Hiram W.M. Kirk was born and raised in McNairy Co,TN. His father John Kirk and Grandfather Elisha Kirk were originally from Orange Co, North Carolina. Elisha owned quite a bit of land there and did not want to leave it so he stayed in Orange Co, NC with his daughter Mary Polly and lived a good long life. John Kirk and his wife Sarah A E Wood moved here and so did Elizabeth Dorman-Kirk his mother. Unsure of why the parents were split up but it could have been the burden of both parents was too much for either kid.
After arriving in Tennessee John and Sarah wasted no time in filling their home with children. My family tree is filled with Kirk's on both sides that originate with this John Kirk.
Hiram W.M.Kirk was one of their many children. He married Mary Frances Prince in McNairy Co. They had a daughter whose unusal name helped me keep up with her mom when she was on Census records.Her name is Chestiannah Kirk. Then when his wife was pregnant with their second child he was called off to the war. Unfortunately he did not survive The Civil War. But fortunately for me and by the grace of God, he is buried just minutes from my home in Memphis,TN. After news of his death 1 month later his wife gave birth to a second daughter. This part I love. When she gave birth to this female child she named her Hiram Mary Kirk. She put the father and the mother's names as her name. This unusal name is what led me to discover that her stepfather Alonzo C. Kirk even though he too was a Kirk was not the father of these two girls. And he was Not a brother of Hiram's either. Alonzo was the son of Allen Kirk a different family line all together.But Alonzo did take good care of Mary Frances and both of the girls as well as all the children they had together. But since Hiram W.M. Kirk was my family member I wanted to tell the story of his life. I am so sorry that the Civil War had to cause so much destruction in so many peoples lives. I am sure this young man would have preferred to live out his days as a grandfather but War does this to families and in the case of the Civil War it sometimes pitted family member again family member on either side of the guns. To me that is what makes this such a horrible tradgedy in the lives of so many people.But finding his gravesite in Memphis National Cemetery was a real blessing. I have gone with my girl scout troop and with my sons boy scout troop on Memorial Day to put small flags on every grave in that cemetery. Not knowing the whole time I had a family member that was buried there. To me that is the amazing part God knew it and so did Hiram.
After arriving in Tennessee John and Sarah wasted no time in filling their home with children. My family tree is filled with Kirk's on both sides that originate with this John Kirk.
Hiram W.M.Kirk was one of their many children. He married Mary Frances Prince in McNairy Co. They had a daughter whose unusal name helped me keep up with her mom when she was on Census records.Her name is Chestiannah Kirk. Then when his wife was pregnant with their second child he was called off to the war. Unfortunately he did not survive The Civil War. But fortunately for me and by the grace of God, he is buried just minutes from my home in Memphis,TN. After news of his death 1 month later his wife gave birth to a second daughter. This part I love. When she gave birth to this female child she named her Hiram Mary Kirk. She put the father and the mother's names as her name. This unusal name is what led me to discover that her stepfather Alonzo C. Kirk even though he too was a Kirk was not the father of these two girls. And he was Not a brother of Hiram's either. Alonzo was the son of Allen Kirk a different family line all together.But Alonzo did take good care of Mary Frances and both of the girls as well as all the children they had together. But since Hiram W.M. Kirk was my family member I wanted to tell the story of his life. I am so sorry that the Civil War had to cause so much destruction in so many peoples lives. I am sure this young man would have preferred to live out his days as a grandfather but War does this to families and in the case of the Civil War it sometimes pitted family member again family member on either side of the guns. To me that is what makes this such a horrible tradgedy in the lives of so many people.But finding his gravesite in Memphis National Cemetery was a real blessing. I have gone with my girl scout troop and with my sons boy scout troop on Memorial Day to put small flags on every grave in that cemetery. Not knowing the whole time I had a family member that was buried there. To me that is the amazing part God knew it and so did Hiram.
Hiram W.M. Kirk was born and raised in McNairy Co,TN. His father John Kirk and Grandfather Elisha Kirk were originally from Orange Co, North Carolina. Elisha owned quite a bit of land there and did not want to leave it so he stayed in Orange Co, NC with his daughter Mary Polly and lived a good long life. John Kirk and his wife Sarah A E Wood moved here and so did Elizabeth Dorman-Kirk his mother. Unsure of why the parents were split up but it could have been the burden of both parents was too much for either kid.
After arriving in Tennessee John and Sarah wasted no time in filling their home with children. My family tree is filled with Kirk's on both sides that originate with this John Kirk.
Hiram W.M.Kirk was one of their many children. He married Mary Frances Prince in McNairy Co. They had a daughter whose unusal name helped me keep up with her mom when she was on Census records.Her name is Chestiannah Kirk. Then when his wife was pregnant with their second child he was called off to the war. Unfortunately he did not survive The Civil War. But fortunately for me and by the grace of God, he is buried just minutes from my home in Memphis,TN. After news of his death 1 month later his wife gave birth to a second daughter. This part I love. When she gave birth to this female child she named her Hiram Mary Kirk. She put the father and the mother's names as her name. This unusal name is what led me to discover that her stepfather Alonzo C. Kirk even though he too was a Kirk was not the father of these two girls. And he was Not a brother of Hiram's either. Alonzo was the son of Allen Kirk a different family line all together.But Alonzo did take good care of Mary Frances and both of the girls as well as all the children they had together. But since Hiram W.M. Kirk was my family member I wanted to tell the story of his life. I am so sorry that the Civil War had to cause so much destruction in so many peoples lives. I am sure this young man would have preferred to live out his days as a grandfather but War does this to families and in the case of the Civil War it sometimes pitted family member again family member on either side of the guns. To me that is what makes this such a horrible tradgedy in the lives of so many people.But finding his gravesite in Memphis National Cemetery was a real blessing. I have gone with my girl scout troop and with my sons boy scout troop on Memorial Day to put small flags on every grave in that cemetery. Not knowing the whole time I had a family member that was buried there. To me that is the amazing part God knew it and so did Hiram.
After arriving in Tennessee John and Sarah wasted no time in filling their home with children. My family tree is filled with Kirk's on both sides that originate with this John Kirk.
Hiram W.M.Kirk was one of their many children. He married Mary Frances Prince in McNairy Co. They had a daughter whose unusal name helped me keep up with her mom when she was on Census records.Her name is Chestiannah Kirk. Then when his wife was pregnant with their second child he was called off to the war. Unfortunately he did not survive The Civil War. But fortunately for me and by the grace of God, he is buried just minutes from my home in Memphis,TN. After news of his death 1 month later his wife gave birth to a second daughter. This part I love. When she gave birth to this female child she named her Hiram Mary Kirk. She put the father and the mother's names as her name. This unusal name is what led me to discover that her stepfather Alonzo C. Kirk even though he too was a Kirk was not the father of these two girls. And he was Not a brother of Hiram's either. Alonzo was the son of Allen Kirk a different family line all together.But Alonzo did take good care of Mary Frances and both of the girls as well as all the children they had together. But since Hiram W.M. Kirk was my family member I wanted to tell the story of his life. I am so sorry that the Civil War had to cause so much destruction in so many peoples lives. I am sure this young man would have preferred to live out his days as a grandfather but War does this to families and in the case of the Civil War it sometimes pitted family member again family member on either side of the guns. To me that is what makes this such a horrible tradgedy in the lives of so many people.But finding his gravesite in Memphis National Cemetery was a real blessing. I have gone with my girl scout troop and with my sons boy scout troop on Memorial Day to put small flags on every grave in that cemetery. Not knowing the whole time I had a family member that was buried there. To me that is the amazing part God knew it and so did Hiram.
