Greene County, Arkansas

Beliew Community

Many Greene Countians today well remember "Uncle Charlie" Beliew. Few citizens in the county have been better known, or more respected. And although his descendants are scattered throughout the county, years of search and inquiry has reveled that very little was known of Uncle Charlie's past. After numerous interviews with old-timers from the Lafe area, as well as a search of county records and U.S. census records, the following information was obtained.

Charles Cooper Beliew was born in Gibson County, Tennessee, on October 25, 1868. He was orphaned at an early age, and was taken to live with his uncle and aunt, Aaron and Nancy Beliew. He came with them from Dresden, Tennessee to Greene County in 1886. Aaron Beliew had purchased forty acres of land from the St. Louis Iron Mountain Railroad (Section 21, Twp. 18 No., Range 5 East) on July 10, 1886; and another forty acres adjoining this on August 9, 1897. One acre of this was donated by Mr. Beliew for establishing a Christian Church and adjacent cemetery. The remaining 79 acres were sold to Mr. L.P. Johns on Dec. 4, 1901. Both Nancy and Aaron Beliew died shortly after 1901 and were the first persons buried in the county graveyard. Both the church and the cemetery were referred to as "Beliew Hill".

Beliew Hill Church was a Christian Church, situated at the southwest corner of the cemetery. The old Beliew cabin was approximately 200 yards down from the southeast corner of the cemetery. Uncle Charlie grew up, and eventually bought much of the land in the area. The graves of Aaron and Nancy Beliew are marked only by small white concrete markers, bearing no inscriptions. For many years the two graves were covered with a brick mausoleum, but this gradually crumbled and was removed from the cemetery.

On May 17, 1891, Charlie Beliew was married to Sarah Emmaline Jamison, long known by friends and relatives as "Aunt Liney". To them were born four children: Hattie, who died at three days of age; Enos, who married Laura Swindle; Hoyt, who married Beulah Tarrance; later Pat Breckenridge; and Lillie May, who died at the age of seventeen, shortly after being married to Obe Owen.

The Beliew family remained in the Union - Breckenridge Township area for a number of years, continuing to farm. However, they later moved to Rector, where "Uncle Charlie" died July 18, 1958. "Aunt Liney" died October 10, 1962.

Transcribed by: Sandy Hardin

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