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John Burkett, born in
Gonzales County, January 5, 1833, married
Elizabeth Caroline Leazer, born in
Georgia, November 22, 1834, on August 17,
1852. John was the first child born
to David and Mary Ann (Zumwalt) Burkett
after they moved to Texas in 1830 from
Missouri. Elizabeth Leazer was the
daughter of John William and Dovie Minerva
(Walker) Leazer, both born in North
Carolina. They moved to Texas about
1847. She was the oldest child, her
younger sister married John's youngest
brother, Bart.
John Burkett
continued the same tradition of his father
and his ancestors. Having received
his part of the original Burkett Land
Grant, he did farming and ranching -
raising cattle, sheep and goats.
When the Civil War
broke out, he, like his three brothers,
enlisted in the Confederate Army on March
16, 1862, in Lavaca County, and was
mustered into service April 2, 1862, at
Hempstead, to serve with Capt. B. F. Fly's
Company, 24th Regiment, Texas Dismounted
Cavalry. Most of this regiment was
captured January 11, 1863, including his
brother, Isaac, who died in prison.
According to the records on John Burkett,
he managed to escape at that time, but at
Longview, Ashley County, Arkansas, he was
captured March 29, 1864. He was
first put in prison at Little Rock,
Arkansas. On June 23, 1864, he was
forwarded to Rock Island Barracks, Rock
Island, Illinois, received there July 6,
1864. After being sent to New
Orleans, Louisiana, to Major General of
the West Division of the Mississippi in
January, 1865, and then exchanged to Col.
C. C. Dwight, Commissioner of Exchange at
Red River Landing, 1865, John Burkett's
military service record seems to be
incomplete, but since the War ended in
April, 1865, he apparently got home
shortly after his exchange, since his son,
Jefferson, was born in April, 1866.
Their eleven children:
(1) Mary Ann (Sis
or Mary), born September 23, 1853 in
Lavaca County, married William Harwell,
March 12, 1876, son of John E. and Eliza
Harwell, also born in Lavaca County.
To this union were born, in Old Moulton:
Carl, Norma, and Eulala; Luke and Ruby
were born in Burkett; Zelma, in McLennan
County; and Era in Burkett.
(2) Arthur David
(Dave), August 18, 1855 in Lavaca County,
married December 8, 1881 in Lavaca County
to Melissa Griffin, born in North
Carolina, January 19, 1858. When
David and Melissa were expecting their
first child, they decided to move to
Coleman County before the child was
born. Their arrival at their new
homesite was in 1882, some time before the
rest of John Burkett's family came to the
county. Their children:
(2a)
Arthur William, July 3, 1883, married
Stella Boyle in Coleman September 1, 1907
(see G. W. (Brud) Boyle).
(2b)
Oscar David, November 20, 1885, in Coleman
County. He never married, but continued to
live with and care for his mother after
the death of his father.
(2c)
Ollie Ofelia, April 22, 1887 in Burkett -
December 24, 1896, buried in Burkett.
(2d)
Ted Oren, November 22, 1888 at Burkett -
December 14, 1896, buried in Burkett.
(2e)
Mary Etta, May 28, 1891, in Burkett,
married (1) William Greenlee Brady,
September 16, 1888 in Burkett-January 4,
1918, buried in Burkett. They had
Viron, March 13, 1913, and Gatha Lee,
April 13, 1916. Etta Brady married (2)
Lillburn Morgan, January 4, 1921, a son,
Lilburn Leonard, Jr., January 7, 1927.
(2f)
Gertrude, March 9, 1893 in Burkett,
married Benjamin Oscar Oliver, born June
14, 1883, in McLennan County, on December
22, 1910. Two daughters:
(a) Vera Pearl, October 18, 1912 on the
Burkett farm (now occupied by the owners,
Mr. and Mrs. Jack DeBusk), married Clyde
Bunnell, January 19, 1945.
(b) Ila Ernestine, September 1, 1914 also
on the Burkett farm, married Roger V.
Watson, November 17, 1932 in
Burkett. Their children: Max Vinson,
December 19, 1937 and Billy Vance,
February 14, 1944.
(2g) Seth Thomas, November 6, 1897 at
Burkett married Myrtle Kathern Gilliam,
December 14, 1919 in Coleman, born in
Brown County August 6, 1902. Two
daughters:
(a) Louise Marie, September 18, 1921,
married James Melvin Jones, (born in
Walker County) on May 6, 1939.
Children: Arlon Melvin, January 18, 1941
in Coleman; Olivia Marie, February 10,
1946 in Coleman; Reggie Mack, August 31,
1950 in Waco.
(b) Jearl Maxine, May 13, 1928, married
Donald William Seltzer, July 2, 1956 in
Waco. Children: Mathew Thomas,
August 21, 1950, adopted September 3,
1956; Kathleen Joyce, November 25, 1952,
adopted September 3, 1956; Sharon Lynn,
June 19, 1964.
Dave Burkett, died
September 7, 1925. He and his wife,
Melissa, moved from their 355 acre farm
west of Burkett back to the town of
Burkett, where he operated a general store
until his death. A news item
appearing in the Coleman paper at the time
of his death quoted him as having been a
pioneer of the county. He was
survived at that time by four brothers:
William, Jeff, and Rafe of Burkett, and
Bart Burkett of Mississippi; four sisters,
Mrs. Mary Harwell, and Mrs. Kate Howard of
Burkett, Mrs. Dora Hardin of Cross Plains
(Mrs. Hardin's family name was variously
spelled Hardin, Harden, and Harding), and
Josephene Newton of Clyde. He was
also survived by five children: Mrs. L. L.
Morgan, Gertie Oliver Graham, Oscar
Burkett, and Seth Burkett, all of Burkett,
and Arthur Burkett of Coleman.
(3) Dovina
Clementine, born October 22, 1857 in
Lavaca County, died after John and
Elizabeth moved to Coleman County,
November 25, 1883. Her unmarked
grave is in the private family cemetery on
the Knox Ranch. This property was
the Will Gould place and now has a fence
around the graves; fence erected by Dave
Burkett and other members of the family
after the death of John Burkett in 1894.
(4) William
(Will), March 19, 1859 in Lavaca County,
married Laura Ellen Yates, June 22, 1887
in Camp Colorado, born September 9, 1866
in Bonham. Their children:
(4a)
William Bruce, April 23, 1888 in Burkett -
December 7, 1928, buried at Burkett;
(4b)
Charles Gordon, July 17, 1889 in Burkett -
March 12, 1978, buried at Burkett;
(4c)
Albert Thurman, June 12, 1891- November
18, 1891, buried by grandparents on the
Knox Ranch;
(4d)
Minnie Beatrice, August 11, 1892, in
Burkett, still living in Fort Worth; (4e)
Stella, November 23, 1895 in Burkett-in
1973, buried in Burkett;
(4f)
Gladys Viola, June 28, 1897 in
Burkett-January 28, 1975, buried in
Burkett;
(4g)
Joseph Bailey, November 17, 1899 -
November 25, 1928, buried at Burkett (see
William and Alpha Walker);
(4h)
Beulah, February 25, 1906 in Burkett,
still living in West Texas;
(4)
Jasper Everett, June 27, 1908 in Burkett
-June 26, 1965, buried in Burkett. (See
Jasper Everett Burkett).
The town of
Burkett, Coleman County, got its name from
William (Will) Burkett, the fourth born to
John and Elizabeth Burkett. He owned
a store and a gin there and his
brother-in-law, John Bailey Laws, was part
owner and editor of the Burkett Search
Light, a weekly newspaper. Mr. Laws
was at one time County Attorney at Burkett
(see John Bailey Laws).
(5) Josephine
(Josie), July 31, 1861 in Lavaca County,
married Jim G. Newton (James Garrett),
October 21, 1881 in Lavaca County, born
February 26, 1862 at Columbus. Their
children:
(5a)
Rufus, September 18, 1884 in Coryell
County;
(5b)
Nettie Eugenia, October 6, 1882 in Old
Moulton - September 15, 1900 in Sycamore;
(5c)
Wylie, September 18, 1888 in Burkett (see
Dr. John Calvin Cochran);
(5d)
Mae, December 22, 1890 in Coleman County;
(5e)
Alfred, May 13, 1896 in Levita - August
19, 1978;
(5f)
Gena, March 5, 1904 in Levita, Coryell
County, still living in Clyde.
(6) Jefferson
(Jeff), April 14, 1866-April 15, 1949,
buried at Burkett, never married.
(7) John Henry,
born June 1, 1868. (See John Henry
Burkett).
(8) Katherine
Emaline (Kate), September 7, 1870-August
20, 1953, married Charlie Henry Howard,
now deceased. Their children:
(8a)
Floyd, killed with his wife in a plane
crash;
(8b)
John;
(8c)
Archie, June 13, 1900 near Burkett;
(8d)
Louis;
(8e)
Owen;
(8f)
Arnie;
(8g)
Valciene, June 13, 1902 at Burkett;
(8h)
Sinia;
(8i)
Carrie;
(8j)
Ionia, October 31, 1887 at Burkett.
(9) Nathaniel
Bartholomew (Bart), April 22, 1873 in
Lavaca County-January 31, 1943, married
Mattie Ruth Fairchild, buried at
Palestine, Mississippi.
(10) Nancy Eudora
(Dode), February 22, 1876, in Lavaca
County, married to Frank Deshan Harding,
August 17, 1892 at Burkett, died May 8,
1967, buried in DeLeon. Frank
Harding died May 3, 1959, in Rising Star,
buried in Cross Plains. Their
children:
(10a)
Hattie May, August 13, 1893 at Burkett,
died ?;
(10b)
Henry Wade. August 7, 1895 at Burkett,
married Nell Price. Wade died in
California;
(10c)
Ellis Morgan (Red), February 6, 1898;
(10d) Alfred Clayton, June 13, 1900 in
Callahan County-October 6, 1956, killed on
a construction job;
(10e)
Edgar Butler (Bowie), November 6, 1902, in
Eastland County at Carbon, married Minna
Head, still living in Rising Star;
(10f)
Irene, August 26, 1908; (10g) Terrell,
Nomeber 15, 1911, died young;
(10h)
Joseph Bailey, December 20, 1904 in
Carbon; (10i) Homer Brelsford, March 12,
1907 in Carbon;
(10j)
Luther Malcom, January 26, 1914 at Cross
Plains -March 17, 1914 at Oplin;
(10k)
Nina Christine, February 25, 1915 - August
5, 1919, at Oplin, buried at Cross Plains;
(10l)
Grady Wilson, July 8, 1918 - August 27,
1918, at Oplin, buried at Cross Plains.
(11) Alexander
Raphael (Rafe) June 17, 1878, in Lavaca
County, married Lillie Coreen Thames
January 6, 1901
at Burkett, died September 1, 1930 in
DeCosta, Lillie, March 8, 1925 in
Brownwood, both buried in Burkett.
Their children:
(11a)
Emma, September 11, 1904 at Burkett,
married Delbert Boyle, January 31, 1923 in
Coleman County (see G. W. (Brud) Boyle);
(11b)
Leslie Earl, March 4, 1907 in Burkett,
married Essie Lenora Fine, September 19,
1932 in Ballin-ger;
(11c)
William Virgil, March 20, 1913 in Cross
Plains, married Ida May Williams,
September 22, 1936 at Flat River,
Missouri, Methodist Church;
(1ld)
Preston Gerald, August 27, 1915 in
Burkett, married Johnie Beatrice Mel-ton,
March 22, 1941 in Cross Plains, served in
the U.S Army during World War Il from
November 20, 1940 to June 30, 1945.
(He served 25 months in Africa and
Europe.);
(1le)
Beulah Lucille, April 25, 1918 in Brown
County, married Raymond Cross, January 18,
1940 at Burkett.
The History of
the Burkett - Gilliam Generations, Volume
I, written by Maxine (Burkett) Seltzer,
daughter of Seth and Myrtle Burkett,
carries the following: "David and Melissa
Burkett must have planted the roots of his
family deep in the soil of Coleman County,
as his children remained in the county or
near and most of his grandchildren still
live close, and visit the county real
often." Coleman County really has the
"Burkett" planted upon it!
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