Charlie Clarence Burkhalter

Charlie Clarence was born 18” June 1888 near Queen City, Cass County, Texas. He was the son of Daniel Brunson Burkhalter and Caroline Elizabeth Cummings. He married Beulah May Gilley, daughter of D. W. Gilley and Ozella Dodd.

Charlie Clarence and Beulah had six children:

Maurice Edward - born 27 June 1915 and died 10 April 1993

Gertrude Ozella - born 2 June 1917 and died 22 April 1993

Josephine - born 6 August 1921 and died 23 January 1922

Charles Clarenceborn 28 April 1923 and died 23 August 1972

Joyce Evelyn - born 15 August 1929 and died 13 March 1984

Mary Kathryn - born 6 June 1934 and died 8 September 1999

Maurice married Betty Kimbell 11 April 1950, no children. Gertrude married Glenn Bailey and moved to Colorado. They had one son, Rolland. Charles married Mary Pool, no children. Joyce married first William LaMorris, they had three children, Billy, Maurice and Yvonne.

She married second, Pete DiGrado and they had one son, Petri. Mary Kathryn married first Thomas E. Waters, they had one son, Michael.

She married second Kenneth McAlexander and they had three sons, Charles R., Richard B., and Robert J. Mary Kathryn wrote the following story about her growing up on a farm here in Cass County.

She passed away before she could finish. She was very active in the Cass County Genealogical Society, serving as Corresponding Secretary and spending many years researching and reading old cemeteries.

My parents were farmers and lived first in the Antioch community of Cass County, Texas, where all of the children were born except me. I was born in my grandfather’s home in the Springdale community, Cass County, Texas.

When my parents lived in the Antioch community, my mother told me she kept boarders, who worked at Rogers Saw Mill, my dad worked there also.

Dad started the first BYU at the Antioch Baptist Church in 1930 and he also played on a baseball team. He really enjoyed baseball and the New York Yankees was his favorite team. Dad was also a Deputy Sheriff under Nat Curtwright and later Richard Eldred Blalock, his brother-in¬law. They broke up quite a few stills in those days.

My dad also liked music and singing, he had a beautiful tenor voice and sang in quartets. He played the guitar and in his younger days played for country dances. He had to quit the playing the guitar for country dances, because the church did not allow it. He worked at Red River Arsenal, beginning as a processor, then as a guard.

When we lived in the Springdale community, we raised vegetables and cotton. I picked cotton in a twenty-five pound duck sack, that my mother had made for me. We would dump our cotton on the front porch until we had enough to take a wagon load to the gin in Queen City.

My nephew, Rolland and I would get to ride on top of the cotton. We also had a syrup mill, close to a spring and my nephew and I had to get the wood for the fire, to cook the syrup. We cut and hauled the sugar cane from the field to the

We cut and hauled the sugar cane from the field to the spring. We had black neighbors and we worked together helping each other with the crops and the syrup mill.

Their names were Cootsie and Margarite Green and his brother Collin Green and his family.

The Dowdens were also good people, my oldest brother, Maurice “Buck” went off to CC camp. My brother, Charles was in WWII Company B, 740” Tank Brigade, Battle of the Bulge and was awarded several medals EAME campaign medal w/3 the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit badge and WWII Victory Medal. He returned home after the war. I attended Queen City School until I was married.

Mary Kathryn Burkhalter McAlexander passed away September 8, 1999 at her home in the Antioch community. All of this family is gone now except for nieces and nephews, who live in other states. Their memory lives on.

Daniel Bnmson Burkhalter

Daniel was the son of Michael Sellars and Mary Ann Griffin and was born 21 June 1859 on the farm of his father on the Douglassville Road near Antioch, Cass County, Texas. He died of pneumonia on 27 January 1893.

He married Elizabeth Caroline Cummings, daughter of Benjamin S. Cummings and Mary Taylor Lokey on 16 December 1877 at the Enon Baptist Church at Antioch.

Elizabeth died 10 September 1919 at the home of their son, Sellars Sidney.

They had ten children: Sellars Sidney born 1 December 1878 and died 16 March 1920. He married Rhoda Dean 21 December 1899.

Thomas Taylor born 27 April 1880 and died 31 March 1960. He married Nancy Evelyn Morgan 1 December 1901. Mary Magnolia born 12 November 1881 and died 21 September 1968. She married R. Eldred Blalock 22 December 1897.

Leonard Leroy - born 14 May 1883 and died 13 January 1973. He married Mary Caroline Harris 27 September 1907.

Henry Howard - born 3 April 1885 and died 20 June 1886

Archie Amos - born 7 October 1886 and died 12 August 1969. He married Dovie Francis Thomas 22 December 1910.

Charlie Clarence born 18 June 1888 and died 22 February 1960. He married Beulah M. Gilley 1 October 1914.

Bertha Beatrice - born 23 October 1889 and died 14 September 1907

Roxie Rosalie born 2 July 1891 and 2 April 1921. She married Charlie Proctor 9 May 1920. Eva Eleanor born 7 September 1893 and died 1 July 1985. She married William J. Gilmore 22 December 1909.

Michael Sellars Burkhalter

Michael Sellars was the son of the Rev. Michael Burkhalter and Eliza Jane Griffin. He was born in Marion County, Tennessee 18 February 1832. He migrated to Cass County, where he died 18 February 1877 and is buried at the Old Liberty Cemetery, Antioch community, Cass County, Texas. He married Mary Ann Griffin 2 September 1855 at the Old Liberty [Enon] Church, his father Rev. Michael Burkhalter married the couple.

They had ten children: Isaac Henry born 20 June 1856 and died 20 December 1930. He married first, Amanda M. Gilley and he married second, Fannie L. Dyer Boling.

Mary Margaret born 29 October 1857 and died 30 June 1862

Daniel Brunson born 21 June 1859 and died 27 January 1893. He married Elizabeth Carrie Cummings 16 December 1877.

Margaret Susan - born 29 November 1861 and died 4 November 1863 Michael Sellars born 27 June 1862 and died 12 June 1864

Anna Lamirah Jane - born 11 December 1864 and died September 1865

Sarah [Duckie] Arena - born 3 January 1867 and died 21 February 1897. She married first, George H. Pickett 6 January 1881 and she married second, Buel Allen 17 May 1893.

David Witt - born 4 November 1868 and died 30 November 1868

Pamelia Josephine born 2 December 1869 and died 18 May 1940. She married Rhett Allen 15 December 1887.

Nancy Florence born 3 December 1871 and died 26 December 1931. She married John Thomas Draper 15 December 1887.

The above family was all born at the old homplace where Grandma Carrie and Daniel Brunson lived. Michael Sellars built the old log room that Grandma Carrie used for her kitchen.

He probably built the other part of the house too, except for what was Aunt Roxie’s parlor; Daniel Brunson built that. Aunt Florence and Aunt Josie were married in that house and Aunt Florence’s older children were born there. Danie] B. Sold it to Uncle Tom and later, Uncle Tom let it go back.

Rev. Michael Burkhalter

Michael was the son of Henry Burkhalter and Margaret Brunson was born 27 October 1795 in Edgefield District, South Carolina. He died 8 June 1864 and is buried at Old Liberty Cemetery [Enon] in the Antioch community. He was one of the first called, to preach at the Enon Primitive Baptist Church.

This church is still active but no longer located at Old Liberty, it was moved to Queen City [ date unknown]. He and his son Michael Sellars are buried on the west end of Old Liberty Cemetery.

Their headstones were erected in 1967 due to the efforts of Elva Burkhalter Upchurch and other relatives. Many of the Burkhalter children who died young, have no markers other than a brick or rock. The Rev. Michael Burkhalter married Eliza Jane Griffin 10 June 1817 in Greene County, Tennessee and later migrated to Cass County, Texas before 1850. Eliza Jane died 23 December 1863 and is buried at Old Liberty Cemetery.

They had eleven children:

Daniel Brunson - born 25 March 1818 and died 13 October 1884. He married Sarah Newman in Greene County, Tennessee.

William Henry born 18 February 1820 and died unknown. He married Mary “Polly” Cagle in Greene County, Tennessee.

Rev. David Witt born 25 May 1822 and died unknown. He married Lou Walker in Marion County, Tennessee.

John Michael born 22 February 1825 and died unknown. He married Martha M. Mitchell. Ebenezer Maxwell - born 20 April 1827 and died 19 October 1900. He married Sarah Risha Tidwell 19 October 1854.

Pamelia born 10 October 1829 and died unknown. She married William Morgan 4 November 1851.

Michael - born 18 February 1832 and died 18 February 1877. He married Mary Ann Griffin 2 September 1855.

Nancy - born 19 September 1834 and died 11 August 1895. She married Joseph R. Hill 21 April 1853.

Sarah born 5 October 1837 and died unknown. She married Chatham Shelton 2 September 1873.

Margaret born 25 May 1840 and died 3 February 1914. She married George H. Maxwell. Martha Jane - born 25 December 1842 and died unknown. She married George R. Bryant.