Burkett family stories and genealogy continued:

My Niece Denise

Years ago when I was young,
 A baby cried, Life had Begun,
 Its a Boy, NO, NO, NO, its a Girl,
 They named her Denise, my niece to be.
 Denise is now grown and lives by the lake,
of this I do not partake, I live many, many
 miles away, but I did manage to stop by one day.
 As we visited and I talked with this lady, very beautiful indeed, my
 thoughts took me back to the days of yesteryear
 as I remembered Denise as an infant baby, a toddler, a young child, a
girl in her teens, and finally an adult.
As i looked around and talked with her daughter Mara recently married, I
 thought to myself the cycle is beginning again, Denise will hear the cry
 of a newborn, only this time my niece will be GRANDMA.
 So you see my beloved niece, life moves at a very fast pace, the old
 grandfather clock ticks second after second and it fools you as its
 hands move so slow, but
 don't be fooled as time and life is precious, make everyday a special day,
do the things you always wanted to do when you were young or are still
 young enough to want to do them, as you get older your priorities
change, so live a good full life, but most important, live it for GOD.
As your Grandfather recently passed away, that moves both of us a step
 closer ourselves, now I am the Old Man on the Mountain.
 
 Wrote by Uncle Arnold Burkett for my Niece, Denise.
  17 December, 2000
 5:00 a.m. Sunday Morning, est.
 
   GOD LOVES YOU,
    YOU'RE SPECIAL TO ME TOO.
    ARNOLD
 

This was an old tin picture over 150 years old, probably taken about 1850.
Peter Burket fought in many of the major battles of the civil war, fought
in the battle of Gettysburg, his unit CO. E 148 th. Inf., PA Vol.
was one of the first at Gettysburg before the grain fields were knocked
down, his outfit took the blunt of Pickett's famous last all out effort charge,
his outfit was amongst the ones that chased Robert E. Lee's army down and
made him surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

Also at the battle of Gettysburg was Peter Burket's brother in law Cyrus
Geer with the 105 th. out of Brookvile, PA. Cyrus was married to Peter's sister 
Nancy Jane, Cyrus Geer also came home alive and ok.

I once counted 14 relatives, almost all Burket's that fought at the battle of Gettysburg.
Little Abe Burket from Claysburg, south of Altoona, PA, Little Abe was
at Gettysburg, he was the son of Peter Burket's brother David King Burket and wife
Barbara Dively, Little Abe was Peter's nephew.

Peter Burket's parents lived in Greenfield Twp, Claysburg area, Bedford County. then in 1838 moved to Jefferson County, PA. between Punxsutawney and Brookville, PA.

Peter Burket's parents was Samuel Burket Sr. and wife Mary Magdalene
Dunmire. Peter's great grandfather was a Revolutionary Soldier.
The Burket's were well established in the Colonies of America long before
the Revolutionary War.

My father, James P Burkett often told me  ( Arnold ) the civil war battle stories his grandfather, Peter Burket told him, especially the battle of Gettysburg, when we took my father to the Gettysburg battleground he recognized most things like the Devils Den @
etc, and said everything was exactly as he had it pictured in his mind
from Pete Burket's account of the battle. I recently gave my son Bruce two pictures of Peter Burket to be placed in the Welcome center museum at Gettysburg as many families had their
veterans picture displayed there. Peter Burket's name is on the PA Memorial at Gettysburg, you had to fight in the battle to have your name on the memorial.
In all the battles Peter was never wounded, he got sick at Gettysburg from drinking bad water, my father said after the days battle, soldiers on both sides went to the stream for water,
spoke to each other, then continued the fighting at first light in the morning.

Peter was an expert rifleman, he told my father about putting his hat on a stick, raising it above the stone way he lay behind, a Confederate sniper would shoot a hole thru the hat, giving his
position away, and as quickly as he shot thru the hat, Peter would pick him off, crawl to a new location, do it all over again. Peter for Sunday dinner would let a rooster out
of the chicken yard, have my Father, a young boy, throw something to make the rooster run fast, ( Dead gallop ) and then Pete with the muzzle loader would shoot its head off while it was running flat out.

Peter Burket was also blessed with Healing power, pow-wow secret incantations, certain verses from the bible to stop bleeding and etc. Harvey Keller, a neighbor, his daughter was badly burned and bleeding, doctor done everything he could, told the parents the little girl would
die shortly, Peter Burket went to the little girl, he is credited with his pow-wow incantations, stopping the bleeding and saving the little Keller girl's life.
I tried to research what Peter read from the bible, I concluded it was
Ezekiel 16-6.

Wrote by,
Arnold burkett
Burket Family Historian
And Storyteller of Burket Tales and Trails
6 April, 2002 

Some more Burkett genealogy:

Ok, starting with Samuel Sr., and Sally Hatfield, had a son, 
Jacob, that married Angeline Cochran.
Jacob and Angeline's children. . . 
Samuel,  Jeffy John Calbin, Jacob Irvin, Jeffy Davy,
Rebeka, Martha, Katie and Mary. 

Jacob and Angeline's son, Jacob, married Catherine Brocious,
one of their children was Nellie, that married the Homer.
Nellie is 102, still lives in Punxy, has a good mind, her daughter
is Jenny Homer Harriger.

Angeline Cochran's sister, Mary Miller, was Peter Burket's
last wife. See page 91, Vol 1 for picture of Jeffy John.
I know Jeffy John's granddaughter, met his daughter before she died
of cancer.

Jeffy John and Jeffy Davy (Big Dave) got the nickname Jeffy for
Jefferson County, PA., because they traveled frequently back and
forth between Burket Hollow in Jefferson County and Burkett Hill in
polecat hollow area of Beford/Blair county, Greenfield Twp., area with
relatives.