Burniece was the son of Aletha A (b 1855) and William M Felder (b 1851). He was born in Liberty, Amite County, Mississippi in 1893. Based on the 1900 and 1910 US Censuses, the area seems to have a larger Black population than White.
Burniece's 6 siblings were all born in Mississippi and all were living as of the 1900 US Census: Ary (b 1881, female), Edith (b 1883), Eddie (b 1886), Laurina (b 1888), Rufus L (b 1889), Clarence H (b 1890).
In 1910, per that US Census, Bernice was working as a blacksmith for a sawmill. He's 16 and living at home with his parents and 2 brothers, Rufus and Clarence, the others apparently having left home or possibly have died. Also in the home is a 7 year old nephew, William R. Little; I believe he is likely the son of a sister who has died. Finally, there is a 15 year old servant (Black), Eldy McKnight, living with the family.
Burniece appears to have been an industrious young man. According to his WWI Draft Registration, by 1917 he is working as a boilermaker for a company based in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi. It's interesting that the document has 2 Registrar signatures, one for Mississippi and one for New Jersey.
I could not locate Bernice in the 1920 US Census and believe that's because he is traveling outside of the USA for his job. I base this on finding a September 1919 passport application that indicates his employer, the Treadwell Corp., is sending him to Cuba and Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of oil storage tanks. This document also confirms his birth date/place and parents' names and birth information, so provided validation of his parentage as well as his occupation and travel.
In Cuba he was assigned the building of 5 oil storage tanks for the United Fruit Company. Afterwards, he was to proceed to Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of "12 tanks for the Atlantic Gulf Oil Corp, and 13 tanks for the Island Refining Corp." It indicates he was sailing on the 20 September on the Steamship Munamar. This amount of work certainly sounds like many months at least, if not more than a year.
This passport application also asks about his parents and notes their current ages: father William: 68, mother: Aletha: 61. It also asks how many children his mother had and the number currently living. He responded that 2 of his mother's children have died (5 are living).
This document also indicates Burniece is living in Midland, Pennsylvania, so indeed he has not let any grass grow under his feet.
Further travel is indicated in 1922 with his name appearing on a passenger list of the Maui, sailing from San Francisco to Honolulu in August of that year. No further details were found regarding this trip, but it does confirm he is still single and gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi.
1930's Census reports significant change for Burniece. He is now living in rural Tangipahoa County, Louisiana and has married. His wife is Sedinoia per the Census; she is 30 years old, so was born ~1900; Burniece is 37. Also living with Burniece and his wife is Burniece's mother, Aletha, now 84 per the Census and a widow as Burniece's father, William M, died in Jan 1929. (Aletha's age does not correspond with her age on her marker nor with her age in early Census'.)
It's quite interesting to me what's recorded on the 1930 Census as his occupation: Laborer on a Truck Farm. After all the work done as a boilermaker and large storage tank projects in the 1920's, it seems odd he is a laborer on a truck farm at age 37. But it is definitely the same man.
Per the 1940 Census, Bernice and his wife are living in the same location in Louisiana, but he owns and is managing a "transit garage and restaurant" where his wife works as a waitress. They own their home, possibly attached to the garage and restaurant. This Census also notes that his education stopped at the 7th grade (his wife's at the 3rd grade).
One of the last records I found for Burniece was his WWII Draft Registration. Completed in 1942, he's added one year exactly to his birthdate: 19 July 1892. He indicates he's self employed at Hwy 51 "2 miles north of Independence, Louisiana", more than likely his garage and restaurant business.
The final record I found for Bernice is his listing in the Louisiana Statewide Death Index. It indicates Burniece died on 30 January 1945 at age 52 in Tangipahoa Parish.
What is most surprising in this record is that his race is recorded as "Negro (Black)". When I first reviewed this record I doubted I had the correct person, but all other data match earlier records. His race designation is surprising as all Census records note him as White. So either this is an outright error, or Burniece preferred to be regarded as white and was light-skinned enough to pass as such. (There is a photo of him in his 1919 passport application. The photo itself is very dark, but I would say he looks more white than black.) My hunch is he may have been mulatto, perhaps all his siblings were, perhaps one or both parents were. Hard to know with any certainty.
There is no record of any children from Burniece's marriage to Sedinoia, and I did not locate a memorial for Sedinoia in FAG. I may look into her background more at a later date.
- - - -
Note: The above narrative is based on records primarily on Ancestry.com. I researched the Felders due to a connection to the family thru a second marriage connected to one of my ancestral families. I would love to receive input re any corrections needed and I'll be happy to transfer this memorial to a descendent of the Felder family.
- - - -
Draft
23 February 2015
Vicki Edwards
Burniece's 6 siblings were all born in Mississippi and all were living as of the 1900 US Census: Ary (b 1881, female), Edith (b 1883), Eddie (b 1886), Laurina (b 1888), Rufus L (b 1889), Clarence H (b 1890).
In 1910, per that US Census, Bernice was working as a blacksmith for a sawmill. He's 16 and living at home with his parents and 2 brothers, Rufus and Clarence, the others apparently having left home or possibly have died. Also in the home is a 7 year old nephew, William R. Little; I believe he is likely the son of a sister who has died. Finally, there is a 15 year old servant (Black), Eldy McKnight, living with the family.
Burniece appears to have been an industrious young man. According to his WWI Draft Registration, by 1917 he is working as a boilermaker for a company based in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi. It's interesting that the document has 2 Registrar signatures, one for Mississippi and one for New Jersey.
I could not locate Bernice in the 1920 US Census and believe that's because he is traveling outside of the USA for his job. I base this on finding a September 1919 passport application that indicates his employer, the Treadwell Corp., is sending him to Cuba and Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of oil storage tanks. This document also confirms his birth date/place and parents' names and birth information, so provided validation of his parentage as well as his occupation and travel.
In Cuba he was assigned the building of 5 oil storage tanks for the United Fruit Company. Afterwards, he was to proceed to Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of "12 tanks for the Atlantic Gulf Oil Corp, and 13 tanks for the Island Refining Corp." It indicates he was sailing on the 20 September on the Steamship Munamar. This amount of work certainly sounds like many months at least, if not more than a year.
This passport application also asks about his parents and notes their current ages: father William: 68, mother: Aletha: 61. It also asks how many children his mother had and the number currently living. He responded that 2 of his mother's children have died (5 are living).
This document also indicates Burniece is living in Midland, Pennsylvania, so indeed he has not let any grass grow under his feet.
Further travel is indicated in 1922 with his name appearing on a passenger list of the Maui, sailing from San Francisco to Honolulu in August of that year. No further details were found regarding this trip, but it does confirm he is still single and gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi.
1930's Census reports significant change for Burniece. He is now living in rural Tangipahoa County, Louisiana and has married. His wife is Sedinoia per the Census; she is 30 years old, so was born ~1900; Burniece is 37. Also living with Burniece and his wife is Burniece's mother, Aletha, now 84 per the Census and a widow as Burniece's father, William M, died in Jan 1929. (Aletha's age does not correspond with her age on her marker nor with her age in early Census'.)
It's quite interesting to me what's recorded on the 1930 Census as his occupation: Laborer on a Truck Farm. After all the work done as a boilermaker and large storage tank projects in the 1920's, it seems odd he is a laborer on a truck farm at age 37. But it is definitely the same man.
Per the 1940 Census, Bernice and his wife are living in the same location in Louisiana, but he owns and is managing a "transit garage and restaurant" where his wife works as a waitress. They own their home, possibly attached to the garage and restaurant. This Census also notes that his education stopped at the 7th grade (his wife's at the 3rd grade).
One of the last records I found for Burniece was his WWII Draft Registration. Completed in 1942, he's added one year exactly to his birthdate: 19 July 1892. He indicates he's self employed at Hwy 51 "2 miles north of Independence, Louisiana", more than likely his garage and restaurant business.
The final record I found for Bernice is his listing in the Louisiana Statewide Death Index. It indicates Burniece died on 30 January 1945 at age 52 in Tangipahoa Parish.
What is most surprising in this record is that his race is recorded as "Negro (Black)". When I first reviewed this record I doubted I had the correct person, but all other data match earlier records. His race designation is surprising as all Census records note him as White. So either this is an outright error, or Burniece preferred to be regarded as white and was light-skinned enough to pass as such. (There is a photo of him in his 1919 passport application. The photo itself is very dark, but I would say he looks more white than black.) My hunch is he may have been mulatto, perhaps all his siblings were, perhaps one or both parents were. Hard to know with any certainty.
There is no record of any children from Burniece's marriage to Sedinoia, and I did not locate a memorial for Sedinoia in FAG. I may look into her background more at a later date.
- - - -
Note: The above narrative is based on records primarily on Ancestry.com. I researched the Felders due to a connection to the family thru a second marriage connected to one of my ancestral families. I would love to receive input re any corrections needed and I'll be happy to transfer this memorial to a descendent of the Felder family.
- - - -
Draft
23 February 2015
Vicki Edwards
Burniece was the son of Aletha A (b 1855) and William M Felder (b 1851). He was born in Liberty, Amite County, Mississippi in 1893. Based on the 1900 and 1910 US Censuses, the area seems to have a larger Black population than White.
Burniece's 6 siblings were all born in Mississippi and all were living as of the 1900 US Census: Ary (b 1881, female), Edith (b 1883), Eddie (b 1886), Laurina (b 1888), Rufus L (b 1889), Clarence H (b 1890).
In 1910, per that US Census, Bernice was working as a blacksmith for a sawmill. He's 16 and living at home with his parents and 2 brothers, Rufus and Clarence, the others apparently having left home or possibly have died. Also in the home is a 7 year old nephew, William R. Little; I believe he is likely the son of a sister who has died. Finally, there is a 15 year old servant (Black), Eldy McKnight, living with the family.
Burniece appears to have been an industrious young man. According to his WWI Draft Registration, by 1917 he is working as a boilermaker for a company based in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi. It's interesting that the document has 2 Registrar signatures, one for Mississippi and one for New Jersey.
I could not locate Bernice in the 1920 US Census and believe that's because he is traveling outside of the USA for his job. I base this on finding a September 1919 passport application that indicates his employer, the Treadwell Corp., is sending him to Cuba and Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of oil storage tanks. This document also confirms his birth date/place and parents' names and birth information, so provided validation of his parentage as well as his occupation and travel.
In Cuba he was assigned the building of 5 oil storage tanks for the United Fruit Company. Afterwards, he was to proceed to Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of "12 tanks for the Atlantic Gulf Oil Corp, and 13 tanks for the Island Refining Corp." It indicates he was sailing on the 20 September on the Steamship Munamar. This amount of work certainly sounds like many months at least, if not more than a year.
This passport application also asks about his parents and notes their current ages: father William: 68, mother: Aletha: 61. It also asks how many children his mother had and the number currently living. He responded that 2 of his mother's children have died (5 are living).
This document also indicates Burniece is living in Midland, Pennsylvania, so indeed he has not let any grass grow under his feet.
Further travel is indicated in 1922 with his name appearing on a passenger list of the Maui, sailing from San Francisco to Honolulu in August of that year. No further details were found regarding this trip, but it does confirm he is still single and gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi.
1930's Census reports significant change for Burniece. He is now living in rural Tangipahoa County, Louisiana and has married. His wife is Sedinoia per the Census; she is 30 years old, so was born ~1900; Burniece is 37. Also living with Burniece and his wife is Burniece's mother, Aletha, now 84 per the Census and a widow as Burniece's father, William M, died in Jan 1929. (Aletha's age does not correspond with her age on her marker nor with her age in early Census'.)
It's quite interesting to me what's recorded on the 1930 Census as his occupation: Laborer on a Truck Farm. After all the work done as a boilermaker and large storage tank projects in the 1920's, it seems odd he is a laborer on a truck farm at age 37. But it is definitely the same man.
Per the 1940 Census, Bernice and his wife are living in the same location in Louisiana, but he owns and is managing a "transit garage and restaurant" where his wife works as a waitress. They own their home, possibly attached to the garage and restaurant. This Census also notes that his education stopped at the 7th grade (his wife's at the 3rd grade).
One of the last records I found for Burniece was his WWII Draft Registration. Completed in 1942, he's added one year exactly to his birthdate: 19 July 1892. He indicates he's self employed at Hwy 51 "2 miles north of Independence, Louisiana", more than likely his garage and restaurant business.
The final record I found for Bernice is his listing in the Louisiana Statewide Death Index. It indicates Burniece died on 30 January 1945 at age 52 in Tangipahoa Parish.
What is most surprising in this record is that his race is recorded as "Negro (Black)". When I first reviewed this record I doubted I had the correct person, but all other data match earlier records. His race designation is surprising as all Census records note him as White. So either this is an outright error, or Burniece preferred to be regarded as white and was light-skinned enough to pass as such. (There is a photo of him in his 1919 passport application. The photo itself is very dark, but I would say he looks more white than black.) My hunch is he may have been mulatto, perhaps all his siblings were, perhaps one or both parents were. Hard to know with any certainty.
There is no record of any children from Burniece's marriage to Sedinoia, and I did not locate a memorial for Sedinoia in FAG. I may look into her background more at a later date.
- - - -
Note: The above narrative is based on records primarily on Ancestry.com. I researched the Felders due to a connection to the family thru a second marriage connected to one of my ancestral families. I would love to receive input re any corrections needed and I'll be happy to transfer this memorial to a descendent of the Felder family.
- - - -
Draft
23 February 2015
Vicki Edwards
Burniece's 6 siblings were all born in Mississippi and all were living as of the 1900 US Census: Ary (b 1881, female), Edith (b 1883), Eddie (b 1886), Laurina (b 1888), Rufus L (b 1889), Clarence H (b 1890).
In 1910, per that US Census, Bernice was working as a blacksmith for a sawmill. He's 16 and living at home with his parents and 2 brothers, Rufus and Clarence, the others apparently having left home or possibly have died. Also in the home is a 7 year old nephew, William R. Little; I believe he is likely the son of a sister who has died. Finally, there is a 15 year old servant (Black), Eldy McKnight, living with the family.
Burniece appears to have been an industrious young man. According to his WWI Draft Registration, by 1917 he is working as a boilermaker for a company based in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey. He gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi. It's interesting that the document has 2 Registrar signatures, one for Mississippi and one for New Jersey.
I could not locate Bernice in the 1920 US Census and believe that's because he is traveling outside of the USA for his job. I base this on finding a September 1919 passport application that indicates his employer, the Treadwell Corp., is sending him to Cuba and Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of oil storage tanks. This document also confirms his birth date/place and parents' names and birth information, so provided validation of his parentage as well as his occupation and travel.
In Cuba he was assigned the building of 5 oil storage tanks for the United Fruit Company. Afterwards, he was to proceed to Tampico, Mexico to build or oversee the building of "12 tanks for the Atlantic Gulf Oil Corp, and 13 tanks for the Island Refining Corp." It indicates he was sailing on the 20 September on the Steamship Munamar. This amount of work certainly sounds like many months at least, if not more than a year.
This passport application also asks about his parents and notes their current ages: father William: 68, mother: Aletha: 61. It also asks how many children his mother had and the number currently living. He responded that 2 of his mother's children have died (5 are living).
This document also indicates Burniece is living in Midland, Pennsylvania, so indeed he has not let any grass grow under his feet.
Further travel is indicated in 1922 with his name appearing on a passenger list of the Maui, sailing from San Francisco to Honolulu in August of that year. No further details were found regarding this trip, but it does confirm he is still single and gives his residence as Liberty, Mississippi.
1930's Census reports significant change for Burniece. He is now living in rural Tangipahoa County, Louisiana and has married. His wife is Sedinoia per the Census; she is 30 years old, so was born ~1900; Burniece is 37. Also living with Burniece and his wife is Burniece's mother, Aletha, now 84 per the Census and a widow as Burniece's father, William M, died in Jan 1929. (Aletha's age does not correspond with her age on her marker nor with her age in early Census'.)
It's quite interesting to me what's recorded on the 1930 Census as his occupation: Laborer on a Truck Farm. After all the work done as a boilermaker and large storage tank projects in the 1920's, it seems odd he is a laborer on a truck farm at age 37. But it is definitely the same man.
Per the 1940 Census, Bernice and his wife are living in the same location in Louisiana, but he owns and is managing a "transit garage and restaurant" where his wife works as a waitress. They own their home, possibly attached to the garage and restaurant. This Census also notes that his education stopped at the 7th grade (his wife's at the 3rd grade).
One of the last records I found for Burniece was his WWII Draft Registration. Completed in 1942, he's added one year exactly to his birthdate: 19 July 1892. He indicates he's self employed at Hwy 51 "2 miles north of Independence, Louisiana", more than likely his garage and restaurant business.
The final record I found for Bernice is his listing in the Louisiana Statewide Death Index. It indicates Burniece died on 30 January 1945 at age 52 in Tangipahoa Parish.
What is most surprising in this record is that his race is recorded as "Negro (Black)". When I first reviewed this record I doubted I had the correct person, but all other data match earlier records. His race designation is surprising as all Census records note him as White. So either this is an outright error, or Burniece preferred to be regarded as white and was light-skinned enough to pass as such. (There is a photo of him in his 1919 passport application. The photo itself is very dark, but I would say he looks more white than black.) My hunch is he may have been mulatto, perhaps all his siblings were, perhaps one or both parents were. Hard to know with any certainty.
There is no record of any children from Burniece's marriage to Sedinoia, and I did not locate a memorial for Sedinoia in FAG. I may look into her background more at a later date.
- - - -
Note: The above narrative is based on records primarily on Ancestry.com. I researched the Felders due to a connection to the family thru a second marriage connected to one of my ancestral families. I would love to receive input re any corrections needed and I'll be happy to transfer this memorial to a descendent of the Felder family.
- - - -
Draft
23 February 2015
Vicki Edwards
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