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Continued: 1900 Census of Poplar Bluff Twp., (part of), Butler Co., MO - Page 89B Dwelling 234, Family 234 (shows correction from 227 & 228) Helm, Miles Head WM Feb 1861 39 Widowed IL KY TN Farmer Roxie Dau WF Feb 1880 20 Single MO IL OH Logan Son WM Mar 1883 17 Single MO IL OH Farm Laborer Annie Dau WF Aug 1890 9 Single MO IL OH Lillie Dau WF Jan 1896 4 Single MO IL OH Russell, Elisa Hskpr WF Feb 1872 29 Widow IL TN IL House Keeper (This is Lydia, Elmer's mother) Dora Dau WF Aug 1888 12 Single MO IL IL At School Elmer Son WM Sep 1889*10 Single MO IL IL At School *Correct year of birth <u>may</u> be 1890
The family and others, moved to Oklahoma in late 1909 or early 1910.
1910 Census of Morgan Twp., Ellis Co., OK - Page 127 - T624 Roll 1257 12 May, 1910 - Dwelling 125, Family 125 Davidson, John E. Head MW 40 M1 0* MO IN MO Gen'l Farmer (Owned w/Mortgage) Lyda Wife FW 39 M2 0* 6/2** IL VA IL Burkett, Elmer Step Son MW 19 S MO IL IL Laborer Railroad Castleman, Nancy SisterinLaw FW 36 M1 8* 5/3** IL VA IL Wheeler, John W. Nephew MW 8 S MO IN IL Castleman, Thomas R. Nephew MW 1 S MO IN IL <==age is 1 yr 3mo, born in MO * = Number of years married ** = Number of children/Number still living
1913 - Elmer's occupation as shown on his son Amos' birth certificate (in 1913) was "Hotel Keeper". Place of residence was "May, Oklahoma". Place of Amos' birth was Harper County. This resolves the issue of Amos' place of birth being somewhere other than May, Harper Co., OK!
May is situated at the intersection of State Highway 46 and U.S. Highways 270/412/State Highway 3, twenty-one miles southwest of Buffalo, the Harper County seat, and 165 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. John H. Porterfield of Illinois established a store on the present town site following the Cherokee Outlet Opening of 1893. Then located in Woodward County, Oklahoma Territory, the settlement was named in honor of Porterfield's daughter, Jessie May.(Other sources claim it was named for May Innis, daughter of local landowner Joseph A. Innis.) The May post office opened in July 1896 with Porterfield as postmaster. The town was platted in July 1902 and incorporated on November 3, 1913. May became a wheat shipping point after construction of the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, a Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MK&T) subsidiary, was completed through town in spring 1912. Cattle and wheat remained economically important to the community into the twenty-first century.Positioned just south of the Beaver River (North Canadian River) and east of Otter Creek, the town flooded often. Businesses at the time of incorporation included the May State Bank, the Cottage and Keystone hotels, the C. B. Cozart Grain Company, the Crowell Grain Elevator, a feed barn, and the May Restaurant and City Meat Market. In 1913 a two-story, brick school building was built. Early newspapers were the <i>May Monitor</i>, the <i>May Bugle</i>, and the <i>May Record</i>. The community had a population of approximately 20 in 1907. That figure grew to a high of 324 in 1920 and then fell from 258 in 1930 to 239 in 1940. The town declined during World War II as residents joined the military or sought employment elsewhere. The exodus continued into the postwar years, causing businesses to close. The town's population dropped from 143 in 1950 to 91 in 1970. The high school closed in 1957, and in 1970 the May School District was divided between Laverne, Fort Supply, and Gage. The local MK&T line was abandoned in 1972. In 1990, May had a population of 42 inhabitants, 33 in 2000 and 39 in 2010.
Elmer registered for the Draft (World War I) on June 5, 1917 in Harper County, Oklahoma. His address is shown as May, Okla.
1917-1918 - The family moved from Oklahoma back to Missouri.
1920 Census of 2nd Ward, Doniphan, Ripley Co., MO - Page 190, 13 January 1920. Dwelling 181, Family 193 on Locust Street Burkett, Elmer 28 MO IL IL Worked for saw mill Elsie 24 MO MO MO Amos 6 OK MO MO Mildred 5 OK MO MO Dorothea 3 3/12 OK MO MO Davidson, Lydia 48 IL TN IL Widow
1930 Census of SW part of Poplar Bluff Twp., Butler Co., MO - Page 197 - April 9, 1930. Dwelling 124, Family 128 on County Road Elmer Burkett 38 Farmer/Rents MO Elsie 34 OK Amos 17 OK Mildred 15 OK Dorothea 13 OK Helen 10 MO Raymond 6 MO Mary 4 MO Jeroma 2 2/12 MO Lucille 2/12 MO
Dwelling 127, Family 131 on Harviell Road Isaac Humphries 63 Farmer Lena 48 Mary E 13
Dwelling 128, Family 132 on Harviell Road Jesse Humphries 40 Teacher Edith 33
Dwelling 129, Family 133 on Harviell Road Charles Humphries 38 Farmer Francis 24 Vada 12 Eugene 11 Clara 7 Johnie 5 James 3 Junior 1
Dwelling 132, Family 137 on Harviell Road Otto Humphries 28 Farmer Mary 19
Dwelling 139, Family 145 on Harviell Road Ray Humphries 21 Farmer LaNelle (Sanders) 17 (Sister of Allie Carlene) Ralph 5/12
Dwelling 217, Family 223 on County road Isaac Humphries 24 Farmer ( Ike Jr. or "Little Ike") Ruby 23 Marshall 4 Hershel 3 Bonita 2
1940 Census of Coon Island Twp., Butler Co., MO - April 23, 1940 SD 10, ED 12-11, Sheet 7B, Image 14 of 20 - House 133 Burkett, Elmer Head MW 49 M MO Road Construction Lucy Wife FW 28 M MO Raymond Son MW 16 S MO Mary E. Dau FW 14 S AR <= Error, s/b MO Jeroma Dau FW 12 S MO Lucille Dau FW 10 S MO Iona Dau FW 7 S MO Leeroy Son MW 5 S MO Anderson, Lawrence Stepson MW 12 S AR Daisy Stepdau FW 10 S MO Floyd Stepson MW 8 S MO Property transfers:
Simon Hicks to Elmer Burkett and wife dated October 17, 1922 <== Date is an error! Should be 1923. See birth dates of children. 26 and 2/3 acres of South end of East 1/2 of West 1/2 of Northwest 1/4 Section 16 Township 23N Range 6E Property is on Pike Slough Road (Hwy 142), one and 1/2 miles South of Harviell Road (Hwy 158). On November 25, 1925, Elmer sold this property to William Snow.
Records on purchase of the Coon Island property were not found.
Elmer Burkett and wife to Loren Knight and wife dated July 3, 1968. For the sum of $3,500 Book 458 Page 319 "All of the North two acres of the East 1/2 of the East 1/2 of the Northeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 16 Township 22N Range 6E" (The Coon Island property)
Elmer Burkett to Larry E. Mitchener dated November 7, 1968. For the sum of $1.00 Book 462 Page 293 "All of Lot five in Block 4 and a strip 6 feet wide off the South end of Lot 4 in Block 4 of Home View subdivision; also that part of the Northwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Township 25N Range 6E, described as follows: Starting at a point on the North line of the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 34 Township 25N Range 6E, a distance of 264 feet West of the Northeast corner of said forty acre tract and thence south parallel with the east line of said forty acres a distance of 56.5 feet for the place of beginning; thence continue south parallel with the east line of said forty acre tract a distance of 56.5 feet; thence east a distance of 66 feet; thence north 56.5 feet, thence west 66 feet to the place of beginning." (Unknown what this is....Section 34 Township 25 North Range 6 East describes part of the north central city of Poplar Bluff.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: From Mosers Directory Coon Island (aka Vastus) Although not a town, still it deserves a place in this directory. A large section of formerly swampy land in the south part of the county between Cave Creek and Still Camp Slough. The name was given by the early trappers and hunters because of the many raccoons found there. The old story goes that the name originated during a very high water season when the entire area was underwater except an elevated portion which was seen entirely overrun with raccoons. AFB
NOTE: Coon Island was also a very good place for operators of illegal liquor distilleries ("Moonshiners") during Prohibition and years later. AFB
From Moser's Directory Vastus (aka Vastus) A discontinued post-office near Coon Island School. Named by Judge B. Deem when he, then a young man, taught the school and was instrumental in getting the post-office established in 1883. Judge Deem explains that as the Postal authorities wanted a short and unusual name, he chose the Latin word meaning great, because "we thought we were great then and had great possibilities". It was 5-1/2 miles east of Neelyville. (--The State of Missouri, in 1904, p. 339.) It was located at Section 15, Township 22 N, Range 6 E, on Highway H.
HVAM Cemetery location is S35 T23N R6E, Butler County, Missouri. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Elmer lost an eye at age six watching his father shoe a horse. Another story was he had one eye put out by a fragment from a wedge used to split logs. He had a glass eye for cosmetic purposes but I never saw him use it. He also used eyeglasses with one lens clean and the other one not. He was totally deaf in one ear and he had to use a strong hearing aid in the other in order to hear anything at all. Although life over the years was sometimes tragic for Elmer, he was a very jovial and pleasant man who gave the appearance of being very happy. He was loved by all who knew him. In his bedroom, Elmer had an old trunk which was always locked and the key was always in his pocket. The trunk was not opened for anyone, not even his children or grandchildren. Lucy (Elmer's second wife), always told people that she did not know what was in it. When he died, it was discovered that there was nothing in the trunk but letters, pictures, papers and other keepsakes, including a Colt 32-20 Revolver. Apparently, these treasured and irreplaceable items have all been absorbed by the immediate descendants.
Elmer's place in Butler County, Missouri to the southeast of Neelyville was in an area called Coon Island (a settlement near there was named Vastus according to early maps). This settlement included an small old Pentecostal Church, a half dozen houses or so, a general store, and a small building (believed to be the old Post Office) that had a tiny cafe on one end and a two table pool hall on the other end. There was also an old very run down building of some sort that was used as a meeting hall and almost every Saturday night in warm weather, a movie house. The store, cafe, pool hall and movie house was owned by two brothers named Bob and Bill Gourley. On Saturday afternoons, Elmer ran the pool hall, charging each player ten cents per game, and Lucy would work in the cafe. Saturdays were the only day and evening of the week that the pool hall, cafe and movie house would be open and always, a small crowd would be there.
At home, Elmer raised tame (domestic) rabbits on a big scale. He used only one so-called rabbit hutch but it was more of a pen than a hutch. It was about 20-30 feet wide and about 50-60 feet long with a six feet high fence surrounding it. The fence was constructed of mesh fencing or chicken/poultry wire with barbed wire on the top. Inside this pen, there were a couple sheds and an old car without interior with wooden brood boxes for the rabbits to have their litters of babies. His plan was simple and effective. Put lots of female rabbits and a few males in the pen, feed and water them well, keep the building roofs repaired to keep them dry and then, "Leave them be!"... Poof! In no time there were rabbits everywhere (at times there were hundreds of them). He sold and traded rabbits to everybody.
Lucy had a little garden for vegetables and a small chicken house to produce eggs and chickens. Her biggest problem was keeping the Black Snakes from eating the eggs and baby chickens. She developed a method of catching, wounding, killing, messing up snakes with rat traps at controlled entry points into the chicken house which helped some. One time, a huge King Snake killed one of her cats when it tried to stop the snake entering the chicken house.
Elmer liked to fish very much. In his later years, living at Coon Island on acres of rough swampy land, he constructed a large and very effective fish trap in a slough known as the Big Hunting Slough. At one point, the "ditch" as Elmer called it, was about twelve to 10-12 feet wide and 2-3 feet deep normally. The fish would enter through a cone shaped entrance pointed downstream which was made of mesh fencing at the upstream end of the trap. The fish could not continue as the way was blocked at the downstream end (about twenty feet further) by more mesh fencing, Retreat was near impossible unless the fish was lucky enough to swim upstream through a relatively small (about 1 foot) diameter cone shaped hole in the center of the first mesh fencing. The fish would then be netted or gigged out as needed. Periodically, the downstream end of the trap would be lifted to allow the unwanted or unneeded fish, turtles and other varmints to escape. Elmer supplied fresh fish to anyone who wanted some. Although everyone around knew about the fish trap, he was never challenged by the game wardens or prosecuted for his fishing methods which were very illegal at the time and still are.
These are some memories of Elmer Franklin Burkett that I have. The times were during the late 1940's and early 1950's while I was about seven or eight through about fourteen years old. I would spend most of my summers between school years with Elmer and Lucy while some were spent with Sam and Bessie, my other grandparents, near Mingo, Missouri. They would make me work at little odd jobs around the place on rare occasions but mostly, I just went hunting alone with Lucy's old single shot Winchester .22 rifle or go fishing with Elmer. One more thought... when things were quiet and nothing was going on, Elmer used to walk off away from everyone and sit alone. I don't know if anyone else noticed or not, other than Lucy. I thought that maybe I was bothering him but she would tell me he was just thinking. Now that I am older and have had the opportunity to study some of the events in his life, I can now imagine what he was thinking about... in addition to me bothering him.
A. F. Burkett...December 7, 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: According to Elmer's death certificate, he died of "Pulmonary Tuberculosis" in the Robert Koch Hospital in Koch (now Oakville, St. Louis County) Missouri. He had been living with his daughter Dorothy and her family at 5965 Dowling Avenue in Berkeley, Missouri. AFB
Koch, Missouri is a former community in St. Louis County, Missouri. It was named for Robert Koch, a German Bacteriologist. The location was at what is now Interstate 255 east of Route 231. It had a post office, which is now closed. Robert Koch Hospital: Located just off US 255 before it crosses the Jefferson Barracks Bridge in south county at 4101 Koch Road. There is a cemetery located on the grounds of this closed hospital, the building founded in 1875 with its last major renovation in 1949 is said to have been demolished, but the cemetery referred to as "Quarantine" cemetery is located on the 50.3 acres associated with this hospital. Many people believe this site is haunted. Nineteen buildings were constructed by 1939 and an 105-acre farm, post office, railroad stop, housing, and recreational facilities made the hospital almost self-sustaining. By the end of World War II new medications decreased the life-threatening effects of tuberculosis and in the much later years of its existence to 1983, the hospital was used as housing for the indigent elderly. All remaining structures have been demolished.
Social Security Death Index Name: Elmer Burkett Birth Date: 22 September 1890 Death Date: June 1969 Issuing State: Missouri Residence at Death: 63054
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