The Byrd Family:

John Benjamin Byrd, born December 22, 1860, in Franklin County, Virginia, the son of James Louis and Julia Martha (Byrd.

He was united in marriage to Medora "Dora" Ann Dillon, born April 12, 1860 in Franklin County, the daughter of Henry "Hawk" and Mary Catherine (Holland) Dillon, in Franklin County, Virginia on December 31, 1879.

John and Dora moved to Missouri in 1884 where they farmed land in Williamsburg and Auxvasse, Callaway County, Missouri.

Medora died March 28, 1912 in Callaway County and John died at 10:30pm on May 7, 1921.

Letters from John to his parents:

January 31, 1892: form Williamsburg, Missouri Redwood, Virginia:

"Dora was right sick for about ten days with the gripe and Peter (Johns brother) and Oscar was laid up with it for about a week, just at Christmas. Peter has been here ever since a day or two before Christmas but will go to work in a day or two. He is aiming to hire for the year, here.

Another letter to his parents: January 1, 1898:

"The weather has been cold and we have had a hard time for the last eighteen months. Have had so much sickness, though they have all been getting along very well since they got over the fever. The baby (Probably Leander) is as fat as a pig and pert as he can be and so is Escar. Sallie and me went to preaching Christmas Day. We had a harvest of corn which yielded 20 or 25 barrels. Dora sold 20 turkeys and 11 ducks and the turkeys bought her a dollar a piece and the ducks 5 dollars a piece. She loaned Oscar 15 dollars to get him a suit of clothes and overcoat. He is going to pay her when we get his wood hauled up.

February 18, 1898:To his parents:

I am informing you of the death of my two dearly loved boys, Jimmy and Ecar. They died of typhoid pneumonia. The doctor said they had the La Grippe at first and then pneumonia set up and soon took them. Mother, I know you and father can sympathize with us. It is hard indeed to part with our dear ones but we must try to be reconciled to the Lord's Will for he knows best and can do as he pleases with his own. I have not the least doubt but what they are sweetly resting in the realms of eternal peace, joy and love, where pain and love where pain nor sorrow nor death can never enter. Our friends have donate a little over 30 dollars to help pay the burial expenses and the neighbors was just as good and kind to us as they could be.

John may have married a second time after the death of Medora but no record of this could be found.