Life History

Notes

• Bessie wrote an article about their parents, which included the children's birth dates.
  
  Obituary of Robert Clarence Brinkley
  Main book article incorporating the obit:
  Robert married Beulah Mae Williams, from Mississippi, in Grandview, Texas.  Her father was T J Williams from England, mother Elizabeth Poteet.
  Children:
  Herman b 1901 [actual 17 Apr 1900] d at age 2 [3 Mar 1902]
  Annie Mae b 12 oct 1903
  Bessie b 20 Oct 1905
  Ruth b 15 Mar 1908
  Ione b 21 Oct 1912
  R C "Bud" b 11 April 1915
  --   story in an unidentified book, written by Bessie Brinkley Thomas, Robert's daughter, Provided by Linda Mason Ledford, wife of Ronald "Ron" Ledford, son of Jesse and Ruth Brinkley Ledford, via mail to Marion Mixon. accessed 1 April 2015
  
  1910 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 13 July, Strauss Township, District 62, page 4A, Hse/Fam #179
  Brinkley, Robert C Head  M W 34 Married 11 years AR TN TN Farmer Rents
  Brinkley, Beulah Wife F W 28 Married 11 years, 4 children, 3 living MS England MS
  Brinkley, Bessie Daughter F W 4 OK AR MS
  
  1920 Federal Census, Cotton County, Oklahoma, 14 January, District 149, page 4A, Hse #72, Fam #73
  Brinkley, Beulah M Head Owns F W 38 Widow MS England MS Farm Laborer
  Brinkley, Bessie Dau F W 14 OK AR MS Farm Laborer
  
  "I have photos labeled as "To Uncle Frank and Aunt Esther from Bessie"  Frank would be the husband of my grandmother, Esther (not the swimmer) WILLIAMS.  They lived in San Francisco.  She passed away in 1971. I don't know when he passed."
  --  Barbara Gangnon, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 6 November 2017
  
  Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995
  Marriage LIcense
  Myrton A Thomas, resident of Faxon, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  (Application line indicates he is "of Cotton County," but residence is reported as Faxon, which is in Comanche County.
  Age 22, Birth abt 1904 Kansas
  Spouse Bessie Brinkley, resident of Walters, Oklahoma
  Age 20, Birth abt 1906 Oklahoma
  License issued 11 Aug 1926 Cotton, Oklahoma, USA
  No marriage date, location or officiant is reported; this is only the license to marry.
  Registered Cotton County Marriage Book, p 270
  
  1930 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 10 April, Lawton, District 23, page 9A, 921 7th St, Hse #189, Fam #206
  Thomas, Merton Head Rents M W 26 Married at age 22 KS KS KS Farmer
  Thomas, Bessie F W 24 Married at age 20 OK TX TX [mar abt 1926]
  Thomas, Alfred Son M W 2yrs9mos OK KS OK [b abt June 1927]
  Thomas, Wanda M Dau F W 2mos OK KS OK [b abt Jan 1930]
  
  1940 Federal Census, Cotton County, Oklahoma, 2 April, Bryan Township, District 17-24, page 1A, Hse #6 Owned, Value $400
  Thomas, Myrten A Head M W 36  Grade 8 b Kentucky lived Rural Cotton County in 1935 Farmer  [b abt 1904]
  Thomas, Bessie Wife F W 34  Grade 8 b Oklahoma lived Rural Cotton County in 1935 [b abt 1906]
  Thomas, Alfred R Son M W 12 Grade 7 b Oklahoma Rural Cotton County in 1935 [b abt 1928]
  Tomas, Wanda Mae Dau F W 10 Grade 5 b Oklahoma Rural Cotton County in 1935 [b abt 1930]
  Thomas, Charlotte S Dau F W 2 Grade 0 b Oklahoma [b abt 1938]
  
  U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current
  Bessie Thomas
  Born 20 Oct 1905
  Died 12 Aug 1990
  SSN 445-56-0150 issued Oklahoma (1968-1969)
  
  Bessie Brinkley Thomas
  Birth Oct 20, 1905 Cotton County, Oklahoma
  Death Aug 12, 1990 Cotton County, Oklahoma
  Spouse Myrton Alfred Thomas (1903 - 1988)
  Son Alfred Robert Thomas (1927 - 2014)
  Burial Walters Cemetery, Walters, Cotton County, Oklahoma
  Created by Rick Miller Jan 19, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #46865950, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46865950

Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  • 10 April, Lawton, District 23, page 9A, 921 7th St, Hse #189, Fam #206
• 2. 1920 Federal Census, Cotton County, Oklahoma
  • 14 January, District 149, page 4A, Hse #72, Fam #73
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  • 13 July, Strauss Township, District 62, page 4A, Hse/Fam #179
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 5. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 6. Obituary of Robert Clarence Brinkley
• 7. Oklahoma, County Marriage Records, 1890-1995
• 8. 1940 Federal Census, Cotton County, Oklahoma
  • 2 April, Bryan Township, District 17-24, page 1A, Hse #6 Owned, Value $400
• 9. Email Sources
• 10. Obituaries from Legacy
• 11. Gravestones of Oklahoma
• 12. Ancestry Trees