James Monroe Burkhart was born Nov 20th, 1870 to William McDonald Burkhart (1845-1902) and Frances Elizabeth (McMillan) Burkhart (1852-1928), one of nine children. William was a grandson of Peter and Anna (Gillum) Burkhart, Peter Burkhart having settled 1st in Sullivan County, Tennessee in 1811 following his wedding to his 1st wife, Rachel Owen, who passed in 1832. One of his sons was Eli Emanuel Burkhart, who married Malinda Sherrod. One of their children was James. [Peter Burkhart had remarried, following the death of Rachel Owen to Anna Gillum].
There was also a James Monroe b.1841 who died in Illinois in 1918, after William's son, James Monroe was born; so James Monroe was actually named after an uncle who was married and living in Illinois. Young James Monroe attended school as all Burkharts firmly believed in three things with regards to their children, in that family was special, all children deserved a good education, and a strong faith in God would get them through both the good times and bad. James received a good education and loved, courted, and married Sophia Elizabeth Davis. He and Sophia married on Sept 6th, 1893. There were seven children born of their union:
Robert McDonald, b.Feb 7, 1895,
Annie Irine (Baird) b. Apr 12, 1898,
James Ruble, b.Nov 27, 1899,
Earl Kenneth, b.Feb. 22, 1902,
Leslie Nathan, b.1906,
(Frances)Louise (Cruze), b.Apr 22, 1908,
Harold Monroe, b.Aug 6, 1910.
The following contains excerpts from Knoxville Journal, Saturday, May 11, 1929 & "At Rest" by Robert A. McGinnis:
"James Monroe served for a number of years on the school board in Knox County and was prominent in political and educational affairs in Knox County. He was a member of Asbury ME Church along with other members of his family. At the age of 58, he was the chief inspector for the Tennessee Marble Exchange, at the Southern Railway yards where he was looking after a shipment of marble when he died suddenly in the Southern Railway yards on Friday, May 10, 1929." He apparently collapsed and died and was found first "..by Burt Franklin and several others who happened to pass through the railway yards. Police were notified and an investigation started...Mr.Burkhart's body was removed to Mann Mortuary" and his relatives were notified. It was determined that heart failure was the cause of death.
"Surviving are his wife, formerly Miss Sophia Davis, five sons, Robert M. now at McCargle, Texas, J.R. and Earl of Asbury, Leslie N., student of Northwestern University at Chicago and Harold Burkhart of Asbury, also two daughters, Mrs. Dan Baird of Asbury and Miss Frances Louise Burkhart, student at Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City; [also] three brothers, Taylor, Don and Mayford Burkhart; six sisters, Mrs. Sam Whittle, Mrs.Will Derieux and Mrs.Hugh Armstrong, Knoxville; Mrs.Archie Weigel, Asbury, Mrs. Walter Weigel, Powells Station and Mrs. Clarence Bolinger, Knoxville." He is buried at Asbury Cemetery, Knoxville, Tennessee where his wife, parents, many of his children and other family members are interred.