Family Legends

We begin our illustrious family story with the union of Benjamin Jelks and Dinah Williams. Benjamin and Dinah had ten children together: Alfred, Henry, Dennis, Benjamin Jr., Burrell, Dinah, Lonn*, Edith, William, and Mary. Of these children, only William and Mary were born free in Florida. Click here for a more detailed Jelks-Mitchell Family history.

It is believed that Benjamin and Dinah were owned by Mr. James Oliver Jelks of Hawkinsville, Georgia. They traveled from Georgia to Florida to work for Mr. Jelks on his Bellville orange plantation. Bellville was located on Lake Octahatchee, near the county borders of Madison County and Hamilton County, Florida. After the American Civil War, Dinah Jelks and her children were found living in Madison County, Florida, and Brooks County, Georgia.

Dennis Jelks married Serena “Rena” Williams, and they lived on a 130-acre farm in Madison County, Florida.

Seven children were born to them. One of the children was July Jelks, who married Ollie Mitchell on January 17, 1890, in Madison County, Florida. Later, July and Ollie Jelks moved to Live Oak, Florida. They then briefly relocated to Deland, Florida, before settling in Sanford, Florida, where they raised their family. They had 11 children: Britain (aka Uncle Bud), Robert (aka Uncle Bob), Johnny, Henry (aka Uncle Bully), Clara, Soley, Chaney, Oliver (aka Uncle Kiddo), Henry II, Abraham, and Argie Mae (aka Aunt Arg).

July Jelks became a minister after moving to Sanford, Florida, where he raised his family in a Christian manner to love God. During one of America’s worst times, “The Great Depression of 1929,” a period marked by economic hardship, there was little work, no money, and no food. However, July and Ollie stood steadfast, believing in the Lord that He would see them through. Ollie Jelks was a sharecropper, working in the fields. After July’s death in 1926, Ollie continued to work in the fields to support her family, harvesting celery in Sanford, Florida.

The legacy of unwavering strength continues to be passed down from generation to generation. Little did they know that their descendants would be countless and dispersed throughout the nation, making significant contributions to our society in all walks of life.

*Relationship is implied based upon publicly available documents and DNA testing results.