Roane County’s Hembree Families
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The Joseph “Joel” Hembree Family
Prepared by Leota Bennett E-Mail: rabit@preferred.com
February 25, 2003
Joseph “Joel” Hembree was among the earliest Hembree’s to come to Roane County, Tennessee. He was called Joe, Joel and Joseph in various records. Research shows that he is probably a first cousin of the Cardiff resident, Joel Hembree. He could have been his uncle, however more research and records would be needed to support his being his uncle.
Joseph “Joel” Hembree was born in 1779 while his family resided in the southwestern part of present day North Carolina. He received a 50-acre land grant for militia services rendered on the frontier. He moved to Roane County after his marriage to Sarah Elizabeth Melton. They were married in 1809 at the home William Hembree at Spartanburg, SC. He used the militia grant to obtain the original farm acres in the Bald Hill section. The land he chose was excellent for farming, well drained and crops easy to grow. Eventually his farm grew to 1100 acres in that area. He married in SC to Sarah Elizabeth Melton who lived to be over 100 years old. They had 10 children. After the death of his grandson, John Columbus Hembree in 1911, the family sold part of the land. Part of the farm remained in the family until the U.S. Government purchased the land during World War II. This farm is now part of the Manhattan Project K-25 plant reservation. Access to the family cemetery on this homestead is limited. It is now AEC Cemetery #10. Permission must be obtained to visit any of the numerous cemeteries on the Oak Ridge AEC Reservation. The security at the Manhattan project was very strict. Because of our national security, the remote location, radioactive contamination and personal safety the permission is needed to visit the site. It is near Historic Selkirk.
Eventually the farm reached 1100 acres in that area before the U.S. Government purchased the land for Manhattan Project during World War II. When this project forced families out of the Wheat area, all families including the Hembree’s moved into nearby towns and neighboring counties. The area was considered to be in a depressed farming area by the time of the land purchases. Like other families, the Hembree’s who still owned land in the area were compensated for their property.
Joseph Hembree and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Melton/Milton had 10 children, and many descendants. Some of their descendants are listed below.
Descendants of Joseph Emory/ Hembree
Generation No. 1
1. JOSEPH EMORY/ HEMBREE was born 1779 in North Carolina, and died 1867 at Kingston, Roane Co. TN, Buried at the Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10 at the Bald Hill / Wheat farm. He married SARAH ELIZABETH MILTON 1809 at the home of William Hembree, Spartanburg Co., South Carolina. She was born 1790, and died about 1901 at Roane Co. TN, buried at the Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10.
Children of JOSEPH HEMBREE and ELIZABETH MILTON are:
i. EZZARIAS HEMBREE, b. 1813.
2. ii. ELI (ELY) HEMBREE, b. 1814, Roane County, Tennessee; d. 1888, Roane County, Tennessee.
iii. GEORGE HEMBREE, b. 1825.
iv. JOSEPH HEMBREE, b. 1829.
v. SARAH HEMBREE, b. 1832.
vi. ELIZABETH HEMBREE, b. 1834.
vii. ANGINARA HEMBREE.
viii. WILLIAM HEMBREE.
ix. CYNTHIA HEMBREE.
x. MELISSA HEMBREE.
xi. ? BENJAMIN HEMBREE.
xii. ?ANDREW HEMBREE.
Generation No. 2
2. ELI (ELY)2 HEMBREE (JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born 1814 in Roane County, Tennessee, and died 1888 in Roane County, Tennessee, buried New Zion Cemetery AEC#5. He married (1) NANCY H. BALLEW on December 02, 1841. She was born 1819 in South Carolina, and died October 1854 in Roane County, TN. He married (2) SARAH CATHERINE "GRANNY SAL" HART Aft. 1855 in Roane County, Tenn. She died in Bald Hill/Wheat, Roane Co. TN, Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10. He met (3) MARY / ELIZA BRANSON Aft. 1856 they did not marry. He married (4) Unknown female Aft. 1858(?).
Children of ELI HEMBREE and NANCY BALLEW are:
3. i. WILLIAM MITCHELL3 HEMBREE, b. 1843; d. 1897, Bald Hill/Wheat, Roane Co. TN, Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10.
ii. MATILDA C. HEMBREE, b. April 21, 1847; d. January 09, 1859, Family farm, Wheat Community, Roane County, Tenn. AEC#10.
4. iii. GEORGE WASHINGTON HEMBREE, b. 1849; d. 1900.
5. iv. JOSEPH J. HEMBREE, b. 1851; d. 1897.
6. v. JOHN COLUMBUS HEMBREE, b. May 06, 1854, family farm, Wheat Community, Roane County, Tenn.; d. November 11, 1911, Drowned while crossing Clinch River near Historic Selkirk, at Wheat, TN, buried George Jones Memorial Cemetery ACE#4 at Wheat now Oak Ridge, TN.
Child of ELI HEMBREE and SARAH HART is:
vi. None survived infancy.
Child of ELI HEMBREE and MARY BRANSON is:
7. vii. JAMES "JIM"3 BRANSON, b. 1856; d. April 23, 1926.
Child of ELI HEMBREE and Unknown Female is:
8. viii. MARIAN3 HEMBREE.
Generation No. 3
3. WILLIAM MITCHELL3 HEMBREE (ELI (ELY)2, JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born 1843, and died 1897. He is buried at Bald Hill/Wheat, Roane Co. TN, Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10. He married SARAH ANNIE MELTON November 09, 1864, daughter of JACKSON MELTON and ELIZABETH DAVIS. She was born 1838, and died 1894. Buried at Bald Hill/Wheat, Roane Co. TN, Hembree Family Cemetery, AEC#10.
Children of WILLIAM HEMBREE and SARAH MELTON are:
9. i. WILLIAM MITCHELL HEMBREE, b. January 05, 1867; d. January 16, 1938, buried in New Zion Cemetery ACE#5.
10. ii. EZZARIAS A. "RICE" HEMBREE, b. 1868; d. 1951.
11. iii. ELI SHERMAN HEMBREE, b. May 18, 1870, Wheat Community, Roane County, Tenn.; d. September 09, 1943, buried in Dyllis Cemetery, memorial marker in AEC#7 Crawford Cumberland Presbyterian.
iv. JOHN FRANKLIN HEMBREE.
12. v. JOSEPH COLUMBUS HEMBREE, b. 1873; d. 1937, Buried in George Jones Memorial Baptist Cemetery AEC#4.
13. vi. MINNIE HEMBREE, b. 1876; d. 1912.
14. vii. NANNIE HEMBREE, b. 1878; d. 1912.
viii. GEORGE WASHINGTON HEMBREE, b. 1880; d. 1897.
4. GEORGE WASHINGTON3 HEMBREE (ELI (ELY)2, JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born 1849, and died 1900. He married (1) TERRESSA PARALEE CHRISTENBERRY, daughter of JOSHUA CHRISTENBERRY and MARY BOYD. She was born February 08, 1853, and died May 09, 1874 in Clough-Christenberry Cemetery AEC# 18. He married (2) IDA SOPHRONIA FRANCES BALEW. She was born 1856, and died 1932.
Child of GEORGE HEMBREE and TERRESSA CHRISTENBERRY is:
15. i. MARY ELIZABETH4 HEMBREE, b. March 27, 1871; d. May 06, 1939, Crawford Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery AEC#7.
Children of GEORGE HEMBREE and IDA BALEW are:
ii. FRANK4 HEMBREE.
iii. SAM HEMBREE.
v. GEORGE ANNA HEMBREE, b. 1880; m. JOHN WHEELER; b. 1879; d. 1972.
vi. SAMUEL HENLEY HEMBREE, b. 1883; d. 1939; m. MARTHA LAVINIA WEBSTER; b. 1885; d. 1957.
vii. FREDERICK WALTER HEMBREE, b. 1886; d. 1951, Missouri?; m. CATHERINE GERST; b. 1889; d. 1970, Missouri ?.5. JOSEPH J.3 HEMBREE (ELI (ELY)2, JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born 1851, and died 1897.
Children of JOSEPH J. HEMBREE are:
16. i. MITCHELL4 HEMBREE.
17. ii. RICE HEMBREE.
iii. SHERMAN HEMBREE.
iv. NELLIE HEMBREE, m. MALE CULVERSON.6. JOHN COLUMBUS3 HEMBREE (ELI (ELY)2, JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born May 06, 1854 in family farm, Wheat Community, Roane County, Tenn., and died November 11, 1911 in Drowned while crossing Clinch River near Historic Selkirk, at Wheat, TN, buried at George Jones Memorial Cemetery AEC#4. He married AMANDA ISABELLE SARAH PICKLE January 07, 1875 in Roane County, Tennessee, daughter of JESSIE PICKLE and MARY EMELINE CARTER. She was born June 19, 1857 in Roane County, Tennessee, and died June 08, 1926 in Wheat Community, Roane County, Tennessee. She is buried at George Jones Memorial Cemetery AEC#4.
Children of JOHN HEMBREE and AMANDA PICKLE are:
18. i. NANCY (TILL) MATILDA4 HEMBREE, b. October 1875; d. 1937.
19. ii. SOPHRONI M. HEMBREE, b. February 23, 1878; d. June 09, 1931, New Zion Cemetery AEC#5, Roane County, Tenn..
20. iii. WILLIAM ELI (HOSS) HEMBREE, b. December 1879; d. 1911.
21. iv. IDA HEMBREE, b. December 14, 1882; d. March 17, 1920, New Bethel Baptist Cemetery, Roane County, Tenn.
22. v. FLORA ODA HEMBREE, b. April 01, 1884, family farm at Wheat Community, Roane County, Tenn.; d. February 26, 1976, New Greenwood Cemetery, Lawnville Community, Roane County, Tennessee.
vi. SUDIE HEMBREE, b. March 07, 1886; d. 17 months old.
23. vii. JACOB FRANKLIN (JAKE) HEMBREE, b. November 08, 1888; d. March 07, 1951, Arkansas.7. JAMES "JIM"3 BRANSON (ELI (ELY)2 HEMBREE, JOSEPH EMORY/1) was born 1856, and died April 23, 1926. He married MARY ROBERTS. She died February 21, 1926 in Roane County.
Children of JAMES BRANSON and MARY ROBERTS are:
24. i. WILLIAM HENRY4 BRANSON, b. November 01, 1882.
25. ii. IDA BRANSON.
26. iii. JOSIE BRANSON.
27. iv. LOU BRANSON.
28. v. ATLAS BRANSON.8. MARIAN3 HEMBREE (ELI (ELY)2, JOSEPH EMORY/1) She married --- (W/M. HEMBREE) INGRAM.
Child of MARIAN HEMBREE and --- INGRAM is:
29. i. JULIA4 INGRAM.
Continue to Generation 4