Evan and Elizabeth Burgoyne Courtesy Cindy Mitchell

Evan Burgoyne was born on Nov. 9, 1824 in Muskingum County, OH, the son of James and Mary (Miner) Burgoyne.

He came to Indiana as a young boy in company with his father/parents.

At the age of 25, in 1850, Evan labored as a farmer and lived with his widowed father in Center Township, Wayne County, IN.

On Jan. 8 or 9, 1853, when he was 28 years of age, Evan entered into marriage Elizabeth Ann Taylor (May 20, 1828-1909) in Richmond, IN. She was a native of Dover, DE and had been converted to Christianity at a "very young age and united with the church," said a newspaper, "living a consecrated Christian life unto the end."

The couple produced these eight known children -- John Lake Burgoyne, James Harris Burgoyne, Sarah J. Sowers, William Henry Burgoyne, Mary A. Gucker, Charles W. Burgoyne, Elizabeth Bell "Lizzie" Burgoyne and Nancy Belle "Nannie" McNemar.

The family moved to Illinois during the 1850s. They dwelled in 1860 and 1870 in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL. In 1860, census records show that Evan's brother Robert and 19-year-old Joseph Walker boarded in their home and provided farm labor. In 1870, Evan's brother James, a Civil War veteran, was a next-door neighbor.

Chetopa, KS, where the Burgoynes settled in the 1870s

During the decade of the 1870s, the Burgoynes pulled up stakes and migrated to Chetopa in Richland Township, Labette County, KS. They are shown there in the 1880 census. Chetopa had a large population of Native American people of the Osage nation, and in fact was named for a Chetopa tribal leader, and also was a stop along the Nevada and Minden Railway, completed in 1886. The township is located at the southeast corner of the county, on the Oklahoma border.

When Luther B. Hill's book A History of the State of Oklahoma, Vol. 1, was published in 1883, Evan was named.

Evan passed away in at the age of 96 just three days after Christmas in 1890. Interment was in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, Cherokee County, KS. [Find-a-Grave]

Elizabeth lived on as a widow for 19 years. In her final years, she dwelled in Guthrie, OK.

On Dec. 16, 1909, at the age of 81 years, six months and 26 days, she succumbed to death in Guthrie. An obituary was printed in the Columbus (KS) Weekly Advocate, which noted that her last words were "All is well" and that "Well may it be said of her, 'Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, they rest from their works do follow them'." All of her children attended the funeral, except for John and William who lived away at great distances. Also there were "a very large congregation of neighbors and friends." Rev. Thomas J. Caldwell preached the service, held in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Over several generations of his descendants, at least nine have carried "Evan" as a first or middle name.

Cotton market in Guthrie, OK

John L. Burgoyne Courtesy Cindy Mitchell

~ Son John Lake Burgoyne ~

Son John Lake Burgoyne (1854-1911) was born on Oct. 24, 1854 in Wayne County, IN.

He moved with his parents during the 1870s to Kansas and in 1880, unmarried at the age of 26, helped on their farm in Richland, Labette County.

At some point, John relocated to Buffalo, NY, where he secured employment as a "compounder" in a distillery, likely the one superintended by his uncle, Robert L. Burgoyne.

In October 1893, in nuptials held in the rectory of St. Ann's Church on East 12th Street in New York City, John married Marguerite/Margaret "Maggie" Diller (July 1863- ? ), daughter of Bavarian-born Francis Xavier and Marie Josephina Diller. Reported the Buffalo Sunday Morning News, it was a "very pretty wedding.... Miss Katherine Diller and Andrew B. Diller, sister and brother of the bride, acted as bridesmand and best man respectively. A wedding dinner was held at the residence of the bride's father, only relatives and a few intimate friends being present." He was nine years older than his bride.

They became the parents of three -- Robert Francis Burgoyne, Kathryn E. Bini and John "Evan" Burgoyne.

Bird's-eye view of Buffalo's Niagara Square

Marking 7 Diller/Burgoyne graves Courtesy Inis Fada

The United States Censuses of 1900 and 1910 show the family living at 14 Auchinvale Avenue. John was a member of the Revere Council of the Royal Arcanum, a fraternal life insurance fund.

Sadly, John died at home in Buffalo on Nov. 18, 1911, of causes not yet known. An obituary in the Buffalo Evening News reported that funeral services were held in the Church of the Annunciation. An obituary also appeared in the Black Rock (NY) International Gazette.

Now widowed, Margaret moved her family to the Bronx, New York, and is shown there in the 1920 census. That year, she had no job, but depended on income from her son and possibly rents from her sister Kathryn Diller who lived in the household.

Margaret reputedly passed away in New York City on the next-to-last day of 1937. 

Son Robert Francis Burgoyne (1894-1959) was born on Aug. 6, 1894 in Buffalo, NY. He stood 5 feet, 7½ inches tall and weighed 140 lbs. When he was required to register for the military draft in 1917 during World War I, he was living at 1131 Longfellow Avenue in New York and earned a living as a bookkeeper for O.G. Orr & Col of Wall Street. He also disclosed that he had bad vision in his right eye. Unmarried at the age of 26 in 1920, he resided with his mother in the Bronx and worked as an office clerk for Marine Insurance. When again registering for the World War II military draft, he dwelled at 40 Monroe Street in New York city and was employed by Royal Insurance. On Sept. 20, 1947, at the home of the bride's brother H. Donald Harvey in Greenwich, CT, he was joined in matrimony with Margaret E. Harvey ( ? - ? ). Robert passed away on July 9, 1959. His remains are believed to repose in the Diller family plot in Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens County, NY, where his name is among seven inscribed on the face of a single marker. Margaret's fate is not yet known.

Daughter Kathryn E. Burgoyne (1895-1976) was born on Aug. 8, 1895 in Buffalo, NY. In 1920, single and at home at age 24, she was employed as a typist for Marine Insurance. She is known to have dwelled in Hartford, CT at one point in her life. In about 1921, when she was 26, Kathryn was wedded to 27-year-old Italian immigrant Benedict Bini (1894-1995), whose birth year also has been given as 1901. One son born in this family was Burgoyne "Anthony" Bini. They dwelled in the Bronx, where Benedict operated an independent certified accounting practice, and provided a home for her widowed mother. Circa 1930, Kathryn worked as a bookkeeper for a bank. The couple's home in 1942 was on Monroe Street in Manhattan. Benedict was pictured in the New York Daily News edition of Oct. 1, 1942, answering the question of "How would you feel if your wife or sweetheart were a commissioned officer in the Army or Navy and you were an enlisted man?" His response was "I'd feel slighted, and that the Government had not done right by me and other eligible men in the country. There are enough eligible males for these commissions. We haven't reached the point where women are needed." Kathryn passed away in a New York City hospital on Sept. 8, 1976. An obituary was printed in the Hartford (CT) Courant. Her mass of Christian burial was conducted at St. Augustine's Church, Hartford, followed by interment in Rose Hill Memorial Park at Rocky Hill. Benedict outlived his bride by 19 years and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The angel of death cleaved him away in San Juan at the age of 94 the day after Christmas 1995. 

• Grandson Burgoyne "Anthony" Bini (1938-2007) was born on April 16, 1938 in New York City and grew up in Manhattan Borough, NY and was a 1955 graduate of Xavier High School. He is known to have served in the U.S. Army. Anthony was married and the father of three. He made his home in 1976 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and later in San Juan. Sadly, he was swept away in death on April 27, 2007 at the age of 69 in Puerto Rico. Interment was in Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon, with the words "Papa one of a kind" inscribed on the face of his grave marker. 

Son J. Evan Burgoyne (1904-1928) was born in about 1904 in Buffalo, NY. Evidence suggests that he dwelled in New York City and in 1927 visited for several months with his aunt Sarah Sowers in Guthrie, OK. Sadly, he appears to have died in Oct. 1928. Word of his passing was telegraphed to his aunt in Oklahoma and mentioned in the Guthrie (OK) Daily Leader.

~ Son James Harris Burgoyne ~

Son James Harris Burgoyne (1855-1872) was born on Sept. 2, 1855 in Wayne County, IN.

He grew up in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL.

Sadly, he only lived to the age of 16 and was gathered in by the spirit of death on May 4, 1872.

His remains rest under a tall shaft marker in Mount Vernon Cemetery in Catlin.

~ Daughter Sarah J. (Burgoyne) Sowers ~

Daughter Sarah J. Burgoyne (1857-1939) was born in 1857 or 1858 in Indiana.

Sarah was united in wedlock with David Nathaniel Sowers (Feb. 1858-1938). 

Six known children they bore together were Charles Sowers, Lewis Sowers, twins Turner Sowers and Fermer Sowers, Stella Burst and Margaret Crook. 

The Sowers brothers, L-R: Turner, Fermer, Lewis, Charlie Courtesy Ruston Burst

The family lived for some time in the 1880s and 1890s in Fairmount, Vermillion County, IL, with him joining the ranks of membership of the local lodge of the Masons. Then in 1899, they pulled up stakes and relocated to Oklahoma, where they made a life as farmers for more than four decades in Guthrie, OK. He transferred his Masonic membership to the Guthrie lodge.

Daniel along with his son-in-law Otto Burst and Albert Metzler are known to have been board directors of the Guthrie and Northwestern Rural Telephone Company circa 1906. He also held a membership in the local order of the Anti Horse Thief Association, and was a delegate to its grand lodge in 1915 in El Reno. He served as clerk of elections for the City of Guthrie in 1923, and as a judge of electoins at the Capitol Hill School in 1924. 

Their sons Turner and Fermer joined the U.S. Army during World War I. As members of the 90th "Texas-Oklahoma" Division, they trained at Camp Travis, five miles northeast of San Antonio, TX, and their mother came for a visit in January 1918. In October 1922, they traveled to see family in Danville, IL.

Their final address was at 1005 East Noble Avenue. David marked his 70th birthday in February 1928 with a dinner at the home of their married daughter Stella Burst. In reporting on the happy event, the Guthrie Daily Leader said "A large birthday cake centered the dining table at which the guests were seated."

David surrendered to the angel of death at the age of 80 on Feb. 23, 1938, after what the Daily Leader called "an extended illness." Funeral services were conducted in the First Presbyterian Church by the hands of Rev. Everett Poole and Rev. W.R. Gibble. 

At the age of 80, Sarah died in her home on March 14, 1939. The funeral again was jointly presided by Rev. Everett Poole at the First Presbyterian Church, assisted by Rev. W.R. Gibble, pastor of the Christian Church. Burial was in Summit View Cemetery. Her obituary appeared in the Daily Leader.

Oklahoma State Fair, attended by the Bursts in 1928

Otto B. Burst Courtesy Ruston Burst

Daughter Estella M. "Stella" Sowers (1882-1969) was born on April 6, 1882 in Fairmount, Vermillion County, IL. She was 17 years of age when accompanying her parents and siblings in a relocation to Oklahoma. On Oct. 11, 1904, when both were 22 years of age, she wed Otto Benjamin Burst (1882-1965), a native of Illinois and son of Otto and Anna (Ess) Burst, the father a German immigrant. Rev. Fr. Bernard Mutsaers, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church of Guthrie, performed the nuptials. Together they produced a daughter, Stella Irene Burton. The federal census enumeration of 1910 shows the childless couple in Lawrie, Logan County, OK, with Otto earning a living as a farmer. By 1915, they returned to Guthrie, with an address of 318 East Vilas Avenue. That year, Otto and his partner Bun Bennett formed the Bennett and Burst Implements Company, engaged in selling agricultural implements. In July 1928, Stella traveled to Colorado to spend the balance of her summer, taking along her mother, Anna Burst and daughter Minnie, and Emma Burst on the driving trip. After their return, they attended the State Fair in Oklahoma City in late September 1928. Otto continued his work in selling retail farm implements as of 1930 and decades thereafter, with Stella helping him as bookkeeper in the business. He also is known to have been elected as a Guthrie city councilman in 1935 and as mayor in 1943-1945 at a time when the municipality was constructing a new airfield featuring a grass runway strip, today known as the Guthrie Edmond Regional Airport. One of his proclamations circa 1944 urged citizens to take part in the World Day of Prayer. He also was a leader in the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce. Circa 1946, Stella is known to have advertised in the local newspaper about the value of purchasing a policy in the Security Benefit Association Hospital in Topeka, a life insurance organization which operated a 300-bed hospital for policyholders. Over the years, they hosted many family dinners in their home, especially at the holidays. Otto succumbed to the spectre of death on Feb. 19, 1965. Stella endured for another four-and-a-half years. She died at the age of 87 on Sept. 9, 1969. 

• Granddaughter Stella Irene Burst (1916-2007) was born on the next-to-last day of 1916 in Guthrie, OK. She received the rite of infant baptism in the town's First United Presbyterian Church and held a membership there for the rest of her long life. She was a 1935 graduate of Guthrie High School and then attended an Oklahoma City business school for two years. On March 30, 1941, she tied the marital cord with Frank E. Burton (June 30, 1915-1998). Their union endured the highs and lows of a remarkable 55 years together. One known son was Michael Edmond Burton. With Frank away serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Stella became part-time employed in 1943 with the Logan County Assessor's Office. At some point Frank became a partner in the farming implements business owned by Stella's father, and it was renamed Burst-Burton Farm Equipment. The firm continued in operation after the father died in 1965, but eventually closed in 1969. Said an obituary, "She is best remembered for the years she taught third grade Sunday school and demonstrating her gift of hospitality as a participant or chairwoman of the Bereavement Meal ministry. Stella Irene had many talents, but one of her passions was bridge. She was a member of several bridge clubs until her eyesight limited her play. In this way, she again demonstrated her love of cooking and sharing her home." Frank is known to have again served in the Army during the Korean War, and their address in the 1950s was at 316 East Vilas. Sadly, he died on Feb. 18, 1998. Stella outlived her husband by nine years. Death swept her away on her 91st birthday on Dec. 30, 2007. They slumber in eternal peace in Guthrie's Summit View Cemetery.

  Great-grandson Michael Edmond Burton (1952- ? ) was born in 1952 at Benedictine Heights Hospital, weighing in at 8 lbs., 8 oz. He grew up in Guthrie and tied the marital cord with Judy. They settled in Edmond, OK and produced two sons, Kristopher Burton and Matthew Burton.  

Above: the Sowers and Burst families picking watermelon. Below: the families and friends showing off an immense catch of catfish from the Cimarron River. Courtesy Ruston Burst.

Charlie W. Sowers Courtesy Ruston Burst

Son Charles W. "Charlie" Sowers (1884-1967) was born on April 6, 1884 in Danville, Vermilion County, IL. At the age of 15, in about 1899, he migrated with his parents to Oklahoma. Charles attended the Mount Summit School. He put down roots in Guthrie, Logan County, OK. A bachelor at the age of 26, in 1910, he lived with his parents and worked as a finisher in a Guthrie furniture business. His occupation in 1920, when he was still single and still at home, was as an oilfield driller employed by W.W. Wolf. He is known to have traveled with his parents to Dallas in October 1927 for a weeklong visit. Again in 1930, he made a trip with relatives to Brownsville, TX. Federal census records for 1930 show him continuing to earn income as an oilfield laborer. Then during the World War II years, he made a living with his brother Lewis as farmers, and was named to a work crew to provide emergency road work in Antelope near Guthrie in the event of an enemy attack and bombing. He was required to register for the military draft during World War II, and at the time stood 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 170 lbs. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1950, Charlie and Lewis continued to share a residence in Lawrie, Logan County, OK and ply their work as farmers. He passed away in Dec. 1967, with interment in Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie.

Lewis Sowers Courtesy Ruston Burst

Son Lewis Evan "Lou" Sowers (1886-1969) was born on July 9, 1886 in Fairmount, Vermillion County, IL. He moved as a young teenager to Oklahoma with his parents. He was single at the age of 24 in 1910 and, residing with his parents, earned a living as a machinist with a furniture factory in Guthrie. His employment in 1918 was as a tool dresser with Clintworth & Farringer of Cushing, OK. Lewis during World War I joined the U.S. Army and trained at Camp Travis. He rose to the rank of sergeant and was deployed to France. With the war over, in Aug. 1919, he returned to the United States, sailing from Brest aboard the Kroonland. His occupation in 1920, when he was still single and still at home, was as an oilfield tool dresser. United States census records for 1930 show him continuing to earn income as an oilfield laborer. During the World War II era, he made a living with his brother Charles as farmers. He and Charles, who both attended the Mount Summit School, were on a reunion club committee for former students as of 1944. The two brothers also shared a country home east of Guthrie in 1949. As of 1963, his address was 211 East Vilas. Lewis took a two-week vacation in May-June 1963 to Illinois and Indiana, and while there attended the Indianapolis 500 motor race won by the famed Parnelli Jones. He also went to the 50th wedding anniversary party of his cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Price. He died on Feb. 21, 1969. He sleeps for all time in Guthrie's Summit View Cemetery.

Turner Sowers Courtesy Ruston Burst

Son Turner William Sowers (1889-1974) was born on March 24, 1889 in Fairmount, Vermillion County, IL, a twin with his brother Fermer. He was trained as an electrician but was unemployed circa 1917. Turner served in the U.S. Army during World War I, and held the rank of corporal with Battery D of the 320th Field Artillery, 82nd Division. He is known to have sailed to France aboard the City of Exeter in May 1918, departing from Newe York. Turner and his twin brother both worked as power plant laborers in Guthrie in 1920. At the age of 37, on Jan. 5, 1926, he wed 27-year-old Goldie Anita Cook (1898-1991), a Kansas native but a resident of Guthrie at the time. Officiating their wedding was Rev. R.P. Crawford of the First Methodist Church of Guthrie. Their two known offspring were Virginia Lee Sowers and Nancy Sowers. The federal census enumeration for 1930 shows him working as a lineman for a Guthrie electric company. The Sowerses lived for many years in Guthrie, OK at the address of 1720 East Perkins. In 1940, his occupation was as a line foreman for the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. The family was plunged into grief when Turner died on March 1, 1974. His remains are asleep in Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie. Goldie lived on as a widow for another 17 years. Death swept her away at the age of 93 on Sept. 5 1991. A brief notice was printed in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman.

• Granddaughter Virginia Lee Sowers (1928-2021) was born on Aug. 24, 1928 in Guthrie, OK. She was a local high school graduate and then spent a year at Central State University in Edmond, OK. She appears not to have married or reproduced. For 16 years, she was employed by her uncle Otto B. Burst and his International Harvester business. Then in 1965, she relocated to Garden City, KS and remained for the balance of her life. In Garden City, Virginia worked for Production Credit Association until retiring in 1983, followed by a short stine in the office of Dr. Raymond Walker. Said an obituary, "Virginia was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Garden City and Guthrie where she served as an Elder and was involved in Women’s Circle. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Order of the Eastern Star both in Guthrie. She enjoyed sewing, cats, and collecting miniature dolls." At the age of 92, living in the Garden Valley Retirement Village, she died on March 21, 2021. Burial was in Summit View Cemetery, Guthrie.

• Granddaughter Nancy Eileen Sowers (1939- ? ) was born in about 1939 in Guthrie, OK. She was in Garden City, KS in 2021.

Fermer E. Sowers Courtesy Ruston Burst

Son Fermer Elijah Sowers (1889-1959) was born on March 24, 1889 in Fairmount, Vermillion County, IL, a twin with his brother Turner. He moved to Oklahoma with his family at the age of about 10. Fermer was married to Nelle Ann Whitted (Dec. 4, 1893-1970). Together, they were the parents of Harriett Jane Sowers. The pair settled in Guthrie and spent their entire lives together in the community. He was employed in young manhood as an electrician with Public Service Company in Guthrie. During World War I, he enlisted the U.S. Army on Sept. 5, 1917 and was assigned to the 164th Depot Brigade. He received his honorable discharge on May 23, 1919. Fermer and his twin brother both worked as power plant laborers in 1920. In 1930, now age 42, he dwelled with his parents and worked as a lineman for the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. He continued this occupation and employer for a total of 37 years until retirement in 1954. The family's address in 1942, when Fermer was required to register for the World War II military draft, was 1717 East Perkins. He held memberships in the Masons and the Oklahoma Consistory as well as the First Christian Church. Sadly, at the age of 69, Fermer suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Benedictine Heights Hospital. Two weeks later, he passed away on March 3, 1959. The Guthrie Daily Leader printed an obituary. His remains are in eternal repose in Guthrie's Summit View Cemetery. The widowed Nelle arranged for a standard issue military marker to be placed at the grave. She lived on for 11 more years. She surrendered to the angel of death on Sept. 19, 1970.

• Granddaughter Harriett Jane Sowers ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). She was joined in wedlock with (?) Bungrock and by 1959 relocated to Victorville, CA. Their only known child was Timmy Paul Bungrock.

Daughter Margaret Sowers (1892-1987) was born on Aug. 16, 1892. Unmarried in early 1930, she earned income as a sales woman in a ladies gift shop in Guthrie. On Oct. 27, 1930, she entered into marriage with World War I veteran Fred Donald Crook (Feb. 24, 1893-1967), originally from Nebraska, and the son of Sterling Price and Jessie (Stickler) Crook of 316 North Wentz Boulevard of Guthrie. They exchanged their marital vows in the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, led by Rev. Nichols. The news was reported in the Guthrie Daily Leader, which said that Margaret "for a number of years has been employed in the Larson store. Mr. Crook .... is associated with his father in the Crook Optical Co." Fred was a veteran of World War I, having held the rank of regimental sergeant major in the 215th Engineers. One known son of the couple was Robert Donald "Donnie" Crook, born in Missouri. The pair owned a jewelry store in Guthrie in 1950, with both actively working in the business. The 1950 federal census of Guthrie shows the family together including Fred's divorced, 46-year-old sister Vida Merzetti. They also operated "Fred's Cafe" at 119 South Division in the mid-1950s. When he added a new dining room to the cafe, the Guthrie Register-News said it was "one more sign of progress around Guthrie ... and we would like to take our hat's off to him. You might like to drop around and take a look at it yourself. It is really something!" Sadly, Fred died on Feb. 19, 1967. Margaret outlived him by two decades. She passed into the realm of eternity at age 95 on Sept. 4, 1987. Burial was in Summit View Cemetery, Guthrie. 

• Grandson Robert Donald "Donnie" Crook (1934-2004) was born on Aug. 3, 1934 in Missouri. He joined the U.S. Army in 1955. His residence over the years was in Guthrie, OK. The heavenly host carried him away on July 24, 2004. He sleeps for the ages with his parents at Summit View Cemetery.

~ Son William Henry Burgoyne ~

Son William Henry Burgoyne (1859-1917) was born on June 4, 1859 in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL. 

After he relocated to Kansas with his parents, he provided labor on their farm in 1880, at the age of 20.

He never married. Over the years, in addition to "William," he went by the names "W.H." and "Will." 

William migrated to Montana, where he is believed to have lived in Butte. In 1886 his name was printed in the Butte Miner newspaper for having not claimed his mail at the post office. At various other times his letters went unclaimed and his name was printed accordingly, including in 1888 and 1901, suggesting he spent significant time away.

He is known to have had connections in the Pacific Northwest and in 1909-1910 was in Spokane, WA, where he lodged in the home of Robert Grinnell. The 1910 U.S. Census shows him working as a teamster for a Spokane constracting business. By 1917, he had returned to Montana, where he lived in or near the town of Gardiner. The town held the unique distinction for its location on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park and as the original and only year-round entrance to the park. From Gardiner it was a trip of five miles to Mammoth Hot Springs and 56 miles to the Old Faithful geyser.

William died in nearby Livingston, MT at the age of 57 on Feb. 7, 1917. An obituary in the Anaconda (MT) Standard said that "Shipment of the remains of William Burgoyne was made from here this morning to Faulkner, Kan., his former home. Burgoyne, a prominent rancher residing near Gardiner, died here a few days ago following a brief illness. He has a brother and sister residing in Kansas." Another obituary in the Miner said that he was "a pioneer resident of Gardiner" and that the cause of his passing was "leakage of the heart."

Officials compiling his death certificate information did not know his marital status and could only guess his age at 52 (instead of 58). His remains were shipped back to Kansas to be placed into repose in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, Cherokee County. Inscribed at the base of his grave marker are the words "At Rest."

~ Daughter Mary Ann (Burgoyne) Gucker ~

Daughter

Summit View Cemetery - Courtesy "Susan B" - Find-a-Grave

Mary Ann Burgoyne (1861-1941) was born in about 1861 in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL. 

In 1885, at the age of about 24, she was joined in wedlock with Jacob H. "Jake" Gucker (1853-1922). 

The four known children they produced together were Ethel Goforth, L. Edith Helf, Ana Estella Housh and William Evan Gucker. 

In the 1890s, the family resided in Melrose, KS and in Guthrie, Logan County, OK in 1909. Their address in Guthrie in 1922 was 320 South First Street. 

For a dozen years, he was employed in the shops of the Santa Fe Railroad, but for the last year of his life he was in poor health, afflicted with diabetes.

Jacob was the first of the couple to die, in Guthrie, on Oct. 10, 1922. A brief death notice was printed in the Guthrie Daily Leader. His remains were placed under the sod in Summit View Cemetery. 

Mary Ann outlived him by nearly two decades, and in about 1935 moved into her daughter Stella Housh's residence in Houston, TX. She joined him in eternity at the age of 79 on March 27, 1941. The body was returned to Guthrie for funeral services conducted by Rev. J.E. Buttrill of the First Methodist Church. Her obituary appeared in the Guthrie Register-News.

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Daughter Ethel Gucker (1885-1928) was born in Dec. 1885. She lived in Chetopa, KS in 1902, and that May, when her friend Laura Allen came from Galena to visit, they were taken on a fishing trip by Ethel's future husband. On April 16, 1903, she married Edward Goforth (1879-1965). Their wedding was conducted at the residence of Mr. White, and the Columbus (KS) Modern Light said that "Their many friends join in wishing them a long and joyous life." Two known offspring were Maude M. Tompkins Morrow and Delbert D. Goforth. Sadness cascaded over the family when, at about age 43, she passed away in 1928. The cause is not yet known. Interment was under the sod of Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, KS. Edward survived her by 37 years and married again to (?) Breen, becoming a stepfather to Coe Breen and Nellie Hill. His home was in the vicinity of Melrose, KS for many years until a move to Commerce, OK in about 1960. He died in a Commerce rest home on Jan. 13, 1965, with the Parsons Sun printing an obituary.

• Granddaughter Maude M. Goforth (1904-1994) was born on Sept. 29, 1904 in Melrose, Cherokee County, KS. She appears to have been twice-married. As of 1944, one spouse was (?) Tompkins.  As of 1965, her home was in Independence, MO. When she was 62 years of age, on July 1, 1967, in Ray County, MO, she entered into marriage with 70-year-old George L. Morrow. Circuit Judge Arthur W. Rogers officiated the ceremony. She was spirited away by the angel of death at the age of 90 on Oct. 3, 1994. Her remains sleep for the ages in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, KS.

• Grandson Delbert D. Goforth (1908-1986) was born on July 10, 1908 in Cherokee County, KS. On March 19, 1932, in Neosho, MO, he tied the marital cord with Juanita Deloris Warbington (Nov. 1, 1916-2005), a native of Kansas City and the daughter of Luther and Naomi (Walton) Warbington. The couple's three known children were Juanita Bruce, Joe Luther Goforth and James Richard Goforth. Circa 1937, they dwelled in Parsons, KS and in 1965, they lived in rural Miami, OK. For eight years, Juanita earned income through her work at Dairyland in Commerce, OK. She also held memberships in the United Methodist Church of Commerce and the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma. At the age of 77, Delbert died in Joplin, MO on June 30, 1986. Juanita survived as a widow for 19 years and dwelled in Commerce, suffering the death of her son Joe in 2005. Death claimed her soul later that same year, at age 89, in Miami's Integris Baptist Regional Home, three days before Christmas 2005. Her obituary was carried by the Miami News-Record.

  Great-granddaughter Juanita Naomi Goforth (1937-2020) was born on Oct. 27, 1937. News of her birth was announced in the Parsons (KS) Sun. When she was 18 years of age, on Sept. 1, 1956, Juanita married James Eldon Bruce (May 28, 1936-2019), originally from Chetopa, KS, and the son of Archie and Thelma (Hudson) Bruce. Together, they bore a daughter, Terri Lynne Stites Lamb. Their home over the years was in Miami, OK. James was an alumnus of Columbus (KS) High School. He earned a living with B.F. Goodrich in Miami and also was a farmer over the decades. They belonged to the Melrose (KS) United Methodist Church. The couple helped raise their grandson Joey Stites. Sadly, they endured the heartbreak of the death of their daughter Terri in 2011. James passed away in Mercy Hospital in Joplin, MO on July 20, 2019. Rev. Ed McFall presided over the funeral. Juanita only outlived her spouse by a year and resided at Higher Call Nursing Home in Quapaw, OK. She died there at the age of 82 on Aug. 20, 2020. Pastor Steven Daugherty led the funeral rites, followed by burial in Fairview Cemetery, Melrose, KS. The Bruces' daughter Terri Lynne (1958-2011) was born on June 9, 1958 in Columbus, KS. She appears to have been twice-wed, first to (?) Stites and second to Marion James Lamb Jr. ( ? - ? ), son of Marion James "Bud" and Betty (Donley) Lamb Sr. Marion brought four stepchildren into the union -- Marion Lamb, Jeremy Lamb, Kelley Stacey and Ashley Lamb. Sadly, at the age of 53, she died in Baxter Springs, KS on Sept. 15, 2011. Her remains were lowered into eternal repose in Columbus' Greenlawn Cemetery, with Wes Woodcock officiating. Terri Lynne's son Joey Stites was raised by his grandparents and wed Katisha. Circa 2011 he lived in Hendersonville, NC and in 2020 they were in Miami.

  Great-grandson Joe Luther Goforth (1936-2005) was born on Feb. 28, 1936 in Ottawa County, OK. He was an alumus of Commerce (OK) High School. On Nov. 14, 1959, when both were 23 years of age, he was joined in wedlock with Marlene Jo Stalford (Feb. 17, 1936-2022), daughter of Joslin and Pearl (Keeslar) Stalford. News of their engagement was printed in the Parsons (KS) Sun. Marlene was a 1953 graduate of Labette County High School in Altamont. Together, they became the parents of two -- Alan Goforth and Toni Potts. They were active in the Evangelical United Brethren Church, with Marlene volunteered as secretary of missions to youth in 1963. Their residence in the early 2000s was in Miami, OK. Joe died on Jan. 9, 2005, at the age of 68. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, KS. Marlene lived for another nearly 18 years. The angel of death cleaved her away in Higher Call Nursing Home in Quapaw, OK three days after Christmas 2022.

  Great-grandson James Richard Goforth (1947-2017) was born on Aug. 23, 1947 in Columbus, Cherokee County, KS. He is known to have served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. James was united in matrimony with Florence ( ? - ? ). The two children born to the couple were Dusty Goforth and Jamee Heatherly. For 25 years, he was employed as a driver for Panter Brothers Trucking. He also competed in local rodeos as a bull rider and as "an all around cowboy training horses," said an obituary. He "was a member of the Peoria Tribe and the V.F.W. Post in Baxter Springs, KS." James passed away in Commerce, OK on Sept. 24, 2017. Chaplain Dan Weisner led the funeral rites with additional ceremony provided by the American Legion post. His remains rest in honored sleep in Northeast Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Cemetery in North Miami. Their son Dusty Goforth has lived in Welch, OK and daughter Jamee wed Kevin Heatherly and put down roots in Quapaw, OK.

Daughter L. Edith Gucker (1891-1973) was born in 1891 in Melrose, KS. She grew up in Guthrie, Logan County, OK. On Sept. 1, 1910, in nuptials held at the United Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City, she wedded Julius Milo "Buck" Helf (Oct. 26, 1889-1957), who came to Oklahoma from Livingston, MO in his infancy. Presbyterian Church pastor Rev. Fred G. Wright led the ceremony. A story about the wedding in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman said that the couple made a wedding trip to Baxter Springs, KS to see relatives. They bore these known children -- Lorene Brackeen Parnell, Bill Helf, Robert Lester Helf, James R. Helf and Bertie Estelle McMichael. Sadness blanketed the family when sons Bill died at age five in 1918 and Robert at age three in 1930. Among those traveling to attend little Robert's funeral and burial at Camp Russell Cemetery were Mrs. Ray Purvis and Mrs. T.M. Housh of Blackwell, OK. As of 1917, the Helfs lived in Augusta, KS, with Julius working as a blacksmith helper at Bridgeport Machine Company. Then in 1920, this family was in Lawrie, Logan County, OK. They moved in 1929 from Guthrie into Oklahoma City, where Julius found work as a foreman in a welding shop and in 1940 was a driver for American Machine and Iron Works. They were members of the First Methodist Church and had an address in the early 1940s of 2600 Southwest 38th Street. Federal census records for 1950 show Julius employed as a steam/electrical engineer at an air depot. Then in 1951, the Helfs moved to Del City, OK with him working as a field steam engineer at Tinker Air Force Base, and their address at 4028 Mallard Drive. They changed their church membership to Sunny Lane Methodist. Sadly, at the age of 66, Julius suffered a heart attack in June 1956 and never really recovered. He lingered for nine months and died on March 8, 1957. His obituary was published in the Del City News. Edith's home in her final years was in Oklahoma City at 11 Northeast 3. As her health failed, she was admitted to Mercy Hospital where she succumbed to death at the age of 81 on Sept. 11, 1973. An obituary in the Daily Oklahoman said that she was survived by her daughter Lorene of the home, daughter Bertie McMichael of San Bernardino, CA and her brother William of Houston, TX.

• Grandson James R. "Jay" Helf (1919-1971) was born in about 1919 in Guthrie, possibly initially under the name "Julius." In boyhood he moved with his family to Oklahoma City. James served in the military during World War II and the Korean War and appears to have been wounded in some way. At some point he attended Victoria Junior College. James did not marry until later in life and lived with his parents in OKC in 1950. His employment in 1950 was as a clerk at a gasoline service station and wholesale oil supplier. On June 30, 1956, at the age of 37, he entered into marriage with Marian Frances Gooch (Jan. 22, 1919-1990), daughter of J.R. Gooch of Granite, OK. The ceremony was conducted at the Greenville Avenue Christian Church of Dallas, by the hand of Rev. Clark Sanner. In announcing the happy event, the Granite Enterprise said the bride "wore a dress of pale blue crystaline over taffeta styled in a fitted bodice and bouffant skirt with a chantilly lace collar. Her matching lace held a short veil. She carried an orchid on a White Bible." The couple did not reproduce. Their first home was in Dallas. He was employed as a division manager for the stationery department of Bennette Printing Company. He held memberships in the Disabled American Veterans and the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. James died at the age of 51 on Aug. 5, 1971. Interment was under the sod of Sunnylane Cemetery in Del City. Marian outlived her spouse by 17 years. She surrendered to the heavenly host at the age of 70 on Jan. 5, 1990.

• Granddaughter Lorene Grace Helf (1912-1979) -- sometimes known as "Irene" -- was born in about 1912 in Guthrie. She was a high school graduate and moved to Oklahoma City in about 1929, at the age of 17. By 1952, she tied the knot with John Finley Brackeen (Sept. 23, 1914- ? ), a native of Wills Point, Van Zandt County, TX. He stood 6 feet tall and weighed 148 lbs. Together they produced a daughter, Jackalyn Joy Grigsby, who was born in California. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1940, the Brackeens dwelled in Oklahoma City, with John earning a living as a taxi driver for A&A Cab Company and Lorene as a retail merchandise sales lady. John was required to register for the military draft during World War II, and at the time their home was at 1207 Northwest Route 12. Their marriage dissolved in divorce during the 1940s, and the 1950 U.S. Census shows Lorene and Jackalyn in OKC, supporting herself as a clerk typist with the Oklahoma State Employment Service/Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. Lorene's home in 1957 was at 1628 Northwest 15th Street, Del City. She also joined the First Methodist Church in OKC and was active with its Rhoda Circle and held a membership in the Nareme Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. She married Jack P. Parnell (Oct. 4, 1902-1979). He was divorced from Emerald Jo Roach (1904-1999) and brought a stepdaughter into the union, Jacklyn Ann Titus. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Her final home was at 11 Northeast Route 3. Jack passed away at age 76 on Sept. 25, 1979. At the age of 68, she died four days later on Sept. 29, 1979. Interment was under the sod of Sunnylane Cemetery in Del City. In her obituary in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, her daughter and stepdaughter were named, but not either of her husbands.

  Great-granddaughter Jackalyn Joy "Jackie" Brackeen (1934- ? ) was born in about 1934 in California and grew up in Oklahoma City. She exchanged marital vows with (?) Grigsby and dwelled in Oklahoma City in 1979.

  Step-great-granddaughter Jacklyn Ann Parnell (1925-2017) was born on Aug. 20, 1925. She was joined in wedlock with Joe Kenneth Titus (Oct. 22, 1922-1991). Joe was a U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and rose to the rank of master sergeant. Their home in 1979 was in Bethany, OK. Sadly, Joe passed away on Feb. 7, 1991. The words "Psalm 91:7" appear on the face of his section of their bronze grave marker -- "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you." Jacklyn lived for another 26 years and appears to have made her last home in Oklahoma City. Death swept her away into eternity on Aug. 11, 2017. Her portion of the grave tablet reads "Proverbs 31:10-30" -- starting with "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." It ends with "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

• Granddaughter Bertie Estelle Helf (1922-1988) was born on Sept. 29, 1922 in Oklahoma. On Dec. 7, 1941 , when both were 19 years of age, she wed Frank James McMichael ( ? - ? ), also of Oklahoma City and the son of W.F. McMichael Sr. Justice of the peace J.G. Garrett presided over the nuptials, held at Norman, Cleveland County. Their wedding took place the very same day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to plunge America into World War II. The McMichaels' trio of known children were Terry L. McMichael, Sherry L. McMichael and Mary A. McMichael. They lived in Joplin, MO in 1950, with Frank driving a truck for a motor freight company. By 1957, they returned to Oklahoma City and dwelled at 4936 South Drexel in or near Del City. But the following year, Frank filed for divorce and sought custody of their young children, as reported in the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman. Circa 1961, Bertie gave of her time with the Del City post of the American Legion, holding the post of sergeant-at-arms. By 1971, she relocated to Huntington Park, CA and in 1973 lived in San Bernardino, CA. She died in Loma Linda, CA on Nov. 18, 1988, with her ashes scattered in the garden of Desert Lawn Memorial Park.

  Great-grandson Terry L. McMichael (1943- ? ) was born in about 1943 in Oklahoma.

  Great-granddaughter Sherry L. McMichael (1945- ? ) was born in about 1945 in Oklahoma.

  Great-granddaughter Mary A. McMichael (1949- ? ) was born in about 1949 in Kansas.

Daughter Ana Estella "Stella" Gucker (1894-1956) was born in 1894. She dwelled in Guthrie, OK in young womanhood. In time she married Lester Gilbert Housh (Feb. 11, 1896-1957), son of Thomas Milton and Barbara June (McDaniel) Housh of Denison, KS. Lester is known to have served in the U.S. Army in World War I. They lived in Guthrie in 1927, and that year, Stella narrowly avoided death when she and her sister-in-law Alma Gucker "were overcome with gas fumes and discovered and discovered in an unconscious state by Evan Gucker, Mrs. Housh's brother," reported the Guthrie Daily Leader. "During the afternoon, Gucker, with his wife and boy was visiting from Cushing, decided to leave the house. In the living room, the two women were talking and visiting. The gas fire was turned on and burning. All of the windows were closed. Absorbing the moisture and oxygen the gas soon made the women faint." Fortunately the pair survived. The Houshes in about 1935 moved to Houston, TX, where Lester earned a living in oil leasing, drilling and production. She died at home on Oct. 3, 1956. Word was sent to relatives in Guthrie, and an obituary was printed in the Daily Leader. Her remains were laid to rest in Houston's Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. Lester only lived for another eight months in his home at 3725 Inverness. Burdened with diabetes in the last two decades of life, added to a buildup of fats and cholesterol on the walls of his arteries, he suffered a heart attack and three weeks later surrendered to the angel of death in St. Joseph's Hospital on June 21, 1957.

• Granddaughter Mary Jane Housh ( ? -1985) resided with her parents in Houston, TX until their deaths in the 1950s. On Aug. 22, 1958, she exchanged marital vows with Homer Howard Jackson Jr. ( ? - ? ), son of H.H. and Mabel (Perkins) Jackson Sr. Because her parents were no longer living, her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Noble Housh of Houston, made the official announcement, published in the Guthrie Daily Leader. The wedding ceremony was held in Houston's First Methodist Church. Sadly, Mary Jane is believed to have died on Sept. 15, 1985.

Son William "Evan" Gucker (1897-1981) was born on Aug. 10, 1897 in Melrose, KS. He was united in matrimony with Alma Lura Stephens (1898-1969). The couple became the parents of Jacob Evan Gucker and raised a motherless niece, Ethel "Grace" (Bailey) Pryor. The Guckers made a home in Cushion, OK in 1923 at the birth of their son Jacob and in Muskogee in 1928 at the death of Evan's brother Charles. They made a move to Houston, TX and were there in 1947 and in Fairbanks, TX in 1956. Evan earned a living as a shop foreman for Housh Drilling company. The family attended many of the Stephens family reunions in the 1960s. Sadness cascaded over the family when the 71-year-old Alma died on Sept. 14, 1969. The widowed Evan moved back to Houston by 1973 and thence migrated in 1978 to Geery, TX. He was a member of the Cushing (OK) lodge of the Masons and the Fairbanks Methodist Church. He also remained close with his Stephens in-laws and in 1977 and 1980 continued to attend their reunions held in Crescent, OK. The angelic host swept him away at the age of 84 on Oct. 23, 1981. Word of his death was sent to Alma's relatives in Eureka. Their remains sleep in the mausoleum of Houston's Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.

• Grandson Jacob Evan Gucker (1923-2007) was born on Feb. 5, 1923 in Cushion, OK. News of his birth was printed in the Guthrie Daily Leader. In his youth he moved to Houston and was a 1941 graduate of the city's John H. Reagan High School. He went on to attend the University of Houston and during World War II served in the U.S. Navy. On Nov. 25, 1944, at the age of 21, he entered into marriage with Doris Lano Taylor (Dec. 9, 1924-2022), a native of Joaquin, TX. Their union endured over the ebbs and flows of an extraordinary 62 years until the separation of death. A trio of offspring born to the couple were Stephen Evan Gucker, Wesley Evan Gusker and Michael Evan Gucker. Rendered motherless as a one-year-old, Doris was raised by her grandparents, Arch and Bessie Lane. She was a 1943 graduate of Tenaha High School and immediately relocated to Houston. During the war years, said an obituary, she "joined 'the Rosie the Riveter' generation during the war effort. She was hired at the Dixon Gun Plant, operating an overhead crane moving gun barrels through production. While working for $1.45 an hour at the gun plant she met her husband for life...." The newlyweds' first home was at his post in Cocoa Beach, FL. Upon his honorable discharge in 1946, they returned to Houston and built a home in the vicinity of today's William P. Hobby International Airport. Jacob was a longtime chemical plant operator for the giant Diamond Shamrock, an oil refining and gasoline company. In his free time he liked to fish and hunt deer. Circa 1952, the couple bought a home in Houston's Northshore community and remained until Jacob's retirement. Doris generated income through door-to-door insurance sales and bookkeeping for a hardware store. She gave of her time in the local parent-teacher association, was a founding member of the Uvalde Baptist Church and taught Sunday School and vacation Bible school for many years. Jacob retired in 1978 and they pulled up stakes and moved to Lake Murvaul/Geery. In time Jacob's father was brought into their household until his death in 1982. They held memberships in the First Baptist Church of Gary and Southside Baptist Church of Carthage and helped launch a new congregation in Gary, New Hope Baptist Their final residence together was in Gary, TX. Sadly, he passed away at home on March 9, 2007. He was pictured in an obituary in the Longview (TX) News-Journal. Rev. Dr. Mark S. Williamson and Rev. Elmer Mathews co-officiated the funeral rites. Burial was in Jackson Cemetery in Shelby County. The widowed Doris established a Jake Gucker Scholarship in the New Hope church. She also took in her grandson Jacob Wesley Gucker while he was studying to earn his master's of divinity degree. She relocated in 2010 to Jacksonville and shared a residence with her sister Christine Bunn while caring for another sister, Clida Mae "Ned" Ross. In time Doris moved into the home of her son Michael in Crosby, TX and finally back to Lake Murvaul her her son Stephen. She passed away in Highlands near Houston, 10 days after her 98th birthday, on Dec. 19, 2022. Rev. Steve Jackson presided over the funeral rites. Her obituary appeared in the Panola (TX) Watchman.

  Great-grandson Stephen Evan Gucker (1946- ? ) was born in 1946. He was a graduate of Northore High School and in young manhood worked for Champions International in Houston. Stephen first was joined in wedlock on Aug. 6, 1994 with Lynna Jan Gresham ( ? - ? ), daughter of Travis Gresham of Orange, TX. Their nuptials were conducted in the First United Methodist Church, by the hand of Rev. J.B. Prouse. She was an alumna of West Orange-Stark High School and Stephen F. Austin State University. With a master's degree in reading, she was employed at the time of marriage with the Galena Park School District. Later he married Sara and in 2007 were in Colorado. By 2022, the pair moved to Gary, TX.

  Great-grandson Wesley Evan Gusker wed Nettie. They moved to Lake City, FL and were there in the 2007-2022 timeframe.

  Great-grandson Michael Evan Gucker tied the knot with Jan. They have dwelled in Crosby, TX. 

• Granddaughter Ethel "Grace" Bailey (1932-2019) was born on March 29, 1932 in Muskogee, OK, the daughter of Fred "Dutch" and Grace Bailey. She was a newborn when her mother sadly died from spinal meningitis, and was raised to womanhood by a great-uncle and aunt, the Tuckers. She was a 1950 graduate of Cy-Fair High School. On June 2, 1951, she entered into marriage with Dale Pryor ( ? - ? ). They stayed together for 46 years until cleaved apart by death. The Pryors produced three children together -- Debbie Brown, Lynn Pryor and Loretta Young. Their dwelling-places over the years included Houston, Pearland, Midland (1981) and Austin. Sadness blanketed the family when Dale passed away in 1997. She outlived her husband by 22 years and remained to Houston. Said an obituary, "Grace loved doing crafts, was always involved in church, and spent many years speaking and sharing her faith through Christian Women's Club. Grace's singular passion was her love for Jesus Christ. She left a mark on everyone she met--and she liked to meet people. She had a way of encouraging everyone, and she made you feel like you were the most important person she had met. She didn't consider anyone a friend; she considered them family." Death spirited her away at the age of 86 on March 10, 2019. The family requested that any memorial contributions be made either to Champion Forest Baptist Church-Jersey Village/Missions or to her nephew David Pryor, a missionary with Ethnos 360.

  Great-granddaughter Debbie Pryor was united in matrimony with Douglas Brown. They are the parents of Douglas Brown.

  Granddaughter Loretta Pryor tied the marital cord with Craig Young. 

  Grandson Lynn Pryor entered into marriage with Mary. Two sons of this union are Gregory Pryor and Daniel Pryor.

~ Son Charles Wesley Burgoyne ~

Son Charles Wesley "Charlie" Burgoyne (1864-1928) was born on Aug. 14, 1864 in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL.

He was a lifelong bachelor. 

His residence in younger manhood was in Melrose KS and later in 1901-1909 in Guthrie, OK. He held a membership in the May Council of a life insurance fund, the Knights and Ladies of Security.

Then in about 1919, he relocated to Cushing, OK with an address of 521 East Maple. There, he earned a living as a night watchman at the Cushing Wholesale Grocery. He also belonged to the Security Benefit Association, and organization formed with the merger of the Knights and Ladies of Security and the National American Association.

At the age of 63, he succumbed to death on Feb. 5, 1928, "quite suddenly," said the Cushing Daily Citizen. Funeral rites were presided by Rev. J.A. Callan of the local Methodist Church. The body was transported by hearse to Kansas for interment in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, Cherokee County, KS. In an obituary, the Daily Citizen named those family and friends from out of town, among them sister Sarah Sowers and spouse David; nephews Charles Sowers, Turner Sowers, Ferner Sowers and Evan Gucker and wife Alma; and nieces Stella (Sowers) Burst, Margaret Sowers, Stella Housh and husband and Lester, and Edith Helf and husband Julius.

~ Daughter Elizabeth Bell Burgoyne ~

Daughter Elizabeth Bell "Lizzie" Burgoyne (1870- ? ) was born in about 1870 in Catlin, Vermilion County, IL. 

Heartache shook the family when she died at the age of two on April 14, 1872. 

Her tender remains are in repose in Mount Vernon Cemetery in Catlin. 

Her brother James, who died the same year, rests in the same grave plot under the same upright shaft.

Nancy Belle, baby and Albert - courtesy Katherine Stine

~ Daughter Nancy Belle "Nannie" (Burgoyne) McNemar ~

Daughter Nancy Belle "Nannie" Burgoyne (1872-1952) was born on July 6, 1872 in Danville, Vermilion County, IL.

In May 1897, at the age of about 24, she wed Albert Sidney Johnston McNemar (Jan. 31, 1865-1951), a native of Grant County near Parkersburg. He was born near the end of the Civil War and named for the famed Confederate general. He had migrated to southwestern Kansas at the age of five with his parents, and thence at age 14 to a community north of Chetopa, KS. 

The couple put down roots in Kansas. They were the parents of eight -- Maude B. Bull, Ruth Nash, John Edward McNemar, Homer Evan McNemar, Paul W. McNemar, Margaret Elizabeth DeHart, Virginia Lucille McNemar and Clarence Charles McNemar.

The McNemars settled on a farm in Columbus near Melrose, Cherokee County, KS and stayed for good. In 1921, they hosted the wedding of their daughter Ruth to Howard Nash.

They marked their golden wedding anniversary in May 1947. Among those traveling to take part in the celebration, reported the Butler (MO) Times-Press, were their nephews W.A. Kenney and N.A. Kenney and wives.  

Nancy Belle, Albert and baby Maude - courtesy Katherine Stine

The Grim Reaper cut Albert away on April 11, 1951. His nephew Nin Kenney traveled from Ballard, MO to attend the funeral rites, held in the Melrose Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. Walter Elkins. His obituary appeared in the Parsons (KS) Sun, which gave the headcount of his survivors as 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Nancy outlived her husband by almost 17 months. She died at the age of 80 on Aug. 28, 1952, in a hospital in Columbus. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, following services at the family church under the charge of Rev. J.L. Whitney. An obituary in the Sun said that she "had lived on the same farm the past 57 years."

Daughter Maude B. McNemar (1898-1982) was born on July 3, 1898 in Melrose, Cherokee County, KS. She was joined in marriage with Clinton Leroy Bull (March 13, 1900-1970), originally from Harvey, Cook County, IL. The offspring borne of this union were Clinton Bull, James Bull, Shirley Enns, Ruth Ann Elliott and Merle Elvin Bull. In 1926, the family was in Salisburg, MO. Sadness swept over the family when three-year-old son Merle died on April 2, 1928, with a notice printed in the Columbus High School Record. As of 1951, the Bulls lived in Columbus, KS and in 1952 in Arlington, MO. Sadly, Clinton passed away at age 70, in Columbus, on Aug. 3, 1970. Maude outlived him by a dozen years. She died at the age of 83, in Columbus, on March 18, 1982. Burial was in Columbus' Park Cemetery.

• Grandson Clinton Leroy Bull Jr. moved to Las Vegas and was there in 2001.

• Grandson James Eugene Bull ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). On Oct. 28, 1961, he wed Verna Wayne Allen (July 24, 1941-2022), daughter of Morris and Doris (Masters) Allen. The wedding was held in Columbus. The put down roots in Columbus, KS and never left. She earned a living over the years as a housekeeper, and belonged to the First United Methodist Church. Sadly, at the age of 81, Verna died in their home on Sept. 1, 2022. Her remains were cremated.

• Grandson Shirley Bull entered into marriage with (?) Enns. She lived in Estes Park, CO in 2001.

• Grandson Ruth Ann Bull (1931-2001) was born on Aug. 14, 1931 in Columbus, Cherokee County, KS. On April 9, 1954, at the age of 22, she was united in matrimony with Cpl. Leslie M. Elliott (Dec. 15, 1929-2006), son of Charles Leslie and Lydia Sophia (Haldiman) Elliott of Centerville, MO. Together, the couple produced a family of five -- James Leslie Elliott, Karen A. Elliott, Nancy R. Lowe, Marsha L. Hemard and Jeffrey A. Elliott. Leslie served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was awarded a Purple Heart. Later as a civilian, he was employed as a civil engineer and retired in 1995. The family settled in about 1981 in Deputy, Scott County, IN. There, they held a membership in the Deputy United Methodist Church. At the age of 69, she died in Deputy, IN on March 7, 2001. Rev. William Cash presided over the funeral rites in the family church, with an obituary appearing in the Seymour (IN) Tribune. Leslie survived as a widower for another five years. Death swept him away on May 23, 2006. His survivors included 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Their ashes repose in Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, IN.

  Great-grandson James Leslie Elliott was deceased by 2001.

  Great-granddaughter Karen A. Elliott put down roots in Madison, IN.

  Great-granddaughter Nancy R. Elliott tied the marital cord with (?) Lowe and settled in Madison, IN.

  Great-granddaughter Marsha L. Elliott wed (?) Hemard. They planted themselves in Scottsburg, IN.

  Great-grandson Jeffrey A. Elliott relocated to Miami, FL and was there in 2006.

Daughter Ruth McNemar (1900-1991) was born in on the second day of the new year in 1900 near Melrose, KS. In her youth she attended Mt. Pisgah rural school and was an alumna of Columbus High School. Ruth was a school teacher in Melrose for two years in young adulthood, prior to marriage. On April 4, 1921, she wed World War I veteran Howard Nash (1896-1988) in nuptials held at her parents' home near Melrose, KS. For the first 26 years of their married lives, they were farmers in the Melrose and Faulkner areas, and then in 1947 moved to Chetopa. Five offspring of the pair were Dorothy Nash, Donald E. Nash, Martha Wallace, Wayne L. Nash and Kay Tubbs. Later in life, Howard was employed by the Kansas Ordnance Plant near Parsons. Ruth enjoyed taking part in quilting clubs and they belonged to the Chetopa United Methodist Church. At their 50th wedding anniversary in 1971, the Nashes were pictured and featured in the Sun. The family held an oen house. Said the Sun, "A three-tiered cake, decorated with golden white bells, golden leaves and topped with a golden '50 years' was served to the guests from a golden lace covered table. Mr. and Mrs. Nash cut the first piece of cake with a gold cake knife bearing their names, which was a gift from their children... Fourteen guests who were present at the Nash's wedding ... were in attendance at the celebration." Ill health led to a move to Columbus, KS in 1984. Sadly, Howard died on Oct. 26, 1988. Ruth lived for another three years. At the age of 91, she died in Maude Norton Memorial Hospital in Columbus on Oct. 7, 1991. Her obituary was printed in the Sun. Her funeral service sas presided by David Miller in the family church followed by interment in Fairview Cemetery east of Chetopa.

• Granddaughter Dorothy Nash was deceased by 1971.

• Grandson Donald E. Nash (1923- ? ) was born on Aug. 20, 1923. In announcing the birth, the Chetopa Clipper said that the "grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Al McNemar of Melrose are highly elated over the new arrival and heir." Federal census records for 1950 show that Donald at age 26 was a bachelor and resided at home. He lived in Topeka in 1971-1991.

• Granddaughter Martha Nash (1927- ? ) was born in about 1927. She entered into marriage with John Wallace. Their dwelling-place in 1971 was in Littleton, CO and in 1991 in Bountiful, UT.

• Grandson Wayne L. Nash (1929- ? ) was born in about 1929. He first settled in Overland Park, KS and was there in 1971. By 1991, he migrated to Arcadia, CA. 

• Granddaughter Dolores "Kay" Nash (1939- ? ) was born in about 1939. She wed (?) Tubbs. Her residence in 1971 was in Chetopa, KS and in 1991 in Bronson, KS.

Typical lead and zinc mines in the Columbus area of southeast Kansas

Son John Edward McNemar (1902-1990) was born on March 16, 1902. He was twice-wed. John's first bride, when he was 23 years of age, was 18-year-old Wyona "Lavon" Hockett (April 6, 1906-1933). They resided in 1930 in Lyon, Cherokee County, KS, with him employed as a mill man in a lead mine. Together, they are believed to have produced a son, Dale Lee McNemar. Sadness cascaded over the family when, at age 27, Lavon died on May 20, 1933. Her remains were lowered under the sod of Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus. The widowed John and his young son moved back into his parents' home in Lyon Township as of 1940, with him continuing his work as a mill foreman in a local lead and zinc mine. John was united in holy matrimony with his second spouse, Agnes M. Pearson (July 15, 1909-1991). They lived for years in rural Columbus. The angel of death spirited him away on March 15, 1990, a day before his 88th birthday. Agnes endured as a widow for 13 months. She succumbed to the spectre of death on April 22, 1991. They sleep side-by-side under the sod of Melrose's Fairview Cemetery.

• Grandson Dale Lee McNemar (1932-2001) was born on Valentine's Day 1932. He was just 15 months old at his mother's untimely death. He and his widowed father moved into the home of Dale's grandparents in Lyon Township as of 1940. When both were age 18, he tied the knot with Patricia M. "Pat" (1932- ? ). They were the parents of two known children, Connie E. Velghe (born Jan. 1950) and Ricky A. McNemar (1955-2011). The federal census enumeration of 1950 shows the young family in Wichita, with Dale generating income performing mill work for a sash and door company. His final residence was in Columbus, KS. Dale surrendered to the angel of death on Oct. 21, 2001.

  Great-granddaughter Connie E. McNemar (1950- ? ) was born in 1950. She appears to have been married at least twice. Circa 1969, living in Wichita, she wed Charles J. Sabata ( ? - ? ). News of their marriage license was printed in the Wichita Beacon. Charles joined the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and trained at the Naval Submarine Base in New London, Ct. entered into marriage with Hank Velghe ( ? - ? ) and settled in Wichita. Children in this combined family are believed to be Brian Rieck and Elizabeth Velghe.

  Great-grandson Ricky A. McNemar ( ? -2011) resided in Wichita. He married Sherry Middlebrooks ( ? - ? ). They did not reproduce and eventually divorced, although remaining on friendly terms. He passed away in Tampa, FL at the age of 55 on Jan. 22, 2011. The remains were brought back to Kansas for burial in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose. An obituary was published in the Wichita Eagle.

Son Homer Evan McNemar (1905-1972) was born on Feb. 26, 1905 near Melrose, KS. He was a graduate of Mt. Pisgah School in Cherokee County. On April 12, 1936, he exchanged marital vows with school teacher Goldie Mae DeHart (Oct. 24, 1912-2010), also of Cherokee County and the daughter of Thomas and Effie (Shanks) DeHart. Their two children were Sonja J. "Sandye" Renner and Evan McNemar. Goldie was a 1930 graduate of Cherokee County Community High School and attended Pittsburg State Teachers College, going to to teach school for a few years prior to marriage. For decades, the family dwelled in rural Columbus, KS. Said an obituary, Homer "was employed as maintenance foreman for American Lead and Zinc Co. of Picher, Oklahoma until retiring in 1955 due to illness. He worked as radio dispatcher for the Cherokee County Sheriff's department from 1957 to 1970 when he retired. He was a member of the Columbus United Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge No. 73 of Chetopa." Goldie supplemented their income as a hairdresser. Having become seriously ill in the final year of his life, Homer died at the age of 67 on Feb. 27, 1972, a day after his 67th birthday, in Maude Norton Memorial Hospital. The widowed Goldie soldiered on for another nearly four decades and remained in Columbus. She gave of her time with the American Cancer Society, Boy and Girl Scouts and as librarian for the First Christian Church. She also was a volunteer as a "Pink Lady" at Norton Memorial and its Congregate Meal program. She also held memberships in the Magnolia Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star, the Kansas Retired Teachers Association and First Christian Church, Columbus. Goldie also endured the untimely death of her daughter Sonja in 2007. At the age of 97, she was cleaved away by the spirit of death in St. John's Regional Medical Center on Aug. 29, 2010. Rev. Dennis Johnson led the funeral rites.

• Granddaughter Sonja J. "Sandye" McNemar (1941-2007) was born on June 1, 1941 in Columbus, Cherokee County. She was a 1959 graduate of Cherokee County Rural High School followed by the St. Luke's School of Nursing in Kansas City. In the early part of her career she was a nurse in Missouri, Hawaii and California. Sandye wed David Renner ( ? - ? ). They moved to Ohio and in 1972 dwelled in Salem, OH. For three decades, she was employed with health care providers in Cincinnati, with retirement in 2006. At some point the marriage ended and she returned to Columbus, where she belonged to the First Christian Church. She died in St. John's Medical Center in Joplin, MO on the second day of the new year in 2007 at the age of 65. Rev. Larry Parker officiated the services, with cremation taking place.

• Grandson Evan McNemar married Lucille. They have lived in Columbus, KS for many years. Five children of the pair are believed to be Jennifer McNemar, Kim Burns, Mickie Kerr, Troy McNemar and Mark McNemar. He is believed to be the owner-operator of Evan's Drug Store in Columbus, located in a building at 116 West Pine Street which once housed the A. Hood & Sons Implement Company. Evan sold the historic building in 2007 to Jason and Lisa Hulvey. In 1991, he was a co-founder of the Columbus Area Community Foundation. Over the decades, the foundation has made more than $1 million in grants and scholarships to support local non-profit organizations and students and today is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas and a member of the Kansas Association of Community Foundations. As well, in 2010, Evan was a director of the Columbus Telephone Company.

  Great-granddaughter Jennifer McNemar was deceased by 2007.

  Great-granddaughter Kim McNemar wed Dennis Burns. They settled in Pittsburg, KS.

  Great-granddaughter Mickie McNemar married Mark Kerr. The pair put down roots in Mission, KS.

  Great-grandson Troy McNemar relocated to Phoenix, AZ.

  Great-grandson Mark McNemar entered into wedlock with Becky and moved to St. Louis, MO.

Son Paul W. McNemar (1907-1967) was born on Jan. 2, 1907. On May 2, 1937, in Columbus, Cherokee County, KS, he wed Ruth Murray (Feb. 25, 1912-2000), a native of Galena, Cherokee County and the daughter of William T. and Sophronia (Beach) Murray. The two sons they bore together were Stanley McNemar and Steve McNemar. At the age of 40, in 1947, in Columbus, Paul worked in an occupation where he handled ammonia. He accidentally got some in his eyes and was off work for several days. Reported the Baxter Springs (KS) Jayhawker, "While the accident was quite painful no permanently serious consequences resulted from it." He recovered and appears to have remained in Columbus for some years. Paul died at the age of 60 on July 1, 1967. Burial was in Park Cemetery, Columbus. Ruth lived for another 33 years. At the age of 88, as a patient in Medicalodge of Columbus, death swept her away on July 30, 2000.

• Grandson Stanley McNemar has lived in Opolis, KS. He was employed in 1984 by the Pittsburg Unified School District 250 as a transportation coordinator.

• Grandson Steve McNemar settled in Columbus, KS.

Daughter Margaret Elizabeth McNemar (1909-2003) was born on May 14, 1909. She married Walter A. DeHart (Feb. 13, 1903-1994). One known son was Van Walter DeHart. They made their dwelling-place in 1951-1952 in Garden City, KS and in 1991 in Columbus, KS. Walter passed away into the realm of the heavenly host on May 24, 1994. Margaret endured for nine more years. She died at the age of 93 on Jan. 19, 2003. Burial was in the sacred soil of Melrose's Fairview Cemetery.

• Grandson Van Walter DeHart (1935-2004) was born on Jan. 25, 1935 in Melrose, Cherokee County, KS. He was a graduate of Garden City High School. Van went on to serve as a private in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was joined in wedlock with Jane Lorraine Stebens (Oct. 11, 1935-2013), a native of Garden City, KS and the daughter of William and Gertrude (Doerfler) Stebens. The four sons they bore together were Richard DeHart, Kim DeHart, Robin DeHart and Shawn DeHart. Van was employed as a longtime prison guard in Hutchinson, KS. Van died at the age of 69, in Columbus, Cherokee County, on St. Patrick's Day 2004. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery, Melrose. The headcount of his survivors included 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. In widowhood, Jane moved to Colorado Springs, where her son Richard was living. She passed away there at the age of 77 on May 29, 2013. The remains were transported back to Kansas to sleep for the ages in Garden City's Valley View Cemetery. Her obituary was published in the Garden City Telegram.

  Great-grandson Kim DeHart settled in Gordon, NE.

  Great-grandson Richard DeHart has dwelled in Colorado Springs, CO.

  Great-grandson Robin DeHart relocated to Harlington, TX.

  Great-grandson Shawn DeHart moved to Kyle, TX and by 2013 was in Liberty Hill, TX.

Daughter Virginia Lucille "Ginny" McNemar (1911-1997) was born on Dec. 16, 1911 in Melrose, KS. At the age of 19, in 1930, she made a home in Melrose, KS. She eventually tied the marital cord with Dr. Myrl Carl Lichtenwalter (April 22, 1908-1988). Their marriage held fast over a remarkable 57 years. Myrl was a 1924 graduate of Cherokee County High School and received his doctorate from Iowa State University under the leadership of Dr. Henry Gilman. Two known offspring in the family were Glen Dale Lichtenwalter and Jane Louise Childers. The family migrated to Texas and settled for good in Austin, with him hired in 1942 by the Jefferson Chemical Company. Jefferson  later became part of Texaco Chemicals, and he remained in its employ as a research chemist until retiring in 1972. As of 1956, their address was 4314 Airport Boulevard. They were members of a University Methodist couples class and in 1956 were pictured in the Austin American, painting small wooden chests for students at the Austin State School. Myrl also was active as a hospital aide with the Brackenridge Hospital Auxiliary, while Virginia was involved with the Wilshire Area Garden Club. In recognition of his work with Jefferson Chemical's Research and Development Department, he was named in 1969 to the new position of Research Fellow in its laboratories. Virginia was active in St. John's United Methodist Church and liked to cook, garden and sew. Myrl died at the age of 79 on March 20, 1988. His funeral services were held in Austin Memorial Park by the hand of Rev. Dr. John Gibbs. In his obituary in the Austin American-Statesman, the family requested that any memorial contributions be made to the Salvation Army Shoe Fund or the American Lung Association. Virginia lived on for nine additional years and lived in Austin. She succumbed to the spectre of death on Nov. 16, 1997. An obituary was carried in the American Statesman. Their remains are in eternal repose together in Austin Memorial Park Cemetery.

• Grandson Dr. Glen Dale Lichtenwalter (1931-2015) was born on Oct. 7, 1931 in Columbus, KS. He was an alumnus of Port Arthur High School and in 1954 earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas. Then in 1958, as his father had done, he received his doctorate in organic chemistry at Iowa State University under the same professor, Dr. Henry Gilman. On Jan. 18, 1958, in a wedding held in Ames, IA, he tied the knot with Alita Fern Sites ( ? - ? ), daughter of George A. Sites of Boonesboro, MD. Their union endured the ups and downs of a remarkable 57 years. The pair bore a trio of sons -- Blair Lichtenwalter, Steve Lichtenwalter and Craig Lichtenwalter. Alita held a master of arts degree from the University of Colorado and at the time of marriage was teaching at Iowa State College in Ames. Glen received his doctorate in organic chemistry from Iowa State later in the year of their wedding, with him becoming employed by Shell Chemical Company. In 1967 he accepted a position as associate research director for Armak Company, and they moved to Illinois. Glen went on to work for Proctor and Gamble in Corsicana, TX and finished his professional career teaching in chemistry laboratories at Southern Methodist University. His memberships included the American Chemical Society, the American Oil Chemistry Society and the Research Director's Association of Chicago. Glen died at the age of 83 on Jan. 29, 2015. A memorial service was conducted in the Unitarian Church of Carrollton, TX. In an obituary in the Dallas Morning News, the family asked that any memorial gifts be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.

  Great-grandson Blair Lichtenwalter ( ? - ? )

  Great-grandson Steve Lichtenwalter ( ? - ? ) 

  Great-grandson Craig Lichtenwalter ( ? - ? )

• Granddaughter Jane Louise Lichtenwalter ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). She majored in education at the University of Texas. On one unusually hot day in September 1958, in her sophomore year, she went swimming at Barton Springs and was pictured in the Austin American. She first married (?) Davis ( ? - ? ). One daughter of the pair was Lynda (Davis) Glasper. Then circa May 1979, she wed Wayne Lee Childers (Aug. 6, 1938-2019). Wayne was born under the surname of "Wisenbacker" and due to dire family circumstances placed in the Waco State Home from which he was adopted by D. "Young" and Lela Childers. He grew up in LaGrange, TX and was divorced from his first wife, Barbara Nell Ferrell. Thus he brought three stepsons into the second family -- Russell Wayne Childers, David Lynn Childers and Steven Childers. Wayne was employed by the Texas Department of Transportation "as a computer programmer where he made many lasting friendships," said an obituary. "Church ties were important to him. He served in many capacities, including ushering, and leading a small home group. He loved the Lord, hunting, fishing, golf, gospel fests, tennis, games, and dancing. But, most of all, he loved people." They dwelled in Cedar Park, TX in 2019. Sadly, Wayne died in Austin at the age of 81 on Oct. 16, 2019.

  Great-granddaughter Lynda Davis ( ? - ? ) married (?) Glasper ( ? - ? ).

  Great-grandson Russell Wayne Childers (1962- ? ) was born in about 1962. At the age of 42 in 2004, living in Austin, he is believed to have tied the marital cord with 39-year-old Cheryl Christine St. Tours, also of Austin.

  Great-grandson David Lynn Childers ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). On July 22, 1989, he entered into marriage with Wendy Renee Asperger ( ? - ? ), daughter of Daniel Asperger of Dalton, GA. News of their engagement was printed in the Austin American Statesman.

  Great-grandson Steven Childers ( ? - ? ) was born on (?). In 2000, he and Ruth Belmarez became the parents of a daughter, Loren Iris Childers.

Son Clarence Charles "Dick" McNemar (1918-2008) was born on June 15, 1918 in Faulkner, Cherokee County, KS. He is known to have served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the Asian Theatre of war. Clarence was a bachelor and lived at home with his parents in 1951. On Dec. 30, 1966, he was united in matrimony with Myrtle June Shaw (June 20, 1915-2003) in nuptials held in Columbus, KS. Said an obituary, "He was a farmer. He had also worked at Root Manufacturing, Baxter Springs, KS and had been a carpenter helper in area mines as a young man. " They settled in rural Columbus, KS and were there in 1991 followed by a move to Melrose, KS and a return to Columbus in 2000. He held memberships in the Melrose United Methodist Church, the Chetopa (KS) lodge of the Masons, the Baxter Springs post of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans of Baxter Springs. Sadly, Myrtle June died on Oct. 26, 2003. Clarence lived on for another four-and-a-half years. His final address was 531 West Central in Columbus. He passed away on Feb. 8, 2008 at the age of 89. His funeral rites jointly were led by Rev. Wayne Handle and Rev. Dennis Johnson.  They sleep aside each other for all eternity in Fairview Cemetery in Melrose, KS.