Burchett, Francis Family

BURCHETT, MARION, ANDERSON, JONES, DIETRICK, WOODS, BOLES, GILMORE

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/28/2019 at 07:21:36

BIOGRAPHY ~ THE FRANCIS BURCHETT FAMILY

By Mansel Burchett
Reflections of Grand River, Iowa: 1881 - 1981
Clarke Pub. Co. p. 164. Osceola IA. 1981.

My Great-Grandfather, Ackeles (sic, should be Achelis) Burchett, son of John and Jane (Marion) Burchett, was born in Clairborn County, Tennessee, March 1, 1825, and remained there until a young man. He met and married Leah Jane Anderson, born January 25, 1826, daughter of Abraham and Rachel (Jones) Anderson, on January 25, 1846, in Tennessee. They migrated to Greene County, Indiana in 1849 and from there came to Decatur County, Iowa in 1852, where they settled as farmers.

My grandfather, William Burchett, nicknamed "Wild Bill," was one of eight children. He married Sara Dietrick while in Iowa, but they later moved to Oklahoma where my father, Francis Ackeles Burchett, one of ten children, was born May 8, 1890. William Burchett lived in Oklahoma until my father was eight years of age, then they moved back to Iowa, settling on a farm in Clarke County, Doyle Township.

My father, Francis, grew up on this farm and had many interesting stories to tell about his childhood. One story I vividly remember his telling was how he and his six brothers would slip eggs out of the henhouse each Easter to see who would have the most eggs on Easter morning. Somehow Grandfather would always manage to watch where his sons hid their eggs, and he always managed to see that Grandma got her eggs. Furthermore, he never told his sons not to rob the hen's nests at Easter.

Father met and married Addie Elizabeth Woods, the daughter of David Timothy Woods and Dorothea Ellen Boles (1853-1932). Grandmother Wood's parents, my great grandparents, were Sarah Gilmore (1837-1892) and William Boles (1810-1895).

My parents, Francis and Addie (Woods) Burchett settled in Richland Township, Decatur County, Iowa. This was where I (Mansel Burchett) was born August 30, 1918 and my brother, Arthur Burchett was born August 17, 1920. When I was about three years old, the family moved back to Clarke County to farm. Another son, Ira, was born August 21, 1928.

We all grew up on this farm with many pleasant memories, especially playing with the neighbor boys, Eugene, Dale and Jim Jones, also Harvey and George Horton with whom we played Cowboys and Indians.

Ira m. Betty Hersh from Indianola, Iowa; Arthur m. Bernice Howe from Murray, Iowa; and Mansel m. Berniece Fullerton.

My father, Francis died October 1, 1955, and my mother Addie lived to be almost 90, passing away May 31, 1980.

Copied from "Reflections of Grand River, Ia. 1881-1981" by Stacey McDowell Dietiker