Dade County History Book

Elbert Forester was born Dec. 14, 1906 to the family of Lee and Flora Amos Forester. He was reared on a farm in Dade County in the extreme northwest section, at the foot of Lookout Mountain.

He attended Dade County schools and graduated from the Martha Berry School- Mount Berry, Georgia, where he majored in journalism with high honors and was awarded a scholarship.

He owned and operated the Dade County Times for 16 years and has been a member of the Georgia Press Association for many years. He was a winner in the Georgia Essay Contest, sponsored by Georgia Chapter, International Association of Personnel in Employment Security.

His articles on various subjects, in addition to those related to the fields of Employment Security, have appeared in many local, state, national and international magazines and publications.

He served without opposition 4 years in Georgia State Senate and 4 years in Georgia House of Representatives and was Lieutenant Colonel on a staff of a number of governors of Georgia.

He has been awarded citations by United States presidents and Georgia governors’ committees for outstanding work on promoting the Hire the Handicapped Program in Georgia and throughout the nation.

Elbert wrote a weekly column and editorials for a number of newspapers and trade publications in his home area. He has also made many appearances before civic, veterans, employers, women’s church and other groups and organizations. He made personal contacts to the sick and counseled many others and was dedicated to assisting those who needed it most. His motto was “My soul knows no fear except its unworthiness”

Elbert was a 32- degree Mason and Shriner, past Worshipful Master, Trenton Lodge No. 179 F&AM; past Worthy Patron, Order of the Eastern Star, Trenton, and served as chairman of the board of deacons of his church while residing in Atlanta and was chairman of the stewardship  committee, Atlanta Associational Brotherhood. His family was named “Family of the Year”, of his church there in  1961.  Elbert was of the Baptist faith.

Elbert was named “1963 Boss of the Year” by the American Business Women’s Association, Atlanta Charter Chapter.

Elbert was one of the two directors of the Employment Security Agency of Georgia, retiring after 20 years of state and federal service in 1965.  He was among those listed in “Personalities of the South,” 1970 edition, for outstanding and distinguished service.

In December, 1965, he founded The Dade County Sentinel which was listed among the top weekly newspapers in the eight Southeastern states. Elbert served as editor and received no salary.

While president of the Dade County Lions Club,  the stone “welcome markers” were erected at the north and south ends of  the county and the, State of Dade car tags were made by the inmates of the state penitentiary.

Elbert married the former Myra Alice Hester and had two sons and two daughters all of whom are college graduates. He lived at the “Old Homeplace” a farm east of New England which is known as Shechem.

He was a member of the first basketball team, coached by the late Professor G. C. Austin, at Dade County High School. Elbert came from one of Dade County’s pioneer families and served his county well.