Generations IV-V
Copyright 1987-1999- All rights reserved
Parts of this biography and picture were first published in Families of Steel(e) Quarterly July, 1987, by this writer, with the promise of a more comprehensive history to be published at a later date- there is still more forth coming on Rezin's family.
Rezen Ratcliff Steele was born in Tazewell County Virginia. According to the Family Bible in possession of this writer, he was "Born in the yeare of our Lord 1821 March 31." He was the youngest son of George and Rosannah (Fannin) Steele. Several of his older brothers were already married by the time "Rez" (also called Reese) was born, but at that time in history the family was still nearby. That was before the brothers began to scatter to the four winds. Rez never knew his grand parents, except possibly his grand mother Fannin when he was a very young child. His Steele Grand parents were dead prior to his birth, his grand farher David Fannin had left the area in 1811, and his grand mother Jane died circa. 1824.
"Rees" was a big man, as were all of the Steeles according to family tradition. He lived in the Midway community (Steelesburg). He inherited the homeplace that had been deeded to his parents by his grand father, David Fannin. Rezin was elected Constable in the Maiden Spring District for several terms, (following in his father's foot steps) and remained in this capacity for many years.
His first wife and the mother of his children was Jane Johnson, daughter of John Johnson and wife (name not known to me___Fletcher) Johnson. Jane was born on Rees's mother Rosannah's Birthday, 17 December 1822. Rees and Jane were married in Tazewell County 24 March, 1841. They had seven children, three of whom died as children. Jane died 18 September 1865 of " Fever", when Eliza Florene (pictured above with her father) was just three years old. Apparently the "fever" had taken the life of one of their little girls Mary Elizabeth, just seventeen days before Jane died. Mary was eight years old when she died. How Jane and Rees must have suffered, to lose three of their beloved children when they were just babies. Their first born son and first child, Charles David was born 30 May 1843 and died of Flux 2 August 1853, when he was ten years old. The next child that they lost was a little girl (name not known) who was born 21 May 1852, died 9 August 1853, when she was just over a year old.. Jane had suffered some of the greatest loss a mother can bear, by the time she was 43 years old when she died.
On 3 April 1866, Rees married Miltilda J. Belcher. There were no children born to this marriage. Matilda preceeded Rees in death, by six years. She died 7 October 1896. Rezin's brother Meshack and his wife Nancy had both died prior to August, Rezin Ratcliff Steele, Meshack's youngest brother is shown as the guardian of Meshack's infant children as of 1 January, 1969. (infant meaning under age 21 ) The children were: George S., John, William (Meshack) and Thomas P(atton). The children were in the in household of of their sister Mary Brown's family in 1870. John was living with Rezin and Matilda in 1880. Rezin was living in Russell County with his daughter, Eliza Florene at the time of his death. Rees died 18 May 1901 and is buried in the George and Rosannah (Fannin) Steele Cemetery along with his wife Jane, most of their children and his parents. Jane and Rezin have a double stone, apparently erected by their two surving children after Rezin died. There is/was an earlier single stone for Jane T. Steele.
His obituary in the Clinch Valley News (24 May 1901) states:
Mr. Steele was a Christian gentleman, having been a member of the Christian Church for forty years. The remains were laid to rest in the old burial ground near Midway, last Sunday."
According to the same newspaper, "The heaviest rainfall of the season occurred last Tuesday afternoon and the creeks and branches of this community were all over their banks- some of them being past fording. Gardens were washed and early vegetables in many places were considerably damaged."
Rezin Ratcliff Steele's final resting place on the knoll, overlooking the old homeplace, was safe from the rain that that over flowed the banks of the "creeks and branches" in Tazewell County that Spring day in Tazewell County, two days after he died.
In his younger years Rees had been a member of the Methodist Church, and along with other family members, donated land to build a Methodist Episcopal Church. When he was about 40 years old, according to his obituary, he became a member of the (First) Christian Church in Tazewell County.
The chronological order of the births of Rezin and Jane's children:
10(1). Charles David, b. 30 May 1843, died at age ten of flux, 2 August 1853.
10(2). Andrew Jackson Steele, born 18 February 1846, died January, 1938 (an autobiography will be forthcoming shortly)>
10(3). Sarah, born circa 1853, married a Murphy, s/o William Murphy (J. Robert Wysor provided this information and could not remember exact details.)
10(4). A little girl (name not known), born 21 May 1852, died 9 August 1853
10(5). Beverly Floyd, born 3 March 1855, married 13 October 1881, Ella Smith, daughter of Rebecca Smith.
"Floyd" died 15 September 1882, buried in the George and Rosannah(Fannin) Steele Cemetery.
10(6). Mary Elizabeth, born 6 January 1859, died 1 September 1865.
10(7). Eliza Florene, born 16 January 1862, married 8 January 1875, Henry White. The marriage record in Tazwell County is not consistent with Eliza's own memory of her marriage date.
It is believed by this writer that Rezin named his daughter Eliza for his niece, Ann Eliza Steele (my ancestor), and it is also believed that Ann Eliza was married at the home of her Uncle Rezin in 1864, because Rezin and her aunt Polly were the only close family that Ann Eliza had in Tazewell County when she married Tom Smith in Tazewell County in 1864. Ann Eliza named a daughter Florence who died young. I believe the census taker made a mistake in her name and that she was in fact, named Florene, for her own "name sake". The names did not appear in the Steele nor smith family until that time. Rezin was well loved by all his relatives, and was a favorite Uncle of Ann Eliza Steele Smith, my great Grand Mother.
