Sonja Byrd Remembers Early Life in The Landings

I have enjoyed interviewing several of our longer-term residents during this year of celebration of the 50^th anniversary of The Landings. Recently, someone told me about a person just down the street from me, who is a real Landings treasure.

Sonja Byrd (pictured at left) is originally from Savannah, growing up on DeRenne Avenue, which was a dirt road at the time. There were five houses between Skidaway Road and White Bluff Road. It was white sand and a real struggle to ride her Schwinn bike on it. There was an area that had cows (she thinks part of Starland Dairies) where the Fairway Oaks area is now. She tells of a giant hole that became filled with water, and they swam in it, even though her mother was very afraid for the children to do so. Sonja said one day, her brother surfaced from under the water, with mud all over him (sounds to me like Creature from the Black Lagoon!). She said it upset her mother greatly, and she took a switch to him. Sonja also lived in South Carolina for awhile. She told me she was named after Sonja Henie, the Norwegian Olympic skater. She had dimples as a baby, and when the doctor handed her to her mother, her mother said she looked just like Sonja Henie. Then Sonja looked at me and said, “but I don’t skate".  Her parents owned Warren Exterminating, which was one of only two exterminating companies in Savannah at the time. Her father sold the company to Mrs. Yates (so it is now Yates-Astro). 

Her second husband, Benjamin Tillman “Cookie” Byrd, was the former owner of the Byrd Cookie Company (second generation). She tells the story of Mr. Byrd, Sr., who lived in South Carolina. His uncle had a small grocery store here, so Mr. Byrd moved to Savannah and met Mrs. Byrd. They lived on Norwood, and had a big garden and a cow. Sonja’s husband said as a boy, they were never hungry but he got tired of eating dried beans. Mr. Byrd, Sr. worked for Derst Baking Company, and Saturday was their big delivery day. He wanted to join the Seventh Day Adventist church, which held worship on Saturdays. So he wanted Saturdays off, but the company said no. So, he went back to see his mother in South Carolina and learned how to make oatmeal cookies. He’d drive around in his Model T truck and sell them. That was the beginning of the famous Savannah cookies.

Sonja’s husband was in the Flying Tigers in World War II. They flew over the Himalayas (“the Hump”) without maps or knowing the true height of the mountains, to bring supplies to China, which was barricaded by Russia and Japan. She said it’s ironic the relationship that the U.S. has with China now, since during the War, we were trying to protect them from the Japanese. Growing up, her husband swam in the Moon River Creek and knew the Mercer (yes, Johnny Mercer) family. 

They built the first house on Ward Lane in 1978. They paid $16,000 for their lot. Building had to be accomplished via a generator, as there was no electricity on the island yet.  At the time of the building, of course, there was only the drawbridge. She said when they went into town, you didn’t see another car coming or going. If they did end up passing somebody, each car’s driver would roll their window down and wave. Sonja reported that people were upset when reading in the Savannah Morning News that the sales tax would be raised one cent to pay for the road and the bridge. Sonja said she was after her husband to buy one or two water lots (they were $25,000), but he said he didn’t really know where the island was going longer term, so he didn’t want to.  She said, “He bought a Corvette instead.”

When The Village came, she said she was hoping for shops, shoes, and clothing.  She said “instead, we got five banks!” There was one ladies’ clothing store there at one time, but it didn’t last.  Early on, Landings Harbor was there, but there were no boats yet in the marina.  Sonja’s husband had a yacht in Thunderbolt. The Landings told him “if you bring it here, we will give you free docking for one year.”  Their Club number was 3, and they paid $25 a month in dues.  She said the last time she used it in one of the restaurants, the waiter couldn’t figure out if it was a real number. He went off to the computer, came back, and apologized.

Sonja’s current home is the pink Queen Anne style on Priest Landing Drive near Landings Harbor. That lot was $50,000 at the time. This is her second home in The Landings, and she has lived in it for 22 years. Her husband drew up the plans with his uncle.  She loves having the woods behind her and told me that she has a sign out back that says “Byrds of Paradise.”

It was such fun talking with Sonja, and she left me with two great quotes:

• “I swell with pride that I’m 85, and people say I look 45.”
• “I don’t have a fax, cell phone, or email.  I have a life.”  (Love it!)

For more interesting information about The Landings' 50 year history and its people, please visit www.landings.org/50th