Hezekiah Charles Burkhart was named after his grandfather, Hezekiah Davidson Burkhart, who had been named after his great grandmother's father, Hezekiah Davidson, father of Melissa Ann Davidson who married Leander Columbus Burkhart. Hezekiah C. Burkhart grew up on his family's donation land claim, land that had been in the family since they came to Oregon in 1847. He was the only son of John Geisendorfer Burkhart and Ada Olga (Lucht) Burkhart, who also had two daughters, Aileen and Frances. "Hez", as he was fondly called, loved working the land and was a true farmer at heart. He was also mechanically gifted, building a home made motorcycle that he used to get him to different areas of the farm when changing the irrigation lines. It was even written up in the local newspaper, the Albany Democrat Herald as the Burkharts were a popular farming family, although Hez was a rather shy man all of his life who never married. He was a nice person and a loyal friend, however, as I learned 1st hand in the summer of 1967 when a spark from a train rounding the bend at the base of Meeker Hill, heading east, started a fire that grew quickly in the dry grasses of July or August. We had called the fire department but the fire had continued to spread all too swiftly towards our house at the top of Meeker Hill Drive. I was just 15 yrs. old and becoming more frightened as the time passed and the fire headed in our direction. Our cousin, Ruth Lines Motley, told us to start bringing our prized belongings to her home at Knox Butte and my sisters and I began to pack the car. Either Ruth or Zella Burkhart called Hez who had an airplane, an old WWII bomber he used for spraying the crops. He called his friends and suddenly the sky was filled with planes dumping hundreds of gallons of water onto the fire before it could crown among the trees (leap from tree top to tree top). Also, the Fire Depts. from Albany, Sweet Home, Lebanon, Scio, Tangent, Jefferson and other towns showed up, all combining to put the fire out once and for all. It had come within a quarter mile of our house and for months we had deer, raccoons and other wildlife (including a fox that tried to take our ducks!) coming around our property. It has been nearly 50 years but I can still remember it so well since I was so afraid and so impressed by Hez and all of his friends. I later graduated from school, married and had a son. When I divorced, I moved away for a number of years but came back to Oregon, my home, though I now live in Portland. My mom was researching our family's history and she remembered the Burkhart Reunion she'd attended when she was a child, so we contacted family in Albany and held a Burkhart Reunion in August 1987, held at Burkhart Park in Albany, Oregon. I was amazed at all of the people who attended, which included family from all over Oregon, Washington, California, and from Knoxville, Tennessee and even Switzerland! That was the last time I saw my cousin Hez. I wish I'd known how we were all related and how important it was to visit with them (instead of taking pictures and asking people to sign the guest book!) for now so many are gone, including my dear cousin Hez. After doing research on my family, I've found that a relative who lived in Portland when he passed had grown up in the Albany area, John Connor Burkhart (memorial #121017560), had designed and flown planes in the early 1900's, flying thru out the Willamette Valley prior to and later serving in the Aviation Corps during WW1. I wonder if he taught Hez how to fly, but both he and Hez are gone so I can only guess. How I wish I could go back in time and visit everyone I've come to know thru Find A Grave, but I guess I'll have to wait until I become a memorial on Find A Grave. Hopefully, I'll be found worthy of a place in Heaven and I can visit everyone there and take all of the time I want.
Dear Hezekiah Charles Burkhart passed away on Aug 3rd, 2004, in Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon. He was laid to rest at Knox Butte Cemetery, Albany, Oregon, with his parents and many other family members. I am sure they are all at Peace in Paradise and I look forward to seeing them all after I pass, if I'm found worthy.