Ruhama Esther Burnett ^{3 4 5 6}

   Another name for Ruhama was "Hette" Burnett.^{1 7 8}

  General Notes:

Who Was Ruhama Esther?
Her father, Thomas B. Burnett, was quite a character around Mulvane, Kansas and always invented new and different ideas and methods of doing things. One daughter has a typical nothing-out-of-the-ordinary name of "Alice Laverne" but the second daughter was named "Ruhama Esther". So the question naturally arises, "Why did they pick the name of Ruhama Esther?"

To this day it is still unknown where the name "Ruhama Esther" comes from as there seems to be no other reference to it within the Lightfoot side of her heritage. Therefore, it is assumed to probably honor someone from the Burnett side of the ancestry, but just who is not clear. It could be to honor a well known, well-liked neighbor but no records support that.

Equally mystifying is the use of the nickname, "Hette" which first appeared on the 1900 US Census and the name also appears on her gravestone.

And the exact spelling of her middle name is not clear. The obituary for her mother, Elizabeth Lightfoot, shows her name probably incorrectly spelled as "Ester Ruhama" but that spelling also appears on her 1880 US Census record. The obituary for her father shows her name spelled slightly differently as "Esther". Because her Social Security card was issued under the name "Ruhama Newton", I assume that she went by her maiden name of "Ruhama Esther Burnett". The gravestone was inscribed as "Ruhama E.".

In June 2004, Phyllis Storey-Harrison adds the following:
The name Ruhama may have been the name of one of Grandpa Burnett's sisters or sisters-in-law as they called her Aunt Hame. Ruhama Esther Burnett was always called Hette.
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  Death Notes:

Age: 93
Given Name: Ruhama
Surname: Newton
Birth Date: 25 Apr 1877
State: Kansas
Last Place of Residence: Kansas
Previous Residence Postal Code: 67110
Event Date: May 1970

Citing this Record
"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JT3Z-RTT : 20 May 2014), Ruhama Newton, May 1970; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Gore Township, Sumner, KS on 8 June 1880. ⁵

1880 US Census
Page 6B, District 189, Dwelling 47, Family 48, Roll 398
Gore Township, Sumner County, Kansas
Ester Burnett..Daughter..3..KS

(Living with parents.)
.

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Gore Township, Sumner, KS on 9 June 1900. ⁷

1900 US Census
Sheet 4A, District 329, Dwelling 70, Family 71
Gore Township, Sumner County, Kansas
Farm owned, with mortgage
Married 32 years
Hette R. Burnett...Daughter..Apr 1877..23..KS

(Living with parents.)
.

• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Gore Township, Sumner, KS on 2 May 1910. ³

1910 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 158, Family 239, Roll 459
Gore Township, Sumner County, Kansas, United States
Farm rented
Married 7 years
Esther R. Newton..Wife..32..KS..1/1

(Living with husband and 1 daughter.)
.

• She appeared on the 1940 US Census in Mulvane, KS on 2 April 1940.

1940 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 87-35, Family 11, Roll 1258
Mulvane, Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Home owned, $1400
Ruhama Newton..Head..62..KS..Widowed..8th grade
Christine Robinson..Lodger..24..OK..5 yrs college..Home Ec. Teacher, High School..earned $1400 in 1939
.

• She was buried after 25 May 1970 in the Mulvane Cemetery in Mulvane, KS.

The gravestone lies in front of the large Newton Family Stone Marker along with the gravestones of her husband and their daughter, Lenore. Each individual gravestone is about 18" x 12" and about 6" thick laid upon a concrete base. The inscription reads "Ruhama E., --Hette--, 1877 - 1970". Block 15, Lot 29, Grave 1.

Find A Grave Memorial #33135935
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. ⁸

Ruhama married John Edward Newton, son of Joseph Hankerson Newton and Mariah Luvissa Farney, on 26 November 1902 in , Sedgwick County, KS.^{1 2 3} (John Edward Newton was born on 1 November 1877 in Mulvane, KS,^{3 4 9 10} died on 24 November 1926 in Wichita, KS ¹⁰ and was buried on 26 November 1926 in Mulvane Cemetery, Mulvane, KS ¹⁰.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 26 November 1902, in , Sedgwick County, KS. ¹

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Gore Township, Sumner, KS on 2 May 1910. ³

1910 US Census
Sheet 10A, District 158, Family 239, Roll 459
Gore Township, Sumner County, Kansas, United States
Farm rented
Married 7 years
John E. Newton..Head..32..KS..Farmer
Esther R. Newton..Wife..32..KS..1/1
Lanore D. Newton..Daughter..6..KS
George W. Hess..Hired man..22..MO
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: John E Newton
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 26 Nov 1902
Event Place: Sedgwick, Kansas, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Birth Year (Estimated): 1877
Spouse's Name: Hette Burnett
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 25
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1877

Citing this Record
Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29Q-M4S4 : 4 November 2017), John E Newton and Hette Burnett, 26 Nov 1902; citing Marriage, Sedgwick, Kansas, United States, district clerk, court clerk, county clerk and register offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 2,363,975.
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