July 16

 Helen Virginia Lockard Burford was born 16 July 1856

Helen Virginia was the first wife of my great-grandfather Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr.

PHOTO: Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. with wife Helen Virginia Lockard and children Raymond, Hazel, and Edith.

Here is what I know about Helen Virginia Lockard Burford (from various family writings)

Dorothy Moore Burford:

  Helen Virginia Lockard Burford was a weakly person and was not able to take care of her children, so when Lora Gibson was 14 years old, she went to stay with the family and take care of the children and they paid her for doing that job.  She lived with them from then on.     

  Helen Virginia Lockard Burford died of typhoid fever. Her cousin, Asa Gibson had typhoid fever and she brought him to her house so she could take care of him.  Asa recovered, but Helen caught it from him and she did not survive.

Wathada Burford Thomas:

Aunt Dorothy told me that Grandma (Lora Gibson Burford) had gone to stay with Alexander and his first wife when she was 14 years old and lived with them from then on.  I asked her why she had gone to live with them when she was 14, and she said because Helen Virginia (Alexander's first wife) was always sickly and was not able to take care of her children.  Grandma had gone to live with them to take care of the children.  That would have been in 1891 or 1892. Raymond (the oldest) would have been 5 years old then. Most likely it was around the time of the birth of the last child (Hazel) who was born in January 1892.  They paid Grandma for taking care of the children.    

Author’s note: About a year and a half after Helen Virginia died, Alexander married Lora Gibson. 

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Cleo W. Ford died 16 July 1913, age 18

PHOTO: Charles and Effie Ford and their children (back) Cleo and Otho Horace. Front center: grandson Otho Simeon.

Charles Ford was a brother of my great-grandmother Nancy Ford Thomas.

Cleo Ford died from accidental electrocution.

PHOTO: 112 N Maple Street, where Cleo Ford was killed 16 July 1913