On This Day in Family History - March 4

 Lester Morris Burford was born 04 March 1913

Photo: Lester Burford, 6 months old

(That's his older sister Helen, holding him)

Lester Burford was my grandfather. I know I post pictures of him every year on his birthday, so I'm going to try to use pictures today that I haven't used before. This year I'll see how many pictures I can find of him and his parents and siblings.

Lester Morris Burford was the 10th child of Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. (I'm not sure if he was called Alex or Oscar. Do any of my peeps know the answer to that question?) Alexander and his first wife, Helen Virginia Lockard, had three children - Raymond, Edith, and Hazel. Helen Virginia died when the children were still small. Alexander then married Lora Gibson, and they had ten children -- Deb, Helen, Ishmael, George, Killough, Bernice, Lester, Neil, Juanita, and Judy.

L-R: Lester, Juanita, George, Lora, Deb, Bernice, Judy, Helen

(David is Raymond's son)

Back: Lester & Cleffie, George & Willie Mae

Front: Juanita & Mel, Judy & A.D.

This picture was taken at Helen's house in Brinkley (or Hunter?) Arkansas

This picture was taken in Downey, California, sometime in the 1980s

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These last few pictures I just discovered within the past year. They were taken in 1952 in Watervliet, Michigan. I found them in a box full of negatives -- on a View-Master slide wheel. We got online and found someone who was able to make prints of them (and even fix some of the scratched-up spots!)

L-R: Deb and his wife Florence, Lester and his wife Cleffie

L-R: George, Lester, Neil

L-R: (back) George & Willie Mae, Neil & Mildred, Lester & Cleffie (Wathada between them), and assorted children and grandchildren. This picture was taken in Lester & Cleffie's front yard in Watervliet, Michigan. George and Neil and Deb were visiting from Arkansas. (Well, I'm not sure if Deb and George lived in Arkansas or Illinois at the time. Neil lived in Hunter, Arkansas.)