Lewis Austin Burdette was born in April 1834, according to the 1900 Summers County census. His parents were Joseph Burdette and Dica (Dicy) Burns Burdette, who had 11 children. At the age of 22 years, Lewis married his first wife, Mary Jane Withrow, the daughter of Samuel Harrison Withrow and Sarah Kincaid Withrow, on 25 January 1856 in Greenbrier County. Lewis and Mary Jane had five children, of whom two died as children. A son, unnamed, died at about 1 month of age on 1 August 1856. Two daughters, Margaret M. (b. 10 April 1857) and Sarah F. (b. 23 March 1858) are assumed to have survived to adulthood, but no other information has been found for them. Another son, Samuel B., was born 1 February 1860 and died August 1861. They had another son, unnamed, in August 1861, but no other information has been found for him. None of the children of Lewis and Mary Jane appear on any subsequent censuses with him. Mary Jane died sometime before or around 1863, because Lewis married Christiana Fink on 26 March 1863.
In the memoir of Adena Kincaid Fleshman Lusher (http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/j/a/c/Becky-A-Jackson/FILE/0001page.html, 1984), she gives insight into the character of Lewis Burdette. Adena was the daughter of Elizabeth Burdette and Henry Noel Kincaid. Elizabeth died 15 January 1919 of tuberculosis, and in the 1920 Summers Co. census, Lewis was living with his daughter, Josie, and her husband Rufus Grimmett in the Upland District of Summers Co. Adena writes,
Our Grandpa, his name was Lewis Burdette, came to spend Christmas with us and brought a bag of candy hearts for up kids. They were about half the size of my hand. When they were divided we all had one apiece. The rest of the kids ate theirs but mine was so pretty, I kept it to look at. One day I wanted to be extra good to Flossie, so we were playing with our dolls and mine was a rag doll Mom made for me but Flossie's dish doll had a wee mouth, so I told Flossie I would give her half my candy heart and we could eat it. But when she tasted it she didn't want it as her throat was still sore. So we poked it into her doll's mouth, tiny wee bits at a time until it was all gone. Then we both cried because we had no more candy heart.
Our Grandpa Burdette stayed with us a lot. He had two other children living, Uncle Ben Burdette and Aunt Josie Grimmett. So he just visited around between the three children and had no real home of his own. He stayed mostly with us. He was with us when Mom passed away and stayed with us for several months after Mom passed away. I can't forget the day he left. He went to Aunt Josie Grimmetts and I can see him now as he started out walking with his cane. He was real old and soon after that, he died. I never saw him after he left me that day.
As the years passed, Adena's father found that some of his children wouldn't let him stay with them. She compared what happened to him with how her father had treated her grandfather, Lewis Burdette:
To explain what my dad did in 1919, then reaped in 1934 is; He asked my dear old grandfather Burdette, (after mom passed away) if he didn’t think Uncle Ben Burdette or Aunt Josie one had a better right to look after him (Grandpa) than my dad did, and I did not know at the time, but learned later that he had said this to Grandpa. I know now that was why Grandpa left so suddenly that day long ago with tears in his eyes. It still hurts me to this day when I think about it.
The exact date of Lewis' death is not known, but it is estimated to be about 1922. Neither is his burial place known, but it's probably near Keeney Mountain.
Lewis Austin Burdette was born in April 1834, according to the 1900 Summers County census. His parents were Joseph Burdette and Dica (Dicy) Burns Burdette, who had 11 children.
At the age of 22 years, Lewis married his first wife, Mary Jane Withrow, the daughter of Samuel Harrison Withrow and Sarah Kincaid Withrow, on 25 January 1856 in Greenbrier County.
Event Place Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States
Gender Male
Race white
Father's Name Lewis A. Burdette
Mother's Name Mary J.
None of the surviving children of Lewis and Mary Jane appear on any subsequent censuses with him. They may have been living with maternal family members.
Mary Jane died sometime before or around 1863, because in Lewis' marriage record with Christina Fink, dated 26 March 1863, he is listed as a widower.
Event Place Greenbrier, Summers, West Virginia, United States
Gender Male
Age 86
Marital Status Widowed
Race White
Race (Original) White
Relationship to Head of Household Father-in-law
Relationship to Head of Household (Original) Father-in-law
Birth Year (Estimated) 1834
Birthplace West Virginia
Father's Birthplace United States
Mother's Birthplace United States
Sheet Letter B
Sheet Number 5
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Rufus C Trimmill [sic] Head M 48 West Virginia
Josie Trimmill Wife F 46 West Virginia
Otis Trimmill Son M 24 West Virginia
Fredie Trimmill Son M 22 West Virginia
Louis Trimmill Son M 21 West Virginia
Glenna Trimmill Daughter F 17 West Virginia
Lonnie Trimmill Daughter F 15 West Virginia
Norma Trimmill Daughter F 13 West Virginia
Zilla Trimmill Daughter F 11 West Virginia
Bonnie Trimmill Daughter F 9 West Virginia
Plummer Trimmill Son M 7 West Virginia
Chase Trimmill Daughter F 5 West Virginia
Louis Burdette Father-in-law M 86 West Virginia
Gorden Kirby Boarder M 21 West Virginia
Adena Kincaid Fleshman Lusher was the granddaughter of Lewis Burdette through his daughter Elizabeth Burdette and her husband Henry Noel Kincaid. In her memoir,
[14]
she gives insight into the character of Lewis Burdette. Up until around the time of her mother's death on 15 January 1919 from tuberculosis, her grandfather had lived with her family. One year later, her grandfather was documented as living with his daughter Josie Grimmett and her husband Rufus in the 1920 Summers County, West Virginia, census. According to Adena:
"Our Grandpa, his name was Lewis Burdette, came to spend Christmas with us and brought a bag of candy hearts for us kids. They were about half the size of my hand. When they were divided we all had one apiece. The rest of the kids ate theirs but mine was so pretty, I kept it to look at. One day I wanted to be extra good to Flossie, so we were playing with our dolls and mine was a rag doll Mom made for me but Flossie's dish doll had a wee mouth, so I told Flossie I would give her half my candy heart and we could eat it. But when she tasted it she didn't want it as her throat was still sore. So we poked it into her doll's mouth, tiny wee bits at a time until it was all gone. Then we both cried because we had no more candy heart.
"Our Grandpa Burdette stayed with us a lot. He had two other children living, Uncle Ben Burdette and Aunt Josie Grimmett. So he just visited around between the three children and had no real home of his own. He stayed mostly with us. He was with us when Mom passed away and stayed with us for several months after Mom passed away. I can't forget the day he left. He went to Aunt Josie Grimmetts and I can see him now as he started out walking with his cane. He was real old and soon after that, he died. I never saw him after he left me that day."
As the years passed, Adena's father found that some of his children wouldn't let him stay with them. She compared what happened to him with how he had treated her grandfather, Lewis Burdette:
"To explain what my dad did in 1919, then reaped in 1934 is; He asked my dear old grandfather Burdette, (after mom passed away) if he didn’t think Uncle Ben Burdette or Aunt Josie one had a better right to look after him (Grandpa) than my dad did, and I did not know at the time, but learned later that he had said this to Grandpa. I know now that was why Grandpa left so suddenly that day long ago with tears in his eyes. It still hurts me to this day when I think about it."
The exact date of Lewis' death is not known, but it is estimated to be about 1922. Neither is his burial place known, but it's probably near Keeney Mountain.
I am unable to tie this family in, all family profiles locked he is a match for Burdette-375
Sources
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"West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRXH-YXN : 11 February 2018), Lewis Burdell and Mary Jane Withrow, 19 Jan 1856; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, page 28, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,040.
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"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F1PP-BVN : 9 March 2018), Lewis A. Burdett in entry for Burdett, 30 Jun 1856; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,033.
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"West Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1928," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5PJ-T81 : 10 February 2018), Lewis A. Burdett in entry for Margaret M. Burdett, 10 Apr 1857; citing Greenbrier Co., West Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 34,485.
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"West Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1928," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5PV-SLG : 10 February 2018), Lewis A. Burdett in entry for Sarah F. Burdett, 23 Mar 1858; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 34,485.
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"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F1PG-Q88 : 9 March 2018), Lewis A. Burdett in entry for Samuel B. Burdett, 01 Feb 1860; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,033.
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"West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F1PG-CJQ : 9 March 2018), Lewis A. Burdette in entry for Burdette, Aug 1861; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,033.
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"West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FRF2-2VV : 11 February 2018), Lewis A. Burdett and Christiana Fink, 26 Mar 1863; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, p 20, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,040.
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1870 United States Federal Census, Year: 1870; Census Place: Blue Sulphur, Greenbrier, West Virginia; Roll: M593_1687; Page: 339A; Family History Library Film: 553186. Source Information: Ancestry.com. [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. See: https://tinyurl.com/y8zupevl.
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"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6T4-N3R : 15 July 2017), Lewis A Burdett, Green Sulphur, Summers, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 135, sheet 175D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1413; FHL microfilm 1,255,413.
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"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M9ZD-6CB : accessed 22 July 2018), Lewis A Burdett, Green Sulphur district (east side), Summers, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 128, sheet 12B, family 196, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,773.
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"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MPJ8-DMF : accessed 22 July 2018), Lewis A Burdett in household of Benjamin O Burdett, Green Sulphur Springs, Summers, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 133, sheet 7A, family 124, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1694; FHL microfilm 1,375,707.
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"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN2M-4G7 : accessed 22 July 2018), Louis Burdette in household of Rufus C Trimmill, Greenbrier, Summers, West Virginia, United States; citing ED 132, sheet 5B, line 81, family 78, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1968; FHL microfilm 1,821,968.
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Burdette-2 and Burdette-374 appear to represent the same person because: These profiles were previously set as rejected matches. They appear to be clear duplicates (same birth date, same spouse, same residence). Please review and merge if necessary. If they are *not* matches, please consider adding an explanation in the text. Many thanks!