Martha F. and Boyd O. Burge

Martha Florence⁶ Stafford (William¹ Robert² Andrew³ Daniel⁴ Clayton⁵) Born on 28 July 1902;^1,2 died on 13 December 1984 in Salina, Saline County, Kansas at the age of 82 years.³ Mattie Flo, as she was named by her parents,⁴ was the second child of Clayton and Grace Stafford.⁵  When Mattie became an adult, she decided to start using the name Martha Florence rather than the name her parents called her.^2,4  The only evidence found to date to document Martha's birth in Chandler, Oklahoma is a warranty deed filed in Belleville, Kansas by her parents, who were living in Chandler when they sold property inherited from Grace's father, Timothy Everts on August of 1902.⁶ This is very close to the time of her birth which occurred only a month before.

Her parents apparently did not like Oklahoma because they did not settle there permanently.  By the time Mattie was 2 years old, her family moved to Creston, Union County, Iowa where her sister Opal was born on 11 October 1904.^2,7   Again the family did not stay in Iowa long, but moved back to Kansas where, their youngest child, Charley Clayton Stafford was born on 26 November 1906 in Glen Elder, Mitchell County, Kansas.⁸

Martha lived most of her life in the state of Kansas.  In 1918 when she married Boyd Oliver Burge she lived at Ionia, Kansas.  They were married on 24 December 1918 at Mankato, Jewell County, Kansas.⁹  Boyd and Martha settled for a short time in Jewell County, Kansas where Boyd rented a farm and made farming his occupation.¹⁰  The 1920 census documents their residence in Jackson Township.¹⁰ In 1920, Boyd and Martha Burge provided a home for Martha's younger sister, Opal, who was known as Sofia.¹⁰   This is consistent with family tradition.  

Some time during the next ten years Boyd and Martha Burge left Jewell County and by 1930 they were living in Tonganoxie, Leavenworth County, Kansas on U.S. Highway 40.¹¹  At that time, Boyd and Martha both worked for the Highway Department.⁴ By 1930, their family consisted of four daughters and 1 son.¹¹  In later years, they returned to farming and lived the remainder of their lives in Republic County, Kansas.^4,12,13   Boyd Burge died at the Nuckolls County, Nebraska Hospital in Superior when he was 77 years of age.^{12, 14}  The date of his death is 10 November 1972¹⁴ and Martha F. Burge died on 13 December 1984 in Salina, Saline County, Kansas at the age of 82 years.¹³

Further research needed:

• Land Records

• Newspaper research - Nuckolls County, Nebraska

• No research to date for Boyd and Martha's children

¹

Martha F. Burge entry, Social Security Death Index; downloaded from Ancestry.com on 16 February 2006.

²

Boyd Burge – Martha Stafford Family Group Sheet; received from Marcy Volny i19 April 2002.

³

Martha Florence Burge death certificate no.84-020773, Kansas State, Department of Health and Environment, Vital Statistics, Topeka, Kansa; received from Marcy Volny.

⁴

⁵

Thomas N. Higgins household, 1910 U.S. Census, Linn County, Kansas, population schedule, Scott Township, ED 123, SD 2, sheet 5B, dwelling [not stated], family 107; National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 445.

⁶

Stafford – Woolsey warranty deed (21 August 1902), Republic County Deed Record Book 62:118; Recorder of Deeds Office, Belleville, Kansas.

⁷

⁸

Charley Clayton Stafford (521-10-6113), SS-5 form, Application for Account Number, Social Security Administration.

⁹

Photocopy of Burge – Stafford marriage certificate; received from Marcy Volny on 30 April 2005.

¹⁰

Boyd Berg household, 1920 U.S. Census, Jewell County, Kansas, population schedule, Jackson Township, ED 74, SD 6, sheet 9A, dwelling 199, family 199; National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 535.

¹¹

Boyd Burge household, 1930 U.S. Census, Leavenworth County, Kansas, population schedule, Tonganoxie Township, City of Tonganoxie, ED 33, SD 5, sheet 11A, dwelling 276, family 286; National Archives microfilm publication T626, roll 708.

¹²

Boyd Burge obituary, unnamed and undated newspaper clipping; received from Marcy Volny.

¹³

Martha Burge obituary, unnamed and undated newspaper clipping; received from Marcy Volny 30 Apr 2005.

¹⁴

Boyd Oliver Burge death certificate (10 November 1972), no number stated, State of Nebraska, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Lincoln, Nebraska; received from Marcy Volny.

¹⁵

"Republic County farmer seriously hurt by tractor," unnamed and undated newspaper clipping; received from Marcy Volny 30 Apr 2005.