Generation 46
PINK
HUSBAND Pinkney "Pink" TOWNLEY
Born 18 Nov 1927 in
Married 02 Sep 1952 in
Died 11 Nov 2024 in Gainesville; Hall Co; GA
Burial Harmony Baptist Church; Dawsonville; Dawson Co; GA
Father Leander Pirkle "Lee" TOWNLEY
Mother Florence Burt BENNETT
WIFE Virginia Rose GADDIS
Born 12 Jul 1935 in Dawsonville; Dawson Co; GA
Died 21 June 2024 in Gainesville; Hall Co; GA
Burial Harmony Baptist Church; Dawsonville; Dawson Co; GA
Father Oscar T GADDIS
Mother Sally Mae CONNER
CHILDREN
1 Male Timothy Chris TOWNLEY
Born 31 Jul 1961 in Vevay; Switzerland Co; IN
Married 01 Jan 1997 in Toccoa; Stephens Co; GA
Died in
Burial
Spouse Neonia Lynn PURVIS
NOTES
Pink was the youngest of ten children that Leander and Florence had. There was a fairly large gap in age (15 years) between the oldest child (Frank) and Pink. By the time Pink was born; it wasn't long before his older siblings were getting married and moving off the farm. Pink had to drop out of school at the end of sixth grade to stay home and help work on the farm, as by then many of his siblings were married and moved away.
Pink's father Lee tended to be a "wanderer" and left the family while Pink was still young. So, it was a hard life, trying to help his Mom keep up the farm; raise cattle and other livestock and cultivate fields for food.
Pink; like most of us Townley's; loves to work with his hands and create something from nothing. He got on working with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers building major projects. He worked his way up into a carpenter foreman and supervisor over the years and showed that even with only a sixth grade education; he was smart and had a lot of common sense, and an understanding of construction and how physics played into it. He was a good leader with excellent communication skills, which let him be able to teach and train employees.
While in the Corp of Engineers; he spent most of his time working in the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division; which reached from the St Lawrence Seaway down the Ohio River Valley and to the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
He worked on the St Lawrence Seaway building the Eisenhower Locks and Dam, near Massena NY, when it was being constructed from 1954 to 1958. A series of seven locks allows large sea-going vessels to travel from Lake Ontario out to the open seas. Afterwards he moved to Kentucky and helped build a dam on the Cumberland River. This dam and one on the Tennessee formed the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area and formed Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, in the western part of Kentucky
Afterwards he moved to Vevay IN. to help oversee the construction of Markland Locks and Dam. The dam spans the Ohio River and sits about 40 miles downstream from Cincinnati Ohio. There was also a power plant added at the site; but most of the workers concerned with building the locks and dam had picked up and moved downstream to start construction on the Cannelton Locks and Dam; about 140 miles downstream on the Ohio River from Markland.
Pink continued his job with the Corp; moving to Cannelton, IN; as construction began there in 1963. Before it was completed; Pink suffered an accident and fell. He broke his back; left leg; and foot and ankle after falling 25 feet and landing on concrete (vertically, on his feet). He was in the hospital for six months. Afterwards, he spent many months recovering and even time in traction to help with his back injures. When he recovered and was able to work again; he decided he would go into business for himself. The small town he lived in; (Tell City) could use another construction company and he felt like with his knowledge and expertise, he could make a better living working for himself and running his own business; than working for someone else.
Also during this time, he took a great interest in antique cars. He had many different cars over the years; ranging from old Plymouths; Model A's; Chevy roadsters; and 1936 and 1940 Fords; and 1955 and 1957 Chevys. His prize possession was a 1931 Ford Roadster Deluxe that he bought out of the show window from an Antique car museum in Hershey PA. He also loved his NASCAR racing. For a good span of years, he and friends would attend as many as 12 NASCAR Cup races a year. Of course; being from Dawsonville; he was a big Bill Elliott fan. The fact that Pink's grandmother was Manerva Elliott; (thereby related to the Elliott's of NASCAR fame); didn't hurt either.
Pink did good work at a fair price, and his customers were always happy. He was a jack of all trades, as he could do everything from minor remodeling; up to building complex houses and buildings for the city. In a small town of 6,500 people, word of mouth is certainly a manner for people knowing what kind of work you do; and people must have been happy with Pink's work. I know that many times people would call and say "I want you to do this project". He'd tell them, "I'm sorry I am covered up with work; and it would be at least two months before I could even start". The customer would say; "I know you are the best in town and charge a fair price - I'll just wait"
Pink worked and kept his customers happy until he was about 70 years old. At that time he decided it was time to retire, and moved back to his home state of Georgia so he could be near his son; and other family members. Still, he wasn't about to sit down and do nothing. He loves to attend church, and when Summer Revival is going on; he'll often go to various churches, and visit them three or four nights a week. He also still has a sizeable garden and grows many vegetables. He also does canning and makes home-made jams; jellies and wine.
He would take his jellies and jams to various churches and sell his items; then take the money he took in from his sales, and donate 100% of it back to that church.
Pink lived to the ripe old age of 96. His wife went to a nursing home in 2022 and he lived alone; but still drove; cooked and cleaned for himself etc. He visited his wife four or five times a week, and also went to church four or five times a week during revival. His wife passed in June 2024 and it seemed he had no purpose any more, and he passed about four months later. They were married almost 72 years.