Individual Record 16

Name}   Bird, Myrtle A.		Family History} Hancock
Title}	Race} White	Sex} Female
Birth:   Date} Exa   1 Nov 1863	Place} Covington, Kenton, Kentucky
Marr1: Date} Cir Apr 1894/95	Place}       (Link)
Marr2: Date} Exa 14 Feb 1903	Place} Jackson, Jackson, Michigan     (Link)
Death: Date} Exa  26 Apr 1934	Place} 138 Raymond Avenue, Napa, Napa, California
Burial: Date} Exa  28 Apr 1934	Place} Tulocay Cemetery, Napa, Napa, California
	Grave Marker} Yes   Area	Source 1}       9 = Biography Source 2}   164 = Biography Source 2}   707 = 1870 USA cen Source 3}     28 = 1880 USA cen Source 4}   203 = Town directy Source 5}   110 = Newspaper Source 6}   111 = Newspaper Source 7} 1427 = Marriage rec Source 8}     26 = 1910 USA cen Source 9}   304 = 1920 USA cen Source 10}   375 = Biography Source 11}   675 = Photographs Source 12}   676 = Photographs Source 13}     29 = Death certif Source 14} 1632 = Death record Source 15} 1648 = Obituary Source 16}   241 = Funeral rec Source 17}     30 = Cemetery rec Source 18} 1588 = Cemetery rec
Parents: } Elam Bird & Martha Patterson    Relationship No.} 56
1st Household No.} 191 = M.D.3, Kenton, Kentucky
Occupation 1} Seamstress        Occupation 2} Merchant/storekeeper
Religion/Church} Presbyterian
Spouses:   Prime} Williams, Theodore John                   Other} Turner  Total Number of} 2
Notes:  Myrtle A. Bird was born 1 Nov 1863 in Covington, Kenton, Kentucky.  She was the third of twelve children of Elam Bird and Martha Patterson.  In the 1870 US census, her family was living in Scotts Precinct, Covington, Kentucky.  Her father Elam, 36, was a laborer, and her mother, 30, was keeping house.  The children were Theodore L., 10. Alice, 7, and Myrtle, 7.
In the 1880 US census, Myrtle's family was living in District 3, Independence, Kenton, Kentucky.  Her father Elam, 46, was a farmer, and her mother Martha, 40, was keeping house.  The children were Theodore, 19, a farm laborer, Alice, 19, Myrtle, 16, Margaret, 14, Mary, 12, Crinton, 4, Jane, 2, and Sheridan, 6 months.  Also in the household was Martha Patterson, 68, widowed and the mother of Martha. In the Covington Directories, Myrtle was listed as a domestic in the Covington Protestant Children's Home in 1886; as a seamstress in 1888; a shoe fitter in 1889; and a missionary in 1892.  The family lived at 1418 Bank Lick. According to family sources, Myrtle had a relationship with a man, last name Turner.  They had a daughter Daisy Myrtle, born 1 Dec 1894 or 1895 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Myrtle and her brother Theodore Bird, and his wife Elizabeth, became some of the disciples, in a free love commune, which traveled the country side preaching their religion.  Here she met Theodore Williams, and they had a son Simeon, born on 20 Dec 1897 in Covington, Kentucky.  Her brother Theodore Bird took up with Theodore William's legal wife Elizabeth. The two couples ended up in Adrian, Michigan, living in the home of Thomas Curtis, also a disciple.  In October 1899, Theodore Williams, Theodore Bird, and two others, were convicted of obtaining money under false pretenses (fraud) and conspiracy.  They were sentenced in November 1889 to four years in the Ionia Reformatory, Ionia, Michigan. Myrtle married Theodore Williams on 14 Feb 1903, the day of his release, in the Michigan town of Jackson.  Theodore was then 42 and Myrtle was 39 years old.  About 1904, the couple moved to California. In the 1910 US census, Myrtle, 46, and Theodore, 49, were living on Sonoma Road, Napa Twp., Napa, California.  Theodore was a farm laborer, and Myrtle was a notions merchant.  They owned their home, free of mortgage.  Their sons were Simion J., 12, attending school, and David F. 3. In the 1920 US census, Myrtle, 56, and Theodore, 59, were living on Sonoma Hill Road, Carneros, Napa, California.  Theodore was a well borer of water wells.  Their sons were Simeon J., 22, a farm laborer, and David F. 12. In the 1930 US census, Myrtle, 66, and Theodore, 69, were in Carneros, Napa, California.  Theodore was still drilling wells.  Their sons had both established their own homes. Theodore died 2 Nov 1933.  Myrtle had been ill for some time with uterine cancer, and she died 26 Apr 1934, in the home of her daughter, Daisy Raina, 124 Raymond Ave., Napa.  She is buried with her husband in the Tulocay Cemetery, Napa. Her granddaughter Viola said "my remembrances of Grandma and Grandpa Williams mainly were of two soft-spoken, loving people.  Grandma was a Methodist missionary.  They were both very religious but didn't go to church as far as I remember.  Grandma played the pump organ (in their bedroom) [see photo] and Grandpa sang.  They both had good voices. Grandma was a fine seamstress.  She sewed for many people and made our coats, too.  For repairing holes in fine material, she used hair so that it would be invisible sewing."
Time of Birth}	Time of Death} 11:50 p.m.	Fraternal/Social}
Baptism Date}	Place}
Confirm. Date}	Photo} Myrtle circa 1908
Immigr'n Date} N/A	Port} N/A
Education: Grade}              or Top 2 Degrees}
Military: Service} None
Health Condition}    Cause of Death} Uterine cancer	Last Updated by} Karen Hancock Date Updated} 15 May 2023 Date Created}  21 Jun 1994
Copyright © 2004 - 2006, 2013 by Daniel W. Hancock and 2023 by Karen L. Hancock.  All Rights Reserved.

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