William Joseph Kirby Sr (1902 - 1979)

Born 3 Aug 1902 in Texarkana, Miller, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Died 3 Jan 1979 at age 76 in Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas, United States

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Biography

William Joseph Kirby was born on March 3, 1902, in Texarkana, Miller County, Arkansas, to William Fosgate Kirby and Ella Lenora (Kelley) Kirby. At a young age, tragedy struck when he suffered a severe injury from the explosion of a dynamite percussion cap he had picked up in his father's yard. This incident left his left hand seriously injured and resulted in powder burns to his body and clothing, along with other minor injuries.

By the time of the 1910 census, William and his family had moved to Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, where he spent his formative years.

In 1922, William married Josephine Rowan Fielden in Arkansas, embarking on a new chapter of his life. By 1930, he was recorded in the census as residing in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, where he worked as a secretary in a law office, beginning his career in the legal profession.

By the 1940 census, William had transitioned to the role of librarian for the court, indicating his continued involvement in legal matters. This career trajectory persisted, as evidenced by the 1950 census, which listed him as a lawyer.

Tragedy struck again in 1950 when William's wife, Josephine, passed away on September 28 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Despite this loss, William found love once more and married Freda F. Thompson on December 27, 1951, in Pulaski County, Arkansas.

William Joseph Kirby's life journey came to an end on January 3, 1979, in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. He was laid to rest at Pincrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum in Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas, marking the conclusion of a life filled with professional accomplishments and personal connections.

Sources

• 1910 United States Federal Census: Year: 1910; Census Place: Little Rock Ward 6, Pulaski, Arkansas; Roll: T624_62; Page: 21a; Enumeration District: 0128; FHL microfilm: 1374075 Ancestry Record 7884 #185541472
• 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0024; FHL microfilm: 2339826 Ancestry Record 6224 #85780125
• 1940 United States Federal Census: Year: 1940; Census Place: Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas; Roll: m-t0627-00167; Page: 17B; Enumeration District: 60-46 Ancestry Record 2442 #101999974
• 1950 United States Federal Census: National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas; Roll: 1818; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 77-108 Ancestry Record 62308 #30822406
• Arkansas, Birth Certificates, 1914-1922: Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Birth Certificates; Year: 1902 Ancestry Record 61774 #566093
• Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1972: Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Certificates; Year: 1951; Film: #11 Ancestry Record 61775 #1167169
• Pulaski County, Arkansas, Marriages 1838-1999: Pulaski County Clerk; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Records Ancestry Record 61797 #190782
• U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014: Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File Ancestry Record 3693 #33482789
• Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30911252/william_joseph-kirby: accessed March 14, 2024), memorial page for William Joseph Kirby Sr. (3 Aug 1902–3 Jan 1979), Find A Grave: Memorial #30911252, citing Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum, Alexander, Saline County, Arkansas, USA; Maintained by P. V. Hays (contributor 46588659).
• "Dynamite Found in Kirby's Yard", Pine Bluff Daily Graphic, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 6 Sep 1907, Fri. - Page 4. Newspapers Clip: 143334547, Accessed 14 Mar 2024.