A Story of Captains and Kings

Dr. Linda Craine Grynkewich is the Great, Great, Great Granddaughter of Joseph Caswell Haddock and Mildred “Milbry” Barnes of Haddock Plantation, later Haddock Station, between Gray and Milledgeville.  Although Linda was born in Macon, she spent every weekend and every summer in Jones County visiting her Grandmother Louise Craine.  In fact, Linda’s early passion for genealogy was fueled by the presence of dozens of centenarians within a family that loved to share stories.  She was also greatly influenced by the words of her mother’s dear friend, Carolyn White Williams, the author of “The History of Jones County, Georgia 1807 - 1907.”
In the preface of her book, Mrs. Williams began with a Rev. Gannon quotation stating, “All true civilization is ninety per cent heirlooms and memories- an accumulation of small but precious deposits left by countless generations that have gone before us.”
Mrs. Williams then goes on to say that, “These words have meaning for all of us who want to help make the world a better place.  They remind us that in every field- art, industry, science or religion- we have a legacy reaching back thousands of centuries.  Each of us is a trustee of the past, we have the important task of living up to our heritage- and adding something to it.”
Linda adds, “I truly grew up in the oral tradition of the Deep South, then spent my early adulthood synthesizing it all.  Now I am ready to share it! I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to Donna Haddock Cooper of Missouri, who has spent much of her life conducting groundbreaking research into this extraordinary family.  I have always been told that all a family needs is one serious genealogist each generation, but the Haddock family has been blessed to have several.”
After living away for nearly two decades, Linda returned to middle Georgia to raise her own children.  The mother of six, and an internationally acclaimed educator, she has a strong sense of commitment to improving the present and the future, which she believes can be maximized by understanding the past.  Linda now invites her readers to retrace that journey into the past that she began with her grandmother so many years ago.  Excerpts from her recently written novel, “Haddock: A Story of Captains and Kings,” are intriguing tales woven around research documenting centuries of true events.”  
“My grandmother would be thrilled to know that the people of Jones County would be learning about the Haddock family of which she was so proud.  She and I would spend long afternoons traveling about the county walking through old cemeteries and making photos of old abandoned farmhouses of which only her generation knew the historical significance. I lingered on her every word as she shared all that she knew.  Now, if you please, linger with me for a while as I tell you of captains and kings who made Jones County, Georgia their home.”