Events
Birth: 1876-09-15y0m0d, White Swan, Charles Mix county, South Dakota
Married: 1898-08-16, Age:21y11m1d, Sioux City, Woodbury county, Iowa, Whitefield Methodist Church, Role:groom, The wedding was a suprise to the family and friends of the couple. They had told several people that they would be attending a picnic that afternoon. But instead, they drove to Westfield and boarded a train to Sioux City and got married. Afterwards, Burton telegraphed a message to his new mother-in-law about the marriage. Burton and Mae then went to Omaha to visit the exposition there. They then made their home in Chatsworth where Burton was working., ImageID: S__0241
Census: 1900 , Age:23y3m17d, Dell Rapids, Minnehaha county, South Dakota, Role:census federal, Burton Searls age 23 born Sep.1876 in South Dakota, father born Ohio mother born Nebraska [sic], a railway station agent, Marie age 21 born May 1879 Iowa, parents born New York [sic], Cluett age 1 born May 1899 Iowa., ImageID: S__0198
Census: 1910 , Age:33y3m17d, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county, South Dakota, Role:census federal, Burton O. age 33 born SD, Mae F. age 32 born IA, Cluett C. age 11 born Iowa, Arlene age 6 born SD, ancestor Evon age almost 2 born SD., ImageID: S__0254
Military: 1918-01-06, Age:41y3m22d, Mitchell, Davison county, South Dakota, Role:draftee, Draft notication dated Sep.10,1918 in Mitchell, Davison county, South Dakota for Burton Orson Searles. It states he is age 41 and born Sep.15,1876 and lives at 609 E. 3rd Ave. in Mitchell. His current occupation is given as a Train Master for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St.Paul Railroad companyand his wife is Mae Searles. [Burton was never called for active duty]., ImageID: S__0243
Livedin: 1920-1924, Age:43y3m17d, Cincinnati, Hamil county, Ohio, 2316 Shanmoore Avenue, in the suburb of Norwood
Census: 1920 , Age:43y3m17d, Mitchell, Davison county, South Dakota, Role:census federal, Burton O Searles age 42 born in South Dakota, father born Ohio, mother born Iowa, occupation is trainmaster, for the Chicago Milwaukee and St.Paul Railroad, wife Mae age 41 born Iowa parents born Vermont [sic Iowa], son Cluett age 20 born South Dakota, daugher Arlene age 16 born South Dakota, daughter Evon J. age 11 born South Dakota., ImageID: S__0197
Membership: 1922-02-25, Age:45y5m10d, Cincinnati, Hamil county, Ohio, Role:recipient, Certificate for Burton O. Searls to join 'The Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine'. The certificate is dated Feb.25, 1992 for the Syrian Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio. The pre-stamped certificate # is 607657.
Livedin: 1924-1945, Age:47y3m17d, Union county South Dakota, McCook Lake, They owned property on McCook Lake eight miles north of Sioux City, just over the South Dakota border. They lived there for twenty one years before they moved into Sioux City.
Census: 1930 , Age:53y3m17d, Sioux City, Woodbury county, Iowa, Role:census federal, Burton O. age 53 born Indiana [sic SD] traffic officers of trans railway, Mae F. age 50 born IA, Arlene age 25 born SD stenographer at trans railway, ancestor Yvonne Wilson age 21 born SD artist at photo gallery. Curious that Yvonne is married yet is living with her parents intead of with her husband., ImageID: S__0255
Letter-written: 1934-10-09, Age:58y0m24d, Gresham, Multnomah county, Oregon, Role:receiver, Other Party, Nellie Kidder
Census: 1940 , Age:63y3m17d, Yankton, Yankton county, South Dakota, Role:census federal, Burton Searls Burton Searls age 63 born in South Dakota, he is in the Yankton, South Dakota State Hospital for the Insane and listed as a resident of Union county South Dakota., ImageID: S__0199
Livedin: 1945-1946, Age:68y3m17d, Sioux City, Woodbury county, Iowa, In 1946 Burton and Mae were planning to move to Excelsior Springs (Clay) Missouri to live near their youngest daughter, Yvonne, but Burton passed away before they were able to move.
Death: 1946-09-29, Age:70y0m14d, Yankton, Yankton county, South Dakota, Yankton State Hospital, broncopneumonia & manic-depressive, He had been in the Utica township of Yankton, South Dakota for thirteen days when he died there.
Obit: 1946 , Age:69y3m17d, Excelsior Springs, Clay county, Missouri, Daily Standard Newspaper, Because one of his daughters lived in Excelsior Springs, Clay county, Missouri at the time of his death, a notice of the death of Burton Searls appeared in the Excelsior Springs newspaper., ImageID: S__0033,S__0025
Job: ?, Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, railroad agent, Burton worked all of his adult life for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, the same one both of which his father and son worked all of their adult lives. Burton was a valuable employee to the CM&SP and held many responsible positions for them. He was a "natural born railroad man" according to his son Cluett. Burton learned fast and was promoted quickly. By age 30 he was made the agent at Sioux Falls, the "biggest, toughest agent's job in South Dakota". The salary was $70. 00 a month which at the time was the highest paying railroad agent's job. Burton worked the same type of 126-hour weeks that his father did. During World War I Burton was made the Assistant Superintendent- Trainmaster in Mitchell and he and his family lived there for two years. Often, during train wrecks, floods, etc., he would not get home to change clothes for a week or two at a time. In 1920 he was promoted to the General Agent position in Cincinnati. He was in charge of all CM&SP affairs in the southeastern states. He had a big office, complete with a large mahogany desk, rugs, a large staff, etc. But it was staffed with "those easterners", as he called them, who were not used to someone who worked as hard and for so many hours as Burton did. This caused much friction among Burton and his staff. They called him "that cowboy from out west".
Burial: ?, Akron, Plymouth county, Iowa, Riverside Cemetery, East section E row 1, ImageID: S__0244

Burton O. age 8 born Dakota Territory

Burton was very active in sports and athletics all of his life. He was very good in all that he participated, including long distance running, baseball, boxing, wrestling, and swimming. Burton played the tuba and the harmonica.

Burton never spanked his children for disciplining, he just gave a "stern lecture to the guilty party.