Tombstone Tuesday: Clifford Eugene and Alice Isabel (Hayes) Sweat

Headstone for Clifford Eugene Sweat and Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat, Mount Peace Cemetery, St. Cloud, FL

Clifford Eugene Sweat and Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat were my maternal great grandparents. They both make their first appearance in records in the 1930 census. Clifford was listed in Colquitt County, Georgia, the son of James W and Addie (Deen) Sweat. Isabel appears as Izzie B in Cook County, Georgia, the daughter of Thomas and Minnie (Rice) Hayes. They married 20 September 1936. I haven't found their marriage record yet as available online records cut off just before that point, but I assume their marriage occurred in either Cook or Berrien County.

Granny and Grandpa Sweat ca 1960-1970

I've been told they lived with my great grandfather James Thomas Hayes when they first got married. They had four children that lived beyond infancy. Two of those children, my grandfather Thomas Walter Sweat and his sister Linda Faye Sweat Cason, passed away one year ago within a week of each other.

They moved to Florida around 1950 and lived there until Clifford's death on 6 Feb 1986 in St. Cloud, Florida. Isabel stayed in Florida until 1991 when she moved to Blackshear, Georgia with her daughter Linda. She lived there until her death on 23 May 2009.

My sisters and I with Granny Sweat, ca 1995

My mom was very close to her grandparents and I grew up hearing stories about her time with them. They were the backbone of the family and things have changed since they both passed. I don't remember my great grandfather since he died when I was pretty young, but I remember my granny well. While I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked, I still have some good memories.