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From:  Staff Reports 

Readers across Americus and Sumter County and beyond who are related to or know the Short and Wellons families in the area will be interested in a new family history book that includes more than 1,000 surnames.

“Winding Roots / The Short, Wellons and allied kin of Sumter and surrounding counties” is a 610-page publication now on sale. The cities of Americus, Plains, Buena Vista, Ellaville, Sasser, Thomaston, Roberta, Musella, Macon and countless others are mentioned numerous times. Special emphasis focuses on the farming communities of Shiloh, Myrtle Springs and Hebron in Sumter County as well as Brantley in Marion County.

The expansive book, written by local author Steve Short, was printed by Gammage Print Shop in Americus. It is the fourth book that Short has written on each of his four grandparents. This book is focused on his grandfather Clarence Belvy Short’s roots. It is dedicated to his aunts Peggy Short Israel and Patsy Short Medlock and his uncle, C.W. “Bobo” Short.

Surnames that appear most often in addition to Short and Wellons include Reid; McClung; Marshall; Taylor; Herring; Phelts; White; Wadsworth; Albritton; Pilcher; Cordell; Tatum; Murchison; Jordan; and Anthony. An eight-page surname index is included at the end of the book, as well as a list of all descendants of William Leonard Short, Sr., and Laura Eugenia Wellons Short, the author’s great-grandparents. Both died in Americus in the 1950s.

Detailed are the backgrounds in Marion County and Crawford County of Leonard Short and Eugenia Wellons Short; their eight children and descendants; as well as each of their Short and Wellons siblings and their families; and their Short and Wellons ancestors, whose roots are traced to the 1600s in Virginia.

The book includes hundreds of historic family photographs. Life and events in several counties are written about in colorful detail.

Special emphasis is placed on Shiloh Baptist Church and Hebron Baptist Church in Sumter County, as well as Ebenezer Baptist Church in Schley County and Brantley Methodist Church in Marion County. All played special roles in the families’ upbringings.

The book is the culmination of years of research by Short, an Americus native and University of Georgia graduate. An avid genealogist, Short has done family research since his teenage years in the late 1970s. According to the author, both the Shorts and Wellonses boast a rich and fascinating history. That history is intertwined with equally interesting stories.

Copies of “Winding Roots” are available in Americus by calling Steve Short at 229-410-5023 or 770-354-6576, or emailing him at steveshort86@att.net. Copies also can be purchased at The Dime Store in downtown Buena Vista while supplies last. Call the store at 229-649-7211 for more information.