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View Larger Images of Samuel Booth and Christina (Baird) Booth.
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Samuel Booth was born in Ashton, England, October 14, 1844, and came to America arriving in Boston, July 4, 1858. He passed from this life at his home six miles north of Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas, at the age of 64 years, 10 months and 27 days. He died on a Thursday, December 10, 1908, at 9:30 a.m. The funeral services were held in the home and was in charge of the Rev. O. W. Bailey, a long time friend. Interment in Greensburg, Kansas cemetery.Samuel was the son of J. B. Booth who left England on April 26, 1887, arriving in America June 9, 1887. J. B. Booth lived with his son, Sam and daughter-in-law, Christina, who were living in Grundy county, Illinois at the time. J. B. had two sisters living in Boston. One was Hannah Wilks, and the other sister's name is not known. Samuel Booth was a cabinet maker by trade. He gave his tool chest to his son Robert. Robert's children have donated the tool chest to the Comanche County Historical Society in Coldwater, Kansas.
Samuel Booth met and married Christina Wilson Baird , December 1, 1865. She was the daughter of Alexander and Nellie Baird. She was born in Sidney Mines, Nova Scotia, February 5, 1845, where she lived for five years before moving to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, and later La Salle, Illinois. At the age of sixteen, she saw President Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Christina had three sisters and two brothers.
Christina was married at 21 and moved with her husband to Kansas in 1886, where they homesteaded north of Wimore, Kansas. There they enjoyed a prosperous and happy life. Here they raised thirteen children : James, Alexander, James II, Mary Ellen, Samuel, William, Joseph, Robert, Henry, Christina Sadie, Isabelle Barber, Fred and Hattie Anna.The first school was located about five miles from the homestead, and it was a three month term. The boys took turns staying home to herd the cattle. Their school lunches were meager, but there was always plenty of fresh baked bread, good butter, and sandhill plum jelly. It took all day to go to Greensburg, a distance of 12 miles, with horse and wagon. The teacher took turns boarding and rooming with the families in the district. One teacher, Miss Emma Cattle married Samuel Booth Jr.. Later the school was known as Booth School, (Pleasant View) District 46 South. Many of the grandchildren attended the school through the years. It later became an eight month school.
Besides farming and livestock interests, Samuel Sr. found time to help with the construction of the Big Well in Greensburg, Kansas. James, his son, also hauled bricks and stones to the Big Well. Samuel was a member of the Woodsman Lodge and a subscriber to the Farm Journal, which is still in circulation today.
All of the children except Fred, who died at 14, and Mary, who lived in Chicago, homesteaded not far from the old home, where they all lived and raised their families. Many of the residents in and around Wilmore, Kansas, are descendants or related by marriage to the Booths. Christina Booth passed away at the home of her daughter, Isabelle near Belvidere, Kansas, on July 23, 1937, at the age of 92 years, 5 months and 15 days. She too, is buried in Greensburg, Kansas.
Family of Samuel and Christina Booth:
- James Booth , b. November 24, 1866
- Alexander Booth, b. December 29, 1867
- James Booth II. b. August 30, 1869
- Mary Ellen Booth, b. January 24, 1872, d. November 3, 1931. Married Simons Murphy.
- Samuel Booth, Jr., b. October 15, 1873; d. Dec 10, 1960. Married to Emma Cottle. Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery
- William Booth, b. September 18, 1875; d. June 9, 1957. Married Lillie May Kluttz. Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery
- Joseph Booth, b. January 7, 1877; d. 1941. Married Addabel Eubank.
Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery- Robert Booth, b. February 2, 1879; d. May 29, 1961. Married Effie Jane Maltby. Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery
- Henry Booth, b. October 2, 1880; d. August 31, 1957. Married Bessie Jane Bell.
- Christina Sadie Booth, b. March 31, 1882; d. September 28, 1975. Married Samuel Wood; 2nd marriage to James P. Griffin.
Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery- Isabelle Barber Booth, b. January 3, 1885; d. February 21, 1987. Wife of John Wright. Her 1st marriage was to James Taylor Hall.
- Fred, b. August 28, 1888.
- Hattie Anna Booth, b. February 22, 1890; d. December 11, 1982. Married Harold Boyd Wood. Buried in the Wilmore Cemetery
Back row, left to right: Christina Wood, Joe Booth, Hattie Wood, Christina (Baird) Booth, Mary Murphy , James Booth, Belle Hall, William Booth.
Front row, left to right: Sam Booth, Henry Booth, Robert Booth.
Photograph from the collection of Teresa Benz.
Contributor's Note: This article came from a book published October 14, 1983, called 'The Family History of Samuel and Christina Baird Booth, 1865 - 1983. I am sorry to say I do not know who wrote the article.
This book was given to me in February of 2001 by my Great Uncle, Ivan Booth, to whom I am very grateful.
Teresa Benz
Samuel Booth was born in England, October 14th, 1844, died at his home in the south part of this county December 10th, 1908, aged 64 years, 1 month and 27 days. He came to America 50 years ago, landing at Boston on the 4th of July, 1858, came to Kiowa County Kansas in 1886. On December 1st, 1865, he was married to Christina Wilson Baid. To this union were born 13 children, 9 boys and 4 girls, 10 of whom with the wife survice him and were present at the death bed. The children are James, Samuel Jr., William, Robert, Henry, Belle, Hattie, Mrs. S.M. Wood of this county and Mrs. S.P. Murphy of Omaha, Nebraska. Obituary of Samuel Booth
Mr. Booth had suffered a great deal the last year at times and for the last two weeks had been confined to his bed with that dread disease, Bright's Disease. His suffering was great and we should not wish to recall him if we could, but the home has a vacant chair and the faithful wife and children have lost a devoted husband and a loving father, the community a good citizen and the neighborhood a good friend. Funeral services were held Friday, Dec. 11th, at 2 o'clock under the management of Workman Lodge. A large circle of friends and acquaintances extend sympathy to the bereaved family.
(Undated obituary from a newspaper published in Kiowa County, Kansas.)
Obituary of Christina Baird Booth
92 Year Old Woman is Buried Here
============================================
Mrs. Christina Booth was Buried in the Fairlawn Cemetery MondayMrs. Christina Booth, 92 years old, and who had resided in Kiowa County, Kansas, for the past 51 years, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Wright, near Belvidere, Friday, July 23rd. Funeral services were held for her at the Christian Church in Wilmore Monday afternoon at 2 0'clock by the Rev. D.B. Bennett of Sawyer and the Rev. I.W. Bailey of Wilmore. Burial was in the family lot at Fairlawn cemetery in this city.
Six granddaughters of Mrs. Booth looked after the many beautiful floral offerings. There were Mabel and Amy Booth, Rowena Booth, Ruth Baker, Naomi Vardaman and Helen Mae Booth. Six grandsons served as the pallbearers and were Clifton Woods, Richard Woods, Donald, Fred, John and Lester Booth. Honorary Pallbearers were the six sons, and were James Booth, Samuel Booth, William Booth, Joseph Booth, Robert Booth and Henry Booth. The scripture lesson was John 14, Mrs. Booth's favorite chapter.
Mrs. Booth is survived by three daughers, Mrs. Christina Griffin, Mrs. Belle Wright and Mrs. Hattie Wood, besides the six sons mentioned. There are 28 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Death was not unexpected as Mrs. Booth had been in frail health for several months.
Christina Wilson Baird, daughter of Alexander and Nellie Baird, was born at Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Feb. 5, 1845, and passed away on July 23, 1937 at 7:40 p.m. at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wright, near Belvidere at the age of 92 years, 5 months and 15 days.
At the age of five years she moved with her parents to Hazelton, Pa. She resided there six years. Then she moved to La Salle, Ill., residing there 11 years. At the age of 21 years, she was united in marriage to Samuel Booth on December 1, 1865, and moved to Kansas in 1886. They had lived in Kansas 25 years when her husband preceded her in death after a lingering illness of 12 years.
(Undated obituary from a newspaper published in Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas.)
The Wilmore News, July 30, 1937. Wilmore loses another highly honored citizen and oldest resident in the passing of Mrs. Christina Booth.ANOTHER PIONEER IS CALLED TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The death of one of Kiowa County's oldest pioneers, occurred about eight o'clock last Friday evening, when Grandma Booth was called to her heavenly home.
She had been failing in health for the past few months and was confined to her bed much of the time. At the time of her death, she was 92 years old.
Grandma had spent 51 years in this community, living on the old homestead seven miles north of Wilmore where she had made a countless number of friends and acquaintances.
It was on June 27, 1886 that Grandma and her family came to Kansas from Morris, Illinois to Medicine Lodge on the train and there they were met by Mr. Booth, who, had come to Kansas, about three months before the family. At that time their nearest town was Greensburg. The trip to market was made with team and wagon, usually, once a week.
The adventures and hardships of pioneer life in the new and undeveloped country had been recalled many times by Grandma to her relatives and friends. A year after the family had moved to Kansas, the task of building a new home began. The family had lived in a small sod house for nearly a year.
Mr. Booth died in December, 1903 and Mrs. Booth and her children continued to carry on the farm with success. She had resided on the farm until her death.
Grandma had lived an active life and was a loving and devoted mother. Her going will leave a vacant place among us that can never be filled. She leaves a host of relatives and friends to mourn her departure from life.
Obituary. Christina Wilson Baird, daughter of Alexander and Nellie Baird, was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, February 5, 1845 and passed away on July 23, 1937, at 7:40 p.m. at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wright near Belvidere, Kansas, at the age of 92 years, 5 months and 15 days.
At the age of five years she moved with her parents to Hazelton, Pennsylvania. She resided there six years. Then she moved to LaSalle, Illinois, residing there eleven years. At the age of 21 years, she was united in marriage to Samuel Booth, December 1865, and moved to Kansas in 1886. They had lived in Kansas 25 years when her husband preceded her in death after a lingering illness of 12 years.
To this union were born 13 children, 4 girls and 9 boys. Two boys died in infancy and one boy, Fred, died since coming to Kansas at the age of 12 years. One daughter, Mrs. Mary Murphy, departed this life at the home of her mother, November 5, 1931.
At an early age she united with the Christian Church. Grandma always loved to read her Bible.
The surviving children are: James, Samuel, William, Joseph, Robert, and Henry, Mrs. Christina Griffin, Mrs. Belle Wright, and Mrs. Hattie Wood. These together with 28 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-granddaughter are left to mourn the death of a very kind and loving mother and grandmother.
Of all things God ever made,
To me a Mother is most dear,
In all our days she proved to be
The one our childhood lives to cheer
She was the one who shared our grief,
And all our joy and pain,
She never failed us in our need
With no thought of reward or gain
Yes, we shall miss thee, Mother dear,
And more and more as days go by,
The best friend we have ever had
Is now a star in heaven's sky,
But still we would not call thee back,
We know God's way is best,
We only pray that we may meet
In mansions of the Blest.
The burial of Christina (Baird) Booth, Fairlawn Cemetery, Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas.
Her grandsons beside the grave are, left to right:
Cliff Wood, Fred Booth, Richard Wood, John Booth, Don Booth (Coldwater), & Lester Booth.
Photo courtesy of Amy (Booth) Ring.
The burial of Christina (Baird) Booth, Fairlawn Cemetery, Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas.
The flower girls are all grand-daughters. They are, left to right:
Mabel Booth, Amy Booth, Rowena Booth, Ruth Wood, & Helen Mae Booth.
Photo courtesy of Amy (Booth) Ring.
The gravestone of Samuel and Christina (Baird) Booth,
Fairlawn Cemetery, Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas.
Undated newspaper clipping:
Mrs. Christina Booth "Pioneer" one of the oldest pioneer settlers was born in Sidney, Nova Scotia, eighty-nine years ago, five years later moved to Illinois.
At the age of sixteen she heard Abraham Lincoln deliver his famous Gettysburg address.
On June 27, 1886 Mr. Booth came to Kansas and proved up a claim 16 miles south and 4 miles east of Greensburg, building a one-room sod house. Three months later Mrs. booth and family came to the end of the railroad at Medicine Lodge where Mr. Booth met them in a wagon drawn by a team of horses owned by O.J. Greenleaf.
There were no fences and they had to herd their cattle. Their neighbors were the Greenleaf's, St. John , and the Kirbys. Two years later the Booth's moved a house from another claim, and a school was established one mile from their home. Mrs. Ella Hannah of Greensburg was the first teacher. The Booth and St. Hohn's children being the only pupils. In the summer of 1886 they recall a great celebration they attended on the Fourth of July at Greensburg.
Mr. Booth died in 1909 but Mrs. Booth and her sons continue to carry on the farm. She is still active in her household duties on the old homestead. She has nine living children, all located within fifteen miles of her.
Note by Teresa Benz about the above clipping from the collection of her mother, Betty Jo (Booth) Dirks: "The source was from the local paper, don't know if it was a Wilmore or Coldwater paper. Rowena or Amy would know. It could have been in the Western Star which is the Coldwater paper. The dates don't always work out but I don't want to change them because that's the way it was printed. What do you think?"
Samuel Booth, Jr.
Photo courtesy of Teresa Benz.
Also see:
When The Train Comes In, a humorous article about early Wilmore-area residents by Kent Eubank, published in the Wichita Eagle before 1932.
Isabelle B. (Booth) Wright, daughter of Sam & Christina (Baird) Booth.
Georgia Pauline "Polly" (Booth) Bond, daughter of Samuel Booth, Jr.; grand-daughter of of Sam & Christina (Baird) Booth.
Charles Henry "Chuck" Booth, son of Henry & Bessie (Bell) Booth.
Fred Stanley Booth, son of William Baird Booth and Lillie (Kluttz) Booth, grandson of Sam & Christina (Baird) Booth).
Lester Booth, son of Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth; grandson of Sam & Christina (Baird) Booth.
The BOOTH Descendants of The Bairds of Lanarkshire in Comanche and Kiowa Counties, Kansas.
George Wayne Booth, grandson of Sam and Christina Booth, son of Henry & Bessie (Bell) Booth.
Ricky Lynn Booth, son of Ivan and Erma Booth; grandson of Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth; great-grandson of Sam and Christina Booth.
Mary Ellen Booth Is Taken By Death, The Wilmore News, November 13, 1931. Daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Robert Booth, Jr., son of Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth; grandson of Sam and Christina Booth.
Rowena (Booth) Snyder, daughter of of Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth; grand-daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Terry Lynn Snyder, son of Carl & Rowena (Booth) Snyder; grandson of Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth; great-grandson of Sam and Christina Booth.
Ruth Mae (Wood) Baker, grand-daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Madaline Alma (Booth) Elwell, daughter of Joe and Addabel (Eubank) Booth, grand-daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Eulah Booth (Wood) Trummel, grand-daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Travis Booth, grandson of Sam and Christina Booth, son of Sam & Emma (Cottle) Booth.
Helen Margaret (Wood) Pendergraft, grand-daughter of Sam and Christina Booth.
Lillie May (Kluttz) Booth, wife of Samuel Baird Booth.
Walter Allison Booth, son of James and Cara Belle Booth, grandson of Sam and Christina Booth.
This web page was added to this site by Jerry Ferrin, 22 Jan 2003. It was last updated 24 November 2006. Thanks to Teresa Benz for contributing the history, obituaries & photos! Thanks also to Joan Armundsen for contributing The Booth Descendants of the Bairds of Lanarkshire in Comanche and Kiowa Counties, Kansas. and other information which appears on this page. Thanks, as always, to Bobbi Huck, whose personal knowledge of and friendship with many Booth descendants in Comanche County, is also reflected in the information on this webpage. Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above obituary from The Wilmore News to this web site!
