Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday--Beryl Lepard Burkett and Leon Milton Burkett



     Beryl E. Lepard, daughter of William H. Lepard and Alice N. Finch, was born on March 23, 1893 in Venice Township, Seneca County, Ohio.  Leon Milton Burkett, son of John F. Burkett and Elizabeth J. Gruver, was born on July 15, 1887 at Bettsville, Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio.


     On June 15, 1922, at Attica, Seneca County, Ohio, Leon Milton Burkett married Beryl E. Lepard.  At the time of their marriage, John was employed as a post master and Beryl as a teacher. Beryl Lepard Burkett is my third cousin, once removed.

     Leon's World War I draft registration gives his employment as a baker and the death certificate lists his occupation as grocer.  The Burkett's had one son, Leon Milton Burkett, born in 1925.  Young Leon died in World War II on the Pacific Ocean.

     Three years after his marriage and the year his son was born, Leon died at age thirty eight, on December 30, 1925 in Maple Grove, Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio and is buried in Attica Venice Cemetery, Attica, Seneca County, Ohio.

     Beryl married second, John H. Shimer, on January 19, 1945 in Seneca County, Ohio.  On April 24, 1945, Beryl lost her only child, Leon Milton Burkett, who was killed during a flight over Tokyo in a B-29 during World War II.  The plane was shot down and all members of the crew were killed.

     Beryl died on April 4, 1972 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio.  She is buried beside her first husband, Leon Milton Burkett at Attica Venice Cemetery, Seneca County, Ohio.

     This had been a missing piece of my family tree.  I took the photos of the tombstones when I was wandering around Attice Venice Cemetery looking for my Frederick and Lepard relations.  I saw the Burkett name and knew that my husband had links to Burketts.....not realizing that Beryl was my cousin until I began to do the research for this blog. 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published. 

 PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.
© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser


3 comments:

  1. You do terrific research! Great post!

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  2. I am a Lepard relative. I inherited a number of family pictures of this branch of the family from the family genealogist, Ira D. S. Kelly. I gave a military portrait of Leon Milton Burkett to the Attica Area Historical Society. Beryl's maiden name was Finch, not Fuich. I remember Beryl at reunions, and possibly at church, when I was a child.

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  3. Thanks for the correction Larry. If you want to share any photos of Beryl, please contact me.

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