Flora Mae Scott

Other Events and Attributes:

• SSN issued: Florida, USA
• Name: Flora S. Wilkes
• Social Security Number: 261-78-5832
• Residence: 1945, Bay, Florida, USA

Notes:

Died:
Flora Mae Scott Wilkes

Flora, known in Palatka, as "Flo," was born in Fountain, Bay Co., on November 12, 1915, and died at age 88 of renal failure in Palatka's Hospice of the Lakes on July 20, 2004. Flora was the oldest child of Nathan Henry Scott and Audrey Mae Smith. During the Florida boom of the 1920s she moved with her parents to Groveland, Florida, where her father became foreman of the local sawmill. Three rambunctious sons were born in rapid succession. In 1928 the Great Depression struck, the construction bubble burst and mother Audrey Mae perished from a fatal child birthing. Nathan Scott took his brood back to the family homestead in West Florida. There, the sudden impact of child rearing and household duties drove the 13 year old Flora from home and into the care of other relatives. This stressful period disrupted her life and educational opportunities. Nevertheless, her inherent intelligence, her sense of purpose, her charm, and her fine physique and lovely face rendered Flora a most attractive woman in any setting.

In 1932 she attracted the attention of a young schoolteacher, B.A. Wilkes, who was renting rooms in her grandfather, Bryant Scott's house. During that year Bryant died. The following year Flora and B.A. eloped while her uncles and own father pulled down Bryant's "big" house for salvage, claiming their inheritance. B.A. Wilkes's energetic ambition to succeed in life was matched by Flora's sense of purpose. They settled in Panama City, Florida, where he was employed in middle management by the International Paper Company's newest and largest paper mill in the South. In time he became its chief purchasing agent. The new family had their first son, Delano Angus Wilkes in 1935. The young mother encouraged her son to draw, to imagine and to read volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica and "Journey's Through Storyland." The family were members of the First Methodist Church, and Flora sang in the choir.

B.A. Wilkes made a long-planned vocational change in 1944. He opened a Firestone franchise and building supply store in Palatka, Florida. It took hard work but it was instantly successful. Flora Wilkes became the store's first sales woman. She also was selected as a member of the Palatka Library Board. In 1950 son Scott Sinclair Wilkes was born, followed in 1955 by son John Wise Wilkes, II.

During the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Flora Wilkes devoted herself to raising her two youngest sons and attended to community services. She was a Boy Scout Den Mother for John and President of the Palatka Woman's Club and President of the Palatka Garden Clubs. The Palatka Daily News and other documents cite Flora in 1978 for inspired work to establish the Bartram Trail Society of Florida. She received a Life Membership in the Society for securing the services of Wyman Long as Chairman.

During the National Bicentennial celebration of the late 1970s Flora engaged the respected genealogist, Ransom McBride, to investigate the Colonial records of her ancestors. Col. McBride determined that her ancestor, Obediah Scott of Onslow Co., North Carolina served our fledging nation in the 1st North Carolina Regiment and the North Carolina Militia in 1776-1777. Because of his service, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution extended membership to her in 1978.

Flora's genealogist also uncovered the story of her favorite ancestor's migration to West Florida. It is also a love story. Her great grandfather, Isaac Scott, was employed as a woods rider for naval stores, a thriving business on the eastern North Carolina coast in 1848. A woods rider collects or supervises the collection of turpentine. Upon return from a long field trip, Isaac's boss asked when he intended to get married. Isaac said the subject wasn't particularly on his mind. The boss replied it was just as well because Esther Ann Grant had left with her family for the South Georgia-West Florida frontier. The following Sunday at the local races, Isaac Scott reined up before the spectators. With a display of high spirits and youthful assurance Isaac bade his friends farewell. He was leaving, then and there, for Georgia to find Esther Ann. Upon the cheers of the crowd he reared his horse with a great flourish in galloped away. Isaac caught up with the Grant family in southern Georgia. There he asked for the hand of Esther Ann and married her. In 1847 the Scott and Grant families and a new baby settled in the sand hills of West Florida.

Making a living was difficult. The soil was poor for farming and navel stores was not as active in the region. Still, Isaac added land to his homestead when he could. In 1862-1863, during the Civil War, Isaac served the Confederacy in the Second Battalion Florida Infantry. Isaac and other pioneers like him survived the war due to the remote location of the region. Flora sometimes recalled her great grandfather's legacy. In fact, she talked of his character during her last days of illness and exclaimed, "I am proud to be a Scott."

The story of Flora Scott Wilkes and her Scott ancestors may be considered the saga of a penultimate West Florida "cracker" family. They were of Scot-English extraction and were mainstream Protestants. They owned no slaves and were very intent on molding their own lives. The Scotts left other folk alone as they wished to be left alone, but quickly responded if tampered with. Their lives coursed through the American Revolution, good times, lost love, found love, the Civil War, hard times, and ultimately a long successful life.

In middle age, Flora was able to devote more time to the pleasures of family life. Of great importance to her were raising her young sons, regional travel with B.A. and accompanying his attendance of the Folsom Family Association reunions. They both took great pleasure in planning and cultivating their walled garden with a specimen rose garden, camellia hedges and orange trees.

Flora was preceded in death by her husband, B.A. Wilkes, in 1980. Survivors include son Delano Wilkes and wife Dona Murren Wilkes of St. Augustine, son Scott Wilkes of Ft. Worth, grandson Scott Wilkes Jr., of San Francisco, and her son John Wilkes, II and his son John Wilkes, III, both of Palatka. A private graveside service was attended on July 24, 2004 at Westview Cemetery in Palatka.

St. Augustine Record, 08/01/40
http://staugustine.com/stories/080104/obi_kr005937.shtml

Flora married Bernice Angus "B A" Wilkes on 23 Dec 1933 in Marianna, Jackson, Florida, USA. Bernice (son of John Wise Wilkes and Lee Anna Hutto) was born on 4 Dec 1911 in Garden City, Okaloosa, Florida, USA; died on 19 Jul 1980 in Palatka, Putnam, Florida, USA; was buried in Westview Cemetery, Palatka, Putnam, Florida, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Delano Angus Wilkes was born on 25 Jan 1935 in Panama City, Bay, Florida, USA; died on 4 Feb 2015 in Flagler Hospital, St Augustine, St Johns, Florida, USA; was buried on 14 Feb 2015 in Westview Cemetery, Palatka, Putnam, Florida, USA.
2. John Wise Wilkes, II was born on 11 Mar 1955 in Palatka, Putnam, Florida, USA; died in 2012; was buried in Westview Cemetery, Palatka, Putnam, Florida, USA.
3. Living