Great Grandmother Susana J. Markham Bond

I’ve spent quite a lot of time working on identifying the family of Susana J. Markham. The 1860 census, the only instance where I find her with a birth family, shows her name as Sus. J. Markham, living with parents Carter Markham and wife Lucinda (Thompson). Both my mother and Aunt Jackie remember her name as Mary Markham, and were quite adamant about that. I don't know where the Mary came from, maybe a nickname. However, Susana Markham Bond died before either was born, so maybe they were remembering someone else.

Scott Markham, who lived either with or next to our Bond family, was a mystery person to me for quite a long time, but helped me pinpoint the family of Carter Markham. Scott is shown on the 1900 census in Fannin County, TX living with Charles Bond and wife Martha, and is listed as nephew, although technically he was neither person’s nephew.   Our Benjamin M. Bond family is there also, with daughter Grace.

It wasn’t until death certificates from Texas became available online that I pinpointed Scott's father as John T. Markham, brother of Susana, and son of Carter Markham and Lucinda Thompson. Interesting, both Scott and Charles Bond married ladies from the Nichols family, which is probably a large part of why they stayed in close contact. In 1910 they are next to each other in Johnston County, Oklahoma, along with other Bond, Timmons and Markham families. By 1920 they were back in Texas, living in Burkburnett County, Texas. His name is sometimes listed as G.S. Markham, and other times J. S. Markham, but his wife’s name, Fenette (?), stays nearly the same, though she gave information for his death certificate as Janette Nichols Markham.  Those census takers weren't exactly fussy about getting spellings, or even names, correct.

Susana’s gravestone in the Bond family plot, Hilger Cemetery, Fannin County, Texas, where her husband and other family members are buried, shows her simply as S.J. Markham. On their son’s death certificate (Marvin Claude Bond) his mother’s name is listed as Susana Markham. She died on February 20, 1892. I’d still love to know what the J stands for. Maybe my mother’s name: Josephine? And maybe, just maybe, there's someone out there with a photograph of Susana Markham.  Wouldn't that be grand?

Cousins in Burkburnett, Texas

Long ago, at least for us, our Great Grandfather Charles Bond lived in Burkburnett with his first wife's nephew, Scott Markham.   In 1920, they lived at 506 6th Street in Burkburnett where they were renting a  house. Charles Bond's death certificate in 1922 lists his residence as Burkburnett, though he died and is buried in Fannin County, Texas.  Although oil was first discovered in 1912, it wasn't until the 1918 find that Burkburnett became a boom town.  The 1940 move "Boom Town" with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy was inspired by the Burkburnett story.  Below are some photos to give you an idea of what Burkburnett looked like in 1919.  Click on the images to enlarge.  Next post will go in to some more history about our Gr-Grandfather Bond and Gr-Grandmother Susana Markham families.

Both photos were taken c. 1919 and are from the Library of Congress site which indicates no known restrictions to their use.   Several things struck me about these images:  one was the location of oil rigs right next to the homes, and the second was the large number of rigs.   Couldn't get away with that today, could we? You can also see flares where the distillate is burned off.   Must have been fun keeping house.  Must have smelled lovely, too, or maybe they just thought of it as the fine "smell of money being made."
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Mama's Family

After listing Daddy's father's family I thought I would go ahead and list Mama's immediate family. I'm trying to find stories about her family when they were children but it seems no one heard or remembers stories our parents, aunts or uncles told, except for my cousin Snooks who has an amazing memory.

Benjamin Moses Bond, son of Charles Bond and Susana J. Markham, married Nora Mellissie Timmons, daughter of William Robertus Monroe Timmons and Mahala Jane Roten, on November 29, 1898 at her parents' home in New Boston, Bowie County, Texas.

Their children were:


1. Grace Ada, born December 29, 1899 in Texas. She married Ivy L. Warren June 28, 1919 in Red River County, Texas. She died August 7, 1938 in Harris County, Texas.

2. Charles Monroe born August 9, 1902 in Texas. He died January 17, 1949 in Galveston County, Texas.


3. Jewell Sidney, born September 5, 1904 in Texas, died September 27, 1937 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.

4. Alma Josephine, born March 19,1906 in Johnston County, Oklahoma. She married Leonard George Showers in 1929 or 1930. After he died she married Joe Hesacar Hawk on September 2, 1936 in Ft. Bend County, Texas. She died June 16, 1980 in Galveston County, Texas.

5. Minnie Hazel, born July 30, 1908 in Johnston County, Oklahoma. She married John Robertson on September 28, 1927 in Wilbarger County, Texas. She died August 13, 1956 in Wilbarger County, Texas.


6. Clarence Benjamin, "Bennie", born September 22, 1910 in Johnston County, OK, died Oct 27, 1918 in Bagwell, Red River County, Texas.


7. Alcie Lewis, born April 8, 1912, Johnston County, Oklahoma. He married Anna Mary Shute in West Columbia, Brazoria County, Texas. They divorced and he then married Lenore Juanita Sherwood on November 23, 1936 in Galveston County, Texas. He died December 24, 1978 in Galveston County, Texas.

8. Bertha E. Bond, born April 29, 1914, died September 9, 1914 in Johnston County, Oklahoma.

9. Lavoy Oleta ("Jackie"), born October 16, 1915 in Texas. She married Harley Elvis Griesmer on June 27, 1936. She died August 13, 1993 in Bacliff, Galveston County, Texas.


10. Lena Murrel, born September 14, 1918 in Red River County, Texas. She married Herbert Warren on March 1, 1941 in Bacliff, Galveston County, Texas. She died June 12, 2000 in Fremont, Alameda County, California.