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Joseph M "Joe" Clements was born on December 24, 1870 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, the son of John Marion Clements (1835–1919) and Octavia (Brooks) Clements (1838–1918). There is confusion in public records as to his middle name and his year of birth and year of death. The US Social Security Applications & Claims Index has Joe Millard Clements born in 1870 and his obituary gives the impression that he was born in 1870 because it has his age as 75 and his year of death as 1976. His Death Certificate has him as Joseph Miller Clements who died in 1976, while his cemetery marker has Joseph Monroe Clements who was born in 1871 and died in 1976.

He attended Nashville's public schools and was worked for the Nashville Fire Department for 25 years. He was married to Beulah Anne Williamson (1881–1969) on March 21, 1901 in Davidson County, Tennessee, and she was the daughter of John Snowden Williamson (1847–1923) and his wife Josie ( -- ) Williamson (ca 1858– ).

A retired fireman and living at 828 Argyle Avenue in Nashville, Joe was 75 years old and married when he had a prostatectomy at Nashville General Hospital, but after 7 weeks at the hospital, he died on December 11, 1945 of uremia and heart failure.

Survivors included his widow Mrs Beulah Williamson Clements, daughters Mrs H T Carter and Mrs Thelma Irene White {listed "three daughters" but only included two names} in Nashville, sons Sergeant J K Clements of Augusta, Georgia and Eugene Clements at Nashville, sisters Mrs Annie Williams and Mrs Sally Sharpe, and brothers Mose Clements, George Clements, Mack Clements and Tom Clements, all in Nashville.

Funeral Services were held at Johnson-Charlton Funeral Home on December 13th, and burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery, Nashville.


Much of the above is from his Death Certificate, with Mrs Beulah Clements of Nashville as the informant. Additional information is from his published obituary in THE TENNESSEAN on December 12, 1946.


Known children of Joe and Beulah:
~ Eugene Marshal Clements (4 Jan 1902–Oct 1974) married Gertrude --
~ Ruth Victoria Clements (15 Feb 1903–1 Dec 1954) married Hollie T Carter
~ John Keith "J K" Clements (6 Dec 1904–8 Aug 1964) married Evelyn Storey (Bevil) Bess
~ Annie Dee Clements (4 Jan 1908–9 May 1908) died of bronchopneumonia
~ Thelma Irene Clements (ca 1915– ) married -- White
[1910 census for Beulah = 4 children; 3 living]