William Franklin Surber (1835 - 1922)

Born 13 Jan 1835 in Pulaski, Kentucky

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Catherine (Baston) Surber — married 23 Dec 1855 (to about 1863) in Pulaski County, Kentucky

Husband of Malinda Louise (Unknown) Surber — married 24 Nov 1864 in Kentucky

Descendants

Died 7 Sep 1922 at age 87 in Bandera, Texas

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Biography

William was born in 1835. He passed away in 1922.

“My father, Adam Surber, was born in Virginia in 1804, and when he was about 18 years old he emigrated to Kentucky with his parents where they bought land in Pulaski county at fifty cents per acre. My grandfather's name was Jacob Surber, and he lived many years after moving to Kentucky. There were eight children in our family but I am the only one now living. I was born January 13. 1835, and am therefore 87 years old. My wife and I have raised 11 children, all now married except one girl and she is living with us. We have 34 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.

I left Kentucky January 10, 1870, and landed at Center Point, Texas, one month later. This was in Indian times, and raids frequently occurred. One time while I was away from home, up on the Verde threshing, my wife had a severe toothache and got up during the night to get fresh air, and when she opened the door someone jumped over the fence and ran away. The next morning there were two horses about 300 yards from the house that had been killed by the Indians. Not long after that the redskins came in again and stole two fine Kentucky horses from my cousin, Munroe Surber, near Comfort. The last and most brutal raid occurred in 1876. A family named Terry lived about a mile and a half south of Center Point. When the Indians came in on this raid they found Mr. Terry and his four little children some distance from the house and killed him and two of the children, badly wounded a third child and carried a little girl, nine years old, off with them. A negro boy named Jack Hardy had been captured in this raid and witnessed the killing of Terry and his children. At the time of the attack Terry was sitting down on the ground riving boards from cypress blocks and his children were playing about. As he had his head down he did not see the Indians approach, and was unaware of their presence until one of them shot him with a rifle. He sprang to his feet, ran a short distance and fell and was then lanced to death by the Indians. Mrs. Terry, at the house, heard the commotion and seeing the danger, made her escape, ran to the settlement and gave the alarm. A party of men took the trail of the Indians and followed it to the Frio where they ran onto the savages and recaptured the little girl. The negro boy got away from the Indians and was picked up by the pursuing party .I helped to wash and prepare the body of Terry for burial the next day. He was horribly butchered. Besides being shot he had been pierced through the bodv with lances and was bloody from head to foot.” ^[1]

Sources

• 1850 Census^[2]
• 1855: Marriage to Sarah Bastin^[3]
• 1856: Birth of son John Charles Breckenridge Surber^[4]
• 1858: Birth of son Clinton B Surber^[5]
• 1860 Census^[6]
• 1864: Marriage to Malinda^[7]
• 1870 Census^[8]
• 1880 Census^[9]
• 1890 Census: DOES NOT EXIST
• 1900 Census^[10]
• 1910 Census^[11]
• 1920 Census^[12]
• 1922: Death^[13]
• Burial: Bandera Cemetery; Bandera, Texas^[14]

1. ↑ From "Pioneer History of Bandera County" by J. Marvin Hunter, pages 188-189
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M65K-MB8 : 12 April 2016), William F Surber in household of Adam Surber, Pulaski county, part of, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States; citing family 478, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWBN-NMN : accessed 17 March 2018), William S. Surber and Sarah Bastin, 23 Dec 1855; citing Mount Gilead, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 1,912,849.
4. ↑ "Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWV2-77W : 11 February 2018), W. F. Surber in entry for John C. Breckenridge, 06 Nov 1856; citing , reference 2:VP46RJ; FHL microfilm 216,838.
5. ↑ "Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWJ8-QJG : 10 March 2018), William F. Surber in entry for Clinton B. Surber, 24 Jul 1858; citing Pulaski, Kentucky, reference yr 1858 p 6; FHL microfilm 216,838.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZBZ-Y38 : 14 December 2017), William F Surber, 1860.
7. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWRG-MJT : accessed 17 March 2018), William F. Surber and Malinda L. Surber, 24 Nov 1864; citing , Pulaski, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 804,052.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXG9-LRX : 12 April 2016), William M Surber, Texas, United States; citing p. 4, family 22, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,093.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFNT-ZJ4 : 15 July 2017), Franklin Surber, Precinct 2, Kerr, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 90, sheet 253A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,314.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3L2-PPC : accessed 22 October 2019), W Surber, Justice Precinct 1, Bandera, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1, sheet 12A, family 192, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,608.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MR-48L : accessed 22 October 2019), W T Surber, Justice Precinct 1, Bandera, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 1A, family 1, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1528; FHL microfilm 1,375,541.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCM5-4X6 : accessed 22 October 2019), William F Surber, Justice Precinct 1, Bandera, Texas, United States; citing ED 6, sheet 6A, line 44, family 109, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1773; FHL microfilm 1,821,773.
13. ↑ "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3CF-TW5 : 13 March 2018), William F Surber, 07 Sep 1922; citing certificate number 25001, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,074,634.
14. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77708423/william-franklin-surber