The following extensive obituary is that of my great, great grandfather, Joseph Y. Burwell as seen in a Washington County, Pennsylvania newspaper on Monday, July 17, 1911. The original clipping included a five generation photo of my family that shows Joseph Y. Burwell, his daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Burwell Miller, his granddaughter, Mrs. Mary Arabelle Miller Claffey (my paternal grandmother), his great grandaughter, Flora Iona Claffey Zook, and his great great granddaughter, Goldie Elna Zook (later Jones). That obituary reads as follows:
The Rev. Joseph Y. Burwell, aged 79 years and two months, who for a period of 50 years, saw active service as a minister of the gospel in the Baptist churches of Western Pennsylvania, died yesterday about 12 o'clock at his home, 75 Fayette Street, following an illness due to the infirmities of his advanced years. For the greater part of the 50 years, the Rev. Mr. Burwell, was in charge of churches in Washington and Greene Counties or was a missionary within the bounds of the Ten Mile association of the Baptist church. He was also widedly known as the "marrying parson." The Rev. Mr. Burwell on May 6, of this year, celebrated his 79th birthday at his home on Fayette Street. At that time he was in fairly good health, but the intense heat of the past weeks caused decline in his health and he gradually became worse until his death resulted. The Rev. Mr. Burwell's death breaks a five generation group in his family. Rev. Mr. Burwell was born near Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County, on May 6, 1832. He received a scant common school education, but as good probably, as was then afforded. Afterward he improved every opportunity to add to his store of knowledge, and took special lessons in the higher branches, all the while keeping the ministry in view. In the year 1861, he began ministerial work in the Baptist church, of which he had been a member a few years, His first regular charge was at Waddington, Armstrong County, for half the time, the other half being divided between the churches at Pine Creek and Montgomeryville. Other congregations were under his care as pastor until about the year 1870, when he served as pastor of the Mt. Herman Baptist Church, out the W. & W. (Washington to Waynesburg) railroad in Amwell Township: of Beulah Church, in Morris Township, Greene County and at South Ten Mile, east of Harveys, Greene County. He preached occasionally at Enon, Pleasant Grove, Cooneytown and other Baptist churches in Washington and Greene counties. Later, he traveled as a missionary within the bounds of the Ten Mile Association of the Baptist Church, also in Marshall County, West Virginia, for a few years. In all he rounded out nearly half a century of work as a minister of the gospel, baptizing about 1,500 converts. Doing his work as a minister, Mr. Burwell would preach almost continously, each day or night, during a series of revival services, from early in September until the following February. While residing in Springhill Township, near Deep Valley, and near the West Virginia state line, the marriage laws of Pennsylvania then being more lax than at present, Rev. Mr. Burwell performed several hundred marriage ceremonies. Young people of the Mountain state soon learned that they could cross the state line and have marriages performed and did not fail to take advanrage of the opportunity. In the year 1855, Rev. Mr. Burwell was united in marriage to Miss Maxa (Maxamelia) Lanham, then of Madison, Westmoreland County. Mrs. Burwell died on May 18, 1900, being survived by seven sons and two daughters. One of the sons is B. F. Burwell, associate judge of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Federal Court, who received his appointment under the late President William McKinley. All the sons and daughters of Mr. Burwell acquired a fair education and are doing well. Several years after the death of Mrs Burwell, the husband was again married, this time to Miss Zulema V. Dean, of Hampshire County, W .Va ., who survives with two children. The surviving children are Mrs. L. S. Miller, (my paternal great grandmother) of West Chestnut Street; L. Burwell of Pine Grove, Pa.; Harvey S. of Weather, W. Va.; Ezra, who resides in the state of Idaho; B. F. , associate judge federal court Oklahoma City, Okla.; Judson, of Geoff Mills, W. Va.; B. D. of Pullman W. Va; Mrs. Samuel Hickman, of Auburn, W. Va.; Allen, of Augusta, W. Va.; and Della and Faye at home. The funeral arrangements have not been completed.
EDITORIAL NOTEs: 1. When funeral arrangements were completed Joseph
Y. Burwell was buried in the Washington Cemetery, Washington PA, grave
# 35, Range E, Block 5, quite a distance from his first wife, Maxamelia
Lanham. Maxa's grave is in center of cemetery near the large mausoleum.
Grave # 36 next to Mr. Burwell, marked Burwell in cemetery records stands
empty, (as of 1996). Question: Did second wife Zulema V. Dean Burwell remarry
and is buried elsewhere? 1920 Fed Census lists her as living in same neighborhood
, a fifty years old widow, with daughters, Della and Faye, but calling
herself Mary Burwell. 2. Joseph Burwell's middle name is in contradiction
with different sources, Some saying Yarrenton, others Yarrington. Does
any one know for sure which is correct? 3. Don Billingsley, Burwell researcher
records that the parents of Joseph Y. Burwell are Joseph Ira Burwell and
Hannah Peterson.
To review other descendants of Joseph Y. Burwell through his granddaughter
Mary B. Miller Claffey , see Mounts-Claffey
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