John and Ora Lee married on 25 Sept 1898 in Hinds County. They had eleven children, John had eight from a previous marriage to Georgeanna Cato, totaling 19 for John. They lived in Vernon, a town near Flora, MS. The children by Ora Lee were James Bennett "Ben" (1899-1989), John Asa (1902-), George William (1903-1974), Minnie Ruth (1904-69), Carl (1905-), Dora Bell (1907-2008), Charles Hamon (1909-2002), Olin (1910-11), Robert Hinton (1911-12), Mary Lorean (1913-96) and Jessie Woodrow (1916-2007).

Frances Clark Cronin, granddaughter of Ora Lee Hartley wrote, "Ora Lee was my Granny Hill. She wasn't fat but pleasantly plump. Just the nice soft lap to hold a child. Her hands were large and had seen many jobs from taking care of children, picking cotten, growing and canning vegetables and fruits. When I was little she had all the grandchildren out to the farm for Easter. She had saved eggs for a week in order to have an Easter egg hunt for us. She may not have had much in the way of material possessions, but she had a lot of love to share.'

"Ora Lee was the next to youngest of the George and Lucinda's children. She and her younger brother, Hooker were close growing up and remained that way all their lives. They were both young when Lucinda died. George did not know what to do and took Hooker and Ora Lee to live with his daughter Sarah. George was finally able to set up a home and take Hooker and Ora Lee back. Ora Lee often told the story of how happy they were to be back in a home with their father.'

"Ora Lee kept house for her father and brother. When she was old enough she taught school. I think she taught at Brownsville. When she met John Aaron Suggs Hill, a widower with five sons, and he asked her to marry him, she had to quit teaching, as married women were not allowed to teach. The youngest of John Hill's children, Elmer, was a toddler of one to two years. Ora Lee was the only mother Elmer ever knew. All of John's children called her "Miss Ora." John Hill's first wife was Georgeanna Cato. She and John had eight children, seven boys and one girl. Five boys lived to maturity.'

"John and Ora Lee had eleven children, seven boys and four girls. Five boys and four girls lived to maturity. John was a farmer living out from Pocahantus, MS. In 1918, their house burned down. My mother told me that John had bought an organ for daughter Ruth. They tried and tried to save the organ.'

"As John grew older, son, Elmer bought land and built a house for his father, Miss Ora and the younger children. After John's death, Ora Lee stayed on the farm with son's Asa and Haman.'

"Haman married and he and his wife moved to Jackson. The farm was sold and Ora Lee moved to Jackson to be with daughters. I so remember Granny in a nursing home and I would take the bus every day to be with her until my mother got off from work and joined us. Granny would let me braid her hair and told me so many stories. She and my other Granny were the ones who got me interested in history and genealogy."

John Aaron Suggs Hill and Ora Lee Hartley Gallery