>>>>> J. W. Shoemate, son of James Shoemate, is also burried in the cementary. His grave marker shows that he was born on May 7, 1850, and died on April 10, 1916.

>>>>>Annice Shoemate said to me that John W. was her father. The age on this grave marker matches the dates Annice Shoemate gave me in 1980 for her father. He had a son and on his grave marker it reads John W.

>>>>>James Shoemate's wife, grandmother of Annice Shoemate, also is burried there.
Her grave marker reads that she was born in 1822 and died on April 24, 1870.
Her name was listed as Annis. (The 1850 census lists her name as Avis).

>>>>>James Shoemate-1850 Census of Bledsoe County Tennessee (Grandfather to Annice)

>>>>>James is lised as being a Mulatto, born in 1820. His wife is listed as Avis. The census list four children with their proper ages.

1. John W. , age 4 months, Born on May 7, 1850. (The father of Annice)
2. Mary E. , age 2 years
3. Margaret L., age 4 years
4. Sarah R. , age 5 years

* J. W. ( As shown on his grave marker) was the father of Annice Shoemate. His name was John W. Shoemate- (According to Annice Shoemate) He was Born on May 7, 1850, Died on April 10, 1916. I talked personally with Annice in 1980. The public records (Federal Census show the following were Annice's brothers and sisters):

The following is from Dusty Williams given to me on February 28, 2011:

JOHN WESLEY11 SHOEMATE, SR. (JAMES S. "JIM"10, WILLIAM THOMAS9 SHOEMAKE, SAMUEL8 SHUMAKE, SAMUEL7, JEAN6 DELA CHAUMETTE, DANIEL5, JEAN4, JEAN3, ETIENNE2, FRANCOIS1)

He married (1) RHODA REED 1875 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, daughter of UNKNOWN READ and KEZZIAH RAWLINGS. She was born Abt. 1856 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, and died Bet. 1880 - 1884 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.

He married a second time to (2) ARMINTA MATILDA SMITH Abt. 1884 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, daughter of WILLIAM SMITH and ELIZABETH SMITH. She was born 14 Jun 1865 in Bledsoe County, Tennesse, and died 12 Sep 1945 in Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.

Notes for JOHN WESLEY SHOEMATE, SR.:
Tennessee Death index gives Date of Death 4/11/1916

Children of JOHN SHOEMATE and RHODA REED are:
(i). ANNA12 SHOEMATE, b. Abt. 1876, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
(ii). JOHN WESLEY SHOEMATE, JR., b. 1878, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 1957, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
(iii). LAURA SHOEMATE, b. Sep 1879, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.

Children of JOHN SHOEMATE and ARMINTA SMITH are:
(iv). JAMES BLAINE "JIM"12 SHOEMATE, b. 1884, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 17 Mar 1957, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, Buried in Humble Cemetery.
(v). WALTER SHOEMATE, b. 10 Oct 1888, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 20 Jun 1940.
(vi). JERRY BAXTER SHOEMATE, b. 10 Apr 1890, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 02 Feb 1927, Missouri, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
(vii). EUNICE SHOEMATE, b. 01 Jan 1894, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 14 Jun 1955, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
(viii). ANNICE B. SHOEMATE, b. 25 Aug 1896, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 15 Nov 1988, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; m. JESSIE LEE SHOEMATE; b. 22 Aug 1887, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 11 Dec 1947, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
(ix). CHARLES WESLEY SHOEMATE, b. 31 Oct 1901, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 17 Apr 1945, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
x. IDA LEE SHOEMATE, b. Abt. 1904, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; d. 28 Feb 1939; m. JACK BURNETT.
11. xi. GEORGE SHOEMATE, b. 18 Oct 1907, Bledsoe County Tennessee; d. 05 Jul 1966, Buried in Humble Cemetery, Bledsoe County, Tennessee.
_______________________________

Annice said three of her uncles moved to Oklahoma. With them, Her aunt Sarah, also went to Oklahoma. It is reported that she died in a cyclone. She possibly would have been the Sarah living in James Shoemake's household in 1850. Why the move to Oklahoma? Why the move to Oklahoma? It could have been because the U.S. Government was issuing land grants in Oklahoma. This set of Shoemates were listed as Mulatoes.

*****Recent research has proven that Sarah did move out to Mo., and married a Mr. Dunlap Ketchum. However, she and her husband did return to Tennessee where she passed away at the age of 80 years. the story of being killed in a cyclone in Oklahoma can not be validated.

His children were:
(1) Thomas *
(2) William (Bill) *
(3) Joe *
(4) Annice Shoemate *
(5) Sarah Shoemate, D. 1926, age 80.
(7) Mary Shoemate Ketchum
(8) Margaret A., Shoemate Reed

>>>>>Annice said three of her relatives (apparently uncles) moved to Oklahoma. (They were thomas, William :"Bill," and Joe). With them, Her aunt Sarah H., also went to Oklahoma. It is reported that she died in a cyclone. Why the move to Oklahoma? It could have been because the U.S. Government had established a reservation for the Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. This set of Shoemates were listed as Mulatoes. Therefore, it could well be the reason for the move.

A member of the Shoemate family from Michigan. A grandson of Arminta Smith and John Wesley Shoemate!

>>>>>In a telephone conversation with by a close friend, he said, that his cousins "Thomas (Tom), William (Bill) and Joe Shoemate went thru missouri where Jerry Baxter Shoemate and his brother Charles (Charlie) went. But, Thomas,William and Joe plus a sister decided to move on and go see what Oklahoma was like to visit and to live. So, they headed on to Oklahoma from MO. My understand was they in 1925 when that BIG of the Biggest of Cynclone's (tornados) hit thru Oklahoma, the sister got killed in it."

Again, recent evidence has shown that Sarah did go to Mo., married a Dunlap Ketchum, returned to Tennessee where she died at the age of 80 years.

The Monster Tri-State Tornado
Worse Tornado In History
Occured: March 18, 1925, Wednesday
F-5 Tonado
Winds up to 300 m.p.h.
Killed 695 people.

Joe Shoemate and family.

>>>>>There has been speculation as to why these three brothers and sister went west to Oklahoma. At one point in time I thought it might have been because they had Indian blood and wanted to go there to live on the reservation. However, I have received some interesting information, that it might have been to homestead land:

>>>>>There is a strong indication and reasoning as to why the three Shoemate brothers left Missouri in the year they did and headed for Oklahoma. And now I do not believe it had anything to do with their blood line in Bledsoe Co.Tn.

>>>>>Joe Shoemate, wife Ella and family, along with several more Shoemates were found living around Lawton,Oklahoma or nearby. In serching historical documents (Newspapers) Here is what was found that was happening around the time they arrived in Lawton, Oklahoma. The Land Runs took place in Oklahoma from 1884 through 1895. People came out to Oklahoma from as far east as North Carolina and Tennessee and many other states. It was advertised all over east of the Mississippi; word got around and many people living in Tennessee and Missouri flooded Oklahoma!

True Historial Facts About Lawton,Oklahoma:
>>>>>Lawton,Oklahoma was founded Aug.5, 1901. It was the last area of Indian lands to be founded In Oklahoma for white settlers. Lawton,Oklahoma opened up to use the Lottery System July 10, 1901. There were 29,888 potential homesteaders who filed claims and put their names into the lottery. On August 4, 1901 the land lottery auction took place. Only 6, 500 homesteader who had filed their names for land got the land. All the rest was simply turned down and did not get any land of their own. The timing that the three Shoemate brothers who left Missouri and arrived in Oklahoma sure was the perfect timing that thousands of homesteaders and settlers were on the trails traveling overland to Oklahoma to Camanche Co and to Lawton, Oklahoma. It is now believed they purposly left Missouri to grab their chance to attain land in the big land lottery that was a'fixing to take place. Why would they want to travel and arrive in an area of Oklahoma when the very area they went to had 29,888 homesteaders and their families arriving in the same part of Oklahoma? This Land Lottery is probably something the Shoemate brother heard about while in Missouri with there first cousin's Jerry Baxter and Charles Shoemate. The Land Lottery was a very exciting time! A great opportunity to take a chance to attain many acres of land IF their name claim was drawn in the lottery.

Bledsoe Census of James Shoemake,

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