Adeline S. (Bird) Lanham Desurne (1897-1982) was born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Newlin) Bird on June 10, 1897 in Orange County, IN. She was one of 8 children. In 1900, the family was living in Washington County, IN where Samuel was working as a teamster and Elizabeth was keeping house. By 1910, they had moved to French Lick, IN. Samuel was a delivery wagon driver and his sons were working as farm laborers. Nora had married John Moore, a wood cutter, and the couple was living with the Bird family with their three-year-old son Alfred. On March 14, 1915, Adeline married Roscoe M. Lanham, son of Richard and Mary (Stroud) Lanham, in Orange County, IN. Together the couple had five children: Lizzie Belle, Samuel, Mary, Lillian, and James.
By 1930, the family had moved to Louisville and were living at 708 E. Washington Street in the Butchertown Neighborhood. Roscoe was working as a retail drug salesman. In 1933, the city directory notes Roscoe and Adeline living at 840 Fehr Avenue in the Phoenix Hill Neighborhood, and Roscoe working as an elevator operator at the Watterson Hotel. Around that time, Adeline and Roscoe divorced. By 1937, Adeline had married John Desurne, a widower with two children: Mattie and George. According to the 1940 Census, John, Adeline, and her children Samuel, Mary, Lillian, and James were living on Water Street in the Butchertown Neighborhood. John was an engineer for O.H. Forcht Ice Co. Adeline was a seamstress in her adult life. On January 30, 1966, John died at the age of 84 and was buried in Lebanon Junction, KY. Toward the end of her life, Adeline was living in Hodgenville, KY with her daughter Mary. On December 20, 1982, Adeline died at the age of 85. She was buried in Section 3, Range 1, Grave 6 of Eastern Cemetery. Her grave is unmarked.
The first photo of the family includes (l to r) Lizzie, Adeline, baby Lillian, Mary, Roscoe, and Samuel. The second photo of the family includes (l to r) Lillian, Lizzie, James, Samuel, and Mary. The last photo includes John and Adeline Desurne. All photos are from Ancestry users Victoria Brown and Kristy Yates.
