* Asterisk stories written by Bernice Fern Burgess Kendig 1981 (Also found on Find A Grave). Sadly she passed away in 2002. She writes “To the memory of my pioneer grandparents whose twenty grandchildren and forty-six great-grandchildren are scattered all across the United States and Canada.”

~~1850~~

Amos Reynolds Burgess was born the sixth of nine children on April 6, 1853,

in Westville, La Porte County, Indiana to Orrin and Sarah Reynolds Burgess.

This is the youngest picture I can find of him.

~~~~~

Amos’s future wife Myrta Ann “Anna” Eacret was born the third of seven children to George and

Mary Ann Denham Eacret on August 9, 1857, in Marion, Jennings County, Indiana. She was named after her Paternal Grandmother Mryrta Evarts Eacret.

The picture below is of her mother Mary Ann

-I don’t think that’s a scar on her face just a mark from the copied picture.

I have not been able to find a picture of Anna’s father but there is a story about him below.

Anna’s siblings are

-Milo 1852-1925

-Simeon Henry 1855-1931

-James B 1858-unknown

-Nancy Jane 1860-1860

-George Charles 1862-1944

-William 1865-1865

*A family story is told that Grandfather George Eacret left one morning with a horse and wagon and crossed a river. The family thinks he was either murdered or drowned.

*I know very little about Mary Ann [Denham] Eacret Iseminger other than a family story that was passed down. Apparently, Mary became so distraught when her husband George Eacret died that she simply walked away from her children. They were raised by neighbors, friends, and other family members. Most of the early Eacret family lived and died in Jennings County Indiana. Between 1865 the time of her husband’s death and 1871 when she married Adam Iseminger I was unable to locate her. George Charles Eacret went to live with Mary’s twin sister Nancy [Denham] Leming, Myrta Ann “Anna” was raised by the Richard Dodd family, Milo was enumerated in the Silas Tobias household in 1870 and Simeon was enumerated in the Thomas Davis household in 1870.
*Hopefully, there was some contact with her children after she married Adam Iseminger. She lived not far from her daughter in Iowa and my grandfather James H. Burgess knew who his grandmother was and took my mother along to put flowers on her grave.

~~1860~~

This is Amos’s first census. 1860 the Burgess family was living in New Durham, La Porte County, Indiana. Orrin is working alongside his eldest son Nelson 22, as a farmer. Matilda 17, Ruth 9, Amos 7, and Elizabeth 5, are attending school.

In this 1860 census, the Eacret family is living in Marion, Jennings County, Indiana. Anna’s father George is a Laborer and has a personal estate of $150 (which is about $5500 today). Anna’s only two years old but her brothers Milo 8, and Simeon 6, are attending school.

~~1870~~

I was able to find Anna living with the Dodd family. What a horrible time it must have been for her. She lost her father in 1865 then her mother walked out on her and her brothers.

The boys are scattered among other families.

~~~~~

Box 1 Orrin thru Ruth

Box 2 & 3 Joseph Peterson thru Rosetta Burgess

Box 4 Nelson thru Walter Burgess

This is a strange census for me. From what I understand so far, in Box 1 we have Amos’s parents, Orrin and Sarah living in house number 1083 with daughters Matilda 28, and Ruth Ann 19. Boxes 2 & 3 show Amos 17, Elizabeth 16, and Rosetta 11, living with Joseph and Margarett Peterson in house 1092. Amos’s older brother Nelson is a few houses down in number 1098 with his wife Sarah and their two children. So my question is, why were Amos, Elizabeth, and Rosetta (who was only 11), not living with their parents? It’s possible they were working for the Petersons. Maybe someone was sick in the main Burgess house? I know times were different back then but I have so many questions.

~~~~~

Amos Reynolds Burgess 23, married Miss Myrta “Anna” Eacret 19, of Jennings County, Indiana

on April 26, 1876, in Porter Indiana.

Definitely not their wedding photo but it is a good picture of Amos and Anna together.

They had eight children,

Arthur Edmund 1876-1949

Perry Alfred 1880-1971

Gerry LeRoy 1880-1962

James Harvie 1881-1971

Glen Chester 1884-1885

Floyd 1886-1979

Nora Velma 1889-1949

Almond Oliver 1895-1988

*Grandpa Burgess was a tall handsome man from Westville, Indiana, and Grandma was a tiny sweet-faced girl also from the Hooser State. They married in 1876. The young couple then set out upon the highway of life, a pathway their descendants would marvel at in the years to come and perhaps even envy a bit, but wait that’s my story.

~~~~~

A short six months after their marriage Arthur Edmond Burgess was born on November 3, 1876,

in Westville, La Porte County, Indiana

~~1880~~

Name

Relation

Birth Month & Year

S E X

R A C E

Age

Married/ Single/ Widowed

Child. Born/ Living

Education At School/ Read/ Write

Birth-place

Father Birth- Place

Mother Birth-Place

Occupation

V E T E R A N

Burgess,  Amos

Head

4/1853

M

W

27

M /4y

–

IN

NY

NY

Farmer

Anna

Wife

9/1857

F

W

23

M /4y

1/1

IN

?

?

–

Arthur

Son

11/1876

M

W

3

–

–

IN

IN

IN

–

Amos and Anna are living in New Durham, La Porte County, Indiana. In 1880 Amos was working as a farmer and Anna kept house. Arthur was three years old. Now I’m not sure if Amos had a farming co-op but the next two families do not have house numbers which usually means they live with the above house number. They are Levi and Eliza Ann Wolfe with daughter Ruth Ann, and newlyweds Samuel and Emma Rogers. I’m trying to find a possible family connection?

~~~~~

Suprise it’s twins for Amos and Anna. Gerry LeRoy and Perry Alfred were born on September 6, 1880, in New Durham, La Porte County, Indiana.

-Side note, Anna’s mother was a twin.

~~~~~

And just a short time later the family welcomed James Harvey Burgess born on October 26, 1881, in Westville, La Porte County, Indiana

~~~~~

*They came to Iowa with sons Arthur, Gerry, Perry, and James in 1882, and settled first in Shelby County. They resided there for one year and then moved to a farm close to the area called Cory Cove. Their next move was to the Boozle place (known as the brick house) which was West and South of Cory Grove, where Floyd was born.

~~~~~

On July 9, 1884, Glen Chester was born fifth to Amos and Anna in Cory Grove, Polk County, Iowa

And sadly after eight months, Glen Chester passed away on March 19, 1885, from Diptheria. He is buried at the White Oak Cemetery in Elkhart Township, Polk County, Iowa.

His F.A.G.#47420085

Glen Chesters Iowa Death Register

~~~~~

On December 7, 1886, Amos and Anna welcomed another son (number 6) they named Floyd. He was born in Douglas Township, Iowa. I don’t think Floyd was given a middle name. If he did, please let me know.

~~~~~

On February 14, 1889, Amos and Anna finally had a daughter. Nora Velma Burgess was born in

Elkhart, Polk County, Iowa

~~~~~

*In 1889 when James was eight years old, his father Amos took him with him on a train trip to Indiana to visit his grandparents.

This is what their train would have looked like.

~~1890~~

~1890 census not found~

~~~~~

*Disaster struck the Burgess family one night in 1890. They awoke to find their big barn and adjoining sheds ablaze. The fire destroyed not only the barn but all of their livestock except one old milk cow which James was supposed to put in the barn the evening before but couldn’t get her to go in. The horns of the old cow are still around ninety years later. The fire left the family practically destitute as it burned six cows, one calf, eight head of horses, two colts, thirty head of hogs, four hundred bushels of corn, two hundred bushels of oats, seven tons of hay, harness for seven head of horses, a corn sheller, scoops, forks, and other tools, none of which was insured. Only the day before an insurance salesman tried to sell Grandpa (Amos) some insurance and told him he might be sorry if he didn’t take out some. Sixty friends and neighbors gave money (some as little as fifty cents), a fresh cow, and the use of a horse for a month to help them out.

~~~~~

*Nora the only girl in the family, was born while they lived in the brick house. Grandpa (Amos) decided to move again this time to the Charlie Whitcomb place (formally the George Volz farm) where they lived one year before buying eighty acres North of Enterprise, Iowa paying fifteen dollars an acre. There were no buildings on the farm so grandpa built a small two-room house and dug a big cave. The house was hardly more than a shed and he planned to use it as a granary later on.

~~~~~

Joining the family born eighth is Almond Oliver Burgess, born on July 29, 1895,

in Enterprise, Polk County, Iowa

~~~~~

*Almond was born here in 1895. To make additional room in the house, wide boards were laid loosely on the top of the upper joist to make an upstairs attic-like room for the boys to sleep in. They had to climb a ladder to get up there. A partition dividing the upstairs was put in later and some steps were built. At first, the beds were made of corn husks stuffed into ticking and laid on top of the loose boards.

~~~~~

Section/Lot #	Twp/Block	Range (grazing)	Acres	100th	Year	Tax	Intrest	Costs	Total
10	80	23	40		1898	15.23	1.37	20	16.80
10	80	23	40		1898	8.53	.77	20	9.52

$15.00 back in 1880 was about $500 today. This is a very informative look into their farm. Amos had 80 total acres in Douglas Township, Iowa.

~~1900~~

Name

Relation

Birth Month & Year

S E X

R A C E

Age

Married/ Single/ Widowed

Child. Born/ Living

Education At School/ Read/ Write

Birth-place

Father Birth- Place

Mother Birth-Place

Occupation

V E T E R A N

Burgess,  Amos

H

4/1853

M

W

47

M /24y

–

N/Y/Y

IN

NY

NY

Farmer

Anna

W

8/1857

F

W

42

M /24y

9/7

N/Y/Y

IN

OH

OH

–

Gerry

S

9/1880

M

W

19

–

–

N/Y/Y

IA

IN

IN

Farm Laborer

Perry

S

9/1880

M

W

19

–

–

N/Y/Y

IA

IN

IN

Farm Laborer

James H

S

10/1881

M

W

18

–

–

Y/Y/Y

IA

IN

IN

Farm Laborer/At School

Floyd

S

12/1886

M

W

13

–

–

Y/Y/Y

IA

IN

IN

Farm Laborer/At School

Nora

D

2/1889

F

W

11

–

–

Y/Y/Y

IA

IN

IN

At School

Almond

S

7/1895

M

W

4

–

–

N/N/N

IA

IN

IN

–

Amos and Anna are living in Douglas Township, Polk County, Iowa. Amos and his sons Gerry and Perry are helping him with farming duties. James, Nora, and Floyd are in school. Arthur moved out of his parent’s house and was working as a carpenter.

~~~~~

The Burgess Family picture circa 1900 is based on Almond’s age appearance.

This is one of my favorite photos. People didn’t start smiling in pictures until the 1930s. Bad or crooked teeth were to blame.

If the boys only knew that as they got older, all but one would be as bald as their father.

~~~~~

*The family continued to live on the Boozle place for six years, the boys attending Hawks School down the road North one-fourth mile. James remembered he often had to help with the washing before going to school in the morning. Some of their teachers were Mrs. Brazelton, Mrs. Jasper, and Effie McClung who taught them to read from McGruffy Readers. One time they had a teacher they didn’t like so they locked her in the schoolhouse after school, then threw the key in a nearby creek.

Hawks School location is in the red box

~~~~~

*One Christmas Eve, Dad (James) said the boys heard a noise downstairs and they moved a board aside to see if Santa Claus had come, but instead of Santa, They saw their parents stuffing popcorn and an orange in each long handmade stocking. The only toys the boys received when they were small were homemade such as a whistle or a top made of an empty spool. Nora and Almond fared somewhat better perhaps as there was a little more money. Nora owned three china head dolls and Almond some iron toys such as horses and carts, which he still has today. The dolls, Vernal and I (Bernice) played with seventy years ago whenever we went to visit. When Nora died in 1947 and the boys divided up her things, Floyd got one doll, Dad got one and I found one with the head broken off in the smokehouse when Almond bought the farm years later, but to get back to the story of the old house. The parlor of the house boasted a big hard coal burner with fancy lion heads on the corners. Also, there was a wood folding bed, a big red plush overstuffed chair, small rocking chairs with slat-like seats, and footstools made of tin cans covered with woolen material trimmed with embroidery. Really the only beautiful thing in the parlor was the huge Christmas cactus in front of the south window. A cuckoo clock hanging near the ceiling told the time. Woven rag carpet padded with straw for warmth covered the floor. An iron bed with shiny brass and a black walnut dresser were the furnishings in Grandma (Anna) and Grandpa’s tiny bedroom adjoining the parlor on the East.

*A lean-to was built on the north side of the house which served as a kitchen and eating area. The west end had a big black cookstove with its warming oven and water reservoir. Just west of the stove was a big box-like homemade workbench, on top stood a tall tin flour bin that held a large sack of flour. Opposite the stove was another homemade bench which served as a place to put a wash pan and a long roller towel hung on the wall nearby. A shelf underneath held black baking pans and heavy iron skillets. A stone churn, a lard press, and a shoe last stood nearby. Outside the west door were morning glory vines covering a trellis made of tree branches. The stove which usually had a black kettle full of something cooking was also a place to put the heavy irons used for pressing the clothing the family wore. These irons were heated on top of the stove and the handles would get so hot that a cloth pad would be placed over them so they wouldn’t burn the hand.

*The east end of the lean-to held a wood table and a wood cupboard with glass doors. The cupboard held no fancy dishes, just heavy stoneware plates with a brown leaf on top and print on the back saying “Wedgewood and Company, England”.

*I can remember only one really pretty dish, a vinegar cruet, which I think Uncle Gerry got after Grandma died. The silverware had black wood handles and was kept in a drawer below the glass doors. Often there were not enough chairs to seat everyone at the table so a wood plank held up by kegs was placed along the north wall.

*Sometime later Grandpa (Amos) built a shed on the north side of the kitchen which provided a place for a sink where the boys could wash up and not have to use the kitchen. The sink was held up by a 2×4 wood frame. A big bucket underneath caught the wash water. The shed also sheltered the new cream separator. A pie cupboard with pierced tin doors stood nearby and held numerous stone crocks and stone jars. The cave door was also covered by the shed which made it handy as the milk, cream, and butter were kept down there. The canned vegetables and fruits covered long shelves in the cave. In winter, the summer crop of potatoes and other vegetables were stored down there so they wouldn’t freeze. The handy shed had no floor but its hard, crust-like dirt surface was swept every day. There were two doors opening to the outside, the one on the west opened toward the garden, and the east door toward the barns. Outside the east door, there was a post with an iron dinner bell on top, nearby were iron kettles used for making soap and heating water when they butchered.

*Grandpa (Amos), as did all pioneers of his day, had to work very hard. Horses were used to pull the plow but he walked behind the plow all day. Chores such as milking was done after dark with the aid of a kerosene lantern. Morning meant getting up before daylight in order to get the chores done before going to the field again. No wonder they had to continue living in the house he had planned to use as a grainery, he didn’t have the time or the money to build a new one. A big orchard one-fourth mile long was set out north of the house. Nora who was but three years old planted some of the seeds for the apple trees. Several beehives were located near the garden area. Grandpa had a net cover for his face and a bee smoker he used to quiet the bees when he wanted to take honey from the hives. He planted fields of cane and each fall made sorghum, boiling down the cane and pressing out the juice which was cooked in a three by eight pan north of the pond where a small shed stood. A wood fire kept the juice boiling and when it was thick it was poured into half-gallon tin buckets and sold or stored for winter use. Grandma made sorghum cake and cookies for years and years. The cookies were kept in a jar in the kitchen cupboard and everyone helped themselves. Another source of sweetener was maple syrup made by tapping their maple trees and boiling down the sap in a big kettle on the kitchen range. The fancy little maple cakes were a delight to all, especially at Christmas time. The boys were all growing up and an ice house was built out near the orchard and filled with sawdust. Huge squares of ice were cut out of the pond in winter and stored in the ice house. the ice kept well and everyone enjoyed homemade ice cream during the hot summer days. They raised quite a few turkeys and a big bird was roasted in the oven of the old black oven stove every Christmas. Money was scarce and for many years all the money the family could get hold of was kept in the top drawer of Grandma’s dresser. The boys were allowed to take what they needed from time to time but were required to replace it as soon as they could. Grandpa earned a few dollars digging tile ditches for the neighbors by hand. Later he took in a little more by taking farm produce including butter, eggs, and sorghum to the mining town of Enterprise a couple miles south. Many negros lived in Enterprise in those days and would watch for Grandpa’s surrey with the fringe on top as he drove along the dirt streets delivering his produce every Saturday morning. Grandma had churned the butter during the week patting it into balls with her butter paddle and then decorating each with a fancy imprint on the top. Vegetables from their big garden were sold to the negros. The Burgess Dunlap strawberries were well known in the community and these were displayed and sold in wooden boxes they had made. A fruit magazine was subscribed to read from cover to cover. As the years went by, apples from the big orchard were sold and added to the family income. They purchased a cider press and made and sold cider.

*Needing to preserve meat for the growing boys to eat, A smokehouse was built onto the north end of the shed, and pork was smoked and hung out there. Many years later when Vernal and I used to play house in the building, a smoky order still permeated it.

~~~~~

*Although Grandpa Amos had to work very hard and put in days, he rarely missed attending the State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa each August. This meant an eighteen-mile drive in the surry, starting before daylight and returning after dark. Vernal and I recall going down to Grandpa’s the day before, sleeping on the folding bed in the parlor, and getting up early so we would be ready to go with Grandpa and Nora.

*Grandma Anna always had a basket of food prepared for us to take along. Although this was seventy years ago, I can still see Grandpa carrying that basket as hs he made his way up the hill to the old soldier’s tent. Here he would sit and listen as the Civil War soldiers played their fifes and drums. We would meet him at noon to eat dinner from the basket, and we got ice water to drink from the poultry building close by.

*Grandpa Amos also seemed to enjoy Christmas very much. He would come to Elkhart in the bobsled after dad, mother, and us kids and how we loved the music of the sleigh bells as we rode along. There were always treats for us children such as rock candy, sometimes the little delicious maple cakes, and always lots of peanuts. Grandma was always busy in the kitchen cooking turkey. Nora would have little gifts sometimes fastened to strings that were wound around furniture in the parlor and we would follow the string until we found our gift at the end of it.

~~~~~

Firstborn son Arthur Edmund 25, married Miss Lydia Olga Kobi 21, from Ankeny Iowa,

on June 5, 1901, in Ankeny Iowa

They had six children

Lauree Evelyn 1902-1956

Eldon De Witt 1905-1998

Kenneth Alvin 1907-1992

Merle J 1910-1991

Myra Aileen 1912-2006

Gladys Ernilie 1924-2017

~~~~~

~~~~~

James Harvie Burgess married Miss Othella Myriam Welch from Elkhart,

Iowa on April 30, 1902, in Elkhart, Iowa.

They had four children

Bernice Fern 1903-2002

Vernal Mae 1906-1994

Naomi Ruth 1911-1993

Dorus James 1919-2001

~~~~~

Gerry LeRoy Burgess 24, married Miss Eliza Leora Kinyon 15, from Forsythe, Taney, Missouri,

On October 9, 1904,

in Forsythe, Taney, Missouri.

They had five children

Glen Chester 1906-1987

Lester Roscoe 1908-1974

Sylvester LaVerne 1911-1965

Hershel Deward 1914-1978

Rosezella Mae 1917-2007

~~~~~

This is the 1905 Iowa State Census. At home were Amos, Anna, Floyd, Nora, and Almond.

Their Post Office was in Bondurant, Iowa.

~~1910~~

Name

Relation

Birth Month & Year

S E X

R A C E

Age

Married/ Single/ Widowed

Child. Born/ Living

Education At School/ Read/ Write

Birth-place

Father Birth- Place

Mother Birth-Place

Occupation

V E T E R A N

Burgess,  Amos

H

4/1853

M

W

57

M /34y

–

N, Y, Y

IN

NY

NY

Farmer

Anna

W

8/1857

F

W

53

M /34y

9/7

N, Y, Y

IN

IN*

OH

–

Nora

D

2/1889

F

W

21

–

–

N, Y, Y

IA

IN

IN

–

Almond

S

7/1895

M

W

15

–

–

Y, Y, Y

IA

IN

IN

At School

Amos and Anna are living in Douglas, Polk County, Iowa. They have been married for 34 years. Amos is still a farmer. Nora is helping her mom keep house and Almond is in school.

~~~~~

Perry Alfred Burgess 32, married Miss Mable Charlotte Corrin 29, on July 5, 1914, in Prineville, Cook County, Oregon. The record shows that Perry was working as a Rancher. Mable was a housekeeper. Mable was born in Lissrenny, Louth, Ireland.

They had two children

Perry Alfred Burgess Jr. 1916-2010

Anna Rohda Burgess 1919-2020

Perry Burgess and family circa 1930 Canada

~~~~~

Floyd’s 1916 Registration Card. He is living in Des Moines, Iowa, and working as a bookkeeper for the American Lithograph & Printing Company.

~~~~~

Almond’s 1917 Registration Card. He is working as a farmer and not married. Almond is of medium build and weight, he has light blue eyes and light brown hair.

~~~~~

Arthur Edmond’s 1918 Registration Card. Arthur 42, was living in Eatonville, Pierce County, Washington, and working for The Foundation Company as a Carpenter in the Tideflats of Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. He was of medium height and build, with brown hair and brown eyes. He would work all week in Tacoma and then return home to Eatonville on the weekend leaving his wife Lydia to work the farm and raise 6 children.

~~~~~

Almond Oliver Burgess 24, married Miss Bertha Mae Ault 21, of Elkhart, Iowa,

on February 4, 1919, in Elkhart, Iowa.

They did not have any children.

~~~~~

Floyd 33, married Miss Vera Blanch Flint 25, from Coggin, Iowa,

on June 4, 1919, in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa.

They had two children

Genevieve Eileen 1923-2008

Charlene Marie 1925-2007

~~1920~~

Name

Relation

Birth Month & Year

S E X

R A C E

Age

Married/ Single/ Widowed

Child. Born/ Living

Education At School/ Read/ Write

Birth-place

Father Birth- Place

Mother Birth-Place

Occupation

V E T E R A N

Burgess, Amos

H

4/1853

M

W

66

Married

N, Y, Y

IN

NY

NY

General Farm

Anna

W

8/1857

F

W

62

Married

9/7*

N, Y, Y

IN

OH*

OH

–

Nora

D

2/1889

F

W

30

Single

–

N, Y, Y

IA

IN

IN

–

In the 1920s, Amos and Anna were living in Douglas, Polk County Iowa. They had their daughter Nora 30, living with them. Amos was farming still. Living next door or on the property were Almond and his wife Bertha.

~~~~~

*As Grandpa (Amos) grew older, he became very hard of hearing. We had to almost shout to make him hear. He sent away for a hearing trumpet but it didn’t help him much. He was always a very quiet person talking very little. I remember him sitting in one of the small rockers swatting at flies with a folded newspaper. He was quite bald and if there were any flies in the room, they seemed to land on his bald head. Often he would cover his head with a newspaper and take a nap. Finally, he wore out and passed away with dropsy (Dropsy: An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water) in 1928 after being bedfast for several weeks. He was seventy-four years of age at the time of his death and is buried in White Oak Cemetery north of Elkhart, Polk County, Iowa.

Amos Reynolds Burgess passed away on February 14, 1928 (on Nora’s Birthday)

at home in Elkhart, Polk County, Iowa.

He is buried at the White Oak Cemetery in Elkhart, Polk County, Iowa

F.A.G# 47412294 · View Source

~~1930~~

Name

Relation

Birth Month & Year

S E X

R A C E

Age

Married/ Single/ Widowed

Child. Born/ Living

Education At School/ Read/ Write

Birth-place

Father Birth- Place

Mother Birth-Place

Occupation

V E T E R A N

Burgess, Anna

H

8/1857

F

W

72

Widowed

9/7*

N, Y, Y

IN

IN*

OH

Overseer of Private Grounds

Nora

D

2/1889

F

W

41

Single

–

N, Y, Y

IA

IN

IN

–

1930 census shows Nora 41, living with her mother Anna 72. Anna is the overseer of their private grounds. Almond and Bertha still live next door where Almond is Farming. Both families had a Radio in their house. I still cannot find any information on Anna’s second child who passed away. If you know email me, please.

~~1940~~

Number Visited

Own/Rent

Value of Home Owned

Farm Y/N

Name

Relation

Age

Marital Status

Highest Grade at School

Birth- place

Occupation

Industry

Income

122

Rent

$200

Y

Burgess, Almond

Head

45

M

8th

IA

Opperator

Farm

$500

Bertha

Wife

41

M

8th

IA

Keeping House

123

Owned

$1000

Y

Burgess, Anna

Head

83

WD

8th

IN

–

Nora

Daughter

51

S

H.3

IA

Keeping House

~~~~~

Gerry LeRoy’s Registration Card, April 27, 1942. I love these because they show us a lot of personal info. Gerry was 5 foot 5 inches, weighed 115 pounds, and had grey eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. At 61, he was working at the United Brick and Tile based out of Kansas City, Missouri.

~~~~~

In James Harvie’s Registration Card, we see that he was 60 years old in 1942. He is a carpenter and he built their house below in Elkhart, Iowa. James is 5 foot 4 inches, 150 pounds, and has brown eyes, grey hair, and a light complexion.

~~~~~

Floyd’s 1942 Registration Card. It shows that he was 5 foot 7 inches, weighed 160 pounds, had blue eyes, no hair, and a light complexion. He had a scar on his thumb and shin. This is an updated picture of the house Floyd and Vera lived in.

~~~~~

Almond’s 1942 Registration Card. He is 5 foot 8 inches, 145 pounds, with blue eyes,

brown hair and a light complexion.

1946 Family Reunion. I always find it funny when the newspaper misspells names or cities. In this paper they misspelled Puyallup.

~~~~~

*After Amos’ death, Anna and Nora continued to live in the old house. James and Almond built them a new two-bedroom home. They purchased a Model T Ford which Nora would drive to Elkhart once in a while. Grandma (Anna) always sat in the back seat and I never knew why. Grandma spent her later years piecing quilt blocks and making quilts. She always looked forward to the visits of her children and grandchildren. She treasured every card and letter she received from her dear ones. I recall going down to visit her and she would be sitting in her bedroom putting cards into a big black album and hearing her say “I wonder what will become of this after I am gone.” I think Floyd got that album after she passed away. She died in 1947 after a fall at the age of ninety-one. She is buried at White Oak Cemetery beside Grandpa (Amos) and Baby Glenn. -Stories by Bernice Burgess Kendig 1981 Daughter of James Burgess

~~~~~

Picture description- Anna [Eacret] Burgess – She always wore floor-length dresses and

in the summer a huge sunbonnet when she went outside.

Anna passed away on October 13, 1947, at the age of 90. She had a bad fall out in her yard and bruised the side of her face. She passed away from her fall, myocarditis, and senility.

F.A.G# 47413937 · View Source

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The bottom left paragraph and top right paragraph have a great article on the shared birthday party for Othella Burgess, Nora Burgess, and David Risvold (Othella’s grandson). February 17, 1949

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Just a month after her birthday party, Nora Velma Burgess passed away at the age of 60, from Broncho-pneumonia and complications from breast cancer. Sadly she never married but it sounded like she had nieces, nephews, and siblings that cared for her very much.

F.A.G# 47419898 · View Source

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*When I was a little girl and visiting my great-grandmother (Anna) and great-aunt Nora I was allowed to walk to Nora’s bedroom door. Nora gave me instructions that I could not go any further but view her dolls from where I stood. This is one of her china head dolls in my possession. Its body is cloth, with long pantaloons and slip under her dress. I am taking good care of your doll Aunt Nora. –Karolyn (Kendig) McLain

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Arthur Edmond passed away on May 11, 1949, at the age of 72 from prostate cancer, kidney, and heart failure. He was laid to rest in the Sumner Cemetery in Sumner, Washington next to his wife Lydia who passed away five years later.

F.A.G# 21066381 · View Source

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I tried to find the Davidson’s Model Home, but no luck.

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Burgess Family Picnic July 14, 1949

The Altoona Herold

~~1950~~

In this 1950 Census, Gerry 69, and Eliza 60, are in Tanney County, Missouri. Gerry is a farmer.

James 68, and Othella 66, are in Elkhart, Iowa where James is working as a carpenter

building and repairing. Othella is a companion for an elderly lady.

Almond 54, and Bertha 51, are in Douglas Township, Iowa. Almond is a farmer.

~~1960~~

Gerry LeRoy Burgess passed away on August 18, 1962, from a heart attack at the age of 82.

He was buried at the Kirbyville Cemetery in Missouri.

His wife Eliza passed away four years later and is buried next to him.

F.A.G# 48660309 · View Source

In 1969 Almond decided to sell the family farm. All 80 acres.

~~1970~~

Perry Alfred Burgess Sr passed away on February 4, 1971, in Killam, Alberta, Canada. He was 91 years old. His wife Mable passed away in 1968. If you are ever in Alberta Canada you can see their headstone at the Fairview Cemetery.

F.A.G# 47848758 · View Source

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On September 21, 1971, James Harvie 89, passed away

after complications from his broken hip surgery.

James is buried at the White Oak Cemetery in Elkhart, Iowa.

His wife Othella passed away in 1965 and is buried next to him.

This photo is pre-1965.

There is a great story about these two on James’s Find-A-Grave page.

F.A.G# 47410834 · View Source

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Floyd Burgess passed away on June 21, 1979, in Des Moines, Iowa at the age of 93. His wife of 60 years, Vera, passed away in 1991 just 3 years shy of 100. Floyd and Vera are buried at the

Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa

F.A.G# 47843615 · View Source

Almond Oliver Burgess passed away at the age of 93, from a heart ailment on May 17, 1988, in Des Moines, Iowa.

He is buried at the White Oak Cemetery in Polk County, Iowa.

He retired as a farmer in Elkhart, Iowa in 1970 and moved to West Des Moines after his wife Bertha passed away in 1969. He was the last of his siblings and left behind many nieces and nephews.

F.A.G# 47418955 · View Source

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As always their story isn’t finished yet. Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have pictures, stories, or favorite memories of anyone on this page. 

-Family members in Bold have their own page on this website where you can find more about their story. 

-F.A.G# are FindaGrave.com reference numbers if you to start your own virtual cemetery through their app. You should be able to click on View Source for a quick view.

-I find most of my information in State or County books, family genealogy books, libraries, Google searches, and personal stories and pictures given to me

• Ancestry.com
• FamilySearch.org
• Wikitree.com
• Fold3.com
• Newspapers.com

I do this to preserve our family history for us and future generations. I  keep the website ad-free because who wants to see ads. I do take donations and I truly appreciate everyone who has donated so far. You know who you are 🙂 We have a Venmo set up now @Eric-Puryear-3 to make donations easier.

Thank you again for reading and remember if you count back 10 generations, it took 2,046 people to come together at separate times in history just to make you!