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Seventh Generation


116. William Robert "Bob" DURHAM was born on 15 Jul 1879 in Franklin County, Tennessee.1,22,31,63,64,65 He died Hypertensive Heart Disease on 9 Oct 1956 in Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas.1,31 Buried in Woodland Park Cemetery in Mineral Wells, Texas. Informant at death listed as "Mrs. W. R. Durham". In the 1930 Census for Lynn County, Texas (Precinct 4 - District 9), Bernice, Durham, age 16 (married age 15); married to Robert P. Durham; and Johnnie L. Durham, (female) age 1, listed as "grand-daughter" are all listed in the household of Robert Durham, age 52 (b. Tennessee) and wife, Minnie L., age 42 (b. Texas).
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Information provided by Barb and Smitty's Legacy
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=tbug144&id=I2833
[Loveless.FTW]

Note from letter to B. Roberts from Doris Bennett grandaugher of Henry Glaus. Ida Knapper, daughter of Anna Durham Zimmerman remembers this: William Robert Durham came to Tennessee in the earlly 1900's to stay for about six months. They lived in Winchester, Tenn. not to far (about 2 miles) from his sister Annie's farm. His house was near a creek there which would rise and oveflow from time to time. I don't know wheather the water conditions influnced his decision to move back from where he came or not, but he probably was influenced somewhat as he said, "I'd rather go back to Texas and die dry than to drown wet."
10/7/84

The following is from Brenda Roberts, granddaughter of Allie Elizabeth Durham Loveless:
Falls Mill Tennessee is in Franklin Co. Tennessee about 5 miles or so from Belvidere. I think the Durham's lived near there. Allie, Robert and parents moved there when Allie was about 5 so that would have been in 1913. Grandmother (Allie) said she could remember crossing the Mississippi on a train and I believe crossing a creek in Falls Mill on a footlog. I believe that Annie Zimmerman, William Robert's sister lived near them. They only lived there 6 months.

William Robert Durham (Bob) was born July 15, 1879 in the Falls Mill community of Franklin Co. Tennessee. Falls Mill is located on Highway 64 West. It is not a town, only a place with several stores and homes. About a mile on a side road is the Falls Mill where grain is ground into flour and corn meal. Bob spent all of his childhood in Franklin Co. And much of this was probably unhappy. When Bob was 5 his mother was killed in a household accident. When this happened Robert and his brothers and sisters were divided between his two sets of grandparents.

Robert and his older brother and sister went to live with the Durhams. They were treated very badly in this household and love was not shown them. When they were allowed to go and visit their Glaus grandparents it was a little like going to heaven to them. (The preceding info was from Allie Durham, Bob?s daughter.) According to Franklin Co records Bob?s father was committed to an institution for insanity shortly after his wife died.

About 1900 Bob?s older sister Anna and her family moved to near Hess, Greer Co. Oklahoma Territory. (Oklahoma was a fairly new area at the time. The last Ok. Land run had taken place not too many years before. Robert probably either went with his sister and family or followed not long after. He may have followed later because sometime between leaving Tennessee and marrying in Oklahoma in 1903 he my have spent a little time in Texas. ( In a old photo albums that belonged to he and his wife, we find photos of old girlfriends stamped Grandview and Springtown, Texas.

After Bob moved to Oklahoma he met his future wife, Minnie Lee Kirby. They must have really fallen for each other because when Minnie met Bob she was engaged to another man. On May 17, 1903 they married each other, probably near Hess.

After their marriage the Durham's started a life of farming. They never farmed long in any one place, and they moved so often that the following account of their moves may not be accurate. However, wherever they moved they had plenty to eat. Bob loved to hunt and fish, and he usually had a fruit orchard wherever they were and hogs, too. His daughter, Allie says that his sugar cure for pork was delicious.

Bob and Minnie probably started out married life near Hess. Sometime before 1908 they moved ot near Erick, OK. in Beckham Co. It is not known how long they lived there, but their two oldest children were born there. By 1910 they had moved to Tillman County OK. Robert Pleasant was born there and attended school. By 1929 the family had settled in Hockley County Texas. This is where their last child, Johnnie Lee, was born. I don't know when they moved to Mineral Wells, TX. That's where William Robert died in 1956.

William Robert "Bob" DURHAM and Minnie Lee KIRBY were married on 17 May 1903 in Jackson County, Oklahoma.66 W R Durham
Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995
birth: 1880
marriage: 17 May 1903, Greer, Oklahoma, United States
spouse: Minnie Lee Kirby
Name: W R Durham
Titles and Terms: Mr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 17 May 1903
Event Place: Greer, Oklahoma, United States
Age: 23
Race
Birth Date
Birth Year (Estimated): 1880
Marriage License Date
Marriage License Place
Father's Name
Father's Titles and Terms
Mother's Name
Mother's Titles and Terms
Spouse's Name: Minnie Lee Kirby
Spouse's Titles and Terms: Miss
Spouse's Age: 16
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1887
Spouse's Father's Name
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms
Spouse's Mother's Name
Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms
Reference ID
GS Film number: 1902409
Digital Folder Number: 004532856 Minnie Lee KIRBY (daughter of Harvey Terry W. KIRBY and Allie Mae MADDEN) was born on 16 Jun 1888 in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.31,64,65,67 She died Myocardial Insufficiency - Coronary Occlusion on 26 Mar 1958 in Ropesville, Hockley County, Texas.31 Buried in Woodland Park Cemetery in Mineral Wells, Texas. Informant at death listed as "Mrs. Clyde Loveless". Information provided by Barb and Smitty's Legacy
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=tbug144&id=I4
[barbara.FTW]

Occupations and places worked: Homemaker, Camp Walters Air Base Laundry or Dry Cleaning

Places lived: Dallas Co. Texas, born near where some large building now stands. Hess, Erick, Stratford, OK. Ropesville, Matador, and Mineral Wells Texas.[barbara.FTW]

Minnie Lee Kirby was born June 16, 1887 near present day downtown Dallas, Texas. (her daughter Allie said she was born on the site of where a well known building now stands but she could never remember the name of the building. She was named after her Aunt Minnie and Uncle Lee. This was her mother's sister and her father's brother who were married. Minnie lived in the Dallas area for about the first two years of her life. In 1889 her father may have participated in the Ok. land run. Her father purchased or staked land near Hess, Ok. and built the family a small home of about 4 rooms. This is where Minnie grew up.

Minnie had auburn hair and grew up with 10 brothers and sisters. She could remember Indians coming to their home, probably wanting food.

Sometime during her dating years Minnie became engaged to a boy by the last name of White. Edna, Minnie' sister married his brother Henry White. However before she married she broke the engagement because she had become very interested in a tall brown haired blue eyed boy from Tennessee. She was married to William Robert Durham May 17, 1903 by Bro. Bank

With her marriage Minnie began a life of frequent moving. It would be interesting to know how many times she packed the family's few possessions for yet another move. Wherever the family lived, Minnie was an excellent cook and homemaker. They were always poor, but she raised big gardens and her husband usually had an orchard. She canned a great deal and the family ate well. They say her pies, which included vinegar pie, and her beet pickles were out of this world. Her daughter remembers her killing chickens to fry for breakfast. And she remembers that she was always singing. Her granddaughter, Yvonne, remembers that Minnie would hold her in her lap as she sewed.

In 1907 Minnie was expecting her first child, but complications developed and the child's life had to be taken to save the mother. The writer believes that the baby was breach. The next year she had a lovely little girl and she and W.R. named her after both their mothers, Allie and Elizabeth. Two years later they had a son, Robert Pleasant. Their last child, Johnnie Lee was not born until 1929.

Minnie was reared a Baptist, but after she married and began to move so much she would worship with whichever denomination she lived near. In the course of her live she worshiped with Baptists, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, Seven Day Oneness, and the last chuch she worshiped at, the Church of God. A remark a pastor made in commending her was that she worshipped where she lived near. She was a fine Christian.

After moving to Mineral Wells and her husband being disabled she had to make the living. She worked hard and long. Once her work was with the welfare department between about 1936 and 1940. Between about 1942 and 1947 she worked in the laundry at Camp Walters Army Base.

In 1956 W.R. died, and after that Minnie kept her home but would stay mostly with her daughters. She would stay awhile with Allie and awhile with Johnnie. For many years she had wanted to visit her son Robert in California. The family planned to take her in1957. Both her daughters and their families were going including grandaughter Yvonne and her daughters . Shortly before they were to leave Yvonne's two girls, Brenda and Libby developed chicken pox and the trip was postponed. A few weeks later the trip was planned again. Johnnie and family and Minnie came to Ropesville from Mineral Wells to begin the trip. The night before they were to go Minnie became ill. She was taken to the hospital and it was discovered she had suffered a light stroke. The next day in the hospital she suffered a sever stroke and never regained consciousness. After several days she was taken to Allie's home. She lay unconscious for nine months at Allie's home. On March 26, 1958 she died. She died in Ropesville, Tx. but her funeral was held in Mineral Wells at The Church of God. She was buried beside her husband in the Wodlawn Cem. outside Mineral Wells.

William Robert "Bob" DURHAM and Minnie Lee KIRBY had the following children:

162

i.

Allie E. DURHAM was born about 1908 in Oklahoma.63,64

+163

ii.

Robert Pleasant DURHAM.