ch of God Cem., McCaysville, Fannin Co., GA¹. 

#7 - Eldora L. H. STEPP was born Dec 1892 in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA. Abt 1907-1908 she married Andrew J. CAMPBELL.  He was born 1886 a son/o Drury G. CAMPBELL and Rebecca EARLEY.  Andrew and Eldora had the following children in Colwell Dist., of Fannin Co., GA:  Jessie L., Bonnie E., Frank H., Edith M., Berlie L., Evelyn and Louise.  About 1925 they moved to McMinn Co., TN where their twins were born:  Pearl A., Earl A. as well as  Mary H. 

#8 - Magnolia "Maggie" STEPP was born 1894-1895  in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.  Abt 1920  she married John W. TANKERSLEY  b. 1896.  For both 1920 and 1930 census, they had no children in their household.  Magnolia died Sep 16, 1980 and John died Nov 22, 1983 and they are both buried in Copper Ridge Cem., Fannin Co., GA¹.

#9 - Lillie STEPP was born Mar 10, 1896 in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.  On Mar 14, 1916 she had a son:

 James Loyd STEPP [1916-1994¹] who married December 21, 1943 in Gilmer Co., GA Nellie Jane FOSTER [1923-1984¹] dtr/o John R. FOSTER and Effie DAVENPORT buried at Hipps Chapel Cem., Fannin Co., GA.   James is buried at Friendship #3 Bapt Ch Cem., Fannin Co., GA¹.

On Apr 25, 1930 Lillie married Ebb Bryant GREEN [1888-1934¹].  Ebb was first married 1909 to another Lillie b. 1886 and by 1911 was married to a Martha A.  who he divorced.  After Ebb died,  Lille re-married James Erwin TRANTHEM s/o of John E. TRANTHEM and Florence Roseanne TEAGUE and widower of Millie Rachel WILSON who died in 1934 after having at least one child:

 James Edward Tranthem [1925-1999]. 

James Erwin was born Dec 10, 1897¹ and died Mar 2, 1966¹.  Lillie died Jun 27, 1985¹ and she and James are buried at Epworth Meth Ch Cem., Epworth, GA¹. 

#10 - Cordelia STEPP was born 1898-1899 in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.  She married Joe Wheeler CABE [1897-1958] s/o of Leander Frank CABE and Nancy Kizziah GALLOWAY.   Cordelia and Joe had at least one child: 

Herbert Edward CABE  b. 2/25/1930 who died Mar 9, 2002 in Rome, Floyd Co., GA.  [Obit]

#11 - Mary Verna  STEPP was born Jul 22, 1901 in  in Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA.  About 1920 she married Homer Franklin CABE s/o Leander Frank CABE and Nancy Kizziah GALLOWAY.  Homer was born Apr 2, 1895 and died May 8, 1937.  He was buried at Barnes Chapel Bapt Ch Cem., Fannin Co., GA.  After Homer's death, Mary Verna re-maried to William "Willie" QUEEN.  She died Nov 29, 1991 and was also buried at Barnes Chapel Bapt Ch Cem., Fannin Co., GA. 

James B. STEPP died Aug 19, 1931 and  Mary Emmeline GODFREY-STEPP died Sep 12, 1953 and were buried at Epworth Meth Ch Cem., Epworth, Fannin Co., GA.

Census Abstracts: taken from original images at Ancestry.com

1900 Sugar Creek Dist., Fannin Co., GA
James STEPP   Head  July 1864  age 34  md. 20 yrs  GA GA GA  farmer
Mary E.  wife  Sep 1859  age 41  md. 20 yrs  kids 10-10  GA  SC  GA
William L.  son  Feb 1883   age 17
Martha  dtr  Oct 1884   age 15
George  son  Mar 1886  age 14
Poley  son  Aug 1887  age 12
Nanor  dfr  May 1889  age 11
Thomas  son  Apr 1892  age 8
Eldora  dtr  Dec 1893  age 6  [something is amiss here with their birth months]
Magnolia  dtr  Jan 1894  age 6
Lillie  dtr  Feb 1895  age 5
Cordelia   dtr  May 1898 age 2

1910 Sugar Creek, Fannin Co., GA
James B. STEPP  44  M1 25  GA GA GA  farmer general farming
Mary    wife  51   M1 25  11-9   GA GA GA
Magnolia  dtr  16
Lillie  dtr  15
Cordele  dtr  11
Verna  dtr  8

1920  Flint Hill, Fannin Co., GA
James STEPP  60    GA GA GA  teamster   wood to town
Mary  wife  62  GA GA GA
Maggie  dtr  24
Lillie  dtr  22
Loid  grandson  4  GA GA GA

1930  Flint HIll, Fannin Co., GA
Poley C. STEPP    Head  42   M 25  GA GA GA  machinist in rubber plant
Beatrice H.        wife-H  28   M 27   AL AL  AL 
James B.          Father    69  M 21  GA GA GA   laborer  general farming
Mary E.           Mother    72  M 23  GA  GA  GA
Lillie L.           Sister       33    S    GA GA GA
Loyd J.         nephew   15   S     GA  GA GA
 

Sources:

¹ Dale Dyer and Ethelene Dyer Jones, Fannin County, Georgia Cemeteries, 2003 Fannin County Heritage Foundation, Blue Ridge, GA {C.A.T.'s private library}.
² WWI Draft Card, on-line at Ancestry.com
³ Death Certificate Images, on-line at Georgia Virtual Vault.
⁴ Fannin Co. GA Marriages by Jenne Vee Pitts, on-line at Appalachian American Genealogy and/or images of original Marriage Books on-line at Georgia Virtual Vault.
⁵GA Death Index 1919-1998 Ancestry.com . Georgia Deaths, 1919-98 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. Original data: State of Georgia. Indexes of Vital Records for Georgia: Deaths, 1919-1998. Georgia, USA: Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, 1998.

Others Researching this Family:

• Debbie Spencer
• Sandy Stepp -Ramsey
• Bob Godfrey