March 23

Anna Gertrude Gibson was born 23 March 1873

She was called either 'Annie' or 'Gertie'.

She was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Lora Gibson Burford.

PHOTO: Gibson siblings

The only other picture I have of Anna is a large group photo of the Gibson clan:

Anna married John Samuel Kinney and they had eight children. (John Samuel already had 4 children by his first wife when he married Anna, ages 6-13 at the time of their marriage.) John and Anna's children were: Infant son (died at birth), Sarah, Mary, Birdie, Samuel, Calder, John Louis, and Norva (died age 2 days).

Here is a cropped version of the large group photo, showing the Kinney family.

Anna Gertrude Gibson Kinney died in 1943, age 70.

March 22

 Birdie Leona Hays Arnold died 22 March 1978, age 79

Aunt Birdie was the wife of Marlie Arnold (brother of my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks)

Marlie and Birdie had nine children - Sylvia, Eldred, Arbon, Doyle, Lois, Noel, Dorothy Mae, and Hope. Their first baby, a boy, died at birth. Doyle died at age 9 from gangrene from a broken arm. Eldred had epilepsy and died at age 23. 

PHOTOS: Doyle, Eldred

PHOTO: Birdie's children and Annie's children

PHOTO: Hope, Dorothy Mae, Sylvia, Aunt Birdie

I have a picture of Aunt Birdie's parents and siblings:

This would have been about 1911 (the youngest child in the photo was born in 1909) 

March 21

Billy Lee Wright was born 21 March 1948

Billy died in Vietnam in 1968

Billy was a grandson of Viola Solomon. 

Viola's mother Nancy ('Nannie') was a sister of my great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks.

March 20

 Lori Anne Burford was born 20 March 1964

When she was about 2 or 3 years old, I thought she was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. I haven't changed my mind.

March 19

Georganna Thomas Spayde was born 19 March 1908

Georganna was the daughter of Roy and Mabel Thomas (Roy was a brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas)

Lawrence Elmer Gibson was born 19 March 1880

Lawrence was a brother of my great-grandmother Lora Gibson Burford

Noel Arnold married Louise Cooper 19 March 1945

Noel was a son of Marlie and Birdie Arnold (Marlie was a brother of my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks)

Ola Mae Owen Hood was born 19 March 1899

Ola Mae was a daughter of David and Paralee Carter Owen (Paralee was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold)

This is the only other picture I have of Ola Mae Owen. On the back is written "Ola Owen and friends"

March 18

Nancy Ellen Carter married William Cartee 18 March 1898

Will and Ellen are marked in this group photo.

Here is what my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks wrote about them:

  Ellen married Will Cartee the first time, and raised four children.  One of them was married when Will took up with a woman and left Aunt Ellen and of course, he soon wanted to come back but she wouldn’t have him back.  And she struggled and worked and raised her three children (one of her children had died), and did a fine job of it.  They are all married now and have nice families.  And she married a man that treats her right.  His name is Charlie Haigwood.  Her oldest girl died at about 25 years with T.B., I believe.  Her name was Maud.  Maud was married before her parents separated.  She had two sisters and one brother - Lillie, Ralph and Dorothy. 

Ellen Carter was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold.

PHOTO: sisters Adaline, Ellen, Paralee

This group picture also includes: 

March 17

I got a whole new treasure trove of Burford pictures that were left in my mother's filing cabinet! I don't recognize most of these people, although I'm pretty sure I can guess some of them. There's no writing on the backs of most of the pictures -- darn it. 

And now... the grand prize (maybe) ... Could this be the whole Burford family? Alexander and Lora and their children? There's the right number of boys and girls. (Ishmael died before Juanita and Judy were born.) There's an extra adult female, which would likely have been one of Lora's sisters (maybe her twin sister Dora)...

If this is, in fact, Alexander and Lora's family, then one of the little boys in front would be my grandfather Lester Burford.

I have a cousin in Arkansas who might be able to let me know who some of these folks are. I can hardly wait to send her the pictures and see what she says.

March 16

 Happy Birthday in Heaven, Uncle Morris!

Wathada and Morris

March 10-15

Been out in left field for a few days, and don't quite have my head back in the game yet. So this quick synopsis is the best I can do for today.

Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. was born 11 March 1857

Elvin R. Hicks, Jr. married Janis Couch 11 March 1960

Elvin R. Hicks, Sr. married Mildred Bonnell McKay 11 March 1940

William Rodney Treat was born 11 March 1922

Elizabeth Audrey Treat was born 12 March 1896

Elmer Carter married Lorene Smith 12 March 1938

Sherman T. Walters was born 12 March 1899

Barbara O'Connor Hombs was born 13 March 1943

Edith Abbie Stuller Ford was born 13 March 1890

Malisa Evaline Burns Hicks was born 13 March 1845

Mary Elizabeth Carter Dunn was born 14 March 1860

Seth Gard was born 14 March 1775

Charlotte 'Tot' Hicks Williams was born 15 March 1879

Edward Gus Heinze was born 15 March 1923

Johnnie Alvista Sharp Arnold was born 15 March 1923

Mildred Louise Burford was born 15 March 1923