Gepford - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

DNA Project Update

HCMerrill28 — 2011-11-20 03:50:50Z

Our DNA Project now has 6 participants. If you've been thinking of DNA testing, a special reduced rate is in effect from now until Dec 31st. Anyone who is a male Gepford, Kepford, Gepfer, or Gibford (and other spellings), or who has a male relative who can test as a representative of their family, is invited to join. If you've been tested by FamilyTreeDNA, you can go to your personal page and click on the 'Join Projects' button. If you have DNA results from another lab (DNAHeritage, Ancestry, Relative Genetics, GeneBase, Sorensen Foundation, etc) you can transfer your results for a small fee. For details, contact me directly, Gary Merrill, Administrator, ozobryum@comcast.net.

Calling all Gepfords for DNA project

HCMerrill28 — 2010-09-03 01:36:06Z

If you're male and a direct Gepford descendant with a well-documented paper trail, we need you to be part of the Gepford DNA project (other variants such as Kepford, Gibford, Gepfer, etc included.) Female descendants can participate if they have a male Gepford relative (brother, father, cousin, etc) and can persuade them to be tested. Contact me directly for more information.

Gary Merrill
ozobryum AT comcast.net (substitute @ for AT)

News from the Kepford/Gepford DNA Project

HCMerrill28 — 2009-09-18 17:10:39Z

The DNA results came yesterday from one of the Gepfer family from Lancaster Co PA. The Gepfers are descended from Henry Goepfert (b 1759), grandson of Hans Goepfert, who came to America from Switzerland in 1739. We already had results from two Kepfords, one descended from David Kepford (b 1804) and the other from Jacob Kepford (b 1819). All three match almost exactly, with only one marker difference in each case, out of a total of 43 markers tested. It was already almost certain from the old records that Henry's older brother George (b 1751) was the grandfather of David and Jacob, and this latest DNA result confirms that.

The Gepfer DNA result is also significant because that family has the strongest historical ties to the original Goepfert family. Several are still members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Colebrook, PA, the same church where Frederick Kepford, the father of David and Jacob, was baptized in 1779. We still need to find someone to be tested from the Gepford family (descendants of Jacob Goepfert b 1760, brother of Henry and George), and from the Gibfords (believed to be descendants of the youngest brother, Abraham Goepfert b 1763), but it is now almost certain that all of these families are related.

GEPFORD III, Burton Darnell 1939 OK - 2008 OK

JackieAshley_Pace — 2009-05-19 04:25:12Z

Burton Darnell GEPFORD III, born 13/JAN/1939 in OKC and remaining as a lifelong resident, known as Darnell to his friends and family, passed away 18/OCT/2008 and is now with the Lord.

His Oklahoma heritage began with his great grandfather, William HOUSER GEPFORD (b 1836 PA) (who mustered out of the 116th Regiment Illinois Volunteers as a corporal at the end of the Civil War) and great grandmother, Nancy Jane JOHNSON HORNBECK (b 1841 IL), entering Oklahoma during the 1889 Land Run. Their son, Burton Darnell GEPFORD 1st (b 1875 IL) married Ada B. GARRETT (b 1880 KY), daughter of John B. GARRETT and Eloisa Morey EUBANK

Darnell's parents, Burton Darnell GEPFORD II(1917 OK) and Maxine PORTER, predeceased him when he was a child, so his grandparents, Ray and Daisy BOMAR PORTER, raised Darnell on their farm in OKC. From a young age, Darnell stood out from the ordinary. He created riding lawnmowers from leftover equipment on the farm, earned his own car as a teenager and decided to be called Darnell since there were too many family members called Burt. Darnell was also independent and a fighter.

Darnell's spirit was constant throughout his life. He could use any material in his chosen carrier of interior design to meet his client's needs. He was also an entrepreneur who created several successful businesses. He was a landlord with 17 commercial and residential rental units and was a leader in interior design in OKC. He was also a furniture designer, an expert appraiser regarding antiques and art, a highly regarded art therapist, and a well respected artist with a unique style and unfortunately a repository of dumb jokes. His entrepreneurial successes were matched by his educational achievements.

After graduating from Harding High School, he attended the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, graduating cum laude from UCO with a Bachelor's in Science and a Master's in Education. He also graduated from OU with a Master's in Human Relations. Although his Crohn's prevented him from marketing his work at art festivals, his style was immediately recognized and sold by art dealers. Darnell had a great interest in his family heritage.

He was a member of the First Families of the Twin Territories and a Descendant Member of The 1889ers Society. Darnell is survived by his son, Burton Darnell GEPFORD IV (Burt) and wife, Patricia, grandson, Burton Darnell GEPFORD V, granddaughters, Ashley and Aubrey DAWE and 2 great-grandsons. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. Graveside services will be 10 a.m., Wednesday, October 22, 2008, at Rose Hill Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Odyssey House or Crohn's Disease Foundation.

(Obituary published by the 1889ers Society, with some names & dates added by Jackie ASHLEY PACE, Darnell's "2nd GARRETT cousin once removed" - who also has a folio of his delightful and unique pen & ink drawings)

Gepford Reunion Photos, Decatur, IL, 1930's

2005-06-15 13:09:48Z

Have photos of the 1930/1933 Gepford Family Reunions held in Fairview Park, Decatur, IL. (Letitia and George Gepford family) Visit website to identify unknowns.
http://www.genealogy.com/users/s/t/o/Natalie-Stocks-/

William H Gepford probate, Oklahoma Territory, 1905

OKprobate — 2004-08-05 11:49:12Z

Oklahoma, Oklahoma County, Courthouse in Oklahoma City, Court Clerk’s Office, Probate

GEPFORD, William H
Case 589
Filed 25 Sept 1905
Petitioner Nancy J Gepford; deceased William H Gepford.
Real estate: W ½ SE ¼ S1 T11 R3W IM.
Heirs: Nancy J Gepford, 63, Okla City; Ida M Strickland, 39, Okla City; Eliza T Stennett, 35, Okla City; William H Gepford, 33, Sidney, Okla; Burton D Gepford, 30, Okla City; Effie M Folson, 27, Okla City.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Indexed Case number and Jacket number do not always match. If requesting copies, ask for search by name as well as case number.]

Oklahoma County Court Clerk / 320 Robert S Kerr #409 / Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Copies: $1.00 for the first page; $.50 each page thereafter; $.50 certification fee
Copies of records requested by mail may take from 1 to 2 weeks to process, due to the volume of mail. Copies retrieved in person are usually available immediately, with the exception of records more than 10 years old, which are stored off-site.