Marcus "Mark" Lafayette BIRD (1855-1909)

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Marcus "Mark" Lafayette BIRD (1855-1909)

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Marcus "Mark" Lafayette BIRD (1855-1909)

Descendants of Andrew Bird (1673-1723) and Katrun Kuver (Covert) (1689-1723) (Terry L. Linton © 1992) (Linton Research Fund, Inc., Publication © 1992, printed in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, USA.)

Marcus "Mark" Lafayette BIRD (1855-1909) was the uncle of Jeff Augustus "Gus" BIRD (1893-1954) and the granduncle of Evelyn Virginia BIRD (1922-2012).

Marcus "Mark" Lafayette BIRD (1855-1909) was the son of Minister George BIRD, Jr., (1821-1888) & Melinda Elizabeth CARROLL (1827-1906). Mark was born on January 29, 1855 in Waco, McLennan County, Texas. Mark died on October 10, 1909, in Groveton, Trinity County, Texas.

According to the 1860 United States Federal Census: Name, M.F. Bird age 5, son; Birth Year about 1855; Gender, Male; Race, White; Birth Place, Texas; Home in 1860 Post Office Waco McLennan County, Texas; Dwelling Number, 420; Family Number, 420; Household members, Geo Bird, Head of House, farmer, real estate value $780, personal estate value $492; M.E. Bird age 32 wife, keeping house; M.E. Bird age 10; Rebecca Bird age 9, daughter; M.F. Bird age 5, son; M.J. Bird; M.M. Bird age 1; J.C. Harris age 21, teacher, born in Missouria. Mark lived next door to uncle Martin Van Buren BIRD’s (1810-1880) larger adjacent farm. [i]

According to the 1870 United States Federal Census: Name, Marcus Byrd, age 15, son; Birth Date, about 1855; Birthplace Texas; Dwelling Number, 388; Home in 1870 Post Office Waco East of the Brazos River, McLennan County, Texas; Race white; Gender male; Household members: George Byrd age 49, Head of House, farmer, own farm, value of Real Estate $1,000; value of Personal Estate $800; Melvina Byrd age 43, wife, keeping house; Martha Byrd age 21, daughter; Marcus Byrd age, 15, son; Mary Byrd age 13, daughter; Nancy Byrd age 11, daughter; Thomas Byrd age 9, son; Lizzie Byrd age 7, daughter; Julia Byrd age 4, daughter; Susan Robertson age 21, teacher born in Alabama; James McGee age 24, farm laborer born in Georgia. [ii]

Mark married Julia Ann FOX (1858–1883) on August 6, 1874 in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Julia was the daughter of Albert FOX (1808–1858) & Mary Jane KNOTT (1836–1887). [iii]

Mark & Julia had children:

Mary Isabella BIRD (1876–1900); Estelle Pearl BIRD (1878–1963); Della P. BIRD (1879–?); Everett Jackson BIRD (1880–1926).

According to the 1880 United States Federal Census: Name, Lafayette Bird age 25; Birth Date, About 1855 in Texas; Home in 1880, 5th Ward, Natchitoches, Louisiana; Dwelling Number 432; Race White; Gender Male, Relation to Head of House Self (Head); Marital Status Married; Spouse's Name Julia Bird; Father's Birthplace Georgia; Mother's Birthplace Georgia; Occupation Planter; Household members: Lafayette Bird age 25; Julia Bird age 22; Mary Bird age 4; Pearl Bird age 2; Everet Bird age 4/12. [iv]

Julia died in 1883 in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.

By 1885, widower Marcus Bird had moved back to Texas and married Winnefred “Winnie” Ardine KEMPER (1870–1959) on September 17, 1885, in Hardin County, Texas. Willie was the daughter of John Splane KEMPER (1841–1908) & Hannah Elizabeth HALL (1842–1925). Willie was born on March 3, 1870 in Trinity, Nacogdoches County, Texas and died on September 22, 1959 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

Mark & Winnie had eleven known children:

Ross H. BIRD (1886–1895); Clyde BIRD (1888–1895); Ethel Nell "Nellie" BIRD (1890–1960); Marcus Lafayette BIRD (1893–1951); Margene L. BIRD (1894–?); George Kemper BIRD (1895–1988); Theodore "Theo" Uriel W. BIRD (1899–1942); Thelma Eureka BIRD (1901–1983); Hally Uwin BIRD (1904–1962); Juanita Idella BIRD (1906–1993); Carmon M. BIRD (1908–1984). [v]

By 1900, Mark and the family had moved from Hardin Texas and were living near Groveton in Vair, Trinity County Texas. His occupation was a now a carpenter and owing a house and not a farm next to a sawmill.

According to the 1900 United States Federal Census: Name, Marcus L Bird age 45; Birth Date, Jan 1855; Birthplace Texas; Home in 1900 Justice Precinct 1, Trinity County, Texas; Sheet Number 4; Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation 75; Family Number 75; Race white; Gender male; Relation to Head of House Head; Marital Status married; Spouse's Name Winnie A Bird; Marriage Year 1885; Years Married 15; Father's Birthplace South Carolina; Mother's Birthplace North Carolina; Occupation Carpenter; Attended School 3 years; Can Read and Write, yes; Can Speak English, yes; House Owned or Rented, Own; Home Free or Mortgaged, F; Farm or House, H; Household members: Marcus L Bird age 45; Winnie A Bird age 30, keeping house; Nellie E. Bird age 9, daughter attending school; Marcus L Bird age 6, son; Geo K. Bird age 4, son; Theodore W. Bird age 1. [vi]

Mark died on October 10, 1909 at the age of 54, in Groveton and was buried in the Glenwood Cemetery, Groveton, Trinity County, Texas.

Willie died fifty years later, on September 22, 1959, at age of 89, in Houston, Harris County, Texas. She is buried next to Mark in the Glenwood Cemetery, Groveton, Trinity County, Texas.

Sources:

[i] 1860 United States Federal Census: Transcript Birth date: about 1855, Birth place: Texas Residence date: 1860 Residence place: McLennan County, Texas; Detail Year: 1860; Census Place, McLennan, Texas; Roll: Page: 417; Image: 259. Publisher, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records

[ii] 1870 United States Federal Census Transcript: Birth date: about 1855; Birth place, Texas; Residence date, 1870; Residence place, East of the Brazos River, McLennan County, Texas; Roll: M593; Page: ; Publisher, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record.

[iii] Louisiana, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1718-1925: Note: pHunting For Bears, comp. Louisiana, Marriages, 1718-1925./i Compiled from a variety of sources including original marriage records located in Family History Library microfilm, microfiche, or books. Original marriage records are available from the Clerk of the Court where the marriage license was issued./p br pLouisana Secretary of State's Office. iLouisana Marriage Index./iBaton Rouge, Louisiana./p; Publisher Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Publisher date, 2004; Publisher location, Provo, UT, USA; Repository Ancestry.com

[iv] 1880 United States Federal Census: Transcript: Birth date: about 1855; Birth place: Texas; Residence date: 1880 Residence place: 5th Ward, Natchitoches, Louisiana; Detail: Year: 1880; Census Place: 5th Ward, Natchitoches, Louisiana; Roll: 457; Family History Film: 1254457; Page: 670B; Enumeration District: 035; Image: 0584; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publisher: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited; Repository information Name Ancestry.com; Address http://www.Ancestry.com

[v] 1860 Census United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records), Year: 1860; Census Place: McLennan, Texas; Roll: Page: 417; Image: 259.

[vi] 1900 United States Federal Census: Transcript: Birth date: Jan 1855 Birth place: Texas Marriage date: 1885 Marriage place: Residence date: 1900 Residence place: Justice Precinct 1, Trinity, Texas; Detail: Year: 1900; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Trinity, Texas; Roll: T623_31077_4118571; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1241674; Publisher Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18; Repository information, Name Ancestry.com