Tombstone Tuesday–Buress B. & Leona L. (Becher) McBride

Buress & Leona McBride, East Bethel Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2016 photo by Karen)

Buress & Leona McBride, East Bethel Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2016 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Buress B. and Leona L. (Becher) McBride, located in row 4 of East Bethel Cemetery, Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

McBride
Leona L.
1900-1962

Buress B.
1898-1977

Buress B. McBride was born in Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, on 24 October 1898, the son of James E. and Mary J. (Williams) McBride. His name looks like “Burros Burrce McBride on his probate birth record. [1]

Buress grew up on a farm in Blackcreek Township and his father was a farmer. Buress was actually the second child born to James and Mary McBride. The 1900 census indicates that Mary had given birth to two children and his older sister was Bessie McBride, born in February 1896. Bessie was not enumerated with the family in the 1910 census. The 1900 census also indicates the parents had been married five years and that both were born in Ohio. [2]

The James McBride family still resided in Blackcreek Township in 1910. In the household: James E, 37; Mary, 33; Buress B, 11; Jesse, 8; William E, 4; and Wariam [?] Williams, 17, their “hand.” The road they lived on looks like Centenary Road and was near Brandt Pike. I am not sure what road that would have been. They lived fairly close to Andrew Kallenberger and Frederick Allmandinger. [3]

Buress’ World War I Draft Registration card spells his name another way: Buress Buree McBride. Buress was a farmer at that time, with a Rockford address. He had brown hair and eyes, slender build, and medium height. [4]

Buress McBride married Leona Becher on 21 June 1924 at Zion Lutheran Church in Chatt. They were married by Rev. J.E. Albrecht and his wife Clara served as their witness. Buress’ name was recorded as Burros Buress McBride and he was a teacher and 25 years old. Leona, 23, was a housekeeper. [5]

Leona Louise Becher was born in Liberty Township near Chatt on 5 December 1900, the second of eight children born to William P. and Katharine S. (Schaadt) Becher. Leona was baptized at Zion Chatt on 23 December 1900 with Philip Deitsch and Louisa Deitsch as her sponsors. Leona was confirmed at Zion Chatt on 30 May 1915 by Rev. WFH Heuer.

In 1930 Buress and Leona lived in Blackcreek Township, on what looks like Eichler Pike. They owned their home on a farm and Buress was a public school teacher. In the household: Burris B, 31; Leona L, 29; Leland C, 4; and Lois H, 1. [6]

In 1940 the family lived in a rented home on 1015 Holgate Street in Defiance, Ohio, where Buress was an elementary school teacher. They reported that they had lived in rural Mercer County in 1935, so they had moved to Defiance within the past five years. This enumeration tells us that Buress had completed 4 years of college, was not a veteran, and that his income was $1300. In the household was Buress, 41; Leona, 39; Leland, 14; and Lois, 11. [7]

In 1947 Buress was the school principal in Defiance and they lived at 138 Session Street. [8]

I found a photo of Buress McBride on-line. The photo was taken in 1950 at West Elementary School in Coldwater, Ohio. He was the teacher of grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 there. [9]

Buress McBride, Coldwater Elementary School, 1950.

Buress McBride, Coldwater Elementary School, 1950.

Leona McBride died on 3 September 1962 in Celina, Ohio, at the age of 61. [10]

Obituary:

Leona (Becher) McBride
Rockford—Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Leona (Becher) McBride, 62, Rt. 1, Rockford, who died at 5:45 a.m. Monday at the home of her daughter, will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the East Bethel E.U.B. Church, near here. The Rev. Delbert Cress will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Mrs. McBride was born in Rockford on Dec. 5, 1900 and resided in this community all her life except for 10 years that she lived in Defiance. She was a member of the East Bethel E.U.B. Church.

Survivors include her husband Buress, a daughter Mrs. Lois Squire, Celina, a son, Leland McBride of Rt. 5, Celina; eight grandchildren, a brother, Lester Becher of Monroe, Ind., four sisters, Mrs. Hugo Willrath of Rt. 2, Rockford, Mrs. Alger Eley and Mrs. Donald Stephenson, both of Celina, and Mrs. Harold Stetler of Rt. 1, Willshire.

Friends may call at Ketcham Funeral Home after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and until 11:30 a.m. Thursday when the body will be removed to the church. [11]

Buress McBride died 30 November 1977 at a long term care facility in Mercer County, at the age of 79 years. [12]

Obituary:

Buress B. McBride
Rockford—Buress B. McBride, 79, of Rt. 1 died at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday in Shane Hill Nursing Home. Survivors include a son, Leland, of Celina, a daughter, Mrs. George (Lois) Squire of Celina, eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and two brothers, Harold of Cleveland and Donald of Brookville.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home. Burial will be in East Bethel Cemetery. Friends may call after 1:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. [13]

Burris and Leona had the following children:
Leland (1926-2019), married Clara E. Borgerding
Lois H. (1928-2004), married George W. Squire

[1] “Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Oct 2016), Burros Burrce Mcbride, 24 Oct 1898; from Blackcreek Twp, Mercer Co Birth Registers, Vol. 3, p.140; FHL microfilm 914953.

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 74, p.6B, dwelling/family 131, E Mcbride; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 8 Oct 2016); FHL microfilm 1241303, NARA microfilm T623, roll 1303.

[3] 1910 U.S. Census, Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 107, p.5A, dwelling/family 93, James E Mcbride; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 8 Oct 2016); FHL microfilm 1375227, NARA microfilm T624, roll 1214.

[4] “United States WWI Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Oct 2016), Buress Buree McBride, 12 Sep 1918; from Mercer County NARA microfilm publication M1509, NARA; FHL microfilm 1832519.

[5] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Oct 2016), Buress B McBride & Leona Becher, 21 Jun 1924; from Mercer Marriages, Vol. 12, p.289; FHL microfilm 2366955.

[6] 1930 U.S. Census, Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 1, p.2A, dwelling & family 32, Burris B Mcbryde; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Oct 2016); FHL microfilm 2341584, NARA microfilm T626m roll 1850.

[7] 1940 U.S. Census, Defiance, Defiance, Ohio, ED 20-5, p6A. line 14, Buress McBride; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Oct 2016); from NARA microfilm T627, roll 3061.

[8] U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Oct 2016); 1947 Defiance, Ohio, City Directory, p.277.

[9] U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012, database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 Oct 2016); Coldwater High School, Coldwater, Ohio, 1850.

[10] “Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Oct 2016), Leona L Mcbride, 30 Nov 1977; vol. 17032, cert no. 683221, OHS, Columbus, ODOH, State Vital Statistics Unit.

[11] The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 4 Sep 1962, p.2, Leona Becher McBride; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com.

[12] “Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 Oct 2016), Buress B Mcbride, 30 Nov 1977; vol. 23070, cert no. 083592, OHS, Columbus, ODOH, State Vital Statistics Unit.

[13] The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 1 December 1977, p.4, Buress B. McBride; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com.

2 comments

    • Name on May 25, 2019 at 1:28 pm
    • Reply

    Leland passed away on April 4th 2019.

    1. Thank you for that information.

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