• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via daughter Susannah Miller (born Deakle) by SmartCopy: Mar 3 2015, 14:59:29 UTC

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jloops/dekle/aqwg01.htm

Sfter 1801, John Leonard Dekle and his family lived along Reedy Creek in what is now Candler County Georgia. Originally, his records show up in Montgomery County, then in 1812 in Emanuel County and in 1914 the land became part of Candler County. John never moved, the County boundaries just changed around him. John is buried near the banks of Reedy Creek on the land he lived on in 1801, which is part of the Dekle farm in Candler County, Georgia. This farm has been in the Dekle family for at least 198 years.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195238307/john_leonard_dekle

John Leonard Dekle was a German immigrant who founded the Dekle / Deakle families in the United States, immigrating to Savannah, Georgia as a laborer in the 1750's. His wife, Sallie Grissom Dekle, died in 1826 and may be buried nearby.

The original grave marker was pulled up by surveyors many decades ago and then the marker lost. Family members with knowledge of the area where he was known to be buried had a grave location company on the property in the fall of 2012 to re-locate the grave, and then had the current markers placed in the fall of 2018.

A partial list of his descendants and thorough history of his background as was known in 1975 was published in a family tree, “Dekle and Dekle Descendants of the U.S.A.”. by Ansel Dekle, III (1904-1980). The original poster and current keeper of this page as of March 2020 is an eighth-generation descendant (5x great-grandson) of John Dekle. He and other relatives still own some of John Dekle’s original property.

Former Georgia governor George Dekle Busbee (served 1975-1983) is a sixth-generation descendant (3x great-grandson) of John Dekle. He was the sitting governor of Georgia at the time the family tree was published in 1975, and that was the big news among Dekle relatives at that time. Not many of us knew that his middle initial "D" actually stood for "Dekle", let alone that he was a distant relative.

John Dekle is buried in the middle of a field on land he was granted by the state of Georgia around 1803, about 100 miles west of Savannah is what is today northwestern Candler County. The nearest town is Stillmore, GA, a few miles away and across the county line in Emanuel County. According to the 1975 family tree, pages 3-4:

“John… stowed away aboard a sailing ship and eventually arrived in Savannah, Georgia. … John chose to remain in the [S]outh and settled in Effingham County near Savannah.

“Their [John and Sallie Dekle’s] eight children were all born in Effingham County, Georgia and remained there until John and his second son George were granted land under Head Rights Grants of Georgia; to John Dekle – Grant in Montgomery Co. Vol. E 5 page 221, 400 acres in 1803. To George Dekle – Grant in Montgomery Co. Vol G 5 page 45, 400 acres in 1803. This area became part of newly formed Emanuel County in 1812, and when Candler County was created in 1914 the George Dekle area became part of that county.” Note, however, that John is actually buried in the Candler County part of the land grant.
Children and grandchildren of John Leonard Dekle, Sr., as listed on pages 19-20 of the 1975 publication – names, dates, and birth order are corrected / updated as graves are found:

John Leonard Dekle, Sr. (b. 1737 - d. January 8, 1828), the immigrant
m. Sallie Grissom (d. January 25, 1826), daughter of William Grissom

John and Sallie’s children:

1. Charles (1775 - 1830)
m. Bettania Georgia Ross (1781 - 1850's) - listed in 1975 family tree but mentioned on only one of their childrens' Find-A-Grave pages m. Elizabeth S. (1780 - 1851) - not listed in 1975 family tree but mentioned on several of their childrens' Find-A-Grave pages

Children:
A. John George (July 22, 1803 - September 22, 1888)
B. S. Theresa (July 10, 1805 - September 3, 1878) - not listed in 1975 family tree; possibly "Sallie"?
C. Lucretia (September 14, 1808 - August 28, 1892)
D. William M. (1816 - 1865) - not listed in 1975 family tree
E. Mary Elizabeth (February 2, 1819 - October 6, 1887)
F. Daniel
G. Ziber
H. Sallie
I. Bettania
J. Dailia - not listed in 1975 family tree

2. George (May 30, 1781 - May 10, 1846)
m. Nancy Rountree (May 7, 1785 - May 4, 1856)
Children:
A. Sallie (Sarah)
B. Grissom
C. William
D. Littleton (b. July 7, 1811)
E. Minton
F. Elenor (June 4, 1815 - August 30, 1876)
G. Thomas C.
H. Cynthia
I. John Morgan "Squire" (February 18, 1821 - August 11, 1896) - family lore has it that he was nicknamed "Squire" by his father George Dekle to help people differentiate between his son (this man) and his father (the immigrant John Leonard) when the name "John Dekle" was mentioned, and John Morgan Dekle was called "Squire" throughout his life.
J. Theresa
K. Nancy (December 23, 1825 - September 19, 1909)
3. Mary (1784 - 1855)
m. William Durden (1775 - 1850), 1800
Children:
A. Dennis (May 10, 1802 - May 25, 1876)
B. Malinda J. (1806 - 1838) - not listed in 1975 family tree; possibly "Matilda"?
C. Eleazar John (January 30, 1809 - March 22, 1861)
D. Mahala (February 26, 1811 - August 19, 1890) - not listed in 1975 family tree; possibly "Mary"?
E. Lucretia (1816 - 1880) - not listed in 1975 family tree
F. William, Jr. (August 15, 1817 - October, 1864)
G. Lucinda (November 10, 1818 - January 27, 1891)
H. Simeon Bartow (March 21, 1821 - August 26, 1892)
I. Ebenezer Jinks (September 7, 1826 - April 26, 1914)
J. Matilda - possibly Malinda J.?
K. Mary - possibly Mahala?
Note: Brothers Eleazar, William, and Simeon married three sisters of the Barwick family.

= = = = = = = as listed in 1975 family tree = = = = = = =

4. Sarah (Sallie)
m. Henry Miller, January 10, 1806
Children: unknown

= = = = = = = as listed on Find-A-Grave = = = = = = =

4. Susannah (1786 - 1871)
m. 1st unknown died 1805-1806
m. 2nd Henry Miller (1777 - 1852)
I am convinced that Sarah / Sallie Dekle and Susannah Deakle are the same person as (a) her birth year falls between those of Mary and Thomas, the siblings she’s listed between in the 1975 family tree, and (b) both the tree and Find-A-Grave listings show her as married to Henry Miller.

Her sons, the two oldest children, apparently continued to use their mother’s maiden name “Deakle” as their last name as their father (name unknown) died young; their descendants also used the name “Deakle”. With their oldest half-sister Sarah being only 4 years younger than younger son Willis, the sons likely never knew their biological father’s name. Oldest son Andrew Deakle’s Find-A-Grave bio states that “Widow Susannah Deakle married Henry Miller in Mobile [Alabama].” Second son Willis Deakle’s Find-A-Grave page appears to confirm this by showing him being born in Georgia, where his mother’s family was born and raised. Susannah and Henry Miller’s three daughters all used his surname “Miller”.

With Susannah and her oldest brother Charles being the only siblings to use the spelling “Deakle” instead of “Dekle”, their being the only siblings to move to Alabama, Susannah’s sons being born in Georgia, and her marrying her second husband in Alabama, it seems reasonable that Susannah followed her brother Charles to Alabama after her first husband died.

Children:

= = = = = = = by her first husband = = = = = = =

A. Andrew (1802 - 1862)
B. Willis (Nov 29 1805 - Feb 12 1881)

= = = = = = = by her second husband = = = = = = =

C. Sarah (Apr 1 1809 - May 26 1892)
D. Sophia (Sep 1 1814 - Dec 11 1886)
E. Christina (1822 – Aug 9 1888)
5. Thomas (March 19, 1791 - November 8, 1848)
m. Wealthy Canady (January, 1792 - May 12, 1870), October 12, 1812
Children:
A. Elizabeth
B. Sarah – died in infancy
C. Edward
D. Lucinda
E. Sarah (1818 - 1888)
F. Ansel, Sr. (June 13, 1821 - 1905)
G. Mary (March 2, 1823 - July 10, 1888)
H. Thomas Ervin, born Thomas Irvin (May 18, 1824 - March 12, 1908)
I. John W.
J. Philip
K. Daniel
L. Wealthy Ann (June 26, 1831 - December 4, 1902)
M. Isaiah (December 9, 1833 - November 18, 1918)
N. Peter, CSA (February 10, 1836 - July 20, 1863) - mortally wounded at the battle of Chickamauga in Georgia.
6. Sophia (1793 - 1836)
m. Aurin Goodgame Horn, Sr. (b. 1793), 1816
Children:
A. Sara
B. Chesley Anderson (March 3, 1824 - February 4, 1865)
C. John
D. Weston Columbus (October 25, 1828 - March 20, 1912)
E. Aurin Goodgame, Jr.
F. Mary Ann (February 28, 1833 - January 24, 1916)

7. William Grissom (January 6, 1796 - December, 1841)
m. Bethany Hollingsworth (May 1, 1800 - October 29, 1876), March 23, 1817
Children:
A. Sophia (October 15, 1818 - September 26, 1904)
B. George Austin (November 3, 1820 - July 27, 1876)
C. William Allison (b. June 2, 1822)
D. Parizade (Apr 13 1824 – Sep 11 1884)
E. Thomas Jackson
F. Aurin Goodgame
G. Matthew
H. Henry Milton
I. Lt. William Grissom, Jr., CSA (April 1, 1832 - September 14, 1862) - died at the battle of Boonesboro in Maryland.

8. John Leonard, Jr. (b. 1798)
m. Sarah Durden (b. 1798)
Children:
A. Charles Baston (March 1, 1818 – December 11, 1896)
B. Owen F.
C. Thomas
D. Elizabeth
Inscription
The immigrant founder of the Dekle and Deakle families in the Americas