Memorials › Bernice Shedrick Chitwood

Bernice Shedrick Chitwood

5 May 1889 – 27 Sep 1966

Birth5 May 1889
Death27 Sep 1966
CemeteryWillow Wild Cemetery
Bonham , Fannin County , Texas , USA
Added byMike Tankersley on 17 Jan 2011
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46784280

Bio

Bernice Shedrick "Burnice" Chitwood (1889–1966) Bernice Shedrick Chitwood was born on 5 May 1889 in Ector, Fannin County, Texas, to Sparrell Hale Chitwood and Mary Cassandre Stephenson, a large blended farm family typical of rural northeast Texas. Growing up among several full and half siblings—Dona Gay, Bruce, Earl, Leonard "Lyn," Bluford Blanton, and others—Bernice experienced a childhood shaped by agricultural labor and the rapid expansion of rail lines that were beginning to connect Fannin County with surrounding regions. Early Life and Family Background The 1900 census places him at home in Justice Precinct 1, helping on the family farm and witnessing the changing economic landscape as railroads created new jobs and drew young men away from agricultural life. This emerging industry would later define his career. After the death of his father in 1911, Bernice remained close to his family roots in Texas. On 23 January 1923, he married Vera in Fannin County. Their marriage anchored him in Bonham, where they built a steady household while he was employed as a railroad engineer, a highly skilled and respected position in the mid-20th-century transportation economy. World War I: Conflicting Birth Years and Why They Occurred Bernice's World War I records contain three different birth years: 1888 – used on his WWI draft registration in Miller County, Arkansas 1889 – used on his WWII draft card, VA file, census records, and his railroad pension index 1897 – mistakenly listed on his military headstone application Such inconsistencies were extremely common during WWI. Many men shifted their birth year by a year or two—sometimes unintentionally, other times deliberately—to fall into a preferred age category for service. In Bernice's case, the 1888 birth year likely made him appear slightly older and more eligible during early mobilization in 1917. The 1897 birth year on the headstone application is almost certainly a clerical or transcription error. It conflicts with all other documentation and would have made him only 20 years old at enlistment—contradicting the census and draft records that clearly place his birth in the late 1880s. What is consistent across all records: He served as a Private in Company M, 335th Machine Gun Battalion, Enlisted 5 March 1917, Discharged 15 October 1917, Recognized officially by the Veterans Administration through his service index and headstone approval. Career in the Railroad Industry After the war, Bernice returned to Texas and began working as a railroad engineer, a profession requiring precision, endurance, and technical knowledge. His presence in the Railroad Retirement Pension Index confirms decades of employment in the industry under the pension system created in the 1930s. Census records from 1930, 1940, and 1950 consistently show him living in Bonham, Fannin County, supporting his household through steady railroad work. Later Years and Death After decades of steady employment as a railroad engineer, Bernice retired in Bonham, Fannin County, the community where he had spent nearly all of his adult life. His listing in the Railroad Retirement Pension Index confirms that he qualified for the federal railroad pension system, indicating long service within the industry. In his later years, Bernice continued living quietly in Bonham with the support of family nearby. He remained rooted in the same county where he was born, raised, and built his career. As his health declined, he stayed in the local area rather than relocating, reflecting the Chitwood family's strong ties to Fannin County. Bernice Shedrick Chitwood passed away on 22 September 1966 in Bonham, and he was laid to rest in Willow Wild Cemetery, a burial ground shared by multiple generations of his extended family. His government-issued headstone honors his military service in Company M, 335th Machine Gun Battalion during World War I. Legacy Bernice's life reflects a consistent devotion to home, family, and profession. From his youth in rural Ector to his long railroad career and retirement in Bonham, his story is one of stability, service, and deep local roots. Despite the conflicting birth years found in military and administrative records—a common occurrence of the WWI era—his life course stands firmly documented in the community where he spent all of his years. Sources 1900–1950 U.S. Census Records – document his residence in Fannin County; living with parents in 1900; married to Vera by 1930; employed as a railroad engineer in multiple decades. World War I Draft Registration (1917–1918) – recorded as Burnice S. Chitwood, born 5 May 1888; single; residing in Miller County, Arkansas; tall, stout, dark hair, blue eyes. U.S. Military Service / Veterans Administration Master Index – confirms service in Company M, 335th Machine Gun Battalion; birth listed as 5 May 1889; residence Bonham; service record dated 15 Oct 1917. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans (1925–1970) – lists him as Bernice S. / Burnice S. Over Chitwood; birth recorded as 5 May 1897 (clerical error); confirms enlistment 5 Mar 1917, discharge 15 Oct 1917; burial at Willow Wild Cemetery, Bonham. World War II Draft Registration (1942) – as Bernice Shedrick Chitwood, born 5 May 1889, residing in Bonham, Texas. Railroad Retirement Pension Index (1934–1987) – shows retirement claim under B. Chitwood, born May 1889, died Sept 1966; confirms career in the railroad industry. Texas Death Records (1966) – confirm his death on 22 September 1966 in Fannin County. Willow Wild Cemetery Records, Bonham, Texas – document burial location and veteran status.

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