Brief Life History of Martha Willis
When Martha Willis Burks was born on 11 March 1854, in Iowa, United States, her father, John D Burks, was 42 and her mother, Mary Hamilton, was 41. She married Thomas Benton Jennings on 14 May 1873, in Davis, Iowa, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. She lived in Fox River Township, Davis, Iowa, United States in 1860. She died on 11 May 1880, in Drakesville, Davis, Iowa, United States, at the age of 26, and was buried in Drakesville Cemetery, Drakesville Township, Davis, Iowa, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (5)
- Martha W Burks in household of John D Burks, "United States Census, 1860"
- Martha Willis Burks Jennings, "Find A Grave Index"
- Martha M. Burkes (Burks) in entry for Thomas B. Jennings, "Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
Siblings (12)
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World Events (7)
1857 · The State Capital moves to Des Moines
The Capitol was located in Iowa City until the 1st General Assembly of Iowa recognized that the Capitol should be moved farther west than Iowa City. Land was found two miles from the Des Moines River to start construction of the new building. Today the Capitol building still stands on its original plot.
1863
Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate states to be free.
1867 · The Burtis Opera House
The Burtis Opera House opened in Davenport and could easily hold an audience of 1,600. It was a widely used facility and Mark Twain filled the house when he spoke on tour in 1869. It was also used to house Susan B. Anthony when she lectured on the woman's right to vote. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra played its first concert as the new Tri-City Symphony in the Opera House. An arsonist set fire to the building on the evening of April 26, 1921, and the building was severely destroyed. The building was rebuilt but was no longer used as an opera house.
Name Meaning
English (Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire): habitational name from Birks in Cumberworth (Yorkshire) or from a minor place of this name in another county, named from Middle English birkes, berkes ‘the birches’. If from Staffordshire, the name may be a variant of Birch .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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