Elizabeth Ann "Bessie" Ballenger is the daughter of Joseph Leighton Ballenger, Sr and Kindness Ida Center. She is the eldest of their children and a sister to Jessie Jane Ballenger Bowen Goodman, John James, Masilda "Sildie" Essie Ballenger Coln Biggers, Texas "Tessie" (who died at age 14), Cordie Lillian Ballenger Williams, Zebulon Vance (who died in infancy), Horace Edward, Rufus Rex, Sarah "Sallie" Ophelia Ballenger DeYoung, Edna Cue Ballenger Henderson Hawkins and Joseph Leighton, Jr.
In 1909 Bessie graduated from the North Greenville High School in Tigerville, SC and was the recipient of the Elocution medal in her class. She also attended Draughan's Business College in Greenville, SC to study shorthand and typing. She was the only one among her siblings to graduate high school.
She would for a while work in a cigar factory with some of her sisters. Bessie next began working in the court system in Greenville county, SC. When John William Thurmond came to Greenville on solicitor business he routinely asked that she serve as his secretary and once he brought his "obstreperous" teenage son, Strom, along and asked that Bessie, rather than serve as his secretary that day, please babysit Strom while John Will Thurmond attend to his solicitor duties. She did.
Years later she met James "Jim" Henry King and on 10 July 1920 they married. Jim had moved to SC from Vermont, serving as a mounted police officer in Charleston, a Federal Revenue agent in upstate SC and a private investigator. Their wedding took place at St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC. For the first few years of their married life Bessie worked as a public stenographer and Jim as a private detective with the Palmetto Detective Agency. She had an office on the second floor of the Palmetto Building while Jim's office was upstairs on the third floor. They are the parents of Johannah Elizabeth King Bell, born 1925 and Anne Ballenger King McCuen, born 1927.
Jim died of a myocardial infarction in 1929, when the girls were very young. Bessie returned to work, relying on her recently widowed mother to help rear the girls. She began as a stenographer with the US Marshal's office and soon became a US Federal Deputy Marshal and eventually became one of the first 8 women in the US to be named a Chief Deputy Marshal.
She was a devoted member of Greenville's First Baptist Church and a member of the Business and Professional Women's club. Her daughters would graduate from Furman University. "Momma King" was a grandmother to 13 children, all of them surviving childhood college graduates.
She retired on 30 Jun 1958 after serving 33 yrs 3 mos with the US government, 2 yrs of that in the Office of the US Attorney, almost 3 yrs in the office of the Clerk of the US District Court and the remainder with the US Marshals, Dept of Justice.
She developed Alzheimer's late in life and died due to complications from a case of mumps.
In 1909 Bessie graduated from the North Greenville High School in Tigerville, SC and was the recipient of the Elocution medal in her class. She also attended Draughan's Business College in Greenville, SC to study shorthand and typing. She was the only one among her siblings to graduate high school.
She would for a while work in a cigar factory with some of her sisters. Bessie next began working in the court system in Greenville county, SC. When John William Thurmond came to Greenville on solicitor business he routinely asked that she serve as his secretary and once he brought his "obstreperous" teenage son, Strom, along and asked that Bessie, rather than serve as his secretary that day, please babysit Strom while John Will Thurmond attend to his solicitor duties. She did.
Years later she met James "Jim" Henry King and on 10 July 1920 they married. Jim had moved to SC from Vermont, serving as a mounted police officer in Charleston, a Federal Revenue agent in upstate SC and a private investigator. Their wedding took place at St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC. For the first few years of their married life Bessie worked as a public stenographer and Jim as a private detective with the Palmetto Detective Agency. She had an office on the second floor of the Palmetto Building while Jim's office was upstairs on the third floor. They are the parents of Johannah Elizabeth King Bell, born 1925 and Anne Ballenger King McCuen, born 1927.
Jim died of a myocardial infarction in 1929, when the girls were very young. Bessie returned to work, relying on her recently widowed mother to help rear the girls. She began as a stenographer with the US Marshal's office and soon became a US Federal Deputy Marshal and eventually became one of the first 8 women in the US to be named a Chief Deputy Marshal.
She was a devoted member of Greenville's First Baptist Church and a member of the Business and Professional Women's club. Her daughters would graduate from Furman University. "Momma King" was a grandmother to 13 children, all of them surviving childhood college graduates.
She retired on 30 Jun 1958 after serving 33 yrs 3 mos with the US government, 2 yrs of that in the Office of the US Attorney, almost 3 yrs in the office of the Clerk of the US District Court and the remainder with the US Marshals, Dept of Justice.
She developed Alzheimer's late in life and died due to complications from a case of mumps.
Elizabeth Ann "Bessie" Ballenger is the daughter of Joseph Leighton Ballenger, Sr and Kindness Ida Center. She is the eldest of their children and a sister to Jessie Jane Ballenger Bowen Goodman, John James, Masilda "Sildie" Essie Ballenger Coln Biggers, Texas "Tessie" (who died at age 14), Cordie Lillian Ballenger Williams, Zebulon Vance (who died in infancy), Horace Edward, Rufus Rex, Sarah "Sallie" Ophelia Ballenger DeYoung, Edna Cue Ballenger Henderson Hawkins and Joseph Leighton, Jr.
In 1909 Bessie graduated from the North Greenville High School in Tigerville, SC and was the recipient of the Elocution medal in her class. She also attended Draughan's Business College in Greenville, SC to study shorthand and typing. She was the only one among her siblings to graduate high school.
She would for a while work in a cigar factory with some of her sisters. Bessie next began working in the court system in Greenville county, SC. When John William Thurmond came to Greenville on solicitor business he routinely asked that she serve as his secretary and once he brought his "obstreperous" teenage son, Strom, along and asked that Bessie, rather than serve as his secretary that day, please babysit Strom while John Will Thurmond attend to his solicitor duties. She did.
Years later she met James "Jim" Henry King and on 10 July 1920 they married. Jim had moved to SC from Vermont, serving as a mounted police officer in Charleston, a Federal Revenue agent in upstate SC and a private investigator. Their wedding took place at St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC. For the first few years of their married life Bessie worked as a public stenographer and Jim as a private detective with the Palmetto Detective Agency. She had an office on the second floor of the Palmetto Building while Jim's office was upstairs on the third floor. They are the parents of Johannah Elizabeth King Bell, born 1925 and Anne Ballenger King McCuen, born 1927.
Jim died of a myocardial infarction in 1929, when the girls were very young. Bessie returned to work, relying on her recently widowed mother to help rear the girls. She began as a stenographer with the US Marshal's office and soon became a US Federal Deputy Marshal and eventually became one of the first 8 women in the US to be named a Chief Deputy Marshal.
She was a devoted member of Greenville's First Baptist Church and a member of the Business and Professional Women's club. Her daughters would graduate from Furman University. "Momma King" was a grandmother to 13 children, all of them surviving childhood college graduates.
She retired on 30 Jun 1958 after serving 33 yrs 3 mos with the US government, 2 yrs of that in the Office of the US Attorney, almost 3 yrs in the office of the Clerk of the US District Court and the remainder with the US Marshals, Dept of Justice.
She developed Alzheimer's late in life and died due to complications from a case of mumps.
In 1909 Bessie graduated from the North Greenville High School in Tigerville, SC and was the recipient of the Elocution medal in her class. She also attended Draughan's Business College in Greenville, SC to study shorthand and typing. She was the only one among her siblings to graduate high school.
She would for a while work in a cigar factory with some of her sisters. Bessie next began working in the court system in Greenville county, SC. When John William Thurmond came to Greenville on solicitor business he routinely asked that she serve as his secretary and once he brought his "obstreperous" teenage son, Strom, along and asked that Bessie, rather than serve as his secretary that day, please babysit Strom while John Will Thurmond attend to his solicitor duties. She did.
Years later she met James "Jim" Henry King and on 10 July 1920 they married. Jim had moved to SC from Vermont, serving as a mounted police officer in Charleston, a Federal Revenue agent in upstate SC and a private investigator. Their wedding took place at St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, SC. For the first few years of their married life Bessie worked as a public stenographer and Jim as a private detective with the Palmetto Detective Agency. She had an office on the second floor of the Palmetto Building while Jim's office was upstairs on the third floor. They are the parents of Johannah Elizabeth King Bell, born 1925 and Anne Ballenger King McCuen, born 1927.
Jim died of a myocardial infarction in 1929, when the girls were very young. Bessie returned to work, relying on her recently widowed mother to help rear the girls. She began as a stenographer with the US Marshal's office and soon became a US Federal Deputy Marshal and eventually became one of the first 8 women in the US to be named a Chief Deputy Marshal.
She was a devoted member of Greenville's First Baptist Church and a member of the Business and Professional Women's club. Her daughters would graduate from Furman University. "Momma King" was a grandmother to 13 children, all of them surviving childhood college graduates.
She retired on 30 Jun 1958 after serving 33 yrs 3 mos with the US government, 2 yrs of that in the Office of the US Attorney, almost 3 yrs in the office of the Clerk of the US District Court and the remainder with the US Marshals, Dept of Justice.
She developed Alzheimer's late in life and died due to complications from a case of mumps.
Family Members
Siblings
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Jess Jane Ballenger Goodman
1893–1976
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John James Ballenger
1895–1961
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Masilda Essie "Sildie" Ballenger Biggers
1896–1963
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Texas Tessie Ballenger
1898–1912
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Cordelia Lillian "Cordie" Ballenger Williams
1900–1985
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Zebulon Vance Ballenger
1902–1902
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Horace Edward Ballenger
1903–1960
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Rufus Rex Ballenger
1906–1970
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Edna Cue Ballenger Hawkins
1911–1973
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Joseph Leighton Ballenger Jr
1913–1994
