U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Burk, Francis B. (1862-1946) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 722-723 FRANCIS B. BURK, city attorney of Parkersburg, West Virginia, was born February 11, 1862, in Wood County, West Virginia, and he is a son of R. H. and Eliza J. (Davis) Burk. His grandfather, David B. Burke, was born July 10, 1786, and died April 13, 1883; he was a stanch Whig. R. H. Burk was born near Steubenville, Ohio, December 16, 1828. In October, 1839, he accompanied his uncle, William Hunter, to Wood County, and the latter located near Waverly, living there many years, but dying in Parkersburg. At the age of 23, R. H. Burk married Eliza J. Davis, who was also reared near Steubenville, Ohio. She died in 1862, leaving four children, namely: William N., a general merchant at Ravenswood, West Virginia, who died at the age of 40 years; James H., a jeweler by trade, who is now filling the office of assistant to the chief deputy collector of internal revenue, at Parkersburg; Mary J., who is the wife of J. D. McKibben, a farmer of Wood County; and Francis B., who was an infant at the time of his mother's death. The second marriage of R. H. Burk was to Anna B. Eppelein, who was born in this State. Mr. Burk is engaged in farming and stock raising near Parkersburg. He was very actively interested in politics, about the time of the proposed statehood of West Virginia and attended several conventions at Wheeling. Like his father, he endorsed the Whig party, and later affiliated with the Republicans. He has served many years as a member or president of the Board of Education. For more than 40 years he has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church. After completing the public school course, Francis B. Burk attended the Fairmont Normal School, and taught his first term during the winter of his 21st year. After several years of winter teaching, he returned to the Normal School and was graduated in the class of 1887. During the following three years he taught school, and read law during the vacations under the tutelage of the late John A. Hutchinson, and was admitted to the bar in 1891. His time has been mainly devoted to his profession ever since. During a period spent in the county assessor's office, he became thoroughly acquainted with a large percentage of the citizens of Wood County, gaining their confidence to such an extent that he was elected county superintendent of free schools, and capably served in this position for four years, his term ending in July, 1899. In 1896 he was made chairman of the Republican County Committee. In 1902 he was chosen as city attorney of Parkersburg, a just recognition of his ability. His first office in the State Journal building has long since given way to handsome apartments at No.. 311 Juliana street. The marriage of Francis B. Burk was to Julia M. Haislep, who was born near Wellston, Ohio, but has been a resident of Parkersburg ever since one year of age. She is a daughter of the late W. A. Haislep and his wife, Rachel C. Romine, who survives her husband and resides on a farm in Wood County. The Romine family came from Holland in the first part of the 17th century and were prominent on Manhattan Island. Mrs. Burk is a member of the Baptist Church, while Mr. Burk favors the Presbyterian. He is a member of Phoenix Camp. No 6961, Modern Woodmen of America, and Parkersburg Court, No. 1, Tribe of Ben Hur, and has served through all the chairs. ------------------------------------------------------------------- DEATH CERTIFICATE, Wood County WV, #15592 FULL-NAME: Francis Bird Burk BIRTH-DATE: February 11, 1862 BIRTH-PLACE: Wood Co., West Va. DEATH-DATE: December 10, 1946 AGE-AT-DEATH: 84y-9m-29d DEATH-PLACE: Camden Clark Hos., Parkersburg, Wood County, WV USUAL-RESIDENCE: Parkersburg, Wood County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widower (Julia Haislep) OCCUPATION: Lawyer FATHER: Robert Henry Burk (born in Ohio) MOTHER: Eliza Jane Davis (born in W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Shock from fracture of Pelvis INFORMANT: Robert W. Burk (of Parkersburg, W.Va.) BURIAL: I.O.O.F., Parkersburg ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Wood County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/wood/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------