Pvt. Northen Watson Ponder

Our Hometown Heroes

Northen Watson Ponder

Went to War Week After Marriage

Pvt. Northen Watson Ponder went to war only a week after he married. He would, however, come back to the home he loved.

N.W. Ponder was born in Barton, GA. on July 25, 1889. It is not known when he moved to Griffin, Spalding County, Georgia, but it is known he lived at 416 N. 6th Street. Inducted into the US Army on June 26, 1918, Ponder, had been married only a week to Sarah Allen Henderson, June 17, 1918 before he left for war.

Pvt. Ponder was honorably discharged on December 21, 1918.

Apparently, Pvt. Ponder was a victim of disease from the war. He spent about five months as a patient of the government hospital at Camp Sevier, Greenville, SC. It is not known what illness he suffered but we do know Ponder was at home on a ten-day furlough at the time of this death on February 3, 1921.

Funeral services took place at his home on North Sixth Street. Pall bearers included: M.J. Hambrick, R.N. Thaxton, Roscoe Sims, R.M. Blakely, W.E. Waller and M.H. Duncan. The Woodmen of the World fraternal group was in charge of the services. Dr. J.E. Sammons officiated. Northen Watson Ponder is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin.

Pvt. Northen Watson Ponder’s name is inscribed on the World War I “Doughboy Monument” in Veterans Park. Today we honor him as one of our Griffin-Spalding County Hometown Heroes.