Dr. Daniel E. Shirk, one of Carroll County’s pioneers, and a prominent citizen of Carroll Township, where he resides on section 18, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, October 12, 1820. He traces his ancestors back to the fifth generation, being a descendant of Ulrich Shirk, who was born in Switzerland about 1675, who came to America about 1735. His son, Ulrich Shirk, was born in Switzerland August 20, 1704, and married a lady named Swarr, and these were the great-grandparents of our subject. They came to America about 1735. Their son, Ulrich Shirk, was born in Pennsylvania in 1751, and was united in marriage to a lady named Eberly, the grandmother of our subject. Our subject’s parents were Jacob and Catharine Erb, the father being a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1796. The original Shirk family were Mennonites in their religious faith, and being peaceably disposed it is not probable that any of them took part in the Revolutionary war. D. E. Shirk, the subject of this sketch, was reared on his father’s farm in Pennsylvania, receiving but limited educational advantages in his youth. He was in poor health, and not being strong enough for farm labor he decided to study medicine, which he began under the preceptorship of Dr. George B. Kerfoot at Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. By improving his leisure hours he learned to read the Greek language fluently, and also became familiar with the German and French languages. He began the practice of medicine when about twenty-two years of age, which he followed in his native county until 1876. He was united in marriage in 1842 to Miss Amelia E. Wilson, a daughter of John E. Wilson, of Lancaster County. Eight children have been born this union — Hiester, Wilson, Oliver (deceased), Daniel, Jacob, Amelia, Catherine and Lizzie. The doctor came with his family to Iowa in 1876, and has since carried out his determination formed before coming to this State, not to practice medicine except in special and urgent cases, as obstetrics, etc., when he could not well refuse. His main object in coming West was to locate his sons on farms. He has lived in Carroll Township, Carroll County, since coming to Iowa, and has been engaged principally in farming, in which he has met with excellent success. He settled on his present farm on section 18 in the spring of 1876, which at that time was entirely unimproved. It is now one of the best farms in his neighborhood, and contains 240 acres of choice land. The doctor is an extensive and varied reader. He has an excellent memory, and having always been a student, possesses a mind well stored with knowledge. In religion he is a German Baptist, he and his wife having been members of the denomination for many years.

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