Susan (Palmer) Justice (1793-1881)

Susan Palmer was born in Jackson County, Georgia, on July 30th, 1795 to Joseph Palmer (1764-1844) and Elizabeth Bradford.

At the age of 26, she married Allen Justice (1793-1859), who rests beside her in the Justice Cemetery []. Together they raised eight children:

  1. • Elizabeth Jane (1822–1883)

  2. • Martha Ann Beazel (1824–1867) [Justice Cemetery]

  3. • Susannah Melvina (1828–1904) [Justice Cemetery]

  4. • John Gillian (1828–1910) [Justice Cemetery ]

  5. • Joseph Warren (1831–1851) [Justice Cemetery]

  6. • Mary Ann Kessiah (1834–1907) [Justice Cemetery]

  7. • Irena Josephine (1837– )

  8. • Allen T. (1843–1863)

When her father-in-law passed in 1831, Susan and Allen remained in Jackson County to manage the family homestead. By mid-century, they farmed 75 acres of improved land with another 145 acres held in reserve. Susan and Allen saw their daughters marrying into the Venable, the Durham, and the Flanigan families.

Susan and her husband lost their son Joseph Warren in 1851 and the early death of the almost 20 year old broke their hearts. The Justice family buried their first lost in the family cemetery.

When her husband Allen died in November 1858, Susan buried him in the cemetery and kept the farm going until her death in 1881. The civil war took her youngest son Allen T Justice who joined the 16th infantry B Company CSA and never returned home. The traumas of the war continued their impact and Susan also lost her daughter and neighbor Martha Ann Beazell Justice married to Cpt. John Moorman Venable and mother of nine.

After her husband’s death Susan kept two of her husband’s enslaved people: Absalom (~55) and Hannah (~45). The fate of young Dooley is not known. After the civil war she presided over the farm ran by her son John Gillian with the help of two very young (ages 13 and 9) freedmen Henry Moore (1857- ) and Joshua Moore (1861-). By 1880 the Moore brothers were gone and Susan had two of her grandsons living with her as well as her son John Gillian and her two daughters Mary and Susan Melvina. The two grandsons were James Columbus Venable (1857-1882) (Justice Cemetery #2.1) and Allen Monso Flanigan (1863-1909) (Justice Cemetery# 3.1).

Susan Justice died November 9, 1881 and was laid to rest in the Justice Cemetery, next to her husband and her son Joseph.