This is an obituary study of the children of Ralph Henderson Byrum and Nancy Evelyn Turner, daughter of Andrew and Levina (Chisum) Turner on 9 February 1860 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Their known children were
1. Margaret "Maggie" Enola Byrum
2. Ida Byrum
3. Norvie E. Byrum
4. Eddie Dean Byrum
5. John Bryum
6. Nannie Irene Byrum
After the death of Nancy, Ralph married Nora (Miller) Armstrong, and had three more children:
7. Velma Ophelia Byrum
8. Lula Byrum
9. Iva Lee Byrum
Locating obituaries for these siblings has been an ongoing challenge. Their obituaries follow in the order of their deaths:
John Byrum, born circa 1872 in Tennessee. Death date and location unknown.
Ida Byrum, born 20 October 1868 in Tennessee, married George W. Strong and died 6 June 1898 in Terrell, Texas. Obituary not found yet.
Lula Byrum, born circa 1888 and died 12 April 1900. No death notice found yet.
Norvie E. Byrum, born 2 February 1866, married George Harvey Strong, and died 9 November 1925 in Collingsworth County, Texas. Obituary not found yet.
Margaret "Maggie" Enola Byrum, 22 December 1860 in Hardeman County, Tennessee, married Thomas Jefferson Graham, and died on 15 March 1930 in Floydada, Floyd County, Texas:
Obituary published for Margaret Enola (Byram) Graham in The
Floyd County Hesperian:
Funeral Held Saturday for Mrs. T.J. Graham - Funeral services were
held Saturday afternoon at 4 o’clock for Mrs. T.J. Graham, a resident of Floyd
County for the past two years, and a number of years prior to 1917. The funeral
services were held at the Carr’s Chapel cemetery, where interment was made.
Mr. and Mrs. Graham lived
in Floyd County a number of years prior to 1917, when they moved to Norman,
Oklahoma. In 1927 they moved to Mangum, Oklahoma, where they made their home until 1928. For the past few
months they have been making their home in the Sand Hill community, where Mrs.
Graham’s death occurred. She had been in poor health for some time. Death came
at about 4 o’clock Saturday morning.
Surviving the deceased
are her husband, seven sons, Milliard and H.H. Graham, who reside in the Sand
Hill community, Carl, of Mangum, Okla., Edward of Amarillo, Horace of Oklahoma
City, Walter, who resides in New Mexico, and Ralph, of Vernon, Texas; one
daughter, Mrs. Annie Duck, of Cameron, New Mexico, and two sisters, Mrs. Bert
Hale, of Clarendon and Mrs. Eddie Howe, of Colorado. All were present for the
funeral services Saturday except Walter, Ralph, and Mrs. Howe.
[Source: The Floyd County Hesperian, Mar., 20, 1930.]Note that this obituary mentions sisters Nannie Irene (Byrum) Haile and Eddie Dean (Byrum) Howe, but makes no reference to their two younger half-sisters who are both still living - Iva Lee (Byrum) Buttrill and Velma Ophelia (Byrum) Jackson.
Iva Lee Byrum, born 27 November 1890, married Asa B. Buttrill, and died on 31 January 1931 in Waco, McLennan County, Texas. No obituary found yet.
Eddie Dean Byrum, born 4 January 1869 in Hardeman County, Tennessee; married John Finis Howe, and died on 4 March 1947 in Fritch, Hutchinson County, Texas:
Mrs. Eddie Dean Howe, 78, Died Today at Ranch Home of Daughter - Mrs.
Eddie D. Howe, 78, died at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
L.A. Whiteside, Sanford Ranch, headquarters, following a lingering illness.
Mrs. Howe was visiting
from Trinidad, Colorado.
Other survivors, in
addition to her daughter, are four sons, Will Howe of Springfield, Colo., J.B.
Howe of Panhandle, Arthur Howe of Herford, and Ray Howe of Wagon Wheel, New
Mexico; a sister, Mrs. W.B. Haile of Amarillo.
Funeral services will be
held in Kim, Colo., Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. under the direction of Minton
Funeral home of Borger.
[Source: Borger News-Advocate, Borger, TX, 4 Tues., 4 Mar 1947]
Note that this obituary mentions only one sister, Nannie Irene (Graham) Haile, although there is one, younger half-sister still living.
Nannie Irene Byrum, born in August 1881 in Tennessee. She married 1. George Fry and 2. William Burder Haile. She died on 15 September 1957 in Potter County, Texas.
Obituary of Nannie Irene (Byrum) Fry Haile; published in The
Amarillo Daily News, Amarillo, TX, Fri., 20 Sept 1957, p. 28]:
Mrs. Nannie Haile - Rites
in tribute to the memory of Mrs. Nannie Irene Haile, 76, of 2115 Parker, will
be conducted at 3 p.m. today in the First Baptist Church. Clarendon by the Rev
J.D. Hill, pastor of Haile Baptist Church in Hutchinson County, and the Rev.
W.F. Vanderburg of Clarendon.
Pallbearers will be Murl
McCaalin, M.L. McElvany, Paul Kemp, R.L. Harlan, E.L. Byars and C.E. Terry.
Burial will be in
Citizens Cemetery, Clarendon under direction of Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home.
Mrs. Haile, widow of W.B.
Haile, and a resident of the Panhandle area since 1891, died Wednesday at 11:30
p.m. in Underwood Clinic. She had lived in Amarillo since 1946, shortly before
the death of her husband, a former Hutchinson County rancher.
Mrs. Haile was born Aug.
28, 1881 in Tennessee, and came to Collingsworth County with her parents when
she was 10 years old.
Surviving are three sons,
B.H. (Bob) Haile, Amarillo; J.B. Haile, Hereford, and W.C. Haile, Corona,
Calif.,; four daughters, Mrs. J.M. Herrington, Rogers, Ark.,; Mrs. Buel Gray,
Skellytown; Mrs. Paul Russ, Panhandle, and Mrs. Clyde Martin, Clarendon; a
sister, Mrs. Velma Jackson, Silsbee, Tex; 21 grandchildren and 24
great-grandchildren.
[Source--The Amarillo Daily News - Amarillo, TX., Fri, 20 Sept
1957, p. 28.]
Note that this obituary mentions younger half-sister Velma Ophelia (Byrum) Jackson and is the only one to do so. Until I read this one, I had no idea that the younger half-siblings existed.
Obituary for Mrs. Nannie Haile published in The Amarillo Globe,
19 Sept. 1957:
Mrs. Nannie Haile Taken by Death - Death
last night claimed Mrs. Nannie Irene Haile, 76, pioneer resident of the
Panhandle and benefactor of church and youth organizations.
Mrs. Haile, widow
of W.B. Haile, died at 11:30 p.m. in the Underwood Clinic.
She had lived in
the Panhandle area since 1891 and had been a resident of Amarillo since 1946,
shortly before the death of her husband, a former Hutchinson County rancher.
Mrs. Haile was a
member of the Haile Baptist Church in Hutchinson County, which she had endowed,
and had been a staunch supporter of the Boys Ranch and Kids, Inc. The church
was named for the Haile family.
She was born Aug.
28, 1881, in Tennessee, and came to Collingsworth County, Tex., with her
parents when she was ten years old.
Funeral rites for
Mrs. Haile will be conducted Friday at 3 p.m. in the First Baptist Church in
Claredon by the Rev. J.D. Hill, pastor of the Haile Baptist Church and the Rev.
Vandenburg of Clarendon.
Named as
pallbearers are Murl McCaslin, H.L. McElvaney, Paul Kemp, R.L. Harlan, E.L.
Byars and C.E. Terry.
Burial will be in
the Citizens Cemetery at Clarendon under direction of Boxwell Brothers Funeral
Home.
Mrs. Haile is
survived by three sons, B.H. (Bob) Haile, Amarillo; J.B. Haile, Hereford, and
W.C. Haile, Corona, Calif.; four daughters, Mrs. J.H. Herrington, Rogers, Ark.,
Mrs. Buel Gray, Skellytown; Mrs. Paul Russ, Panhandle, and Mrs. Clyde Martin,
Clarendon; a sister, Mrs. Velma Jackson, Silsbee, Tex: 21 grandchildren and 14
great-grandchildren.
[Source: The Amarillo Globe, 19 Sep 1957, Panhandle Plains
Historical Museum]
Again, this obituary mentions half-sister Velma O. (Byrum) Jackson.
Velma Ophelia Byrum, born 14 September 1887 in Texas. She married Richard E. Jackson, the "Father of the Big Thicket," and died on 29 June 1973 in Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas.