|
|
Each August, from the age of 5 to 14 years old, Virginia Strickland Reed
traveled to Roswell from her home in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta to
visit her paternal grandparents, Johnny and Clementine Strickland, at their
Victorian home. Johnny was a school teacher; he died in 1928. Clementine
Strickland’s sister, Aunt Annie Houze Cook, ran the first kindergarten in
North Fulton County in Sandy Springs. The Strickland's ran a 140-acre
working farm around the Victorian house. The Cherokee Indians granted the
family the land, and Virginia still has the original deeds. The property
stretched as far north as Hembree Road. Virginia’s great grandfather’s name
was James Solon Houze, and he owned the adjoining property to the east of
Houze.
The Strickland’s built their home in 1903 for $1,800. The master bedroom
(now the kitchen) had “his and her” closets—a new concept for the time.
Virginia’s grandmother built two tenant homes on the property after her
grandfather’s death. One was located at the current intersection of Crabapple
and Chaffin Road, the other at the current intersection of Strickland and
Hollyberry Drive. The family had more crops than tenants.
Virginia’s father, Harold Strickland, was a pharmacist. Her mother was Mary
Etris Strickland. Virginia and her two brothers inherited the estate from her
father in 1968, which included 4 acres with the Victorian located at the
intersection of Strickland and Hollyberry Drive, plus an additional 140
acres. Virigina tells a story of her grandmother Clementine having first sold
the land to a doctor, but that the doctor, a womanizer and philanderer, spent
all his money and could not pay on the note. So the family retained the land.
If that land had been sold to the good doctor, there would be no Hollyberry
subdivision today.
Virginia was married to her first husband George Eubanks for 27 years. They had two children, Georgann Eubanks,(now lives in N.C. and owns a film documentary company called Minnow Media which as been nominated for
and won several Emmy awards) and George R. (G. Ray) Eubanks, Jr.(now lives in Lyons, CO and is CFO of a software company in Boulder). Virginia divorced and later met Ralph Reed, a local developer. They were wed in 1973 and were happily married for 25 years until his death in 1999.
Virginia was in the real estate business and as executor of her parent’s estate
she contracted with Spratlin Realty to develop the property, which became
the Hollyberry subdivision. Spratlin put in the roads and divided up the lots,
then sold the lots to a diverse number of home builders, which explains the
variety of home styles in the community.
The side of Virginia and Ralph’s home facing Pine Brook Way used to be the
subdivision’s sales office. Virginia had blueprints drawn and retained a
contractor, and the house was built before she and Ralph married. Ralph
finished all the interior work and they officially moved into the home in
1973.
Virginia and Ralph organized the Hollyberry Civic Association and held
many meetings in their home. The first Halloween, all the homeowners
gathered at the Reed’s lower driveway for hot dogs, hamburgers and hot
chocolate. The Halloween party is a tradition that continues to this day.
Gloria Conrad, a former neighbor for many years, started the tradition of the
“Luminaria”—where all the streets are lined with lights—on Christmas Eve,
1975. Ralph furnished the sand for the bags until he died. Longtime
Hollyberry residents remember his blue pickup parked and filled with sand.
Once the candles were lit, everyone would meet in a designated neighbor’s
garage to wish each other a “Merry Christmas” and partake of hot chocolate,
cookies and doughnuts. Many Hollyberry kids who are now grown share
fond memories of this tradition.
Ralph Reed was considered the “Mayor” of Hollyberry to all of us, and
Virginia, the “Queen Mother.” They loved the July 4th neighborhood parades
and regularly attended social functions. Hollyberry owes them both many
thanks for founding, supporting and nurturing our community.
traveled to Roswell from her home in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta to
visit her paternal grandparents, Johnny and Clementine Strickland, at their
Victorian home. Johnny was a school teacher; he died in 1928. Clementine
Strickland’s sister, Aunt Annie Houze Cook, ran the first kindergarten in
North Fulton County in Sandy Springs. The Strickland's ran a 140-acre
working farm around the Victorian house. The Cherokee Indians granted the
family the land, and Virginia still has the original deeds. The property
stretched as far north as Hembree Road. Virginia’s great grandfather’s name
was James Solon Houze, and he owned the adjoining property to the east of
Houze.
The Strickland’s built their home in 1903 for $1,800. The master bedroom
(now the kitchen) had “his and her” closets—a new concept for the time.
Virginia’s grandmother built two tenant homes on the property after her
grandfather’s death. One was located at the current intersection of Crabapple
and Chaffin Road, the other at the current intersection of Strickland and
Hollyberry Drive. The family had more crops than tenants.
Virginia’s father, Harold Strickland, was a pharmacist. Her mother was Mary
Etris Strickland. Virginia and her two brothers inherited the estate from her
father in 1968, which included 4 acres with the Victorian located at the
intersection of Strickland and Hollyberry Drive, plus an additional 140
acres. Virigina tells a story of her grandmother Clementine having first sold
the land to a doctor, but that the doctor, a womanizer and philanderer, spent
all his money and could not pay on the note. So the family retained the land.
If that land had been sold to the good doctor, there would be no Hollyberry
subdivision today.
Virginia was married to her first husband George Eubanks for 27 years. They had two children, Georgann Eubanks,(now lives in N.C. and owns a film documentary company called Minnow Media which as been nominated for
and won several Emmy awards) and George R. (G. Ray) Eubanks, Jr.(now lives in Lyons, CO and is CFO of a software company in Boulder). Virginia divorced and later met Ralph Reed, a local developer. They were wed in 1973 and were happily married for 25 years until his death in 1999.
Virginia was in the real estate business and as executor of her parent’s estate
she contracted with Spratlin Realty to develop the property, which became
the Hollyberry subdivision. Spratlin put in the roads and divided up the lots,
then sold the lots to a diverse number of home builders, which explains the
variety of home styles in the community.
The side of Virginia and Ralph’s home facing Pine Brook Way used to be the
subdivision’s sales office. Virginia had blueprints drawn and retained a
contractor, and the house was built before she and Ralph married. Ralph
finished all the interior work and they officially moved into the home in
1973.
Virginia and Ralph organized the Hollyberry Civic Association and held
many meetings in their home. The first Halloween, all the homeowners
gathered at the Reed’s lower driveway for hot dogs, hamburgers and hot
chocolate. The Halloween party is a tradition that continues to this day.
Gloria Conrad, a former neighbor for many years, started the tradition of the
“Luminaria”—where all the streets are lined with lights—on Christmas Eve,
1975. Ralph furnished the sand for the bags until he died. Longtime
Hollyberry residents remember his blue pickup parked and filled with sand.
Once the candles were lit, everyone would meet in a designated neighbor’s
garage to wish each other a “Merry Christmas” and partake of hot chocolate,
cookies and doughnuts. Many Hollyberry kids who are now grown share
fond memories of this tradition.
Ralph Reed was considered the “Mayor” of Hollyberry to all of us, and
Virginia, the “Queen Mother.” They loved the July 4th neighborhood parades
and regularly attended social functions. Hollyberry owes them both many
thanks for founding, supporting and nurturing our community.
