By Lawrence R. Coleman
James Andrew Allen is an honored veteran of World War I and a little-known part of Irmo history. Allen was born in Irmo on July 8, 1890, to Jas R. Allen and Emma Long. Allen joined the military in June of 1918 and was assigned to the 39th Company, 19th Truck Battalion, 158th Depot Brigade. He died as a Private from pneumonia on Oct. 10, 1918. According to the South Carolina U.S. Death Records, Allen was buried in Young’s Chapel AME Church cemetery as a soldier and veteran on October 15, 1918, in Irmo.
Young’s Chapel AME Church and Cemetery is one of Irmo’s oldest historic African American sites and is where Allen has rested undisturbed for 106 years. The church is located at 7336 Carlisle Street in Irmo.
“What is amazing is that his tombstone is still intact,” said author Lawrence Coleman. Coleman discovered the gravesite in dense vegetation within the graveyard. “I researched further and found some living relatives of Allen still in the Irmo area.”
Coleman’s research found that records in the 12th United States Federal Census showed that Allen had a sister named Sara Ann Allen who married Henry Corley of Irmo. The 1930 United States Federal Census revealed that Henry and Sara had seven children.
The seven children were Eddie, W. Corley, Lucile Corley, Gertrude Corley, Emma Corley, Hattie Corley, Ethel Corley and Vernon Corley.
Eddie William Corley and Kizzie Lee Kinard were married according to records from the SC Marriage License Dept. of 1938 and by 1950 had produced six children according to the US Federal Census at that time. Those children were Eddie Lee Corley, Roberta Corley, Shirley Corley, Minnie Lee Corley, William Corley and Chirdell Corley. Later Eddie and Kizzie had three more children Frances Corley, Theodora Corley and Glenn Corley.
Henry Corley and Sara Ann Corley were the grandparents of all nine children.
Today there are three living grandchildren.
Pictured are Roberta Eskew(Corley) left and Frances Robinson (Corley) right.
Lawrence R. Coleman is the President of the African American Historical Society of Irmo (AAHSI) which is a non-profit organization.
