Jessie B. Reneau was born December 12, 1907, in Pontotoc, Mississippi, to John Anthony and Nancy Bolton Reneau. He lived 70 years in Beloit, coming here from Savanna, Illinois in 1917.

He married the former Frances Brown on July 2, 1938, in Aurora, Illinois. To this marriage were born a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Peggy.

He was a well-known auto mechanic, salesman, and businessman for many years in Beloit. He started out as an auto mechanic, working for the Saris Ford dealership. One of the men he worked with was Bill Wentworth, now having his own garage and dealership in Sun Prairie.

After leaving the Saris Agency, he worked for his brother Bill. During later years he had his own agency.

He was active in sports and in church work as a member of St. Matthias United Methodist Church. He worked with the youth program in his church and in later years he was chairman of the church’s finance committee.

He likewise helped to organize and was a member of the Quest Club with headquarters on Fourth Street. He was a member of NAACP.

In his younger days, Jesse was a promoter of young Black basketball teams that played other teams in Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha.

Jesse died on December 1, 1987, in Beloit Memorial Hospital after a short illness.