Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485324096:1030:191555462
• _UID: 0A0490FB5BFB4E8D9AD53C18294AC7531A6F

Notes:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13167861/james-randall-grisham

Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485324074:1030:191555462
• _UID: 7EA874503659440C9725F50B7BE100A38471

Houston married Rita Burkhart on 19 Aug 1950 in Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States. Rita (daughter of Oather James Burkhart and Ivy Velvia Dickson) was born on 18 Jul 1935 in Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; died on 17 Nov 2021 in Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States; was buried in Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485324072:1030:191555462
• _UID: 29FF2BF481274293B838A5D4C02A9EE2979D

Notes:

Obituary lists many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. But there's not a clear matching of children to parents.

Died:
Rita Grisham, 86, a lifelong Seminole, Oklahoma resident, died there on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at her Avonlea Cottage. She was a lifelong resident of Seminole County. She was born July 18, 1935, in Arkansas to Oather James and Iva Velvia (Dickson) Burkhart, spending her childhood in the Rudy, Arkansas area before moving to to Seminole County in her early teens. She attended school at New Lima. Rita married Houston A. Grisham on August 19, 1950 (he died May 19, 2001.) She married Donald Lester on July 21, 2007 (he died March 23, 2013.) She was a homemaker all her life. She was a devoted member of First Christian Church, serving as Sunday School teacher, and on the Board of Elders. She was a member of several local organizations, including the Self Culture Club. She served in the Seminole chapter of Order of Eastern Star, rising to the position of Worthy Matron. When the Seminole chapter closed, she was granted perpetual membership in the Tecumseh chapter. With her first husband, Rita had five children. She was preceded in death by her four sons, Dennis, Larry, Terry and Randy Grisham. She was survived by one daughter, Karen Grisham Anson and husband Jerry Anson of Seminole; grandchildren, Heather Anson and Jeremy Long of Norman, Oklahoma, Jill and Eric Malone of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, Ryan and Heather Anson of Moore, Oklahoma, Dennis Jr. and Brooke Grisham of Oklahoma City, Kelsey (Grisham) and Michael Williams of Ada, and Jade and Josh Hurst of Tulsa, Oklahoma; great-grandchildren, Carter and Greyson Malone, Jake and Tyler Anson, Nicholas Long, Trey and Seth Grisham. Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 November, at the Swearingen Funeral Chapel, Seminole, with Glen Pence, pastor of First Christian Church, Seminole, officiating. Burial followed at Little Cemetery. Pallbearers were: Jerry and Ryan Anson, Kenneth 'Sonny' Grisham, Dennis Grisham Jr., Levi Henson and Carter Malone.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Otha J. Burkhart
• _AMTID: 162485324070:1030:191555462
• _UID: 7BE3BD1FF8564692ABD6441E53892C3883ED

Oather married Ivy Velvia Dickson on 16 Apr 1932 in Crawford, Arkansas, United States. Ivy (daughter of Cecil Noyle Dickson and Elzenia Mildred Jones) was born on 8 Apr 1911 in Crawford, Arkansas, United States; died on 30 May 1943 in Crawford, Arkansas, United States; was buried in Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485316487:1030:191555462
• _UID: 68AF8D4CFD87466E93B5A4842E4E1783AEE0
• Census: 23 Jan 1920, Richland Township, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 2 Apr 1930, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Oliver Springs

Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485316464:1030:191555462
• _FSFTID: 9M91-NSH
• _UID: FD696E04D3FC4334A03C26CE5025937D7339
• Census: 25 Jun 1880, Bridge Bend Township, Prairie, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 11 Jun 1900, Van Buren, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 30 Apr 1910, Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Military: 12 Sep 1918, Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; registered for WWI Draft
• Census: 23 Jan 1920, Richland Township, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 2 Apr 1930, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Oliver Springs

Notes:

Probably from Desoto Co, Miss. He left home around the age of 16 due to not getting along real well with his step-father. Had a number of children including Joe, Edwin, and Arty, plus some other sons and daughters. Cecil killed himself. R.H. Dickson traveled from Fort Smith to Rudy for the funeral in the caboose of a freight train. He made the round trip in a single day. It is likely that Cecil, his family and his parents might be buried near the church they attended in Rudy.

(R.D. is Artie - He was listed wrong on the census.)

In addition to the children listed, there were at least a couple of girls whose names Granddad did not recall. R.D. is the youngest and could be Robert D. There is a auto garage along Highway 71 north of Fort Smith owned by a Dickson who is the illegitimate child of R.D. According to Crawford County Marriage Book E, Cecil Dickson, age 19, married Zena Jones, age 16, on 21 Aug 1895. The marriage was performed by J. Brim.

OCCUPATION: By way of occupation, Cecil was a farmer and cotton laborer.

CALLED: Some list Cecil as Cecil Noel, but more, who have closer knowledge, call him Cecil Noyle Dickson

23 Feb 2001 - From Millie McGrane:

Kathleen O'Kelly, just 1/2 mile from where it all happened, relates: I called a member of the Hunter family today to ask why Cecil Noel Dickson killed himself. He told me that Cecil was a kind man, who worried a lot. Apparently, Cecil had mortgaged the farm at Citizen Bank. Due to the depression at the time (1931) and possibly a crop failure, he could not make the payment on the mortgage. This upset Cecil very much. One morning, he went into Rudy and some men there were razzing him about the bank taking the farm. This upset him very much. Cecil went back home and ate dinner. Then he got his 22 rifle to go squirrel hunting. Along in the late afternoon when he had not returned, Zenia decided to send the boys to look for him. When they returned without finding him, she thought for a little while and told one of the boys "I know where he is. Go look in the old house." This old house was to the left and up on the hill from the house they lived in. They went there and looked in the window. There sat Cecil against the wall, with the gun braced on a stick of wood. He had shot himself, the 10th of November 1931 and he died. He was buried in the Mt. McCurry Cemetery which was not very far from his home. The farm that Cecil mortgaged was known at the time as the old Jones place. It had apparently belonged to Zenia's family. The next generation called it the old Dickson place. The new generation calls it where the Stallings live. It is a pretty valley. The banker who repossessed the farm allowed Zenia and the children to continue to live there. Joe was still at home and he ran the farm. They still had their chickens,cows, pigs, and horses, as these were not mortgaged. Their family did pretty well and did not go hungry. They were as prosperous as the other families in that area at the time. I do not know Cecil's parents names. They can probably be found in the census records for Crawford or Mississippi Co, AR. Cecil's occupation was apparently farmer, but the family also picked cotton as did all the other families in the fall. It was extra money for all.

Sincerely, Kathleen O'Kelley

kakelley@arkansasusa.com

Buried:
FINDAGRAVE: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=31689235

Cecil married Elzenia Mildred Jones on 21 Aug 1895 in Crawford, Arkansas, United States. Elzenia (daughter of Jack A. Jones and Caroline Baker) was born on 27 Aug 1879 in Crawford, Arkansas, United States; died on 11 Jan 1955 in Van Buren, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; was buried on 13 Jan 1955 in Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _AMTID: 162485317922:1030:191555462
• _FSFTID: L7LT-T2D
• _UID: C833E60EE47C473782A721F9E198E12D97FF
• Census: 11 Jun 1900, Van Buren, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 30 Apr 1910, Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 23 Jan 1920, Richland Township, Crawford, Arkansas, United States
• Census: 2 Apr 1930, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Oliver Springs
• Residence: 1 Apr 1935, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Oliver Springs
• Census: 18 Apr 1940, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Oliver Springs
• Census: 12 Apr 1950, Van Buren, Crawford, Arkansas, United States; Address:
  Cates Apts, N. 3rd Street

Notes:

Elzenia is also seen as Zena Jones on several occasions, including her marriage license. She married her step-brother, Cecil Dickson.

Birth:
In the 1900 Census, her birth year is given as 1880.

Census:
The census reports that in 1900 2 of her 3 children were living.

Census:
The census says that in 1910 6 of her 7 children were alive.

Census:
Zinia is living with her son, Walter, in 1940.

Buried:
FINDAGRAVE: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=31689252