August 9 2022

Robert Lee Burks


In loving memory of Robert Lee Burks 

On this date August 9, 1898 Robert Lee Burks was born. He was my grandma's father which made him my great grand father. I never met him because he died before I was born. Everyone that knew him however said he was mean. I don't think I ever heard anything good about him. I know they say you shouldn't speak bad of the dead but I guess if everyone agrees it must be so. 

Robert was the son of John Harrison Burks and Cosby Belcher Burks. He was one of nine children. He had two older brothers and an older sister when he was born. According to one census record the 1910 Census. One brother was named William Burks and the other was  named Herbert Burks. His older sister was named Virgie Burks. I never have been able to locate his record of birth. However I've found conflicting records. For example his marriage certificate to Laura O'Neal says he was born in Wyoming County, West Virginia. However I found another marriage prior to their wedding where he was born in McDowell county. I then found his sister's revised birth certificate (the one of his supposedly older sister Virgie) which says she was born in McDowell county West Virginia in 1901. That means she was his younger sister. I looked at the next census record and it seemed to indicate that she was younger than him. Because of these conflicting records I'm not sure where he was born but if I had to guess it was likely in McDowell County rather than Wyoming County. 

I feel this way because in 1910 they were residing in McDowell county and his siblings were born there. According to his death certificate it says he was 67 at the time of his death and he was born on August 9 1899. He died on November 8, 1966 of a heart attack. I found one census record that had him born as late as 1906 so who really knows. 

What I found most interesting however was not that I couldn't find a birth record but that he was married twice. His first wife was Oraphae Birchfield. The problem is there is no record anywhere of her after their wedding. So what happened to her and where did she go? Her father was listed as Willie Birchfield and mother Cynda or Synda. It might have actually been Linda but anyway I can't find any records of the family.

If you are related to anyone mentioned in this newsletter and have more information to share or photos I'd love to hear from you.




Comments

  1. RayAllen25882September 29, 2023 at 10:21 AM

    Dose anyone have a photo of Robert Lee Burks? I have only this one I added

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RAY O'NEAL SERVICES LLC

Image
RAY O'NEAL SERVICES LLC  I'm am a very driven individual whose passions for music, genealogy, and writing are deeply intertwined with a practical understanding of business and personal growth. I am Currently immersed in the country music world as a performing singer/songwriter, (see my YouTube Videos).   Coming from humble beginnings has allowed me to use that rich tapestry of hard experiences and turn those life events into amazing emotional lyrics. What humble beginnings? Several different positions across numerous sectors. From the fast-paced environments of hospitality (Cow Shed Motel, Mountain Motel) and the critical care of healthcare (Raleigh General Hospital) to the demanding logistics of farming and trucking (Mountaire Farms/Townsends Inc.) and the precision of finance (Wilmington Trust/Sussex Trust). They have allowed me to cultivate a broad skillset. This hands-on experience and encompassing roles from frontline service to administrative and operationa...
Read more

Do you need a credit card?

Dear Friends, I wanted to see how many people would click on this article. I know everyone already have more credit cards then they need but if you still need one then feel free to get one here! They say word of mouth is the best advertising. I LOVE MY Capital One! If you find something good you are supposed to share it so if you don't have one then apply here. 
Read more

Carl Dean "Dolly Parton's husband "

I'm kinda new to the Country Music scene. I have written a few songs and I'm trying to get them demo ready. I'm hoping to promote  them to some big city Nashville executives" soon but honestly I could care less who buys them or records them as long as I get paid. That being said I'd love to get one of my songs in the public eye. Dolly Parton had a song she wrote go above and beyond her expectations entitled "Jolene". She says she wrote that song because of her husband. I guess maybe at the time she was jealous of this Jolene. I don't know. I hope one of my songs ends up doing that well too. I saw last night where Carl Dean passed away. My wife and I will have been married 35 years come November 3rd of this year. Carl and Dolly had been married for nearly 60 years. My heart goes out to the family.  My wife recently suffered from two strokes I'm 52 and she's 73 so suffering the loss of part of my better half cant compare to a total loss but it c...
Read more