BIRD

Jacob Decater Bird & Mary Jane (_____ Cross)
 Ethan Ephriam Bird & Elleander Mauck

Jacob Decater Bird was born 21 August 1844 in Madison Co., Indiana, the son of Ephriam (or Ethan Ephriam) Bird and his wife Elleander Mock/Mauck. He died 1 June 1915 near Croft in Pratt, Kansas and is buried in the Cullison Cemetery.

On 17 July 1864, Jacob Bird married Mary Jane Cross - record in Pottawattamie Co., Iowa. Her adopted father was Ambrose C. Bates and her mother was Hannah Gray. Her death certificate indicates her father was Cross and her mother Gray. Do you have information on her parents? Census records indicate she was born in Tennessee. She was born 26 Nov 1846 and died Feb 4 1928 near Sun City, Barber Co, KS at the home of her daughter Jennie Farmer. She is buried along side her husband in the Cullison Cemetery, Pratt Co., KS.
All nine of their children were born in Oakland, Pottawattamie Co., IA:
1. Oscar Edmond Birdm born on 5 May 1865 (m. Anna Layton) (our line).
2. Viemma/Viani Bird, born on 1 Aug 1866, died age 4
3. Mattie Jane Bird, born 10 Apr 1868, (married William Kite)
4. Walter Scott Bird, born 6 Sept 1870, (married Laura Atwell)
5. Jennie May Bird, born 16 Dec 1872, (married Elkanah Farmer)
6. Lucy Alpha Bird, born18 Jan 1875, (married Peryl Manuel Heft)
7. Ella Irene Bird, born15 Nov 1877, (married Wilbur Allen Childers)
8. Chester Grant Bird, born 19 Aug 1886 (married Bertie Isabelle Gray)
9. Suzie Bell Bird, born24 July 1888, (married Lester Glen Dale Freeman)

At the time of Mary Jane�s death (1928), the children were listed: Jennie Farmer of Lake City (Barber Co., KS); Lucy Heft (Oakland, Iowa); Suzie Freeman (Sun City, Barber Co., KS); Ella Childers (Joplin, MO), Oscar Bird (Vancouver, WA); Walter Bird (Mutual, OK); Chester Bird (near Pratt, KS). Besides Viemma who died at age 4 years, Mattie Jane Bird Kite died 21 Oct 1905.

The Germann line follows through Oscar Edmond Bird who married Anna Layton, lived in Wyoming and moved to Clark County, Washington in 1913. Their daughter Vera Bird m. Hubert Wilson here and they had several children. Their oldest daughter Leona married Fritz Germann and lived in Clark County, WA.

Charline Bird Needham has published a Bird Family History �Gathering the Flock Together, copyright 1992. She is living in Greenville, TN (2002). She has a nice history of the BIRD-BYRD background and history of the family in England going back to Hugo Le Bird who fought with the Norman conquerors at Hastings on 1066. She is continuing research and had family group sheets and short histories.

Last modified on Tuesday, February 25, 2003