Bera Burris Knight

Vera Ellen Burris was born June 24, 1909 in Mendocino, California the 5th of 7 children born to Lillie Strong and Thomas Burris. At only the age of 4 her father passed away, leaving her pregnant mother, jobless, with 5 children still at home. Vera and her sister Viola were sent to live at a home for “homeless and friendless children.” She met Earl Knight, a WWI veteran, when she was still just a young girl and he was a much older man. They married when she was just 15 years old and he was 31.

Their first daughter Mary was born in 1924 and for the next 13 years they had 7 more children, George (1928), Violet (1930), Doris (1931), Earl Jr (1933), Agnes (1934), Gladys (1935 and was a stillborn) and Patricia (1937.) Earl worked as a farmer while Vera raised the children and took care of the house.

On Aug 1, 1939, at the age of 30, Vera died after giving birth to a stillborn baby boy. She left behind her husband and 7 children, as well as 5 siblings. Coincidentally her oldest daughter Mary also died on Aug 1 1956, exactly 37 years to the day of the loss of her mother.