William Bertram Payne

1878 - 1915  (36 years)

• Name	William Bertram Payne  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Born	22 Jul 1878	Missouri   [1, 2, 3, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Died	22 Jun 1915	Seminole County, Oklahoma   [1, 5]
  Notes	The year of his birth is sometimes shown as 1877, but his granddaughter, Linda Miller, shows it as 1878. This is based on their family Bible. Linda notes that he had a cleft palate and wore a mustached most of the time to cover it up, his features appeared Indian, but he had light blue eyes. Ken Harvey writes that he was known as Bert, and that he was a professional cowboy. His granddaughter, Linda Miller, says her father said he was always called Will by his family. Grace Ellen Gentry, who knew him, had a lot of respect for William Bertram. She had high standards and was not an easy lady to please. He was considered a very physically tough person but he was very well mannered. He worked for his uncle Walter W. Payne at one point, Walter having a ranch. He once had an accident when roping steers. His lower arm ended up being jerked off at the elbow. He gained a lot of respect from the fact that he didn't let this later hinder him on a horse. He used to hold the reins wrapped around the stump and it was considered that he could do more than many men who had both their hands. Linda Miller recalls the story of how her grandfather actually lost his arm as follows: "He had been working on the Bell Ranch in New Mexico, when a young cowboy thought it would be funny to see old Will Payne be thrown, so he hit the horse (just green broke) that my grandfather was riding on the rump with his felt hat and he was thrown alright. My grandfather at the time weighed about 230 pounds and was 6 foot 2 or 4 inches tall. When he fell it drove his left arm into the ground. There was a compound fracture above the elbow. The doctor that was available thought it best to take off his arm right above the break. It did not heal well and went back to Oklahoma and then went to a doctor in Missouri that took it off in the shoulder joint after gangrene had set in. During his weakened condition he contracted T.B. and died of it when my father was 6 months old, leaving my grandmother a young widow with three boys." (Research):Census Information 1910 Census Oklahoma, Washita County, Union Twp Enumerated 3 Jun 1910 by Thomas Hudgens SD 5 ED 268 Sheet 22B 303-303 Payne, William B Hd M W 33 W Mo Mo Mo English Farmer Thompson, Lawrence Servant M w 18 S Ka Mo Mo English Farm L aborer
  Person ID	I4658	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Levi Newton Payne,   b. 2 Aug 1856, Shelby County, Missouri ,   d. 3 Dec 1932, Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona  (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Sarah Elizabeth McClanahan,   b. 8 Jun 1849, Schuyler County, Missouri ,   d. 21 Jan 1921, Cruce, Stephens County, Oklahoma  (Age 71 years)
  Married	28 Feb 1875	Shelby County, Missouri   [2, 6]
  	Ken Harvey states that the dates of births and deaths relating to this family group came from family bible which is in possion of Ruby Nichols at Higley, Arizona; Levi Newton Paynes death certificate; and Marriage license between Levi Newton Payne and S.E.MCCLANAHAN. Additional information is from the unpublished typescript MCCLANAHAN FAMILY HISTORY by Dorothy Lee Pattison (1989).
  Family ID	F1051	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Shirley Thompson,   b. Abt 1877,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	11 Jun 1905  [1, 7]
  Children	1. Firm Fremont Payne,   b. 14 Dec 1905, Oklahoma ,   d. 14 Jan 1968  (Age 62 years)   2. Harold N. Payne,   b. 28 Feb 1907, Oklahoma ,   d. 13 Nov 1983, Chandler, Maricopa County, Arizona  (Age 76 years)   3. Chester F. "Jack" Payne,   b. 16 Oct 1908, Oklahoma ,   d. Abt 1960, New Mexico  (Age 51 years)
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006
  Family ID	F2517	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Elizabeth Louise Belter,   b. Abt 1891, North Dakota ,   d. 17 Feb 1960, Clinton, Van Buren County, Arkansas  (Age ~ 69 years)
  Married	16 Jul 1910	Arapaho, Custer County, Oklahoma   [5]
  	Linda Miller reports that her grandparents met on her parent's farm in Oklahoma. Will was helping Elizabeth's father with his animals, being somewhat of a veterinarian as well as a cowboy. After they married, they moved to New Mexico, around Roy, and homesteaded there on 5 sections of land. The family would go back and forth to Oklahoma where their families still lived. The marriage date was recorded in the Family Bible.
  Children	1. Bert W. Payne,   b. 11 Apr 1911, Oklahoma ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Scott W. Payne,   b. 7 Apr 1913, Oklahoma ,   d. 30 Oct 1918, Oklahoma  (Age 5 years)   3. Raymond Ruben Payne,   b. 13 Dec 1914, Little Cemetery, Little, Seminole County, Oklahoma ,   d. 2 Dec 1989, Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho  (Age 74 years)
  Documents		Payne, William Bertram Family Bible (Marriages) Close up of Marriage's from the Family Bible
  		Belter, Elizabeth to William Bertram Payne 1910 Marriage License Issued in Custer County, Oklahoma
  Last Modified	8 Aug 2008
  Family ID	F2518	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 22 Jul 1878 - Missouri Married - 16 Jul 1910 - Arapaho, Custer County, Oklahoma Died - 22 Jun 1915 - Seminole County, Oklahoma  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Payne, William Bertram and Elizabeth (Belter) Payne, Bert and his wife Elizabeth (Belter), with their youngest son, Raymond on his lap. It appears their oldest son, Bert was also pictured--based on his darker hair. It is not known why son Scott is missing from this photo. This was taken shortly before William Bertram died.

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Payne, William Bertram Family Bible An overview of the Family Bible Information
  		Payne, William Bertram Family Bible (Births) Close up of Birth's from the Family Bible
  		Payne, William Bertram Family Bible (Deaths) Close up of Deaths from the Family Bible
  		Bell Ranch, San Miguel County, New Mexico panaramic photo William Bertram (the son of Levi Newton Payne) just worked on the ranch....but then later homesteaded his on 5 sections in northern New Mexico around the area of Roy. His wife Elizabeth continued after his death to try and work the ranch with their oldest son Bert and youngest son Raymond....I know at times they had help some brothers by the name of Harper.

  
  

• Sources

  [S468] Williams, Cova Jean Hurst--Family Researcher (GEDCOM file). [S250] Ancestral File, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [database online], (Ancestral File (found at www.familysearch.org) is a collection of genealogical information taken from Pedigree Charts and Family Group Records submitted to the Family History Department since 1978. The information has not been verified against any official records. Since the information in Ancestral File is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the file to verify its accuracy.). [S124] Harvey, Kenneth C--Family Member; Gedcom, Printed Descendants Reports of Payne and Gentry Families, Correspondence. [S270] Payne Family Bible, Family Register of Mr. Levi Newton Payne and Miss Sarah Elizabeth McClannahan (1875) Property of Ruby Nichols, Higley, Arizona, "Birt Payne 22nd July 1877" (Reliability: 3). [S572] Miller, Linda Payne--Family Researcher (laftonm@hotmail.com). [S358] Shelby County, Missouri Marriage Records, B-327 (Reliability: 3). [S270] Payne Family Bible, Family Register of Mr. Levi Newton Payne and Miss Sarah Elizabeth McClannahan (1875) Property of Ruby Nichols, Higley, Arizona, "Birt W. Payne 11 June 1905" (Reliability: 3).