Grandpa Burnette

John Edward Burnett
Photo taken at
The Burnett/e Family Reunion @1979
The Rocky Knob Picnic Area
 Blue Ridge Parkway

I have been writing this blog for a little over a year now and I have always wanted to write something about my Grandpa Burnett, but I have never been able to do so.  I was very close to him and have so many wonderful memories. I know that I will get very melancholy and miss him terribly when I start writing.  I could easily fill a book with stories about Grandpa, but I think that I will just introduce you to him today.

John Edward Burnett was born on August 16, 1900.  He was born into the family of Marion Columbus Burnett and Martha Jane Cock (Cox).  When he came along, there were already six children in the family.  He would end up having eleven brothers and sisters.** They lived on a farm in the Burks Fork area of Floyd County, Virginia. Now that I am thinking about it, I don't ever remember Grandpa telling me too many details of his childhood. He typically just spoke in general terms about what life was like back then. However, I do remember him telling me that he loved horses.

Grandpa held many jobs through his life time, but his primary loves were always farming and carpentry. Even when he moved to West Virginia to work in the coal mines, he still kept several acres of wheat at his father's farm. The various jobs that he held is a blog post in itself!

Grandpa was always telling tales. I could never figure out whether to believe them or not because they would have just enough in them to make you think that they could be true.  But, boy, were some of them outlandish! I hope to share some of them with you at a future time.

Several years ago when I was getting ready to sell Grandpa & Grandma's house, I found bunches of love letters which were sent between him and Grandma while they were courting. I also found letters to Grandpa from another girl!  Some of them make for great reading because Grandpa & Grandma had a very interesting courtship due to his wanting to get married right away and she kept putting him off.

As a child, I was my Grandpa's little "tag-a-long" (Grandpa's name for me!) and I had to do everything and go everywhere that he did. I hope to share more stories about Grandpa with you in the near future.

Grandpa passed away on July 31, 1981.



**Grandpa's brothers & sisters
Jefferson Lafayette Burnett "Fate" (1886-1924)
Charles Thomas Burnett "Tommy" (1887-1958)
Washington Irva Burnette "Irvy" (1890-1967
Annie Darthuyl Burnett "Annie" (1893-1934)
Sarah Ellen Burnett "Ellen" (1894-1969)
Samuel McKinley Burnett "Kinley" (1895-1960)
John Edward Burnett "John Etterd or Dettered" (1900-1981)
George Dewey Burnett "Dewey" (1903-1979)
Ewell Roosevelt Burnett "Ewell" (1905-1969)
Early Lee Burnett "Early" (1908-1958)
Valirea Cordelia Burnett "Cordilla" (1910-1975)
Nancy Jane Burnett "Nancy" (1913-1988)

Copyright 2012--All Rights Reserved--The Wheel & Distaff by Kimberly Burnette-Dean.