Anna Lorine Belote

My mother, Anna Lorine Belote Whatley, was born and raised in Cass County, Texas. Her family “The Belotes” came from England. Our first documented ancestor to arrive on American shores was John Belote born in England ca.1628. He married Bridgett and raised a family in Northampton County, Virginia. The descendants of John and Bridgett lived in the Northampton and Accomack Counties until around 1800. They migrated to Tennessee and lived mostly in Hardeman County.

George Wilson Belote born in 1817 in Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee was my great-great-grandfather. He was the son of Smith Cutter Belote born 09 January 1792 in Accomack County, Virginia and Nancy Gill born 22 February 1791 in North Carolina. George Wilson married Rachel Sawyer Glass on 02 June 1838 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Rachel was the daughter of Harvey Glass born 26 September 1798 in Virginia and Rebecca T. Paul born on 14 June 1800 in Knox County, Tennessee. George and Rachel lived all of their married life in Saulsbury, Hardeman County, Tennessee.

They had eight children.

After George Wilson Belote’s death in 1854 in Saulsbury, Tennessee Rachel moved with her children to Texas to be near her father and mother. Her parents, Harvey and Rebecca Glass, were already in Texas.

The Glasses left Tennessee sometime after 1846 and settled in Cass County. In 1860 they were living in Smithland where they lived the rest of their lives. Rachel Sawyer Belote bought 56 acres of land on 03 December 1858 in Cass County. These early residents of Cass County found themselves living in Marion County after the new county of Marion was established in 1860.

Rachel continued living in Smithland, Marion County fanning and raising her eight children. Rachel never remarried. She died on 20 May 1893 in Lodi, Marion County, Texas and is buried in Old Foundry Cemetery on Hwy 248 South of Lodi.

Allen Walker Belote, fifth child of George Wilson and Rachel Sawyer Glass Belote was my great-grandfather. Allen Walker Belote married Sallie Elizabeth Lay daughter of Sampson and Hester Sims Lay from Marion County, Texas. Allen and Sallie had five children.

1. Adrion Roberta Belote born 20 October 1873 in Marion County, Texas. Died 21 December 1944 in Cass County, Texas. “Addie” married (1) Thomas Walker; (2) John Harris Burns and (3) Joseph Walker brother of her first husband Thomas. Addie and Thomas Walker had two children, Thomas Allen Walker and Leslie Walker Addie and John Harris Burns’ children were James Hamlin Burns, J. C. Bums and Cora Leta Burns. Addie and Joseph Walker had no children. Addie is buried beside her first husband, Thomas, in Mt. Zion Cemetery in Cass County, Texas.

2. James Thomas Belote born 12 October 1875 in Lodi, Marion County, Texas. He married Angieline Wall, daughter of Evander Compton Wall and Mary Jane Elmore of Cass County, Texas. In 1900 “Tom” Belote bought a 90 acre farm in Cass County where their family of six children were born: (1) James Harvey Belote - married Cora Whatley; (2) Anna Lorine Belote - married Elmer Whatley; (3) Emmett George Belote - married Julia Brooks; (4) Jessie Allen Belote - first married Lucille Lemmon and second Gladys Lockett Alford; (5) Thomas Wilber Belote - married Maurine Mosley; (6) John Russell Belote - married Pearl Stone. Tom Belote was crushed in a cotton gin accident and ultimately died of pneumonia on 14 June 1919 in Cass County. He is buried at Good Exchange Cemetery in McLeod, Texas on Hwy 125. Tom and Angie had been married about sixteen years at time of his death. Angie never remarried. She stayed on the farm and raised her children by farming and from royalties from gas wells that were drilled on her land. It was a hard life for Angie Belote but she had five sons and one daughter to help her on the farm. One son, Jessie, lived with her and took care of her until her death on 09 December 1958. She is buried beside her husband at Good Exchange Cemetery. James Thomas and Angieline Belote were my grandparents.

3. Cora Leta Belote born 01 December 1877 in Lodi, Marion County, Texas. Died 21 November 1960. Cora is buried in Old Foundry Cemetery near Lodi, Texas on Hwy 248. Cora never married and lived with her parents until their deaths.

4. Jesse Vernon Belote born 08 August 1880. Died 11 June 1955 in Marion County, Texas. Married Erby Ophelia Whatley, daughter of George Washington Whatley and Mary Ophelia Hartzo. Jesse is buried in Prospect Cemetery, Marion County, Texas.

5. Walter Allen Belote born 27 March 1885 in Lodi, Marion County, Texas. Died 28 December 1957 in Marion County, Texas. Walter’s wife, Flora L. Colley, died 29 December 1983. Both are buried in Kildare Cemetery in Cass County Texas.

Anna Lorine Belote, the only daughter of James and Angieline Belote, was my mother. Lorine was born 02 March 1907 in Cass County. She married my father, Elmer Whatley, son of Martin Edward and Nancy Ellafair Ivey Whatley of Cass County. They had seven children: (1) Thomas Gaylon Whatley; (2) Moline Whatley; (3) Harold Mallet; (4) Hubert Elmer Whatley; (5) Donald Lynn Whatley; (6) Fadra Ann Whatley; (7) Glenda Sue Whatley. Elmer and Lorine are buried in Providence Cemetery located in Ringgold, Louisiana. Elmer died 02 March 1995 and Lorine died 20 April 1992. Both were living in Bossier City, Louisiana at time of their death.

Anna Lorine Belote’s direct lineage is John Sr., John Jr., Jonas, Noah, Jonas, Smith Cutter, George Wilson, Allen Walker, James Thomas, Anna Lorine. This lineage spans a 364 year timeline from the year 1628 through 1992. Things happened during this period such as the American Revolutionary War; Civil War; invention of cotton gin and steam engine; conveniences such as electricity, telephone, automobile, television became common place; World War I and II; space age with a man walking on the Moon; and the computer age just to name a few.