The Enormous Family of G.W. Burchfield and Harriet K. Maddox

I originally wrote this on February 24th, 2012.


As of 1954, according to her obituary, Harriet had 6 living children, out of 11 total, and had 54 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren, and 35 great-great grandchildren. I thought the article was implying she had 54 LIVING grandchildren, but she could not have had more than 36-44 living grandchildren at most, so clearly the article was referring to total number of grandchildren, living or deceased. I could confirm 36 of them alive. I could also confirm 11 deceased grandchildren, and could not account for the whereabouts of 3 others, bringing the total I found to 50/54. I don’t know who the missing 4 grandchildren are; Frank may have had more children with his third wife, Myrtle O’Guinn, as he was still having children as late as 1933. Otherwise, I can’t account for the other 4.

Living children:

1.William Isaac Burchfield 2. Elizabeth “Betty” Graham 3. Margie M. Riner 4. Olive Virginia “Jennie” Thornton 5. Seneth Howle 6. Dollie Bell Robinson

Deceased children:

1. John Thomas Birchfield (1944) 2. Ophelia Celeste Jack (1924) 3. Amanda Ellen Williams (1942) 4. George Washington Burchfield Jr. (1913) 5. Francis Marion “Frank” Burchfield

Living grandchildren:

1. Nathan Wheeler Birchfield 2. Annie May Riddle 3. Raymond Wesley Birchfield 4. Nina Violet McLarty 5. Jannie Lee Senior 6. Harry Lee Williams 7. Dollie Belle Schwartz 8. Nannie Mae Gibson 9. Maud S. Cathey 10. George Washington Burchfield III 11. Clifford Mack Burchfield 12. Mary M. Turner 13. William “Bill” George Burchfield 14. Lula Lee Weeks 15. Frank Joe Burchfield 16. Opal Guinn 17. Clyde B. Burchfield 18. Jewel Dean Parker 19. Tony Burchfield 20. Dorothy Jean White 21. Hattie Virginia Wilson 22. Thomas Jefferson Burchfield 23. Dealie Emma Hilton 24. Barney B. Burchfield 25. Pauline Foster 26. Lillie M. Nolen 27. William Gordon Burchfield 28. Florence V. Cotney 29. Leonard Russell Burchfield 30. Maxine Blanton 31. Helen W. Brown 32. Lucille Pearson 33. Raymond Robert Thornton 34. Janie L. Davis 35. Jessie Dee Howle 36. Artemis R. Foster

Deceased grandchildren:

1. Lonie Birchfield (1912) 2. Rosey Birchfield (1917) 3. Ellen SnellingS (before 1910) 4. Hattie Snellings (1908) 5. Nannie Mae Sinclair (1950) 6. Frank James Williams (1946) 7. Mattie Happle Williams (1944) 8. William Isaac Burchfield Jr. (1924) 9. Infant of William Isaac Burchfield (1925) 10. Martha Nell Burchfield (1927) 11. Evelyn Howle (1927)

Other grandchildren who I could not track down and determine if they were living or not in 1954: Eva Birchfield (d/o John), Hayden Burchfield (s/o Frank), Francis Burchfield (d/o Frank)

Living great-grandchildren:

1. Mary Louise Buchanan 2. Wynell Wilson 3. Herschel Paul Birchfield 4. Freddy Joe Birchfield 5. Earl Wayne Birchfield 6. Janice Lee Birchfield 7. Sandra Sue Birchfield 8. Jimmy Lynn Birchfield 9. Wilmond Roswell Riddle 10. Robert Wayne Riddle 11. Doris Marie Riel 12. Paula Annette Kline 13. Afton Fay Riddle 14. Dennis Raymond Birchfield 15. Stephen Lee Birchfield 16. Jack Douglas Birchfield 17. Robert Bill McLarty 18. Effie May Marshall 19. Melba Jean Treadway 20. John Thomas Battison 21. James Earl Williams 22.   Frankie Eugene Williams 23. Tressie Mae Smith 24. Robert Lee Williams 25. Shirley Ann Williams 26. Billy Junior Williams 27. Dorothy June Casey 28. Bonnie Lee Schoppe 29. Melvin Anderson Bullock 30. Benjamin Gordon Cathey 31. George Virgil Cathey 32. Ada Mae Cleland 33. Juanita Davis 34. Lawrence Thomas Burchfield 35. Blanche Lee Burchfield 36. George Washington Burchfield IV 37. Robert Wayne Burchfield 38. Richard Mack Burchfield 39. Barbara Ann Trosper 40. Shirley Jean Burchfield 41. Noralee Burchfield 42. Dorothy Burchfield 43. Margie Turner 44. Floyd Henry Starnes 45. Alice Boonie Ware 46. Joe Edward Starnes 47. Lillian Maurine Hudgins 48. Shirley Lee Mayes 49. Gwendolyn Dolores Starnes 50. Walter James Weeks 51. Vester Jerald Weeks 52. Betty Burchfield 53. Walter Joe Burchfield 54. Jessie Ray Burchfield 55. Barbara Dean Burchfield 56. Curtis M. Wilson 57. Juanita Vetrice McPhearson 58. Orville Reese Wilson 59. Betty Mae Scott 60. Winford Paul Wilson 61. Vondell Marie Williams 62. Floretta Virginia Wells 63. Deral Loyd Snider 64. Olan Ray Snider 65. Joy Laverne Smith 66. Leroyce D. Burchfield 67. Charles Frederick Burchfield 68. Mary Junell Ross 69. Gwendolyn Kate Foster 70. Russell Franklin Foster 71. Norris Don Nolen 72. Terry Lemon Nolen 73. Jerry Gordon Burchfield 74. Ricky Lynn Burchfield 75. Lynn Ray Burchfield 76. Richard Lee Brown 77. Sharon Kay Pearson 78. Raymond Robert Thornton Jr. 79. Thomas Thornton 80. Cathy Davis 81. James “Jimmy” D. Davis

 Deceased great-grandchildren:

1. Infant of Nathan Wheeler Burchfield (1933) 2. Winston A. Bullock (1939) 3. Gwendolyn Mae Conner (1944) 4. Clifford Elwood Burchfield (1951) 5. Brady Allen Starnes (1922) 6. George Starnes Jr. (1926) 7. Delbert Leroy Starnes (1950) 8. RV Wilson (1940) 9. Woodrow Wilson (1939) 10. Linda Kay Burchfield (1950) 11. William Leon Foster (1947)


Great-grandchildren who I could not track down to determine if they were living or not in 1954: Peggy Fay Birchfield (d/o Raymond W. Birchfield), Bonnie Sue Birchfield (d/o Raymond W. Birchfield), Bettie Rozell (d/o Mattie Happle Williams), Mary Rozell (d/o Mattie Happle Williams),

Notes: Maxine Graham Blanton may have had children by this time, but I could not find any information on her beyond her mother’s death certificate. ... I am also just about 100% certain that some of Frank’s children from his family in Arkansas would have had their own children by 1954, but I do not have any of their names. They would likely account for several more great-grandchildren.


This comes to 81 confirmed living great-grandchildren, 11 confirmed deceased great-grandchildren, and still probably up to a couple-dozen unaccounted for great-grandchildren, if not more. The article said there were only 85 great-grandchildren. It doesn’t make any sense that they would count the complete total of grandchildren, and then only count the living grandchildren in their totals, so clearly the totals given in this obituary were not exact. They likely weren’t able to keep track of every single grandchild and great-grandchild, and some children ended up getting left out of the total, and there were probably some counted that I was not able to find. But this was the best I could do; if anyone has any additions, feel free to message me.