Surname Distribution

I just found this pretty neat US Surname Distribution program on the web. You enter a surname and choose a year (1850, 1880, 1920, 1990), and the program generates a map of the US showing the surname distribution. The 1850, 1880, and 1920 data is derived from a sampling of 1 out of every 100 names in the US censuses and the 1990 data is derived from names listed in phone books. I'm not sure if it'll be much help research-wise, but it's fun to play with for a few minutes.

Distribution of the Kirkland surname in 1850

Bear, Ginkens/Jenkins, Kirkland family photos

These photos were all in the possession of my grandfather Harlan Geyer and are now in the possession of my aunt.

Written on back: Joe Kirkland, Margaret and Samuel Bear, Will Kirkland

This photo was probably taken in the 1880's. Margaret Jane Kirkland was married to Samuel Rupley Bear on 17 Feb 1880 (they're my great-great-grandparents). The other men are her brothers Joseph Kirkland (b. 1845 in Wetzel County, WV) and William Kirkland (b. 1840 in Ohio).

Samuel R. and Margaret Bear with children, ca. 1910

The children of Samuel and Margaret Bear are: Samuel Lewis Bear (b. 1881), James Allen Bear (b. 1883), Abraham Alexander Bear (b. 1886), Ruby Caroline Bear Wells (b. 1889) and Moses Washington Bear (b. 1894).

Henry Ginkens and wife, Martha Alice Watson Ginkens, with daughters: Bessie Belle (b. 1886), Beulah Benson (b. 1887), Mary Maude (b. 1889) and Artie Alice (b. 1891)

Samuel Lewis Bear and Bessie Belle Ginkens wedding portrait

Samuel and Bessie were married 15 May 1910 and are my great grandparents. The photography studio was located in Hot Springs, South Dakota (Fall River County).

Martha Watson Ginkens with children

Bessie Ginkens Bear (b. 1886) is in the back row on the right. Her siblings are: Beulah Belle Ginkens Entsminger (b. 1887), Artie Alice Ginkens Haines (b. 1891), Lela Leota Ginkens Barnebey (b. 1893), Ardys Austin Ginkens (b. 1895) and Lloyd Leonard Ginkens (b. 1897). I'm not sure who is pictured above. Martha Watson Ginkens and Artie Alice Haines both died in 1942, so the photo was taken prior to this.

Henry Austin Ginkens (b. 1857 in IA, d. 1924 in Fall River, SD)

According to the 1920 US Census, he and Martha were divorced between 1910 & 1920, but my family don't remember hearing about this and I suppose it would have been news back then.

Bear obituaries in Appanoose County, Iowa

These are transcribed from the book: Osee Johnson Knouf, comp., Soldiers Buried in Appanoose County, Iowa Before World War II and Some Obituaries of Early Settlers, (DAR, Illinois Society, 1976). I accessed it in the DAR library in Washington, D.C. The obituaries are typed, and include what appear to be many typos.

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Mary Jane Kirkland Bear

Mary Jane Kirkland, daughter of Hue and Nancy Kirkland was born in Wetzel county, West Virginia, April 17, 1853, and passed away June 5, 1939, at the age of 86 years, 2 months and 18 days. She is the last of a family of 11 children.
She came to Iowa with her parents at the age of 14 years. On February 17, 1880, she was united in marriage to Samuel R. Bear. She was the mother of six children. One daughter, Mrs. Ruby Wells, and her husband preceded her in death. She lived the greater part of her life in Appanoose county, Iowa.
She was converted and united with the Little Flock Baptist church in 1871. She lived a true and devoted life until the end. She has been in poor health for some time. She was making her home with her son, James A. Bear, at the time of her death. All was done that loving hands and medical science could do but to no avail. She was a loving mother, a good neighbor, and a kind friend. She is survived by 5 children: Della Squires, Seymour, Ia.,; S. L. Bear: James A. Bear; and A. A. Bear, of Plano, Iowa; and Mose W. Bear of Centerville, Iowa. 26 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services were conducted Wednesday p.m. at the Little Flock church at 2 p.m. with the Rev. W. M. Cleeton of Seymour officiating. Burial was in the Little Flock cemetery.

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Adessa Jane Bear Wilson

Adesa Jane Bear, daughter of Mary and Samuel Bear, was born in Peoria, Ill., Nov. 24, 1849, and passed away at the home of her son Joseph in Minneapolis, Minn., Feb. 5, 1940, at the age of 90 years, 2 months and 18 days.
Her parents came to this country when she was small and settled on a farm near Plano where they lived until their death.
In 1871 she was united in marriage with Perry C. Wilson. They lived on a farm a few years and then moved to East Wilson street of this city where they were living at the time of Mr. Wilson’s death in May, 1930. She has spent most of the last 10 years of her life at the home of her youngest son, Joseph, at Minneapolis.
She enjoyed good health until last Friday, when Joe’s wife noticed she was ill. She was put to bed at once and tenderly cared for until she passed away early Monday morning.
She was the oldest of her family and the last to pass away of six children. Mrs. Wílson was the mother of 11 children. Elizabeth, Frank and Grover preceded her in death.
She leaved to mourn their loss; three daughters – Mrs. C. L. Gray of this city, Mrs. Mary Myers of Phoenix, Ariz. and Mrs. Zella Hurd of California. Five sons – Joseph of Minneapolis, Minn., Oscar, Robert and John of this city and William of Cincinnati, Iowa; 21 grand children 9 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren.
Mrs. Wilson was a woman of fine character and was loved and respected by a large number of friends. She loved her home and was a devoted and loving mother.
Funeral services were held from the Miller Funeral home Friday afternoon with H. E. Trimble officiating. Burial was in Oakland.

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Catherine Elizabeth Bear

Catherine Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Mary Rupely Bear, was born Feb. 7, 1858, and passed away at her home north of Plano, Feb. 17, 1939. She was united in marriage to Edwin Lyon, April 18, 1877. He preceded her in death April 18, 1921. She has spent her entire life in the community of Plano, where she was born, and 60 years at the home where she passed away.
Ten children were born to this union. Surviving are: Mrs. C.F. Kirkland, Los Angeles, Calif., Ira of Plano, Mrs. E. W. Wyrick of Centerville, Iowa, Nellie at home, C. Fred of Oklahoma City, Okla., Mrs. Walter Haines and Jay of Plano and Art of Yakama, Washington. Harry E. and Gertrude Mae preceded her in death. Twelve grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren also survive. Of a family of six, she is survived by one sister, Mrs. Dessie Wilson of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Funeral services were held at the home with Rev. George W. Swan, Jr. officiating. She was laid to rest in the family cemetery.

Kirkland Obituaries in Wetzel County, WV

The following are all the Kirkland obituaries found in the book "Wetzel Co., WV Obituaries", published by Wetzel County Genealogical Society and compiled by Carol Rush Hassig and Elizabeth Estlack Mullett. They appear to have been cut from newspapers and pasted onto pages that were photocopied to make these volumes. I accessed this book in the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. I've left misspellings in and anything in brackets "[]" are my comments.

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J.F. Kirkland [Vol. 2, p. 52]
Obituary
April 28, 1930 [date handwritten]

Mr. J. F. Kirkland, son of Alexander and Eliza Jane Kirkland, departed this life April 28, 1930, aged 68 years, 11 months and 28 days. He was born May 3, 1861, near Wileyville, Wetzel County, where he lived until about seventeen years ago, when he moved to his late home located about five miles east of this city. He was one of Wetzel County’s most successful and prosperous farmers. He achieved success by faithful to[illeg.] coupled with attention to details and wise management.

December 25, 1895, he was united in marriage to Sarah Belle Briggs, daughter of the late Henry Briggs, who resided at Green Hill, Wetzel County. To this union were born four children, all of whom are graduates of Magnolia High School and highly respected citizens. Clark and Cline are with the Lemley-Bridgeman Company garage of this city. Dr. Matt is owner and manager of the Fulton Pharmacy, Wheeling, and Mrs. Eliza Kirkland Brown is a successful teacher of Fairmont. He is also survived by his widow; his aged mother, living at Maud, who has passed her ninety-third birthday; one grandson, Matt, Junior; three brothers and three sisters: Mrs. Samantha Moore, of this city; Mrs. G. W. Huff, of Maud; Mrs. Virginia McIntire, of Maud; Lockwood Kirkland, of Centerville, Iowa; Shriver Kirkland, of Clarksburg, and Elsworth Kirkland, of Maud.

Mrs. Kirkland, too, has shared with her husband the responsibilities and sacrifices that come to a farmer’s wife, incidental to the maintenance of a happy, comfortable, and hospitable home.

For a number of years Mr. Kirkland had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Along with his farm cares he found time to devote to the worship of his Creator. He was seldom absent either from Sunday school or the [article cut off at this point]

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KIRKLAND [Vol. 3, p. 29]

Ross C. Kirkland, 77, of Pine Grove, died at 8 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, 1963, at the Wetzel County Hospital. Born in Wetzel County, Nov. 11, 1885, he was a son of Foster and Adaline Martin Kirkland. He was a retired employe of the Hope Natural Gas Co. and was a member of St. Paul’s Methodist Church of Pine Grove.. Survivors include his wife, Ethel Cosgray Kirkland; two sons, Hugh, of Canton, and Kenneth, of Pine Grove; a half-brother, Joseph Bland, of Pine Grove; and a granddaughter. Friends are being received at the Palmer Funeral Home in Pine Grove. Services will be held at St. Paul’s Methodist Church at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) with the Rv. Albery O. Morrison officiating.. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park, New Martinsville.

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KIRKLAND [Vol. 3, p. 30]

Ethel Kirkland, 79, of Pine Grove, died Wed., Nov. 5, at the Wetzel County Hospital. She was born in Wetzel County, June 16, 1890, daughter of John and Emma McAlister Cosgray. She was a member of St. Paul’s Methodist Church. Her husband, Ross C. Kirkland, preceded her in death in 1963. Surviving are two sons, Hugh of Canton, and Kenneth of Pine Grove; and one granddaughter. Friends were received at the Palmer Funeral Home, Pine Grove. Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church with the Rev. Robert Harshburger officiating. Interment in Greenlawn Memorial Park, New Martinsville.

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Sarah Kirkland [Vol. 3, p. 31]

Mrs. Sarah Belle Kirkland, 73, member of a well known family, died at her home on Little Creek last Sunday after she had suffered a heart attack.
She was a native of Wetzel County, having been born at Proctor Sept. 14, 1867. She was a daughter of Henry and Massa Brookover Briggs.

Mrs. Kirkland was a member of the First M. E. church and of the Mrs. D. N. Mangolg Sunday school class. She took an active part in Ladies’ Aid work.

Survivors are one daughter, Mrs. C. H. Huffman of New Martinsville; three sons, Clark and Cline Kirkland of New Martinsville, and Matt L. Kirkland of Wheeling; three sisters, Mrs. J. G. Guthrie and Grace Briggs, both of New Martinsville, and Mrs. W. E. McKnight of Charleston; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services for the deceased woman were conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Wharton Funeral Home. Rev. S. B. Cunningham preached the funeral. Mrs. Kirkland was buried in the Northview cemetery.

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Pfc. Warren R. Huff’s [Vol. 4, p. 32]

The body of Pfc. Warren Robert Huff arrived in New Martinsville on Monday and was taken to the Wharton & Ellis Funeral home.

He was killed in action December 27, 1943 in the invasion of New Britain, Cape Gloucester, South Pacific.

He was attached to the First Marine Division, and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. He enlisted in June, 1942 at Wheeling.

Pfc. Huff was born August 13, 1920 at Maud, W. Va., the son of Robert and Esta Kirkland Huff, who survive him, also surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Lucile Ball and Miss Maxine Huff, both of Washington, D. C. and Mrs. Sue Heinzman of Pittsburgh, and two brothers, Sgt. Norman Huff of the U. S. Air Force, stationed at Brookley Field, Mobile, Ala., and Raymond Huff at home.

Services were held in the chapel of the funeral home on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, conducted by Rev. H. A. Hopson of St. John’s Methodist church. Burial was in North View cemetery, with full military honors by Marne [Marine] Post No. 28, American Legion, New Martinsville.

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J. A. KIRKLAND [Vol. 4, p. 43]

James A. Kirkland, 70, died at the home of his sister, Mrs. Amanda Jackson, of Wileyville, Wednesday morning at 3:00 o’clock. He was a member of the Wileyville Baptist Church.

Mr. Kirkland was born at Wileyville, September 8, 1871, the son of the late Joseph and Lucinda Furbee Kirkland.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Junie Richmond Kirkland, of Elm Grove; six sons, Joseph, of Missouri, and Roy, Charles, Frank, Alton and Bryan, of Elm Grove; two daughters, Mrs. Thelma Andrews and Mrs. Hattie Scyock, both of Elm Grove; three sisters, Mrs. Amanda Jackson and Mrs. Etta Blake, both of Wileyville, and Mrs. Olive Barr, of Pine Grove.

Funeral services will be conducted Friday afternoon from the Jackson home at Wileyville, in charge of Rev. James Webb. Interment in the Kirkland cemetery will be in charge of the Palmer Funeral Service, of Pine Grove. Apr. 1942 [date is handwritten]

The tragic life of Sanford Kirkland

In doing research on the Kirkland branch of my family, I came across a cousin who seems to have had a mysterious and sad life. I thought I'd share it in the hopes that someone who knows more of the story will come across this page and be able to add to the tale.

Sanford Kirkland was my 1st cousin, 3 times removed [Me > Harlan Geyer, Jr > Ila Bear > Samuel Bear > Margaret Kirkland > Hugh & Nancy (Morrison) Kirkland < William Kirkland < Sanford M. Kirkland].

Sanford was the only child of William J. Kirkland (born 1840 in Ohio) and Rebecca Dulaney (born 1838 in Pennsylvania). From what I can piece together, their families both settled in Wetzel County, West Virginia in the 1840's, where they grew up. According to the 1910 US census, they married around 1861. Sometime before 1870 they settled in Walnut township, Wayne County, Iowa, where Sanford was born on 25 Nov 1870.

When Sanford was seven years old, tragedy struck; his father had disappeared:

A LOST MAN. -- On Wednesday, June 6, l877, WILLIAM KIRKLAND, a farmer, started from his home, five miles west of Seymour, Wayne Co., Iowa, to go to Seymour, and took a train at Kniffin Station, and has not since been heard of. His friends think he was not in his right mind when he left. He was a man six feet high, and slender, with black hair, dark sandy whiskers and hazel eyes. He had on a dark mixed cassimere suit and a black, broad-brimmed hat.

Any information of him will be thankfully received, and all necessary charges paid by the wife.

Address by mail or telegraph REBECCA KIRKLAND, in care of E.R. Clark, Seymour, Iowa.

Source: "A Lost Man," Chariton Leader 30 Jun 1877; posted by David <railrider503@aol.com> on 11 Mar 2004,
transcribed by Nancee (McMurtrey) Seifert on 8 Mar 2004, IAGenWeb Project <http://iagenweb.org/boards/lucas/documents/index.cgi?review=47749>.

I don't know whether William was ever found. In the 1880 US Census he is listed with his family, in the 1900 US Census, his wife is "widowed", then in the 1910 US Census he is listed with the family again, and finally in the 1920 US Census, he is gone and his wife has no marital status given (which is not typical). Maybe he came home, or maybe Rebecca lost hope that he would return by 1900 and considered herself a widow, then heard something which made her change her mind. We may never know for sure, although I guess that if he returned it would be news, so a closer look at the local newspapers should be the next step here.

Sanford became a high school teacher, probably at Seymour High School. He was active in the community, being mentioned often in the local newspapers in connection with meetings of the local school board, but by the time of the 1930 US Census, he had changed careers to be a secretary for the telephone company. I wonder if, before he left teaching, he might have taught my grandmother, who graduated from Seymour HS in 1932.

On September 4, 1910, shortly before his 40th birthday, Sanford married Clementine Drake, two years his junior. It was the first marriage for both. It must have been a surprise, and I assume a joy, when in the second year of their marriage she became pregnant. But tragedy struck again; she and the child died during childbirth on December 4, 1912.

Sanford lived with his mother until her death in 1921, then when Clementine's father Joseph died in 1930, Sanford lived with his mother-in-law Selena (Clinesmith) Drake. From undocumented family trees on the web, I've found that she died in 1944 and Sanford died on April 8, 1959.