Posted By: Dorothy Campbell
Date Posted: Mar 16, 2009
Description:
Harmon is son of Haden and Nancy Lewallen Burke
Nancy Lewallen his mother died days after giving birth to him.
BURK, HARMONS died 25 Feb 1954 Harmons Burk, age 75, passed away early Tuesday afternoon, February 25 at the home of his daughter, Mary Louise Chambers here in Oneida. He was a member of the Baptist Church, a splendid citizen and had many friends in the county. He is survived by a daughter, Mary Chambers of Oneida and Gracie Newport of Indianapolis, Ind., 1 sister, Luverna Redd (Reed) of Oregon, 10 grand children. Funeral services were held at the Black Oak Baptist Church, Sunday 1:30 p.m. with the Revs. James Marcum and Albert Chitwood officiating. Burial in Black Oak Cemetery. West in charge. (Source: The Scott County News, 5 Mar 1954, p8)
HARMON "TAFFY" BURKE:
Harmon Burke was the youngest son born to Hayden and Nancy Lewallen Burke. He was born February 14, 1879. Six days later his mother, Nancy, passed away. So Harmon grew up never knowing his mother. Because of circumstances involving her death and the stories he had heard about her, Harmon still felt very close to her and loved her very much. My guess is that he thought of her often and prayed for her every night. As his letters often stated " I kneel and pray every night or day, I am living the best I can, and that's all a man can do."
Sometime close to 1903, Harmon married Nancy Jane Smith, daughter of Harmon and Rhoda Foster Smith. On July 8, 1904 they had their first child, Mary Mae Burke, she was born in Wayne County, Kentucky. Mary married James Martin Slaven, son of James Harve and Sarah Pennington Slaven, on March 13, 1919. On September 17, 1906, They had their second daughter, Rhoda Burke. Rhoda married Reuben Pierce. When she was 23 years old she died of T.B. on July 6, 1929. She was buried in Marcum Cemetery of Scott County, Tennessee. In 1908 Nancy Jane also died of T.B.
Harmon's second wife was Electric "Lectie" Terry, daughter of Miles Terry. "Lectie" died during childbirth along with the infant.
Harmon then married Josie Winchester, they had one child. She was Gracie Burke. She married Ralph Newport and they resided in Indianapolis Indiana.
Sometime in 1936, Harmon and Josie went their separate ways. It is said that they never got divorced, but that they never got back together either.
Harmon was always a ladies man, as you can tell. Even when he was 71 years old, he would always talk about the ladies. In a letter that he wrote at that time, he teased, "Can you find me a pretty Indian girl you could get to write me, we could have lots of fun."
In one of his last letters he wrote of how he was starting to feel his age. He wrote to his nephew Ben, son brother Jonathan, that he was in very bad shape. He could get around to his cooking, get coal in and bring up water, he stated "I can hardly do that, but her ain't no place like home." (I find this an ironic quote, if you think of his mother's last plea, "I want to go home.")
Harmon was one of the last pioneers, went through a lot of hard times, but had many good ones to go with them. He was a good man and one who love his God. Harmon passed away on February 26, 1954 of a stroke and heart trouble. He was buried in Black Oak Cemetery, eight miles west of Oneida on Rt. 3. He was 75 years old.
More About HARMON "TAFFY" BURKE:
Burial: Black Oak/Alticrest Cemetery, Fentress County, Tennessee. West of Oneida, 8 miles on Rt. 3.
Cause of Death: Died of stroke and heart trouble
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