Falling Walls Friday Part II - Helen Fannie Burnett Williamson
In my previous post, Falling Walls Friday Part I - Henry King Williamson, I wrote about how the Williamson wall began to crumble on Henry's wife. Today I'll continue to add to Helen Fannie Burnett's story.
So now that I know Helen Fannie Williamson was born 24 Aug 1862 somewhere in KY and died 15 Sept 1909 in Bradley, Grady Co, OK (from the family bible of Lillie Mae Woolsey, grave marker, and 1900 census of Mahulenburg, KY.), I wanted next to find her marriage to Henry King Williamson and her parents.
First I did a standard broad search of all records for Helen Fannie Burnett born about 1862 in KY and only one records came back that matched almost perfectly, except that she was called by her middle name.
This is certainly a fit for my Helen. If this is her family then I can also see that Helen named her daughter (my great grandmother) after her mother. So I decided to look into this family more and see if I can't find something that will prove this is Helen's family.
Next I find the John Burnett family in the 1900 census in Bristow, Warren Co., KY. Still living in the same place they were twenty years prior. This time John is 69 years old and thanks to the 1900 census I also find out that he was born Oct 1830 in TN. This time there is no wife listed, only three more sibling.......oh and what's this a Williamson living in their home. The last name listed in the household is a William Williamson, son-in-law.......wait so does this mean that two of John's daughters married Williamson boys. It's very possible. It may be just a coincidence, but it gives one more clue that may connect Helen to this family. He was born 1872 in KY. So that would make him six years younger than Henry. It's very likely that this William is a younger brother or a cousin to Henry King Williamson the husband of Helen F Burnett. I will need to conduct a search later for Henry and his family and see if he has a younger brother or a cousin named William that fits this man.
I continued looking for Helen though by searching the Death records in Kentucky for John Burnett. My hope was that maybe I could find Helen's name listed as the informant or even be lucky enough to find an obit with her name in it. Here is what I did find though.......
Okay so I quit there. I think my best bet is to stop spending time on this family until I can connect this family to my Helen with out a shadow of doubt. I decide to find someone in Warren Co., KY to search courthouse records for a probate or will for John Burnett. So my next step was to go to Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, Kentucky and find someone who can search this area of records. I did find one gal listed, so I emailed her. I hope she is able to do the search and that something shows up in the records. If I get lucky and she find a probate it should list Helen (or Fannie as they may have called her) with her married name and give her place of residence. Though I do have to consider that John died many years after is daughter, so in that case it may list her husband or their children if he even left them anything in his will. If not then I'll go back to the drawing board.
I also tried to find a marriage records for Helen and Henry which might have her parents name, but with no luck. I suspect they were married in KY, though TX or OK are a possibility I would say not likely.
So for now I will wait and see if I can get the help I need from Warren Co., KY in finding records on John Burnett.
So now that I know Helen Fannie Williamson was born 24 Aug 1862 somewhere in KY and died 15 Sept 1909 in Bradley, Grady Co, OK (from the family bible of Lillie Mae Woolsey, grave marker, and 1900 census of Mahulenburg, KY.), I wanted next to find her marriage to Henry King Williamson and her parents.
First I did a standard broad search of all records for Helen Fannie Burnett born about 1862 in KY and only one records came back that matched almost perfectly, except that she was called by her middle name.
1880 Census Bristow, Warren Co., KY
Burnett, John, M, W, 50, head, TN.......
Mary J, W, F, 38, wife, KY......
Fannie H, W, F, 17, dau, KY......
This is certainly a fit for my Helen. If this is her family then I can also see that Helen named her daughter (my great grandmother) after her mother. So I decided to look into this family more and see if I can't find something that will prove this is Helen's family.
Next I find the John Burnett family in the 1900 census in Bristow, Warren Co., KY. Still living in the same place they were twenty years prior. This time John is 69 years old and thanks to the 1900 census I also find out that he was born Oct 1830 in TN. This time there is no wife listed, only three more sibling.......oh and what's this a Williamson living in their home. The last name listed in the household is a William Williamson, son-in-law.......wait so does this mean that two of John's daughters married Williamson boys. It's very possible. It may be just a coincidence, but it gives one more clue that may connect Helen to this family. He was born 1872 in KY. So that would make him six years younger than Henry. It's very likely that this William is a younger brother or a cousin to Henry King Williamson the husband of Helen F Burnett. I will need to conduct a search later for Henry and his family and see if he has a younger brother or a cousin named William that fits this man.
I continued looking for Helen though by searching the Death records in Kentucky for John Burnett. My hope was that maybe I could find Helen's name listed as the informant or even be lucky enough to find an obit with her name in it. Here is what I did find though.......
Kentucky Death Records, Reg Dist 1121, Reg # 16289, Prim. Reg Dist 7746, County of Warren, Vet Pet. Sunny Side Mashale?.Okay so I know this John died in Warren Co., KY. So let's find out where he was buried. That turned out to be a short search. I went to the UsGenWeb, Kentucky, Warren County site and searched the cemeteries....a couple cemeteries later I had it.
John Burnett
died: 1 July 1921
DOB: 22 Oct 1830 (definitely fits the John in 1900 Census and in 1880 most likely too)
Father: Vinson Burnett born in TN
Mother: Unknown
Informant: J W Burnett of Franklin, KY (likely the son listed in the 1880 Census of John and Mary, James W)
Bowling Green, Warren Co., KY, Fairview Cemetery
John Burnett 10/22/1830 - 7/1/1921 (no doubt this is the John in the death record above, but the question remains is he Helen's father?)
Mary J Burnett w/o John 2/8/1843 - 11/20/1890 (so according to the transcription she is the wife of John. This leads to a conclusion that the family of John and Mary with child Fannie is this same couple. Their ages are correct as the 1880 census. But still not proof of Helen's parents)
Okay so I quit there. I think my best bet is to stop spending time on this family until I can connect this family to my Helen with out a shadow of doubt. I decide to find someone in Warren Co., KY to search courthouse records for a probate or will for John Burnett. So my next step was to go to Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, Kentucky and find someone who can search this area of records. I did find one gal listed, so I emailed her. I hope she is able to do the search and that something shows up in the records. If I get lucky and she find a probate it should list Helen (or Fannie as they may have called her) with her married name and give her place of residence. Though I do have to consider that John died many years after is daughter, so in that case it may list her husband or their children if he even left them anything in his will. If not then I'll go back to the drawing board.
I also tried to find a marriage records for Helen and Henry which might have her parents name, but with no luck. I suspect they were married in KY, though TX or OK are a possibility I would say not likely.
So for now I will wait and see if I can get the help I need from Warren Co., KY in finding records on John Burnett.
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