Harry Sylvester Burkepile was the fifth of seven children born to Jacob B. and Mary Ann (nee Ricedorff) Burkepile. He was baptized on 11 Apr 1874 at the Mannsville Lutheran church in Mannsville, Pennsylvania. In March of 1880, his parents brought the family to Mitchell County, Kansas; they first farmed near Solomon Rapids, and then in September 1882 moved to a farm in Salt Creek township which is in the south central part of the county near the Lincoln county line. His sister Ella later wrote that she remembers the first house at their new place was a sod house, but the kitchen area had a dressed rock floor; Harry's father Jacob was a skilled stone mason. Two years later Jacob had built for his family a large two-story stone house complete with five bedrooms (four up, one down), a living room, a large kitchen, and a pantry. It was very large for its day and probably could not have been affordable except for his father's skill. The school they attended, Saltville, was 4.25 miles away, and they had to walk this twice a day, leaving at sunup in the winter. They attended church at the Rocky Hill school in Lincoln County; later the children were allowed to attend school there as well. Ella wrote that she recalls that she, Harry, and sister Katie herded cattle and hogs; range land was free. They moved into Beloit in 1887.
In 1898 Harry served as a private with Company C, 22nd Kansas Infantry in the Spanish American War.
He married Kate "Kittie" Kirby on 14 Aug 1899 in Beloit (Mitchell County), Kansas. They had the following children:
John Harve (1900-1964)
Frank J (1903-1983)
Ivan Edward (b. abt 1904, died at the age of 9 months)
Hazel Marie (1906-1992) who married Kenneth Barrows
Elsie Elnora (b. abt 1908, died at the age of 4 months)
Jesse Lee (1911-1997).
In 1903 he moved his family to near Cherokee in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma which is in north central Oklahoma on the Kansas border. They stayed there for about 10 years, then took a claim in Prowers County, Colorado. He farmed there until his death in 1927.
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NOTE on his first name: There are only two places I have found that gives his first name as "Henry": the family Bible, and his father's war pension papers. In all other documents, his name is Harry; he even signed his WWI draft registration as Harry.
In 1898 Harry served as a private with Company C, 22nd Kansas Infantry in the Spanish American War.
He married Kate "Kittie" Kirby on 14 Aug 1899 in Beloit (Mitchell County), Kansas. They had the following children:
John Harve (1900-1964)
Frank J (1903-1983)
Ivan Edward (b. abt 1904, died at the age of 9 months)
Hazel Marie (1906-1992) who married Kenneth Barrows
Elsie Elnora (b. abt 1908, died at the age of 4 months)
Jesse Lee (1911-1997).
In 1903 he moved his family to near Cherokee in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma which is in north central Oklahoma on the Kansas border. They stayed there for about 10 years, then took a claim in Prowers County, Colorado. He farmed there until his death in 1927.
--------------------------------
NOTE on his first name: There are only two places I have found that gives his first name as "Henry": the family Bible, and his father's war pension papers. In all other documents, his name is Harry; he even signed his WWI draft registration as Harry.
Harry Sylvester Burkepile was the fifth of seven children born to Jacob B. and Mary Ann (nee Ricedorff) Burkepile. He was baptized on 11 Apr 1874 at the Mannsville Lutheran church in Mannsville, Pennsylvania. In March of 1880, his parents brought the family to Mitchell County, Kansas; they first farmed near Solomon Rapids, and then in September 1882 moved to a farm in Salt Creek township which is in the south central part of the county near the Lincoln county line. His sister Ella later wrote that she remembers the first house at their new place was a sod house, but the kitchen area had a dressed rock floor; Harry's father Jacob was a skilled stone mason. Two years later Jacob had built for his family a large two-story stone house complete with five bedrooms (four up, one down), a living room, a large kitchen, and a pantry. It was very large for its day and probably could not have been affordable except for his father's skill. The school they attended, Saltville, was 4.25 miles away, and they had to walk this twice a day, leaving at sunup in the winter. They attended church at the Rocky Hill school in Lincoln County; later the children were allowed to attend school there as well. Ella wrote that she recalls that she, Harry, and sister Katie herded cattle and hogs; range land was free. They moved into Beloit in 1887.
In 1898 Harry served as a private with Company C, 22nd Kansas Infantry in the Spanish American War.
He married Kate "Kittie" Kirby on 14 Aug 1899 in Beloit (Mitchell County), Kansas. They had the following children:
John Harve (1900-1964)
Frank J (1903-1983)
Ivan Edward (b. abt 1904, died at the age of 9 months)
Hazel Marie (1906-1992) who married Kenneth Barrows
Elsie Elnora (b. abt 1908, died at the age of 4 months)
Jesse Lee (1911-1997).
In 1903 he moved his family to near Cherokee in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma which is in north central Oklahoma on the Kansas border. They stayed there for about 10 years, then took a claim in Prowers County, Colorado. He farmed there until his death in 1927.
--------------------------------
NOTE on his first name: There are only two places I have found that gives his first name as "Henry": the family Bible, and his father's war pension papers. In all other documents, his name is Harry; he even signed his WWI draft registration as Harry.
In 1898 Harry served as a private with Company C, 22nd Kansas Infantry in the Spanish American War.
He married Kate "Kittie" Kirby on 14 Aug 1899 in Beloit (Mitchell County), Kansas. They had the following children:
John Harve (1900-1964)
Frank J (1903-1983)
Ivan Edward (b. abt 1904, died at the age of 9 months)
Hazel Marie (1906-1992) who married Kenneth Barrows
Elsie Elnora (b. abt 1908, died at the age of 4 months)
Jesse Lee (1911-1997).
In 1903 he moved his family to near Cherokee in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma which is in north central Oklahoma on the Kansas border. They stayed there for about 10 years, then took a claim in Prowers County, Colorado. He farmed there until his death in 1927.
--------------------------------
NOTE on his first name: There are only two places I have found that gives his first name as "Henry": the family Bible, and his father's war pension papers. In all other documents, his name is Harry; he even signed his WWI draft registration as Harry.
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