Dade County History Book

ROBERT OLIVER “0llie” BETHUNE

Robert Oliver Bethune Family - Picture made in the summer of 1912. right to left: Great Uncle Will Cox on the mule, Aunt Mammie(1897), Great Aunt Hattie Jones, Grandpa Bethune holding Walter(1909), Grandmon Bethune holding Burrell(1902 ), Orbie(1907), Minnie(1904) and twin sister Ninnie Bell(1904), Birdie(1900) and Burssie(1902).

Back of Robert Oliver Bethune Family. This is where I got the caption, please see if you think I got it right.

Robert Oliver Bethune, (April 14, 1875 to December 02, 1940), was born the son of Robert J. Bethune and Cardelia Jones Bethune, in Spalding County Georgia. Robert and Cardelia moved to Buck’s Pocket of DeKalb County Alabama, around 1890 when 01lie was about 15 years of age. Ollie was raised at Buck’s Pocket.

I think he was living in that area at the time he married Lillie E. Cox. He was living at Brown Town near Henagar, AL, around 1912 and had nine children. In 1919, he was running a general store at Brown Town. I have heard he was the first to own a motorized vehicle in that area. He bought it so that he could haul and peddle produce to Chattanooga, TN, and bring back supplies for his store. He never learned to drive; he hired someone to drive for him. It has been told that he had a flat tire when he first bought the truck and no one in the area knew how to fix it. They tried to patch it from the outside of the tire.

Around 1920, he sold out at Brown Town and bought 80 acres of land in north DeKalb County near the Union Church and finished raising his family. He and Lillie had thirteen children which they raised all except the first. It died as an infant. They farmed, and it has been told that Lillie supervised her sons as how to plow the crops, and set the plow for them. They raised eight sons, so, they had plenty of work to do. It is said that she was a hard working woman.

They lived in DeKalb County until around 1934. They sold this farm and bought a house in Happy Hollow, Jackson County Alabama. But in 1935, they moved to Dade County, Georgia around the Avans Church Community.

My grandmother died August 6, 1937. At the time of her death Beason and J.B. were still living at home. After Lillie died, Ollie moved to Chattanooga and remarried. He ran a small grocery store in the Saint Elmo area for a while. He sold this and moved in with his daughter, Lillie Mae Smith. He had a stroke on December 2, 1940 and died in Chattanooga on Long Street. The last year or so of his life he was buying and selling live stock. He was a very good business man, so I have heard, who really liked to trade and usually made good ones.

Both Ollie and Lillie are buried in the Henegar Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

The children of 0llie and Lillie were:

1. Love Alvis, died as an infant.

2. Mammie, (October 3, 1897 – September 15, 1980); married Scott White; buried in Plant City, Florida.

3. Birdie “B. D.” D. , Sr., (March 5, 1900 – January 1, 1973); married Lena Plumblee, (July 3, 1905 – July 6, 1960); buried Reeves Cemetery, Dade County, GA.

4. Burssie, (1902 – April 1929), was killed at the Union Church; buried in Henegar Cemetery, DeKalb County, AL.; was married once, however, it was annulled.

5. Ninnie Bell, (twin) (August 10, 1904 – August 18, 1930); married Arnold Holland; buried in Henegar Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

6. Minnie Estell, (twin), (August 10, 1904 – June 20, 1979); married John Brady Boatner, (February 1, 1900 – February 21, 1990); buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County

AL.

7. Orbie Arrie, (January 5, 1907 – August 5, 1985), married Ruby L. Adkins, (August 13, 1911 – November 20, 1980). Orbie and Ruby are my parents.

8. Walter Carmichael, (March 10, 1909 – December 13, 1991); married Galdie Holland; buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

9. Oliver Burrell, (December 23, 1911 – May 2, 1939); married Anna-mae Gross; buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

10. Lillie Mae, (May 15, 1913 – July 14, 1967); married 1st) James Wesley Smith, divorced; married 2nd) James T. Whitehead, buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County, AL.

11. Ozell, (June 12, 1915 – August 18, 1967); married Tola Hurst (July 11, 1915 –June 22, 1983); buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

12. Beason, (August 10, 1916 – May 31, 1990); married Sallie Holland, (September 8, 1923 – July 20, 1994); buried Payne Gap Cemetery, DeKalb County AL.

13. J. B., (December 24, 1919 – June 16, 1992); married Willie Bea Gilbreath, (May 3, 1922 – still living). J. B. is buried Lakewood Memorial Gardens, Lakeview Dr., Catoosa County, GA.