Comfort Family

COMFORT FAMILY

Louise Milles Comfort (1888-1989)  and Edward Comfort (1883-1969)

[Courtesy of Joycelyn Comfort Barlow-March 2012]

Edward Comfort (1883-1969) was born in Louisiana, probably New Orleans.  It appears that he may have been an orphan as a person with his name and approximate age was an inmate at the Waif’s Industrial Home at Beauvoir in 1900.  This institution was founded by Dr. Reverend Alfred E. Clay (1852-1900), a native of Chester, England and a Methodist Episcopal South minister, in New Orleans.  Reverend Clay was president of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Waif’s Home on Clio Street in the Crescent City.  He expired at his home in New Orleans in early September 1900.  S.D. Moody replaced Reverend A.E. Clay at the Beauvoir Waif’s Home.(The Daily Picayune, September 2, 1900, p. 4, and The Biloxi Daily Herald, September 4, 19001, p. 8 and October 14, 1900)

Edward Comfort married Louise Milles (1888-1989) in Harrison County, Mississippi on January 30, 1907.  The wedding took place at the home of Louise Milles Ferdan, the wife of Julius Ferdan (1871-1931), at 420 Delauney Street.  The Reverend C.B. Crawford of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer performed their nuptial ceremony.  The newly weds planned to live on Main Street in Biloxi, Mississippi(The Biloxi Daily Herald, January 31, 1907, p. 1 and Harrison Co., Mississippi Circuit Court MRB 18, p. 536)

Louise Milles was a native of Mississippi, and the daughter of Joseph Milles (1855-1900), an 1870 Austrian immigrant, and Louise Knoch (1866-1920+), native of NOLA and the daughter of John Knoch (1830-1913) and Christine Weiss (1825-1923). John Knoch was born at Hamburg, Germany and lived at NOLA for 57 years.  Christina Weiss was a native of Hesse-Darmstad, Germany.  They were living at 4914 Constance Street in the Crescent City when they expired on January 19, 1913 and June 26, 1923 respectively.(Lepre, 1991, p. 80 and The Daily Picayune, January 26, 1913, p. 22 and The Times Picayune June 28, 1923, p. 22)

Louise Knoch had married Joseph Millis (1855-1900) or Milles at NOLA in September 1883. He was known as 'Mexican Joe' and was killed in an accident at Ship Island in July 1900, while loading lumber on the Teodora de Larriniga, a British steamship out of Liverpool, England. The Joseph Milles family lived on Magnolia Street. He was a member of the Gulf Coast Timberman's Association and the Spanish Benevolent Association. Louise Knoch Milles remarried in January 1902 to Julius Ferlan (1871-1931), an Austrian immigrant oyster boat captain.(The Biloxi Daily Herald, July 21, 1900, p. 8 and Harrison Co., Mississippi Circuit Court MRB 13, p. 344)

Viola Comfort (1908-1999) and William Sydney Davidson (18993-1941)

VIOLA COMFORT

Edward Comfort and Louise Milles Comfort were the parents of Viola Comfort (1908-1999).  She was born at Biloxi, Mississippi on February 16, 1908.  Viola Comfort had married William Sydney Davidson (1893-1941), called Sydney, in her parent’s home at 209 Keller Place on October 7, 1925.(The Daily Herald, October 8, 1925, p. 2)

Sydney Davidson was the son of William M. Davidson (1855-1905), a Biloxi native and  Margaret Ledden (1863-1925), who was born at New Orleans and the daughter of Jeremiah Ledden and Margaret O’Brien.  She had come to Biloxi circa 1885.  The William Davidson family resided at 514 Bohn Street.  When she expired on April 4, 1925, Mrs. Davidson was survived by four children: Alethia E. Davidson (1890-1965) married Alfred G. Brunet (1890-1948); William Sydney Davidson (1893-1941) married Viola Genevieve Comfort (1908-1999); Harold James Davidson (1894-1982) married Louise Faye Bellande (1898-1974); and Calvin Arnold “Skinny” Davidson (1901-1971) married Audrey Virginia Harrison (1912-2003).  Margaret L. Davidson's corporal remains where interred in the Biloxi Cemetery.  A daughter, Olga Davidson Smith (1899-1920), preceded Mrs. Davidson in death having expired on January 20, 1920.(The Daily Herald, April 6, 1925, p. 3) 

Viola C. Davison and Sydney Davidson were the parents of two children: Joycelyn Davidson (b. 1928) m. George Earl Barlow (1928-2012) and Kenneth Comfort Davidson (b. 1931) m. Mary Elizabeth Fabacher (b. 1932) and Mary Ott Tremmel.  Sydney made his livelihood as a lineman for the Mississippi Power Company.  They Davidson family also were domiciled at 209 Keller Place.  Sydney passed on July 26, 1941.(The Daily Herald, July 28, 1941, p. 5)

Joycelyn Louise Davidson and George Earl Barlow (1928-2012)

Joycelyn L. Davidson married George Earl Barlow (1928-2012) at Biloxi, Mississippi on June 20, 1948. They were the parents of Craig Sydney Barlow m. Pamela Jane Pisarich and George E. Barlow Jr.(Harrison Co., Mississippi Circuit Court MRB 77, p. 317 and Harrison Co., Mississippi 2nd JD Circuit Court MRB 23, p. 232). 

George was born in Aberdeen, SD and had been a resident of Biloxi since 1950. He was an USAF Veteran of WWII and a member and former Vestryman at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, former member of the Jaycees and Reverlern Carnival Association. He was employed at American National Life Insurance Company for over 30 years. 

Mr. Barlow is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Joycelyn Davidson Barlow; two sons, George “Butch” Barlow, Jr. (Kathy) and Craig S. Barlow (Pam) one sister, Margaret Blackmon; four grandchildren, Bradley (Samantha) Barlow, Brennan Barlow, Mike Barlow and Amber Barlow; and brother-in-law, Dr. Kenneth (Mary Ott Tremmel).  George expired on June 26, 2012 and his funeral service was held at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on Thursday, June 28, 2012. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe is in charge of arrangements with internment in the Biloxi Cemetery.(The Sun Herald, June  27, 2012) 

Kenneth Comfort Davidson

Kenneth Comfort Davidson (b. 1931) attended Biloxi schools and matriculated to Loyola University at NOLA where he studied dentistry. He married Mary Elizabeth Fabacher (b. 1932), the daughter of John Birchman Fabacher (18-1982) and Edna Wade (1899-1988) on September 3, 1955 in the Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church at NOLA. Dr. Davidson served two years in the US Army in the dental corps at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. He and Mary Beth and their two children returned to the Mississippi coast in July 1959. The Davidson family settled in Gulf Hills and Kenneth built a dental office at Ocean Springs. By December 1970, the family relocated to 1364 West Beach to the William Wilson Sutcliffe (1850-1934), 1898 home at 1364 West Beach in Biloxi. Known children: Stephan Fabacher Davidson m. Charlotte Leone Kirkpatrick.(The Times Picayune, August 25, 1955, p. 63 and The Daily Herald, July 21, 1959, p. 14)Edward Comfort expired at Biloxi, Mississippi on August 24, 1969.  Mrs. Comfort lived until January 24, 1999.  Their corporal remains were interred in Section 6 of the Biloxi Cemetery.

REFERENCES:

The Biloxi Daily Herald, “Rev. Alfred E. Clay”,September 4, 1900.

The Biloxi Daily Herald, “City News”, October 14, 1900.

The Biloxi Daily Herald, “Marriages-Comfort-Milles”, January 31, 1907.

The Daily Picayune, “Rev. Alfred E. Clay dead”, September 2, 1900.  

The Daily Herald, “Davidson-Comfort”, October 8, 1925.  

The Daily Herald, “Wm. Sidney Davidson dies", July 28, 1941.

The Sun Herald, “George E. Barlow", June 27, 2012.