October 12, 2022 - Zannie Gay Belrose celebrated being 102 years young on September 22, 2022 with her family and friends. She was born to Julian Henry and Florence Roena (Squyers) Fields in 1920 with her twin sister, Annie Mae. Zannie Gay and Annie Mae were fifth and sixth out of seven kids. They had two sisters, Zolema and Margie; and three brothers, Roy, Elbert, and Ralph.
Zannie grew up in the Sardis community and attended school at Sardis school until it consolidated with Center. After school she married Ray Belrose on November 22, 1939 and they had eight children: LaNell, Lillian, Martha, Melba, Lonnie, Kathryn, Lester and Leo. Besides being a wonderful mother, she is a grandmother to 22 special grandchildren. Her family continues to grow and has added great-grandmother and then great-great-grandmother to her many titles.
Having lived through a century of history, she accomplished rearing a family with hard work, wit, grace, elegance, and a lot of love. She was born near the end of the Spanish influenza and shortly after World War I. She was a wife and mother during WWII; as well as the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terror. War touches all families and it did Zannie’s as well.
Ray W. and Zannie Gay Belrose
Ray and Zannie were a farm family in the Sardis community and members of Sardis Pentecostal Church. They spent nearly 63 years together before Ray passed away in August of 2002. Not only grieving a husband, over the years she has suffered the loss of her parents, her siblings, more than one grandchild, a great-grandchild, and a son. However, her strong character and dauntless faith in Jesus Christ has carried her through a joyful 102 years.
Zannie in 2018 with all her children
Zannie still lives at home and her family spends all their time with her they can as she is a treasure to love and cherish. With her, the family has five generations living and together.
At 101 years of age, she was turned down for hospice because her blood work was perfect. In recent years, she has endured a broken hip, Covid-19, and pneumonia. However, her joy and love for life hasn’t diminished and she is always in possession of an encouraging smile and kind words of wisdom.
