Samuel Kerr (1846 - 1919)

Born 22 Feb 1846 in McHenry, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Josephine Marion (Kirk) Kerr — married 13 Dec 1871 (to 22 Aug 1879) in Winnebago, Illinois, United States

Died 25 Nov 1919 at age 73 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lloyd Langdon [send private message]

Biography

Vitals

Samuel Kerr
BIRTH: 22 Feb 1846 McHenry County, Illinois, USA
DEATH: 25 Nov 1919 (aged 73) Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, USA
BURIAL: Forest Home Cemetery Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, USA
MEMORIAL ID: 81801068

DEATH OF SAMUEL KERR
Old Resident of Oak Park and Prominent Chicago Lawyer Passes Away Aged Seventy-Three Years.
Samuel Kerr died at his home, 113 North Elmwood avenue, Oak Park, Ill., at noon the 25th of November 1919, at the age of 75 years 9 months and 3 days. He is survived by his widow, Mary Dunton, and his three sons, Ellis Kirk, William Dunton and Samuel Jr.
Mr. Kerr was born in McHenry County, Illinois, February 22, 1846, the son of Joseph and Lydia Langdon Kerr. A year or two later his parents removed to Cambria, Columbia County, Wisconsin. His father died in 1855. He attended the local public school and the high school at Portage, Wis., and when ready for college removed with his mother to Galesburg, Ill., where he entered Lombard College. Upon graduation in the class of 1869 he began the study of law in Galesburg and was admitted to the bar in September 1870. The following year he removed to Chicago, where he continued to practice his profession until the year of his death. Until 1875 he was a partner of the late Justice Benjamin D. Magruder of the Supreme Court. For some years he practiced alone and later became the senior member of the firm of Kerr & Barr, composed first of himself and Alfred E. Barr, and later of these two and his son, the late Robert J. Kerr. In 1900 Mr. Kerr and his son organized the firm of Kerr & Kerr, to which was admitted in 1915 another son, William D. Kerr.
Thirty-five years ago Mr. Kerr was active in politics. He was a lifelong Republican, and in his recent years a great admirer of Theodore Roosevelt. In 1886 and 1887 he served a term in the City Council as Alderman from the old Eleventh Ward.
Thruout his active life Mr. Kerr was prominently identified with the Universalist Church. For many years he was a member of the Board of Trustees and finally Chairman of the Board of Lombard College. He has been president of the Universalist State Convention of Illinois. He was a member of the Second Universalist Church, known as Church of the Redeemer in the early days whtn the church was located at Sangamon street and Washington boulevard. He was a member of the Illinois State and Chicago Bar Associations, of the Hamilton Club of Chicago, and of the Colonial Club of Oak Park.
Mr. Kerr removed his home to Oak Park in 1901, where he resided first at 150 North Elmwood avenue and later at 112 South Elmwood avenue. He took an active part in the Colonial Club and served one term as president. Mr. Kerr was married twice. His first wife was Josephine Kirk Kerr. The late Robert J. Kerr and Ellis Kirk Kerr are sons of this marriage. After the death of his first wife he married Mary Dunton. William D. and Samuel J. are sons of this marriage. (rest of obit cut off in viewer).
—Oak Leaves (Oak Park, IL), 29 Nov 1919, pg. 14

Online death certificate lists Graceland as the cemetery, but he does not appear to be buried there. I am guessing he is at Forest Home with the rest of his family.

Family Members:
Parents:

• Joseph Kerr 1804–1855
• Lydia H. Langdon Kerr 1812–1884

Spouses:

• Josephine Marian Kirk Kerr 1845–1879 (m. 1871)
• Mary Dunton Kerr 1847–1936 (m. 1881)

Children:

• Robert Joseph Kerr 1872–1918
• Ellis Kirk Kerr 1875–1965
• William Dunton Kerr 1883–1947^[1]

Name: Samuel Kerr
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 25 Nov 1919
Event Place: Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States
Residence Place: 113 S Elmwood Ave
Gender: Male
Age: 73
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Occupation: Attorney
Birth Date: 22 Feb 1846
Birthplace: , McHenry, Illinois
Burial Date: 26 Nov 1919
Cemetery: Graceland
Father's Name: Joseph Kerr
Mother's Name: Lydia Langdon
Spouse's Name: Mary D Kerr
Spouse's Gender: Female
Informant's Name: W D Kerr^[2]

Marriage

Name: Samuel Kerr
Titles and Terms: Mr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 13 Dec 1871
Event Place: Winnebago, Illinois, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Josephine M Kirk
Spouse's Titles and Terms: Miss
Spouse's Gender: Female^[3]

Name: Samuel Kerr
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 1881
Event Place: Boone, Illinois, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Birth Year (Estimated): 1846
Father's Name: Joseph Kerr
Mother's Name: Lydia Helena Langdon
Spouse's Name: Mary E Dunton
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 33
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1848
Spouse's Father's Name: William S Dunton
Spouse's Mother's Name: Almira Baldwin^[4]

Census

Name: Samuel Kerr
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1850
Event Place: Randolph, Columbia, Wisconsin, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 4
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1846
Birthplace: Illinois

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Joseph Kerr M 45 Ohio
Lydia H Kerr F 38 Massachusetts
Laura Kerr F 8 Illinois
Samuel Kerr M 4 Illinois
John Kerr M 12 Wisconsin^[5]

Name: Samuel Kerr
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1880
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
District: ED 110
Gender: Male
Age: 34
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Race (Original): W
Occupation: Lawyer
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Self
Birth Year (Estimated): 1846
Birthplace: Illinois, United States
Father's Birthplace: Ohio, United States
Mother's Birthplace: Massachusetts, United States

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Samuel Kerr Self M 34 Illinois, United States
Lidia H Kerr Mother F 67 Massachusetts, United States
Robert J Kerr Son M 7 Illinois, United States
Ellis K Kerr Son M 5 Illinois, United States
Elizabeth Adams Other F 20 New York, United States^[6]

Name: Samuel Kerr
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1910
Event Place: Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States
District: ED 69
Gender: Male
Age: 64
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1846
Birthplace: Illinois
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Massachusetts

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Samuel Kerr Head M 64 Illinois
Mary D Kerr Wife F 62 Illinois
Ellis K Kerr Son M 4 Illinois
William D Kerr Son M 26 Illinois
Samuel Kerr Jr. Son M 22 Illinois
Lillian C Dorgelan Servant F 22 Sweden^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81801068
2. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q237-TLXT : 11 March 2018), Samuel Kerr, 25 Nov 1919; citing Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference 400, record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,308,654.
3. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9L-NGPD : 14 October 2017), Samuel Kerr and Josephine M Kirk, 13 Dec 1871; citing Winnebago, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,914,042.
4. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X22G-QH7 : 5 November 2017), Samuel Kerr and Mary E Dunton, 1881; citing Boone, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,914,111.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4DX-R8M : 12 April 2016), Samuel Kerr in household of Joseph Kerr, Randolph, Columbia, Wisconsin, United States; citing family 1643, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNT-SR6 : 22 August 2017), Samuel Kerr, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 110, sheet 35A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0193; FHL microfilm 1,254,193.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKHK-H5P : accessed 4 July 2018), Samuel Kerr, Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 69, sheet 6B, family 119, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 239; FHL microfilm 1,374,252.

• First-hand information as remembered by Lloyd Langdon, Monday, August 25, 2014.