Ida May Burkett

Ida was the daughter of Charles Wahl (b.1825 Wurtemburg, Germany) and Mary Miller (b.1932 PA). I found a marriage record between a Charles Wahl and a Mary Miller on 4 Mar 1948, but it took place in Montgomery Co., Ohio, so it may not be theirs. I found at least four children for the couple--Charles Edgar (b.1856), Essadora (or Eyadora) (b.1858), Ida May (b.1861), and Rosa Estella (b.May 1870).

I found her family on the 1860 Census, living in Hagerstown, Wayne Co., Indiana, where Ida's father Charles, aged 34, was earning a living as a shoemaker. Ida's mother Mary, aged 28, was home with the two children--Edgar, aged 4, and Essadora, aged 2. Ida would join the family the following year on 21 March 1861. Eighteen days earlier, the country witnessed the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln and twenty-two days after Ida's birth, the Civil War erupted.

By the time the 1870 Census was enumerated, Ida's family had relocated to Warsaw, Kosciusko Co., Indiana. Charles, aged 45, was still working as a shoemaker. Mary, aged 38, was busy at home with their four children--Edgar, aged 14, Eyadora, aged 13, Ida, aged 8, and baby Rosa, aged 1 month.

Ida's family was still living in Warsaw in 1880. Charles, aged 54, was still a shoemaker. Mary, aged 48, was keeping house. Still at home with their parents were Edgar, aged 24, and Estella (aka Rosa), aged 11.

Ida wasn't with her parents that census year. On 16 Jan 1868, she had married Francis Marion Burkett in Kosciusko County.

I couldn't find Francis and Ida on the 1880 Census, but they welcomed son Clifford Wahl Burkett on 26 Oct 1884, and daughter Mary Cecile on 6 Sep 1890.

On 29 May 1890, Francis had filed for an invalid's pension. To qualify, he had to meet the following requirements: 1) An honorable discharge, 2) A minimum service of ninety days, and 3) A permanent physical disability not due to vicious habits. The compensation ranged from $6 to $12, proportioned to the degree of inability, and was not determined by rank held.

Sadly, in 1898, Ida lost both her parents in the same year.

In 1900, Ida, her husband and the children were living in Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana, where Francis, aged 51, was working as a dentist. Ida, aged 39, reported that she had had two children, and that both had survived to that census. Indeed, living at home with their parents were Clifford, aged 15, and Mary, aged 9.

When the 1910 Census was enumerated, the family was still living in Plymouth. Francis, aged 61, was still doing dentistry work. Ida, aged 48, again reported that she had had two children, and that both were still living, both of them still at home with their parents. Son Clifford was aged 25 and had become a dentist like his father. Daughter Mary, enumerated under her middle name Cecile, was aged 19.

Two years after that census, Francis and Ida's daughter Mary married Harry B. Alexander on 15 Jun 1912. Son Clifford followed suit, marrying wife Melita Bertha Shoemaker on 14 Jun 1913, both marriages taking place in Marshall County.

After thirty seven years together, death parted Francis and Ida, claiming Francis on 14 Aug 1915 at age 66. Ida filed for her widow's pension twelve days later on August 26. To qualify, she had to meet the following requirements: 1) That the soldier served at least 90 days in the War of the Rebellion and was honorably discharged, 2) Proof of soldier's death (death cause need not have been due to Army service), 3) That widow is without other means of support than her daily labor, and 4) That widow was married to soldier prior to June 27, 1890.

In 1920, Ida, aged 59, appeared on that year's census living at 423 Center St. in Plymouth. With her were daughter Cecile (aka Mary), aged 28, and Cecile's husband Harry Alexander, aged 31, and working as a telephone repairman.

Ida, aged 69, was still with her daughter Cecile, aged 39, and son-in-law Harry, aged 42, in Plymouth in 1930. Harry was earning a living as a salesman. The notation was hard to read, but his position appeared to have had something to do with gas.

Four years after that census, on New Year's Day in 1934, Ida would have received the sad news of the death of son Clifford at age 49.

The year after Clifford's death, Ida died on 3 Feb 1935 at age 73, and was laid to rest at Francis' side.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 30 2018, 21:37:57 UTC