Burwick and Merle Ford Downs
Nida Merle Ford was born on February 16, 1924 in Trigg County, Kentucky. She was the youngest of the seven children of William Albert Ford and Annie Emmaline Bridges Ford. William was a farmer and both he and Annie were natives of Trigg County. Merle was a descendant of Simco N. Bridges.
Merle’s siblings were Henry Kirklin Ford, born in 1906 and died at the age of two days; Betty Earle Ford, born in 1907 and married Thomas Odell Adams; Mavis Lorene Ford, born in 1909 and married James Franklin Wolfe; Willie Glenn Ford, born in 1915 and died at the age of one; Elaine Marie Ford, born in 1917 and married Troy Amos “Dave” Calhoun; and Howard Blane Ford, born in 1919 and married Irma Maxine Williams.
On April 24, 1943 Merle married James Burwick Downs in Charleston, Missouri. Burwick was born on December 29, 1921 in Trigg County, the son of John McKinley Downs and Flora R. Williams Downs John was a farmer and a heavy equipment operator and both he and Flora were natives of Trigg County.
Both Merle and Burwick went to elementary school in the local rural Trigg County schools and Merle graduated from Trigg County High School. After their marriage they settled on a farm in the Boyds Hill community near Linton, Kentucky. During World War II, Burwick taught grade school at the Graham School.
Burwick’s father had purchased a farm located on Highway 68 which Burwick operated for several years. He then went to work as parts manager for the Henry White Chevrolet Company, later Boggess Chevrolet in Cadiz, Kentucky. In 1965, Burwick and Merle built and opened the Downs Gable Shop on Highway 68 which later became the Stuckeys Pecan Shoppe. In 1966, they opened the Bar-Ken Bait Shop next door to the Stuckeys. They later built the Downs Gyp Joint which dealt with collectibles and junktiques. In addition to these endeavors, Merle worked at the International Shoe Factory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Merle and Burwick had no children.
Burwick died on December 13, 2002 at the age of 80 at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Kentucky. He was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County. Merle died on November 21, 2011 at the age of 87 at the Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz. She was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery next to her husband.
Burwick and Merle
Merle and Burwick tombstone
LINEAGE: (Nida Merle Ford was the daughter of William Albert and Annie Emmaline Bridges Ford. Annie Emmaline was the third child of Alfred Franklin and Lou Ella Turner Bridges. Alfred was the fourth child of Simco N. and Emeline Martin Bridges. Simco was the third child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
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