Joe Franklin was described by his grandchildren as a most kind and generous and loving person. No one knew of his family and parents and history. Through much research, we have reached some tentative but fairly accurate decisions. We believe his father was Samuel J(Joseph?) Birdwell, and his mother was Susannah Cummins. Legend has it that Joe Franklin ran away from home because of a mean father - however, research shows it probably wasn't his biological father, but a step-father, James Riffe, that might have caused the problem. Photos from a close relative have placed Joe Franklin with a group of "Riffe" siblings, and in one photo is his wife shortly after they married, Anna Augusta Anderson.
A few notes do place Joe Franklin in Austin, Texas area with his brother Edward and at one time they both were firemen with the then volunteer fire department of Austin. Census records lists him as a stone mason and he worked for many years for Macken Marble Works off 16th St in Austin.
Joe Franklin was a 2nd cousin to Samuel H Birdwell, and until research proved fathers and their position in the ancestry tree, no one knew just how they were cousins. Joe Franklin's daughter, Esther Christine, and Samuel H's son, James Arthur, married, making Esther Christine a Birdwell marrying a Birdwell.
At present I haven't been able to find a death record on Samuel J Birdwell. A death index places mother, Susannah (Susie) Cummins, Birdwell, Riffe, Lee in San Jacinto County, Texas, 3-7-1929.
ab-2016
A few notes do place Joe Franklin in Austin, Texas area with his brother Edward and at one time they both were firemen with the then volunteer fire department of Austin. Census records lists him as a stone mason and he worked for many years for Macken Marble Works off 16th St in Austin.
Joe Franklin was a 2nd cousin to Samuel H Birdwell, and until research proved fathers and their position in the ancestry tree, no one knew just how they were cousins. Joe Franklin's daughter, Esther Christine, and Samuel H's son, James Arthur, married, making Esther Christine a Birdwell marrying a Birdwell.
At present I haven't been able to find a death record on Samuel J Birdwell. A death index places mother, Susannah (Susie) Cummins, Birdwell, Riffe, Lee in San Jacinto County, Texas, 3-7-1929.
ab-2016
Joe Franklin was described by his grandchildren as a most kind and generous and loving person. No one knew of his family and parents and history. Through much research, we have reached some tentative but fairly accurate decisions. We believe his father was Samuel J(Joseph?) Birdwell, and his mother was Susannah Cummins. Legend has it that Joe Franklin ran away from home because of a mean father - however, research shows it probably wasn't his biological father, but a step-father, James Riffe, that might have caused the problem. Photos from a close relative have placed Joe Franklin with a group of "Riffe" siblings, and in one photo is his wife shortly after they married, Anna Augusta Anderson.
A few notes do place Joe Franklin in Austin, Texas area with his brother Edward and at one time they both were firemen with the then volunteer fire department of Austin. Census records lists him as a stone mason and he worked for many years for Macken Marble Works off 16th St in Austin.
Joe Franklin was a 2nd cousin to Samuel H Birdwell, and until research proved fathers and their position in the ancestry tree, no one knew just how they were cousins. Joe Franklin's daughter, Esther Christine, and Samuel H's son, James Arthur, married, making Esther Christine a Birdwell marrying a Birdwell.
At present I haven't been able to find a death record on Samuel J Birdwell. A death index places mother, Susannah (Susie) Cummins, Birdwell, Riffe, Lee in San Jacinto County, Texas, 3-7-1929.
ab-2016
A few notes do place Joe Franklin in Austin, Texas area with his brother Edward and at one time they both were firemen with the then volunteer fire department of Austin. Census records lists him as a stone mason and he worked for many years for Macken Marble Works off 16th St in Austin.
Joe Franklin was a 2nd cousin to Samuel H Birdwell, and until research proved fathers and their position in the ancestry tree, no one knew just how they were cousins. Joe Franklin's daughter, Esther Christine, and Samuel H's son, James Arthur, married, making Esther Christine a Birdwell marrying a Birdwell.
At present I haven't been able to find a death record on Samuel J Birdwell. A death index places mother, Susannah (Susie) Cummins, Birdwell, Riffe, Lee in San Jacinto County, Texas, 3-7-1929.
ab-2016
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