Unknown Burke Baby
Raymond Edmond
Born Nov 14, 1875,
Died May 29, 1877
Unknown Burke Baby
Born and Died
July 19, 1880
Children of Dr. T. S. & Lou B. Burke
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
These two infants are the children of Dr. Thomas Somervell Burke and his wife Louise B. Burke. Doctor Burke was a native of Mississippi who for many years had charge of the quarantine station at Aransas Pass where he would share duty with doctors like Alexander Hamilton (also buried in Old Bayview Cemetery along with T. S. Burke). Hamilton was in partnership with Dr. Spohn whose sister was the wife of Dr. Hamilton. Dr. Burke was active in the Episcopal church and the Knights of Honor. His wife Louise B. reports in census records that she is a native of Kentucky as well as her parents. In the 1870 census (Calhoun County, p. 375A/sheet 17) the doctor and his family reside in Lavaca near Indianola—another port that was subject to quarantines because of yellow fever. However, it may have been the 1875 hurricane that encouraged the doctor to move his family south to Corpus Christi where they are found in the 1880 census (Nueces County, ED 116, sheet 9B) since little Raymond Edmond died in 1877 when the family was already in Corpus Christi. Little Raymond died when about one and a half years old, while the other unknown infant probably was unnamed because the little child is listed as dying the same day he or she was born, possibly indicating the infant was stillborn. Another son of Dr. and Mrs. Burke--Holloway Burke--also may be buried in Old Bayview Cemetery with the other family members since Holloway died in a drowning accident in the ship channel in July of 1883 at the age of 17 years old. Mrs. Lou B. Burke continued to reside in Corpus Christi into the 1900s and is found in early city directories living with another son, Dr. Henry S. Burke (he is listed as "Henry" in the 1870 census and "Sothoron" in the 1880 census). In the 1907-8 and 1913-14 city directories they reside on Mesquite Street, and in 1915-16 they are on Leopard Street. While Dr. H. S. Burke appears again in the 1919 city directory, his mother is not listed so she probably died between 1916 and 1919. The fact that the oldest son is named "Holloway" and that Tito Rivera (also in Old Bayview Cemetery) is called his "uncle" seems to indicate that Mrs. Louise Burke's maiden name is "Holloway". Tito Rivera was married to Mollie Holloway at Port Lavaca on October 12, 1870 so it appears that Mollie and Louise were sisters.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell