Pearl Payne Burkey

Mrs. Pearl Payne Burkey, 71, of 58 Partrick Road, Westport died this morning at her home following an illness of four months.

Born in Norwalk, Mrs. Burkey had been a resident of Westport 45 years. She was the wife of Edward C. Burkey.

Mrs. Burkey was a member of Our Sisters Lodge, I.O.O.F. of Norwalk and the Degree of Pocohontas.

Besides her husband, she is survived by six daughters, Mrs. John Lapak, and Mrs. Joseph Oden of Westport; Mrs. Lawrence Leamer of Vestal, N.Y., Mrs. Stanley Walker of Ridgefield, Mrs. Kenneth Markwell of St. Petersburg, FL, Mrs. Ella Howard and Miss Eva Payne, both of Norwalk.

Funeral services will be held from the Charles H. Lewis Funeral Home, 210 East State Street, Westport at 2 P.M. with Rev. Gibson I. Daniels, pastor of the Saugatuck Congregational Church officiating. Interment will be in Willowbrook Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home Sunday and Monday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M.

The Hour, Norwalk, CT - February 11, 1963
[Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy]

Obit: Mrs. G. I Johnson, Math Teacher, Dies

Mrs. Horatia Ewell Johnson, 41, wife of Dr. George I. Johnson, of 10 Elmwood Avenue, died Friday in Norwalk Hospital after a brief illness.

Mrs. Johnson was a mathematics teacher at Ponus Ridge Junior High School. She had been with the school system for five years. She was a member of Girl Friends, Inc. , a member of the American Ass'n of University Women and a Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member. She was a member of the National Ass'n of College Woman and a member of Jack and Jills of America.

Mrs. Johnson received her B.A. degree at Howard University and her M.A. at Columbia University. She was a member of the Methodist Church of Norwalk. Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of the late John and Patricia Miller Ewell.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Karen Johnson, of Norwalk.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 10 A.M. in the Methodist Church of Norwalk, 724 West avenue, with Rev. Barton Bovee, pastor, officiating. Interment will take place in Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call at Nick J. Downer Funeral Home, 2 Stevens Street, this evening from 7 to 9 and Sunday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m.

The Hour, Norwalk, CT - February 11, 1963
[Submitted by a Friend of Free Genealogy]

Runa Rockwell

Mr. Runa Rockwell died at the house of his son in Brookfield on Saturday, September 24th, 1864, at the very advanced age of 91 years, 7 months and 13 days. He was born in the town of Ridgefield, Parish of Ridgebury, February 11th, 1773. The farm upon which he lived during much of his long life had been in the possession of the family since it was first purchased from the Indans. His son truly says, 'the fact of his having lived to be so old, and his faculties so remarkably retained, are worthy of record, attesting the importance, and commending his example, of frugality, industry and temperance in all things.' He was one of the foremost in the cause of temperance, abstaining himself and discountenancing in others the use of all intoxicating drinks, and abolishing the custor of 'treating his friends to liquor, as was usual in early times, and practiced by him until the evils of the use of ardent spirits began to be apparent.' Mr. Rockwell had long been a member of the Congregational Church at Ridgebury. He retained all of his faculties unimpaired up to the day of his death. His memory was lucid and he loved to relate to his friends many incidents witnessed by himself connected with the Revolutionary War. He well remembered the cutting down by the Tories of the first liberty-pole in Ridgebury, and the erection of another in its place by the Federals, who filled the second one with pot-metal, nails, etc., to prevent it from sharing the fate of the former one. Also the confiscation of the property of some of his neighbors (Tories), and their imprisonment for their sympathy with and giving aid and comfort to the enemy. He had a vivid recollection of the burning of Danbury by the British, and of fleeing to the woods wit his father as the red-coats approached Ridgebury. He outlived the use of pillions and gigs, and had the first four-wheel pleasure carriage ever built in Ridgebury. Gas, steamboats, telegraphs, railroads, etc., were then unknown. He traveled on horseback to the then far West, where it was nothing but a wilderness, passing through the present city of Rochester when it contained one log house, making the journey to the Falls of Niagara and crossing into Canada. Having decided to locate there, he returned and made preparations to remove, but was detained by the breaking out of the War of 1812, rendering frontier life insecure for his family. His married life was remarkable. Himself and wife were but seventerrn years of age when they were joined in marriage Nov 11th, 1790, by Rev. Samuel Camp, and lived happily together for about seventy years, he surviving his companion about four years. During his life he saw the Government formed--saw it pass safely through all of its conflicts but the present. His desire was great to witness the successful termination of the present struggle. He had an abiding faith in the perpetuity of the Union, believing that in the future a greater destiny was in store for our country than it had yet witnessed. He died calmly, sweetly falling to sleep. Thus has passed away another link in the chain connecting us with the ever-glorious past and its band of heroes."

Thomas Woodruff Walker

WALKER, THOMAS WOODRUFF, born at New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana, June M, (sic) 1833; son of Thomas B. and Mary (Woodruff) Walker; married Henrietta C. Dayton at Newark, New Jersey, April 1, 1863; daughter, Marie W.

Appointed to West Point from Indiana, 1852; graduated July 1,1856, and promoted to 2d lieutenant, 3d U.S. Infantry; served on frontier duty at Fort Defiance, New Mexico, 1857-1860; engaged in skirmishes with Navajo Indians near that Post May 30 and September 19, 1858; mentioned in General Orders as being actively engaged in action against Navajos at Banchos de los Arrogoneses, southwest of OJo de Oso, New Mexico, October 10, 1858, when 25 Indians were killed or badly wounded; participated in expedition against Tuni-cha Navajo Indians, November, 1859.

Promoted 1st Lieutenant April 11, and Captain May 20, 1861; Brevet Major for gallant and meritorious conduct at the battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia, June 27, 1862, where he commanded a Regiment; participated in the battles of Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg and other serious engagements during the Civil War; retired for disability resulting from exposure and sickness in line of duty, September 11, 1863.

Detailed under the Act of July 28, 1866, as Military Instructor at Norwich University, Vermont, and served as President of that institution from February 13, 1867 to May 28, 1868, when he was compelled to resign because of ill health, admitted to the bar and practiced law at Vineland, New Jersey, 1874-83; traveled extensively in Europe, 1883-88; died at South Wilton, a suburb of Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut, December 9, 1890, aged 57; buried in Riverside Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut; W.D, 522,849. Series 1, Vol. 11, 12, 21.

[Transcribed and contributed by Barb Z.]

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Heitman, F.B, - Historical Register and Dictionary, U.S. Army p. 997.
Cullum, G.W. - Biographical Register, U.S. Military Academy, No. 1739.
Gardner, C.K. - Dictionary, Army of the U.S., 1860, p. 635.
Powell, W,H. - Records of Living Officers, U.S. Army, 1890, p. 622.
Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy - Annual Reunion, 1891, pp. 38-39,
National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. 18, p. 325.
Annual Report of the Secretary of War, 1859, p. 376.
The Adjutant General of the Army - Military service records.
U.S. Veterans Administration - Pension records.
The Army and Navy Journal. December 13, 1890, p. 265, Col. 3.
The Norwalk Hour. Norwalk, Conn., December 13, 1890, p. 2.

PAGE 1 Page 2 Index

The contributions made to this page remain the property of the submitter
Page Designed and Maintained for Genealogy Trails
© 2009 Nancy Washell