So Long, Sadie Strickland: Bunnell Centenarian Was Told Flagler Would Devour Her in 1927

The Flagler County Historical Society’s Sisco Deen, who is also this site’s Flagler County history adviser, writes about Sadie S. Strickland of Bunnell, who died on Sept. 10 at her home. She was 100.

The Strickland family has contributed greatly to the growth of Flagler County in general and the Flagler County Historical Society in particular.

According to Flagler County family records maintained by your historical society, Sadie was the daughter of William Mitchell Stone and Mary E. Hall and was born October 27, 1910 in Pine Grove, Appling County, Georgia. She was married to Marcus Carlton Strickland (1900-1946) sometime before 1925.

Mrs. Strickland moved to Favorita, the rural farming area south of Korona, with her late husband, Marcus Strickland, in 1927, where the family became a major timber and ranching influence with properties extending from one end of the county to the other.

According to a story by Michael Reed, which appeared in the December 15, 2005 edition of The Daytona Beach News-Journal, when the Stirckland family moved in, “neighbors gave the couple six months to live, Sadie would recall. Mosquitoes were so bad that the locals thought the Stricklands would be eaten alive, or force them to abandon their fledgling turpentine operation and run back home to Georgia. But the couple toughed it out in the sweltering backwoods, prospered selling turpentine needed during World War II, and raised a family that has grown to more than 40 lineal descendants, all of whom live nearby.”

Several of the family’s early homes and supporting buildings still stand in the Favorita area, where Mr. and Mrs. Strickland entertained various legislators and state officials for hunting trips and visits to the county.

Sadie was a “real daughter” of the General Joseph Eggleston Johnston Chapter #2317, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Bunnell, joining on Feb. 5, 1967, with eligibility based on the service record of her father, William Mitchell Stone. Private Stone, together with his brother Absalom, enlisted on March 4, 1862 at Holmesville, GA in Company F, 11th Battalion, 47th Georgia Infantry Regiment, Army of Tennessee. William was paroled as a corporal at Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26, 1865.

All of Mrs. Strickland’s children live in Flagler County: Christine (Cris) Deal (Donald), Wilda Hargett (widow of Jimmie), Odell Clegg (Frank), Marcus (Junior) Strickland and Marvin Strickland.

Marvin’s wife Betty Jo (nee: Revels) is a past director of the Flagler County Historical Society and Odell’s son Dale is the artist who drew the sketch of the Holden House we use on our letterhead and coffee cups.

Sadie, who was also the mother of society member Wilda Hargett & mother-in-law of society member Betty Jo Strickland, will be greatly missed.

Sadie Strickland’s obituary, as written by her family, appears below the picture.

Flagler County pioneer Sadie Strickland took her place in Heaven September 10, 2010, after a full life of nearly 101 years. She was born in Pine Grove, Ga. on October 27, 1909, the daughter of a Confederate soldier, William Mitchell Stone of the 47th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, and Mary Etta Hall Stone. She married Marcus Strickland of West Florida and in 1927 the couple moved to Favorita in Flagler County where they raised cattle, produced turpentine and became one of the pioneering large landholders in Florida.

Before the death of Marcus, the couple reared five children in Flagler County, all living there today: Christine (Don) Deal, Wilda (Jimmie, dcsd.) Hargett, Odell (Frank) Clegg, M.C. (Susan) Strickland, Jr., and Marvin (Betty Jo) Strickland. She was a charter member of Community Baptist Church in Korona and instrumental in its construction, along with the construction of the First Baptist Church of Bunnell at its original location.

Sadie had a gift of childlike wonderment in all things Christmas and in the beauties God bestowed upon this Earth, as well as an appreciation for the creations of man. Four new Strickland generations learned that “Mother Sadie” was a kindred spirit when it came to appreciating laughter, festivities and especially birthdays. But she also possessed a mature love of God and Country and an empathy for those less fortunate. Her early loss of both parents and her husband created an appreciation of Life and a wisdom beyond those years.

She enjoyed bowling, golfing, fishing and world travel in her younger years and took great pride in being one of only 28 living Real Daughters in the United daughters of the Confederacy at the time of her passing. She belonged to the local Joseph E. Johnston Chapter of the UDC and to the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and treasured her many friends there.

In addition to her children, Sadie leaves behind sixteen grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. These include the Deal’s daughter Shyla (Fred, dcsd.) Meece and their children Wendy (Wayne) Simpson, Michael (Jeanne) Meece, and Cara (David) Karner and the Deal’s son Don (Terri) Deal, Jr. and their son, Matthew. Sadie’s great- great-grandchildren of this lineage include Isaac and Abby Simpson.

The Hargett families include daughter Sherry (Mike) Reavis and their daughter Nicole (Vinton) Squires and daughter Nancy (Fred) Collins and her son Chris (Gail) Miller, and Hargett son Thomas. Sadie’s great- great-grandchildren of this lineage include Alyssa Squires, and Chase and Jared Miller.

The Clegg families include son Marvin (Melissa) Clegg and their children Hailey and Keeton Clegg, and son Dale (Tracey) Clegg and their daughter Keira Clegg.

The children of M.C. Strickland, Jr. are son Mark (Donna) Strickland and his son Mark (Joy) Strickland, III, daughter Marcy (Robby) Bentley and their children Clint, Heath and Sara Bentley, daughter Rachel Strickland, and sons Joshua, Caleb and Joel Strickland.

The children of Marvin (Betty Jo) Strickland are son Shannon (Angie) Strickland and their children Colton, Courtney, Kennedy and Kate Strickland, son Stephen (Angel) Strickland and their children Savannah, Saige, and Skylar Strickland, and son Swayne Strickland.

Visitation with the family will be held at Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, 511 South Old Kings Rd. on Friday, September 17 from 5 til 7 pm. A celebration of her life will be held at Community Baptist Church, 956 S. Old Dixie Highway in Korona on Saturday, September 18 at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Strickland Cemetery in Korona following the service.

The family wishes to thank all the caregivers and Hospice personnel that gave so much love to Sadie during the last years of her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Box 8190, Lakeland, FL 33802, or Samaritans Purse, Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607, or the Gideons International, Box 352312, Palm Coast, FL 32135-2312.