William St.Clair Shirk (1856-1922)

SHIRK, SMITH, WITT

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 21:05:24

William St.Clair Shirk was born June 12, 1856 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and died at his home on East Ninth Street, Spencer, Friday, October 6. In the same year of Mr. Shirk's birth, the family moved to Mount Carroll, Illinois, where they resided until 1869 when they moved to Grundy county of this state where Mr. Shirk grew to manhood.

On January 22, 1889 [sic] he was married to Miss Georgia Smith. To this union were born five children: Irvin M. of Chester, South Dakota; Caroline of Spencer; William S. of Watford City, North Dakota; and Fred who died in infancy.

In 1887 Mr. Shirk moved with his family to Colorado where two years later, they suffered the loss of their wife and mother.

On October 28, 1896, Mr. Shirk was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Witt of Sanborn, Iowa and to this union was born one son, Claire, who with his mother resides at the family home.

Mr. Shirk was a veteran in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Co., having been in their employ for more than thirty years, twenty-one years of which time he had been an engineer and affiliated with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Seven years ago this fall, he came from Sanborn to Spencer to take charge of the switch engine and held this position until he was stricken with paralysis on last Wednesday afternoon.

He was of a family of twelve children, four of whom survive him: Mrs. H.L. Simpson, Arnolds Park; Mrs. J.W. Sayre of Hartley; I.N. Shirk of Grundy Center and J.M. Shirk of Clarion. Besides the immediate family, five grandchildren and many other near relatives remain to mourn his death.

Funeral services were held in Spencer Tuesday morning and the body was interred in Hartley Cemetery.

Hartley (Iowa) Sentinel, 12 Oct 1922, p. 8