Burtis Harwood Rumsey was born in Butte, Montana on 15 Oct 1892 to Burtis Harwood Rumsey and Hannah Cummins who both died between 1904 and 1910. Burtis married Dona Grace (Douglas) Benneche. He preceded her in death on 6 July 1968 at the Motion Picture Home, Woodland Hills, California and was buried in the Cherokee Memorial Park Cemetery, Lodi, California.

Burtis had a brother, Roscoe William and a sister, Doris Margaret.