Homer William Burns

  Notes:

Information from Billy (Walter) Burns
Homer was a very good machinist at the Navy Yard. Without a HS education, he started as a helper and bypassed many apprentices because he was so good. He did the fine finish grinding & polishing, which apparently only a few could do. He did things like finishing the submarine doors which had to fit precisely. When Homer was young they had to walk 1 1/2 miles to school. One snowy morning a car hit Homer and threw him into the windshield. It cracked his skull and he suffered headaches and according to Walter, he had trouble in school and because of this never went to High School, although Walter did go to HS.

Oscar & Ida lived in Bolton VT and then in Waturbery VT until sometime after 1912 when Homer was born. Around 1912 they moved to Laconia NH on west street. Oscar was working as a carpenter. They moved to Portsmouth in 1918 on Gates Street.  I think Oscar went to work at the Navy Yard. In 1921 they bought a 48 acre farm in Greenland and sold it in 1929. Homer and Walter (Billy) farmed this. Ambrosia lived with Oscar and Ida in New Hampshire, and died while she was living with them. Her was not sure how Ira seemed to have so many of her keepsakes and Oscar did not.

Walter was 23 when Oscar died in 1935. Walter said he never knew Ambrosia's husband (Levi) and that Levi never lived in NH with them. He said he also did not know John Burns who was Levi's father.  In 1925 Homer & Billy went in together and bought their first car: a Ford Model T Coupe with 3 pedals.  Billy remembers a time when he and Homer had the mumps and he picked on Homer.

Oscar died of Cancer of the prostrate. Billy remembers Homer driving to his work site to tell him that his father had taken a turn for the worse.

  Events

• Ceme. Greenland, NH

• Nickname. Red

Homer married Anna Katherine Harris, daughter of Unknown and Unknown, 9 Aug 1932 in Newburyport, Mass. (Anna Katherine Harris was born 9 Nov 1913 in New Castle, NH and died 13 Jul 1994 in Kittery, Maine.)