Lillie Overton Lovelace at Lakeland

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Lillie Overton Lovelace, 1962

I was really happy to receive a batch of great photos from Joe Lovelace in Texarkana, Arkansas this week. Joe’s grandfather, William Wilbert “Will” and my great grandfather, James Luther “Jim” Lovelace were brothers.

My favorite photo is of Will’s wife, Lillie Overton Lovelace at Lakeland on July 8, 1962.

Lakeland was sort of an amusement park that had opened north of Memphis the previous year. It never really had the elements to compete with Disneyland but, for a lot of people around my age now, it offered, among other things, our first skyride. We might not have gotten to ski in Memphis but we did get to glide over a field.

79-year old Lillie was not really dressed for an amusement park in the Midsouth in July and she looks hot and a bit like she is ready to head back to Haywood County.

This is a great video about Lakeland that brings back a lot of memories if you were lucky enough to have experienced Lakeland for yourself:

Lillie’s husband and the brother of my great grandfather, Jim Lovelace, was William “Will” Wilbert Lovelace. Will was only two years older than Jim so I assume they were close.

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Will Lovelace before 1943

 

 

In the Haywood County, TN census of 1900, Will was 16 and living in the very full house of his parents (my second great grandparents), Charles and Nancy Jane Lovelace. Still living at home were his siblings Dora, Jim (my great grandfather), Eva, Ida, Auther, Alice, Lizzie and Zelmer.

On December 23, 1903, Will married Lillie L. Overton.

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The Will Lovelace Family
l to r: Robert Lovelace, Ebbie Lee Lovelace, Buddy Lovelace,
and Lillie Overton Lovelace. Seated: Rabbit. Peabody is not pictured.

Will and Lillie had five children: Peabody, Rabbit, Ebbe Lea, Buddy and Robert.

Will Lovelace died on 20 Sept 1943 at the age of 59 and was buried at Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Haywood County.

His wife Lillie lived more than 30 more years and died in 1979 at the age of 96.

For more about the Lovelace family, visit their page on HaywoodCountyLine.com.