Bertha Ransbottom was born on November 13, 1915 in Coldwater, Ohio. She is Walt’s first cousin. Her mother Sadie was the oldest sister of Carl, Walt’s dad.
Bertha was born to Clarence and Sarah (Sadie) Hoel Ransbottom. Bertha was the 4th child born to the couple. They had a total of 10, including three sets of twins!
The family moved from Coldwater in the early 1920’s, landing first in Madill, Okalahoma. They moved to Bonnerdale, Arkansas in the late 1920s.
Bertha married David Humphries on August 26, 1939. The 1940 census shows them living Tensas Parish, Louisiana. It also notes that in 1935, they were both living in Missouri. I don’t know where in Missouri, but would like to try to find out. David was born in Alabama, so it would be interesting to find out where they met. Family lore told me they met in Louisiana.
David and Bertha had three children together. David was killed in an accident where an oil derrick collapsed near Winnsbaro, Louisiana on November 3, 1946. The 1950 census lists Bertha and her children living on a farm near Newellton and Bertha is listed as a farmer.
Bertha Ransbottom Humphries lived in the area for the rest of her life, dying there on December 22, 1999. She and David are buried in Legion Memorial Cemetery in Newellton.
When Walt and I got married, Bertha sent us a beautiful bible.
I wrote about her mom Sadie in this post.
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