Melissa M. Burlingame

Daniel Burlingame
(Cal 1804-1894)

Lucy A. Briscoe
(1815-Between 1860/1880)

Melissa M. Burlingame
(1847-1917)

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. Jacob Fast

Melissa M. Burlingame ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹

Born: 9 February 1847, , Steuben County, IN ² ³ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹
Marriage (1): Jacob Fast on 20 July 1865 in Ashland County, OH ¹ ² ³
Died: 22 April 1917, Polk, OH at age 70 ⁸ ⁹
Buried: 25 April 1917, Polk, OH ⁸ ⁹

bullet Cause of her death was Aortic Insufficiency.¹⁰

bullet General Notes:

The identity of Melissa'a mother may be in question. Her father, Daniel Burlingame, may have been married 3 times: Elizabeth Wise, Lucy Briscoe, and Anna Fast. However details about Elizabeth Wise and Lucy Briscoe are very sketchy.

The death certificate for Melissa shows Elizabeth Wise as her mother and her daughter-in-law, Mary Mitchelson-Fast, was the informant. So it may be possible that Daniel Burlingame was first married to Elizabeth Wise from whom he fathered at least two children, Alonzo in 1835 and Melissa in 1847. The 1850 census in Millgrove, Steuben, Indiana shows Daniel living with Lucy (presumably his wife because relationships were not show on the 1850 census) and children Alonzo and Melissa. The missing pieces of information are the marriage dates to Elizabeth and Lucy, and a death date for Elizabeth.
----------------------------------------------------

A BIOGRAPHY OF MELISSA BURLINGAME FAST, by Larry Overmire (GG Grandson), Aug. 2008:

Melissa was born in Steuben County, Indiana, on 9 Feb 1947, one of two surviving children of Daniel Burlingame, but the identity of her mother has not been confirmed. Her death certificate says her mother was Elizabeth Wise (the informant was her daughter-in-law Mrs. Elvin Fast), others show her mother as Lucy Briscoe, who apparently was another wife of Daniel's.

Jacob Fast met Melissa while visiting relatives in Angola, Indiana. They married on 20 Jul 1865. (Jacob's brother Christian's family moved to Angola. Christian's daughter married Melissa Burlingame's brother Alonzo. Also, Jacob's sister Anna married Daniel Burlingame, Melissa's father.)

Jacob and Melissa had two children: Elvin and Cora Edna, who died at the age of 13.

On 6 Jun 1883, the first known Nicklaus Fast Family Reunion took place on the Christian Fast Farm in Orange Township, Ashland County. About 1200 people came from as far away as Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. They ate together at huge tables about 225 feet long. Surely, Melissa was in attendance as her husband Judge Jacob Fast gave a speech about the Fast family history.

When Jacob died in 1902, Melissa inherited his house in Polk and lived in it as a widow. Her grandson Irl was going to school in Polk. He stayed with Melissa during the week and then went back to the Fast farm on the weekends. He wrote in his memoirs, "This was the beginning of a close relationship with my grandmother. My memory of her now is that she was kind to me, interested in what I was doing in school and outside. As time passed I grew larger and stronger and was able to walk the two miles from farm to school in Polk, through fields and woods and over fences... I saw Grandmother less... In 1915 my father who lived on the farm died at age 50. Now I was the only near relative my Grandmother had, and I was even more important to her than I had been. However in the meantime I had grown to be 22 years old and for several years had spent little time in Polk. I had been away teaching school in different places and between times going to college. Only on vacations could I see and visit with my grandmother. So added to her grief was loneliness. She died in 1917 when I was a Junior at Baldwin Wallace. When her will was read I first found out that she willed the house in Polk, in which she had lived, to me. Since then, the question came to me, "Did I do everything I could have done to alleviate her loneliness?"

Melissa was 70 years old when she died in Polk on 22 Apr 1917.
-------------------------------------------

bullet Death Notes:

Name: Melissa M Fast
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 22 Apr 1917
Event Place: Polk, Ashland, Ohio
Gender: Female
Age: 70
Birth Year (Estimated): 1847
Burial Date: 25 Apr 1917
Burial Place: Polk, Ashland, Ohio
Cemetery: Polk Cemetery
Father's Name: Daniel Burlingame
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Wise
File Number: 23268
GS Film number: 1984010
Digital Folder Number: 004021562
Image Number: 00320

Citing this Record:
"Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZ4J-XJF : accessed 2 March 2015), Melissa M Fast, 22 Apr 1917; citing Polk, Ashland, Ohio, reference 23268; FHL microfilm 1,984,010.
-------------------------------------------------

bullet Noted events in her life were:

• She has alternate birth date of 1846 and a birth location of Indiana.

This birth year was referenced by her age of 14 on the 1860 census.
. ⁶

• She appeared on the 1860 US Census in Milgrove Township, Steuben County, IN on 20 August 1860. ⁶

1860 US Census
Page 246, Roll 298, Dwelling 1801, Family 1837
Milgrove Township, Steuben County, Indiana
Melissa Burlingame..14..IN
(Living with parents.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 9 Feb 1847, then her age should have been 13 instead of 14.
.

• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on 8 June 1870. ⁷

1870 US Census
Page 26, Roll 1169, Dwelling 228, Family 217
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Melissa Fast..23..IN
(Living with husband and 2 step-children, and 1 child.)
.

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 76B, Roll 0991
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Melissa Fast..Wife..33..IN..Keeping House
(Living with husband, 2 children, and 2 step-children.)
.

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Polk, OH on 2 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 2B, District 4 , Family 53, Roll 1237
Polk, Ashland County, Ohio
home owned, no mortgage
married 35 years
Melissa M. Fast..Wife..Feb 1847..53..IN..2/1
(Living with husband.)
.

• Death Image: 22 April 1917, in Polk, OH.

• She was buried on 25 April 1917 in the Polk Cemetery in Polk, OH.

Find A Grave Memorial 28686376
. ⁹

• Her obituary was published in the Ashland Times and Gazette on 25 April 1917 in Ashland, OH.

FAST, Melissa M., w/o Jacob who died 1902, died at home in Polk Sunday, 70y 2m 13d, born Steuben County, Indiana, lived Ashland County, 52 years in Jackson Twp., children: Cora Edna and Elvin F. both deceased, buried Polk Cemetery.

(Source: Ashland Times and Gazette, 25 Apr 1917)
--------------------------------------------------
.

Melissa married Jacob Fast, son of Martin Fast and Catherine Blosser, on 20 July 1865 in Ashland County, OH.¹ ² ³ (Jacob Fast was born on 12 February 1821 in Ashland County, OH,² ³ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ died on 24 August 1902 in Ashland County, OH ¹² ¹³ and was buried after 24 August 1902 in Polk, OH ¹² ¹³.)

bullet Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 20 July 1865, in Ashland County, OH.

• They appeared on the 1870 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on 8 June 1870. ⁷

1870 US Census
Page 26, Roll 1169, Dwelling 228, Family 217
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Jacob Fast..48..OH..Farmer
Melissa Fast..23..IN
Joseph Fast..17..OH
Mary Fast..12..OH
Elvin Fast..4..OH
.

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Jackson Township, Ashland County, OH on June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 76B, Roll 0991
Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Jacob Fast..Self..58..OH..Farmer
Melissa Fast..Wife..33..IN..Keeping House
Joseph E. Fast..Son..27..OH
Mary Fast..Dau..22..OH
Elvin Fast..Son..14..OH
Cora Fast..Dau..5..OH

NOTE - Elvin and Cora were children born to Melissa Burlingame. Joseph and Mary were children born to Jacob's first wife, Mary Elizabeth Plice.
.

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Polk, OH on 2 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 2B, District 4 , Family 53, Roll 1237
Polk, Ashland County, Ohio
home owned, no mortgage
married 35 years
Jacob Fast..Head..Sep 1821..78..OH
Melissa M. Fast..Wife..Feb 1847..53..IN..2/1
.

bullet Marriage Notes:

Name: Jacob Fast
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 20 Jul 1865
Event Place: Ashland, Ohio, United States
Spouse's Name: Melissa Burlingame

Citing this Record
"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZHH-3FS : 10 December 2017), Jacob Fast and Melissa Burlingame, 20 Jul 1865; citing Marriage, Ashland, Ohio, United States, v 3 p230 rn 190, Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.
--------------------------

2 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio, p. 76B, Jacob Fast and Melissa M. Burlingame; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 12 Oct 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 0991.

3 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, Polk, Ashland County, Ohio, enumeration district (ED) 4, sheet 2B, dwelling 52, family 53, Jacob Fast and Melissa M. Burlingame; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 12 Mar 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1237.

4 Phillip R. Kepner, World Family Tree Vol. 001, Ed. 1, Tree #3762 (Brøderbund Software, Inc., Release date: November 29, 1995).

5 Larry Overmire, "Genealogy of Fast, Shriver, Burns, Scott, McKibben, Including Descendants of Revolutionary War Hero Christian Fast" (http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lovermire; Updated: 2008-08-07 23:55:09 UTC (Thu)).

6 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Milgrove Township, Steuben County, Indiana, p. 246, dwelling 1801, family 1837, Alonzo B. Burlingame and Rosannah Fast; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 1 Mar 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 298.

7 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Ashland County, Ohio, p. 26, dwelling 228, family 217; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 12 Mar 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593, roll 1169.

8 "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 2 Mar 2015), Name: Malissa M Fast; Event Date: 22 Apr 1917; Event Place: Polk, Ashland, Ohio.

9 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/ ); accessed 9 April 2019), memorial page for Melissa M. Burlingame Fast (9 Feb 1847\endash 22 Apr 1917), Find A Grave Memorial no. 28686376, citing Polk Cemetery, Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio, USA

10 Ohio Department of Health, death certificate 23268 (22 Apr 1917, Ashland County), Malissa M. Fast; digital image, FamilySearch.org, (http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1307272 : accessed 12 Mar 2010).

11 Sandra S. Shuster, World Family Tree Vol. 007, Ed. 1, Tree #1334 (Brøderbund Software, Inc., Release date: October 17, 1996).

12 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, District 184, Ashland County, Ohio, p. 80B, dwelling 32, family 33; index and images, FamilySearch.org (accessed 12 Mar 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432.

13 Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/ ); accessed 9 April 2019), memorial page for Judge Jacob Fast (12 Sep 1821\endash 24 Aug 1902), Find A Grave Memorial no. 28719672, citing Polk Cemetery, Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio, USA

Melissa M. Burlingame 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Sources

Melissa M. Burlingame ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹