Georgia

Georgia has long been considered the unofficial "capital" of the South. Michael grew up near Atlanta, before moving to Ohio between seventh and eighth grade (1974). Georgia's population was 8.5 million in 2002; but had grown to 9.8 million in 2010. Almost 30 cities in China have a larger population than this US state! Many Chinese students know about Atlanta (because of the 1996 Olympics), so it is easy to explain where "we come from" (GA and her neighbor: SC). During our 2006 family reunion, we attended a Braves baseball game at Turner Field in Atlanta. Andrew had never been to a baseball game before, and thought it was terribly boring. The Braves lost. (When he was a kid, Michael watched Hank Aaron play in the Braves' former stadium. Aaron held the US record for the most Homeruns from 1974 to 2007.)
	This shows Atlanta's skyline, from Turner Stadium (built for the 1996 Olympics). Michael and Vivian were fortunate to attend some events during the '96 Olympics, and were blessed again to do the same in Beijing, 2008. Atlanta is the home of Coca-cola, which should explain the pretty, large Coke bottle at this stadium. Michael's brother is an executive for Coke. That is his home on the left. (You can see other family members' homes on the Ohio and South Carolina pages.)
For many years, Michael's parents owned a "condo" (like an apartment) near Lake Lanier in Georgia, used for family reunions, vacations, honeymoons, retreats, etc. Since this was the only photo of the outside I could find (Michael is talking to his sister and brother-in-law), we obviously were more concerned about having fun than taking pictures!	Michael's parents also owned this small boat, which gave us many years of enjoyment. That is Lake Lanier at the top. Bottom right: Michael's brother is driving the boat and his daughter is getting ready to ski. On the bottom left, his son Alan is skiing. You can see the boat behind a big (old) car on our wedding page, which also has some pictures of Georgia's Stone Mountain State Park.
On April 23-24, 2004, a number of Michael's relatives gathered in Eatonton, Georgia, to explore our roots. This is the main group who attended the reunion. In the picture, from the left: Bill Carlton, "Uncle Bob" Holmstrom, Lisa (Bob's daughter & Michael's cousin), Robert DeJarnette, III (son of Robert, Jr.), Michael's mom and dad, Andrew, Michael, and Robert DeJarnette, Jr. (Elise, Bob, and Bill's cousin!). Vivian took the photos (this is actually three pictures, stuck together!). Michael's brother and sister-in-law (packing for a big move at the time) attended part of the reunion, but missed this particular evening. There was some travel involved in being together. The DeJarnettes both live about an hour away from Eatonton; Bill and Michael's brother are 2-3 hours away; Lisa lives in northern Florida, with her dad in central Florida (6-10 hours); Michael's parents live in Ohio (over 12 hours by car); and of course we were living in China! We had a bigger reunion in 2006. Click here to see those photos!

This is the Rockville School, founded by our ancestor H.R. DeJarnette around 1890, and recently restored because of its historical significance as Georgia's first vocational rural school (see the plaque). H.R. had been an important community leader, and his great grandfather (Reuben DeJarnette) had been commissioned to do the first geographical survey of the area (in the early 1800s). The school's current caretakers were kind enough to let us in (that's them, on the porch). A few of them even remembered Michael's grandmother and aunt. Interestingly, Michael's Great Uncle Herbert Carlton (Bill's dad) was the president of a vocational college in northern Georgia, and Michael has many happy memories of visiting their "mansion" in Clarksville, GA. (PS: Reuben DeJarnette was also a soldier in America's Revolutionary War. It is an interesting coincidence that Michael's grandmother [Sarah DeJarnette] married Reuben Holmstrom!)
This cabin is the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton, because Eatonton is the home of Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit, and the other loved "critters" created by Joel Chandler Harris (born in Eatonton Dec. 9, 1848). The sign under the rabbit, standing in front of City Hall, reads: "Brer Rabbit, born and bred in the briar patch; he survives forever by his wit, his courage, and his cunning." If you are one of our students, ask us to tell you about one of his adventures! As to the picture above on the right, Michael couldn't resist snapping this photo in a bait and convenience store near Eatonton. Somehow it captures part of the essence of "Georgia," the state Michael grew up in. This southern state is filled with laid-back people who spend their spare time watching college football, hunting, fishing, shopping at Walmart and wearing hats to protect from the hot sunshine. The only thing missing from the photo is a sign for the best university in the state, the University of Georgia Bulldogs' rival: the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (my brother's alma mater)! (right) The historic courthouse in Newnan, GA, a couple hours' drive from Eatonton. Michael grew up in Newnan (grades 1-7). As I recall, this courthouse was used as a temporary hospital in the Civil War)