Shep's Place Family Tree

Marriage License
No. 1825 Gallia County, ss. Affidavit for Marriage License.

For Mr. Ezra C. Nida
His age 30 yrs.
Residence Ruby, Gallia Co.,Ohio
Occupation Merchant
Father's name Lewis Niday
Mother's maiden name Martha Perkins
If previously married, how often No

M Goldie Burnett
Her age 19 yrs.
Residence Ruby, Gallia Co., Ohio
Occupation None
Father's name R.W. Burnett
Mother's maiden name America Sheets
If previously married, how often No

Name of person expected to solemnize marriage John J. Thomas
Personally appeared Ezra C. Niday who being sworn says, that the statements above set forth are correct and true to the best of his knowledge and belief. That the parties thereto are not nearer of kin than second cousins.

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 7th day of December A.D. 1904
W.T. Minturn Probate Judge

Ezra C. Niday

Being satisfied there is no legal impediment to said marriage, license is granted this 7 day of December 1904 as follows:
I, W.T. Minturn Judge of the Probate Court within and for the County and State aforesaid, have licensed and do hereby LICENSE AND AUTHORIZE
Mr Ezra C Niday and M Goldie Burnett to be joined in marriage.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Court at Gallipolis, this 7 day of December A.D. 1904.
W.T. Minturn Probate Judge.

I hereby Certify, That on the 7th day of December 1904, I solemnized the marriage of Mr. Ezra C. Niday and M Goldie Burnett
Returned and Filed Dec 10 1904
John J.Thomas JP

Mamie was standing on a chair helping to do the dishes when her mother accidently spilled hot water on her leg.

There was a cave nearby which was the cellar. Goldie churned the butter there. Once a week they would sweep the yard, which was all bare--no grass.

There was a big barn and corn crib at the foot of the hill. Grandma and Grandpa Burnett lived just down the road.

Rufus W. Houck was the school teacher ‎(and probably the only one)‎ at the country school where Goldie Burnett was a student. Rufus was born on 11 July 1875. They fell in love and were to be married; however a tragedy intervened.

Rufus was helping his father at his sawmill when there was an explosion and Rufus was killed. He died on 14 April 1903 and is buried at Dickey Chapel. His tombstone says Rufus W. Houck, b July 11, 1875, d. Ap 14 1903 Rufus was the son of Richard B. Houck ‎(a farmer, who was 82y 2m 24d at death, born in VA and died at Ruby)‎ & Susan. He was 27y 7m and 27d old. His father Richard was also killed in the explosion. His mother lost a husband and a son on April 14, 1903. Goldie lost her fiance, and Ezra his best friend.

Rufus' good friend was Ezra Niday, who boarded with the Richard & Susan Houck family. Ezra took Goldie to the funeral in his buggy. Twenty months later Goldie and Ezra married. Goldie was nineteen years, and Ezra was thirty.

GALLIPOLIS--Mrs. Goldie B. Niday, 66, of 101 Garfield Ave., died at 8:10 p.m. Friday at Holzer Hospital. She had been ill of a heart ailment since 1949.

At the time she became ill, Mrs. Niday was housemother at Holzer nurses' home. She was a former deputy Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

She was born May 16, 1885 in Guyan Township, the daughter of Richard W. Burnette and America Sheets Burnette. She was the widow of Ezra C. Niday, a former county recorder, who died in 1928.

Surviving sons and daughters are R. Burnette Niday, at home; Mrs. Frank Robinson, Garfield Ave., and Mrs. M. Harold Brown, wife of the high school principal.

Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Frank Stevers of Columbus and Mrs. Stanley Thornton of Crown City; two brothers, Ralph Burnette of Middleport and Gorey Burnette of Columbus and three grandchildren. A sister and a brother preceded her in death.

Friends may call at the Waugh funeral home until the funeral hour.

Mrs. Niday was an active member of the First Baptist Church, where services will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Monday by the Rev. W. H. Green. Burial will be in Mound Hill cemetery.

GOLDIE B. NIDAY
Born May 6, 1885
Date of Death May 19, 1951

Services From FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
Monday 2:30 P.M.

Clergyman Officiating
THE REV. W. H. GREEN
Final Resting Place
MOUND HILL CEMETERY

Funeral Conducted by
C.J. Waugh

On the other side of the card is the Twenty-third Psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

At one time Goldie went to Columbus to work. Fortunately she had two sisters there, Welth and Maude. In a birthday card to her daughter Eloise, she writes, Well, I got moved Tues. evening to 2447 W. Broad. Had an awful time getting home this PM, buses are so crowded. Glad to hear Martha's cough is better How is Martha and Ed and "Gert"? ‎[ Martha & Ed were the Stevers next door, and Gert lived in Goldie's house while she was away. Gert's husband used to go to the clothesline with her and hand her the clothes pins.]‎ Surely hated to hear about Skippy. ‎[Skippy was Mamie's three-legged dog.]‎ Maud said to rush the toaster if possible May be I can find and bring you something for your birthday when I come. I want to try this work ‎[Bureau of Motor Vehicles--around 1946]‎ a month to see how everything turns out. Tell Martha to write me what she wants me to bring her Maud is better.
Happy Birthday to you & Love, Mom

Goldie suffered terribly after Ezra's early and totally unexpected death. A neighbor, Mary Beilstein, a Christian Scientist, helped Goldie to survive and accept her loss. Mary and George Beilstein lived in the big house on the hill opposite the Niday home, Garfield Avenue, which was later owned by the Hollis Wood family and subsequently by the Dr. Sigfried Harder family. Mary Beilstein died on 30 June 1934.

Ezra had an automobile, a baby Overland. Before he died he got a bigger and heavier car, which was given to Mamie and Frank Robinson for $250.00.

Goldie was particular about everything she did. After Dad died, she never was the same person; she never got over Dad's death.

She was a pretty woman; and the older she got, the prettier she got. She had pretty waves in her hair. Her eyes were a blue-grey.

Ezra was County Recorder for two terms ‎(four years)‎. He typed deeds and mortgages at the court house. After he died, Mom ran on the Democrat ticket for County Recorder, but she got beat. Instead she got a job as an attendent at the Ohio Home for Epileptics. She was scared stiff, and didn't want to go, so she didn't.

Instead she rented a little grocery store on Garfield Avenue. She had the automobile license bureau there.

Later she went to Columbus to work for the State License Bureau. She lived in an apartment near Aunt Maude. She had to get up real early in the morning to go on the streetcar to work.

Later, when she returned to Gallipolis, she was house mother at the nurse's home by Holzer Hospital on First Avenue in Gallipolis. She like that.

Mom was always lonely, even though she had several good friends, especially in her Sunday School class at the Baptist Church. Religion meant a lot to her. Ezra had claimed to be a United Bretheren who had converted and been baptized out in the country, but he got away from going to church. Mom did, too; but after he was gone she became interested in going to church.

When Mom and Dad first got married, Dad had a farm together with Rossie Houck. I ‎(Mamie)‎ was born down in Houck Holler, but Goldie wasn't satisfied until she got back around Mercerville, close to where she grew up and where Grandma and Grandpa lived.

Then Ezra came to town and bought a livery stable ‎[where Buckeye Rural Electric is on Third Avenue]‎. They lived near the corner of Third and Grape in the downstairs of a nice big house. Upstairs lived Clark Sheets and Pluma Houck Sheets. They called her Plumey. Clark Sheets was the father of Melba Thornton's husband Bill Sheets.

Then Dad went to Huntington to run a grocery business and meat market. He was doing well down there, but Mom was homesick and wanted to come back. Eloise was just six months old when we came back. He was in business with John Khuene. John's wife was Ada Houck, sister of Rufus ‎[and daughter of Richard and Susan]‎.

After Huntington Ezra had a Watkins wagon. He enjoyed it, being out two or three nights a week. He stayed with people. He made the rounds about once every two or three weeks. Dad was businessman and always did all right.

Ezra sent Burnett to Bliss College to become an accountant, but Burnett missed classes and dropped out. Dad was disappointed. Mom got Burnett a job with the State Highway, but he wasn't reliable. He drank and he bummed around.

Burnett got into selling things at fairs.

Ezra didn't drink at all, but he had a hot temper and would curse.

When Mamie married Frank Robinson, that was a big disappointment. Eloise remembered that her dad cried when he heard that they had married. Such is life.

Grandma ‎(America F. Burnett)‎--everyone would tell you that she was a good cook.

Once I went to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Sheets. I invited another friend or two, and we took a notion we was going to have a party. Grandma and Grandpa said, "O.K. Invite the kids in."

We used to go to the Bethlehem Church. Did you ever see a food washing? The ladies were sitting on one side of the aisle and the men on the other. There was a man with a towel wrapped around him, and he washed the men's feet. I believe it was my grandmother who washed the women's feet. She was tall and wore a towel and she washed the women's feet. Grandma and Grandpa ‎(Sheets)‎ kept the Bethlehem church going.

Bill ‎(William)‎ Sheets was the father of Sadie Irion.

We used to stay at Grandmas and Grandpas. I remember the Association. Grandma would make pies the week ahead. I remember that she had hanging shelves just full of pies--and a big jar full of light bread. She was such a good cook. She was a wonderful woman. No matter what we would do, it was all right.

Many From Distance Attend Niday Rites

A large crowd attended the funeral services for Mrs. Goldia Niday held at the C.J. Waugh Funeal Home Monday afternoon. The Rev. W.H. Green officiated and interment was made in Mound Hill Cemetery.
Six nephews of the decedent who served as pallbearers were Blaine Stevers, Thomas Thornton, Morris, Woodrow, Claude and Clyde Burnett.
Amont those coming from out of town were W.W. Fite, W.C. Burnett, Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Niday, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stevers and son Blaine, Mr. and Mrs. G.M. Burnett and daughter Angeling, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Boster and son Jerry, all of Columbus, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Groves, Bucyrus, Mrs. Nelson Brucker, St Albans, W.Va., Mr. and Mrs. Ralph burnett; Middleport, anmd Pfc Clyde Burnett from Fort Knox, Ky.

Funeral Rites Planned For 2:30 P.M. Monday

Goldie Burnette Niday, 66, of 101 Garfield Ave., died at 8:10 p.m. Friday at the Holzer Hospital, where she had entered as a patient at 1:40 p.m. that day.
Mrs. Niday had been suffering from a heart ailment since July 1949. During that period had been a hospital patient several times and on numerous occasions her condition was critical. Over the long period of her illness the attention and affection shown her by her children was unfaltering.
She was the widow of County Recorder Ezra C. Niday and was his deputy. whiile in the office she greatly expanded her wide circle of friends. In her early life she attended the Guyan Twp. schools and earned a certificate to teach.
At one time she was registrat of motor vechicles. At the time she was stricken, she was house mother at the nurses' home at the Holzer Hospital.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church and was active in church affairs until she became ill.
Goldie Burnette Niday was born May 6, 1885, to Richard W. and American sheets Burnette, Guyan Twp. Dec. 7, 1904, she married Mr. Niday, who died Nov. 15, 1928.
They were the parents of R. Burnette Niday, Mrs. Frank ‎(Mamie)‎ Robinson, and mrs. Harold ‎(Elooise)‎ Brown, Gallipolis.
Other surviving relativeds are: two sisters and two brothers: Mrs. Frank ‎(Weltha)‎ Stevers, Columbus; Mrs. Stanley ‎(Mary)‎ Thornton, Crown City, Ralph Burnette, Middleport, and Gorey Burnette, Columbus. One sister, Mrs. Maude Fite, and one brother, Truman Burnette, preceded her in death.
The body is at the C.J. Waugh Funeral Home where friends may call afternoon Sunday until 2:30 p.m. Monday, when the body will be removed to the First Baptist Church for the funeral services. The Rev. W. H. Green will conduct the services, and burial will be made in Mound Hill Cemetery.