Shorter Family

Reuben Clark Shorter was born on February 13, 1787 in Culpepper County, Virginia. He was left an orphan at an early age. He educated himself and went on the graduate from the Medical University of Pennsylvania. 

As a young man he moved south to Twiggs County, Georgia where in 1812 he married the lovely Martha Gill, the fifteen year old daughter of John and Martha Gill. After their marriage they moved to Monticello in Jasper County, Georgia where over the next 25 years Martha became the mother of thirteen children.

Alfred Hurt Shorter, the 16 year old orphan son of Reuben’s uncle, Jacob Shorter, moved to Monticello, Georgia in 1819 where Reuben took him in and helped him find a job. Jacob went to work in the store of John Baldwin and eventually became a partner in the business. After the death of John Baldwin, Jacob married his widow, Martha Harper Baldwin. Martha was quite wealthy as she had inherited $40,000 upon her husband’s death. By wise investments and good business sense Jacob multiplied his original capital many times over especially after he and Martha moved to Rome, Georgia in 1837. In Rome Jacob became a cotton broker, real estate developer, merchant and the owner of two toll bridges over the rivers in Rome. He was known as Rome’s “leading financier and business man”. Alfred lasting place in history was established in 1873 when he and Reverend Luther Gwaltney founded Shorter College in Rome. According to the Trustees of Shorter College: “by the time of his death in 1882 Alfred Shorter had donated stupendous amounts of money to Shorter College”.

As soon as Reuben was established in his medical practice, he sent to Virginia for his younger brother, Eli Sims Shorter. Eli was a lawyer and was married to Sophia Watkins.

The two brother’s lives took similar paths. Reuben ranked among the successful doctors of the time and Eli rose to the front ranks of lawyers and became a judge. Both accumulated large fortunes and bought multiple plantations in Georgia overlooking the Chattahoochee River. In 1837 Reuben moved to Eufaula, Alabama where he settled on the bluff overlooking the Chattahoochee River and Eli built his manor in Columbus where his thousands of acres spread out in fertile fields and great terraces reached to the river.

Reuben Shorter did not have a military background. His rank of General was given to him during the uprisings by the Native American when he helped to organize and financed local militia companies. He liked the title of General and from then until he died was referred to as General Shorter.

Reuben Clark Shorter (1787 – 1853) married Martha Butler Gill (1797 – 1868) on May 31, 1812. Their children were:

  1. Died an infant

  2. Emily Francis Shorter (1816 – 1839) married David Cameron Kolb

    1. Captain Reuben Francis Kolb, Sr., CSA graduated from the University of North Carolina and who greatly distinguished himself as the Captain commanding Kolb’s Battery of Artillery in General Bragg’s Army of the Tennessee. Served as the Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Alabama.

  3. Governor John Gill Shorter (1818 -1872) married Mary Jane Battle (1825 – 1879)

    1. Mary “Mollie” Jane Shorter (1843 – 1922) married 1st 23 Apr 1868 Thomas J. Perkins divorced BEF 1880, married 2nd Benjamin Lawton Willingham. No children

  4. Sarah Elizabeth Shorter (1819 – 1895) married James Linguard Hunter, Jr. (1817 – 1846) a son of Gen. John L. Hunter who moved from South Carolina and settled in south Eufaula on the Chattahoochee River at what is now called the Hunters Inlet subdivision. Hon. James L. Pugh, United States Senator from Alabama, married a daughter of General Hunter and Gen. H. D. Clayton who was the president of the University of Alabama also married a daughter of General Hunter.

    1. Sarah “Sallie” Bohler Hunter (1842 – 1884) married Julius Kincaid Battle, Sr. (1838 – 1860) the brother-in-law of Governor Shorter

      1. Julius Kincade Battle, Jr. M.D. (1860 – 1909) married Effie Jennings (1863 – 1930)

    2. Annie Hunter – died an infant

    3. Mary Lingard Hunter (1846 – 1882) married John Dupree Roquemore, Sr. (1846 – 1900)

      1. Charles Hunter Roquemore married Annie Hill Alexander

      2. Annie Dupree Roquemore married Lorlys Elton Rogers

      3. John Dupree Roquemore, Jr. married Lula West

      4. Mary Lingard Roquemore

      5. Zachariah Roquemore

  5. Martha Gill Shorter (1821 – 1855) married 1st Captain William Henry McKleroy

    1. Emily Francis McKleroy married Reverend Stratton Paullin

      1. John Paullin whose mother died at his birth. He was adopted by his Aunt, Mrs. Mary E. McKleroy Flewellen and his surname was change to Flewellen. (See below)

    2. John Martin McKleroy married Martha Woods

      1. William McKleroy married Susan Neal Musgrove

        1. William Henry McKleroy

      2. Charles McKleroy – died young

      3. Harriet McKloroy married William Fry Tebbetts

        1. John McKleroy Tebbetts

    3. Mary E. McKleroy married James Randall Flewellen

      1. John Paullin (Flewellen) – adopted by his aunt after the death of his mother married Annie Sewell

        1. Lutie Flewellen

        2. Randall Flewellen

    4. Reuben Clark McKleroy (1848 – 1855)

    5. Sarah Sophia “Sallie” McKleroy (1850 – 1900) married Alfred Alexis Couric

      1. Mollie Shorter Couric (1873 – 1947)

      2. Alfred “Lex” Alexis Couric (1876 – 1941) married 1st Mettie May Nix, married 2nd William “Willie” Preston Copeland

        1. Sarah McKleroy Couric – died an infant by Mettie May Nix

        2. Alfred Copeland Couric, Sr. (1910 – 2001) married Leola Swann (1909 – 1995)

          1. Alfred Copeland Couric, Jr. (1934 – )

          2. Mary Louisa Couric (1942 – )

        3. Charles Mautron Couric (1912 – 1981) married Marie Shackleford (1914 – 2006)

        4. William Preston Couric (1915 – 1967) married Kathleen Pead (1919 – 2002)

          1. Kathleen “Kathy” Couric (1947 – ) married Frank Wilbur Mottley III (1946 – 2009)

      3. Katherine “Callie” “Lady Bird” Kolb Couric (1878 – 1936)

      4. William McKleroy “Roy” Couric (1880 – 1918)

      5. Sarah Pauline Couric (1882 – 1952)

      6. Charles Matherron Couric (1884 – 1934)

      7. John Martin Couric, Sr. (1886 – 1947) married Wildie Churchill Hibbler (1886 – 1974)

        1. Charlotte Couric married Mr. Payne

        2. John Martin Couric, Jr. married Elinor Hene

          1. Emily Couric

          2. Clara “Kiki” Couric

          3. John Martin Couric, III

          4. Katherine “Katie” Ann Couric – married Jay Monaham. Katie Couric is a well-known media personality, journalist and TV host.

      8. Julius Battle Couric (1889 – 1968)

      9. Edmondson Couric (1891 – 1953)

      10. Martha Gill Couric – died an infant – 7 months & 1 day

    6. William Henry McKleroy (1852 – 1855)

  6. Congressman Eli Sims Shorter, Sr. (1823 – 1879) married Marietta Fannin (1830 – 1898)

    1. Annie Bell Shorter (1848 -1900)

    2. William Augustus Shorter (1850 – 1877)

    3. Clement Clay Shorter (1856 – 1890)

    4. Eli Sims Shorter, Jr. (1858 – 1908) married Wylenia Lamar (1861 – 1921)

      1. Alberta Shorter

      2. Fanny Lamar Shorter (1889 – 1949) married Herman Lewis Upshaw (1883 – 1959)

        1. Wylena Lamar Upshaw (1916 – 1992) married Robert P. Kennedy (1907 – 1973)

      3. Eli Sims Shorter, III

  7. Reuben Clark Shorter, Jr. (1826 – 1853) married Caroline “Carrie” A. Billingslea (1826 – 1907)

    1. James Billingslea Shorter (1849 – 1901)

    2. Reuben Clark Shorter, III (1850 – 1893)

  8. Sophia Herndon Shorter (1830 – 1850) married General Tennant Lomax, CSA (1820 – 1862)

  9. William James Shorter (1826 – 1839)

  10. Sampson “Samuel” Slaughter Shorter (1834 – 1840)

  11. Mary Butler Shorter (1829 – 1914) married Dr. William Horatio Thornton (1816 – 1881)

    1. Mary Rebecca Thornton (ABT 1847 – ABT 1861)

    2. Emily Frances Thornton (1849 – 1850)

    3. Laura Virginia Thornton (1851 – 1919) married Mayor St. George LeGare Comer (1847 – 1933)

      1. William Thornton Comer (1871 – 1935) married 1st Lillie Brockett, 2nd Amanda Holcom (1871 – 1935)

        1. William Comer

        2. Clinton Comer

      2. Laurie Comer (1874 – 1965) married Frank Wilkins Jennings, Sr. (1869 – 1917)

        1. Laurie “Laura” Jennings (1895 – ) married 1st Elbert Henry Willett, 2nd John Rexford Godwin

        2. LeGare Comer Jennings, Sr. (1898 – 1965) married 1st Kate Beebe Roberts (1901 – 1947), 2nd

          1. LeGare Comer Jennings, Jr. (1926 – 2016) married Ann Elizabeth May

            1. LeGare Comer Jennings, III married Donna Reynolds

            2. Benjamin May Jennings

          2. Clarence Roberts “Bob” Jennings (1929 – 1987)

        3. Frank Wilkens Jennings, Jr. (1905 – 1972) married Ruth Aurin (1912 – 1996)

          1. Frank Wilkens Jennings, III

      3. John Wallace Comer II married Sadie Patterson

      4. St. George Legare Comer, Jr. married Clennie Cunningham

      5. Edward Trippe Comer II (1881 – 1925) married Catherine Shorter Jelks (1884 – 1936)

        1. William Jelks Comer (1908 – 1964)

        2. Edward Trippe Comer, M.D. (1910 – 1992) married Elizabeth Jackson (1919 – 2013)

          1. Carole Linda Comer

          2. Suzanne Comer (1948 – 1948)

        3. Alice Shorter Comer (1919 – 1997) married Raymond Charles Blackmon (1916 – 1991)

          1. Catherine Jelks Blackmon

          2. Louise Shorter Blackmon

          3. Raymond Charles Blackmon, Jr.

          4. Alice Keitt Blackmon married Judge William “Bill” Henry Robertson, IV

      6. Eleanor “Nell” Comer (1883 – 1909)

      7. Walter Comer – died young

      8. Mary Comer (1888 – 1967) married Emmett McCormick

      9. Frank Willis Comer, Sr. (1889 – 1922) married Montine Roddenberry

        1. Frank Willis Comer, Jr. married Jannette Reeves (1916 – 1999)

        2. Anne Laurie Comer (1919 – 2000) married Richard Johnson Comer, Sr.

          1. Grace Louise Comer

          2. Richard Johnson Comer, Jr.

          3. Braxton Bragg Comer, II

          4. Frank Willis Comer, II

      10. Robert Cyril Comer (1892 – ) married Martha Didelle

      11. James Drewry Comer (1896 – 1963) married Mary Flewellen McCormick

        1. James Drewery Comer, Jr. (1921 – 1936)

    4. Anna G. Thornton (ABT 1852 – ) married George Henson Ester

    5. Sallie C. Thornton (ABT 1855 – ) married Edward A. Graham

    6. Willie Roberta Thornton (ABT 1858 – ABT 1869)

    7. Marietta “Retta” F. Thornton (1863 – 1941) married 1st Thomas Berry, 2nd Clifford A. Locke

    8. Sophee Shorter Thornton – Died an infant – 9 months – 4 days

  12. Henry Russell Shorter (1833 – 1898) married Adriana C. Treadwell Keitt (1836 – 1918)

    1. Adele Shorter married Charles Hanson

    2. Alice Shorter ( – 1945) married Governor William Dorsey Jelks (1855 – 1931)

      1. Catherine Shorter Jelks (1884 – 1936) married her second cousin Edward Trippe Comer II (1881 – 1925) see above

  13. Laura Mariah “Marie” Shorter (1837 – 1886) married Captain Thomas W. Cowles, Sr. CSA, (1831 – 1908)

    1. John Shorter Cowles (ABT 1864 – ) married Elizabeth Patillo

    2. William Thornton Cowles (1866 – 1926) married 1st Eddie Pope, 2nd Annie Pope

    3. Thomas W. Cowles, Jr. (1868 – 1888)