“It was very touching.” ~ Trudy Wade, descendant of Henry and Tempy Wade
It was a tribute two centuries in the making. On Saturday, August 15th – 200 years after they married and 203 years after he served – the family of Henry and Tempy J. Wade stood in the family cemetery in Alto and honored their ancestors.
Henry Wade served with the Georgia Militia during the War of 1812. He died on March 15, 1855. He and his wife are both buried in the Wade Family Graveyard on the road once called Old Cornelia Wagon Road – now known as Gainesville Highway. The family plot is located directly across that highway from Lee Arrendale State Prison, which Wade family history states is on property once owned by Martha Amanda Wade.
A uniformed color guard from the Joseph Habersham Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution joined history-teller and Wade descendant Beth Collins Saturday in commemorating Henry Wade’s service. A War of 1812 marker provided by the Veteran’s Administration was placed on his grave.
A historical marker honoring both Henry and Tempy was also unveiled. This week marks the couple’s 200th wedding anniversary. A sign reading “Wade Family Graveyard – Est. 1895” was dedicated in their memory on Saturday.
Habersham County District 3 Commissioner Victor Anderson was among those who attended. He thanked the Wade family through social media for preserving some of the county’s history. Event organizer Trudy Wade said of the ceremony, “It was very touching.”
The Henry and Tempy Wade Memorial Dedication was closed Saturday with the poem, Dear Ancestors, read by descendant Brenda Stephens. It ended with these words: “We wonder if you knew, Someday we would find this spot, and come visit you.”
Wade Family Tribute
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Alto, GA
Photos by A.N. Williams
Click photos to enlarge
