William Elijah Clayborn
Sixth Child of William H. Clayborn
10 June 1898 - 20 April 1961

William Elijah Clayborn (called "Lige") was born on 10 June 1898 [Based on Lige's tombstone. His World War I Draft Registration Card (Dekalb County, Tennessee; Roll: 1852979; Draft Board: 0) gives the date as 10 September 1897.]. He married Nannie Malone (born on 4 October 1900) on 9 July 1916. Nannie died on 31 January 1942. Together they had two sons, Howard E. and Roy Lee, listed below. William married (2nd) on 9 April 1942 to Athalee Johnson and together they had one daughter, Dianna, listed below. William died on 20 April 1961.

Pedigree Chart

						Ephraim Claybourn 1788 - 1850
				James T. Clayborn 1822 - 1900
						Mary "Polly" Browning 1792 - 1874
		William H. Clayborn b. 1857
				Melinda K. Scott b. 1827
William E. Clayborn 1898 - 1961
		Melinda Driver b. 1866

Descendants

1. Howard E. Clayborn was born on 14 June 1917 in Dismal, located in the 19th District of DeKalb County, Tennessee [This date and the bulk of Howard's biographical information is based on a biography of his published on pages 261 - 264 in "History of Indian Creek Baptist Church" by W. H. Nixon (self-published by the author, copyright 1965). The date tallies with his listing in the Social Security Death Index (Number: 411-34-9504; Issue State: Tennessee).]. He received his elementary and high school education at Liberty, Tennessee and college training at Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee. On 13 February 1937, at the age of 19, he married Irene Malone (25 Jan 1917 - 03 Nov 1999) in Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee.

   Though Howard was a life long farmer, he earned the proper credentials to teach and did so in the public schools of DeKalb County for seven years. In 1943, with World War II escalating, he abandoned teaching to attend Anderson Aircraft School in Nashville, Tennessee; having completed this training, he was transferred to Brookly Field, Mobile, Alabama, where he worked in the Weight and Balance Department until he enlisted with the army as a private on 7 April 1944 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi [Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946 [Archival Database]; World War II Army Enlistment Records; Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 64; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.]. His enlistment records indicate he was 68 inches tall and weighed 199 pounds. Howard served twenty-seven months in the armed forces before returning to the quietness of the farm life to resume his former duties in agriculture.

   Clayborn (known as "Elder Clayborn" in his church) professed the Christian faith at an early age and joined the Methodist Church in his community. After some years, he cast his lot with Cooper’s Chapel Baptist Church; there he assumed the duties of teaching the Young People's Sunday School Class. Eventually he answered a call to the ministry, and was ordained by his church to the gospel ministry in 1951. Following ordination, he served as pastor of at least three churches the Salem association: three years at Cooper's Chapel, two and a half years at New Home, and in 1965, the pastorate of Snow Hill and Indian Creek Churches. A biography of his written by a congregant at the Indian Creek Baptist Church in 1965 notes the following [Quoted from a biography of Howard's published on pages 261 - 264 in "History of Indian Creek Baptist Church" by W. H. Nixon (self-published by the author, copyright 1965).]:

   The Lord has blessed the labors of this pastor and given to him souls for his hire, and the churches of his present pastorate are making substantial gain.

   To give a brief exposition of the Elder Clayborn and his ministry, may it suffice to say, he is a man of medium stature with an optimistic and generous disposition; a man who has faith in God to the success of his ministry. He is a pastor of commendable attitude toward his fellow servants, and he often shares his pulpit with other ministers.

   Moreover, he is a very busy man; he attends a mid-week prayer meeting in each of his churches and preaches to them twice on Sunday. Apart from his church duties, he drives a school bus and takes care of the farm needs with the remaining time.

   Finally, we may well style this subject as an old-time preacher, one who speaks by the spirit of God, out of the conviction of his heart and soul. The manner and style of his ministry may also be liken to that of the prophet, Jeremiah: for he was called the weeping prophet; his soul was moved with great compassion for the hurt of his people.

   So we see these qualities in Elder Clayborn that make him an old time Christian and an orthodox Baptist. May we bid this servant "God's speed" and dedicate the following passage to his busy life in the Lord.

   "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. 15:58

   Howard was still preaching, in the Southern Baptist denomination, in 1985. But about five years later, on 11 Jan 1990, he died [Social Security Death Index (Number: 411-34-9504; Issue State: Tennessee).]. Howard and Irene had one daughter, Doris Marie Clayborn, listed below.

   1. Doris Marie Clayborn married James Keaton on 23 April 1954. Doris and James had five daughters: Teresa, Pamela, Carol, Vickie, and Renea. In the early 1970's Doris and James divorced.

2. Roy Lee Clayborn was born on 28 July 1920 [Birth date copied from tombstone, Dismal Cemetery, Liberty, TN.]. He married Lena Spence on 17 Dec 1938 in DeKalb Co., TN by T. D. Driver, JP. Just three months after this wedding Roy was tragically killed on 23 March 1939 [Obituary of Roy Lee Clayborn, Smithville Review Newspaper, 30 Mar 1939 Issue.]. He was thrown by a mule he was riding with his legs entangled in the gear. When he was found the mule was on one side of the fence and Roy's body on the other.

3. Dianna Clayborn was born on 6 Mar 1946. She married Fred Earl Curtis (born on 26 Jan 1943) on 01 June 1962 in Liberty, TN with the wedding officiated by her half brother, Howard E. Clayborn. They had 2 sons:

   1. William Freddy Curtis ("Freddy") was born on 02 Apr 1963 in Lebanon, Wilson Co., Tennessee [Freddy corresponded with Joshua A. Claybourn in 2009 and provided the bulk of information about this branch through his own independent research.].

   2. Jonathan Haynes Curtis was born on 02 Nov 1969 in Asheville, Buncombe Co., North Carolina.