Wilbur Wassom Burkhart, b.Sept. 29th, 1891 was the youngest of three sons born to Edwin Milton and Minerva Rebecca (Curl) Burkhart. His oldest brother, Elmer Francis, had been b. July 1, 1888. His other older brother, Cecil Jonathan, was b. May 14th, 1900. He also had two sisters, Adria, b 1887 and Adeline b. 1891. Their father, Edwin M. Burkhart, was one of eleven children born to Raymond Sanderson and Elizabeth (also called Eliza) Jane (Wassom) Burkhart. Raymond had been named to honor the original Raymond Sanderson who had been appointed guardian of Alexander Davidson whose father had passed when the child was quite young, probably age 4 or so. [This had been approx. 100 yrs. earlier when women had fewer rights regarding property and their own children. When their husband died, they were at the mercy of their husband's Last Will & Testament and had no say regarding their own children.] The original Raymond Sanderson was a godfather to the young Alexander Davidson and was appointed guardian of the child, per his father's will. His mother was allowed to remain in the home and was given sufficient funds and a room, bedding, etc. as long as she did not remarry (which she didn't) and young Alexander was allowed to remain in the home with her, supported by funds from his father's estate left in Mr.Sanderson's trust. He supported Alexander until he reached the age of majority and then gave him the remaining funds in the estate. This made such a lasting impression on Alexander Davidson that he named one of his children after Mister Sanderson. The Davidsons and the Burkharts met and became generational friends to the extent that they intermarried and named their children after both Burkharts and Davidsons who they wished to have as "namesakes", thus there are many Elizabeths, Melissas, Calvins, Johns, Peters, etc. in both the Burkhart and Davidson families. The Raymond Sanderson Burkhart who fathered Elmer and Wilbur was the eldest son of John (1787-1856) and Rebecca (Baltzell) (1800-1884) Burkhart, who came with their ten living children and families across the Oregon Trail in 1847 to the Oregon Territory's fledgling town of Albany in the Willamette Valley. Wilbur attended school full time, helping out on his father's portion of the donation land claim during school vacations. Following graduation, he enlisted and served in the military during World War I. In 1920, he was married to Mildred Whetstone and they lived in Portland, Oregon where he was a garage mechanic. By 1930, however, he returned to help work the family farm as his father had heart problems and passed away in Oct.1920 and left the family farm to his children. Wilbur and Mildred had also been blessed with three children, Wilbur Jr., B. @ 1922, Virginia L., b.@ 1925, and Betty L., b.@ 1927. Wilbur and Betty remained together on the donation land claim until his death in 1954. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery where many of the Burkharts are buried. His wife, Mildred, passed away in 1996 and is buried with him.