May 5, 1849 — March 27, 1922
John Fletcher Brinkley was born May 5, 1849 in Warren County, Georgia. He was the son of Samuel and Emeline Brinkley. Brinkley worked as a farmhand until at least 1870. Prior to 1875 he moved to Cobb County, as in that year he married area resident Mary Chalker. Brinkley and his wife would have seven children. In 1880, the family was living in Big Shanty. Brinkley worked as a farmer and at one point grew peaches.
In 1898, Brinkley was elected to the Executive Committee of the Cobb County Democratic Party. He was re-elected in 1900. Brinkley was also an active member of the Methodist Church, and in 1905, hewas superintendent of their local Sunday school. In 1909, Brinkley began working as a clerk at a store downtown owned by J. U. Kitchen. The 1910 census still listed Brinkley’s occupation as Farmer.
Sometime prior to 1909, Brinkley became a Freemason. In 1910 he became the local lodge’s treasurer. In addition, he was involved with the Kennesaw State Bank. In 1917, he became part of the Cobb County Food Products Safety Association. In 1920, Brinkley sold his Kennesaw Farm to George Skelton and moved to Marietta’s Dixie Avenue. He died at his home on March 27, 1922. The funeral was held at the Kennesaw Methodist Church.
