Iowa Family Group Sheet for the William STIRK Family

Submitted by: John Hodgkinson 


HUSBAND: William STIRK
Birth date: 1852
Birthplace: Bingley, WRYorkshire, England
Death date: 1933
Place of death: possibly Buchanan Co., Missouri
Burial date: 
Burial place: Clarinda Cemetery, Iowa
Other Spouse: 
Father: John STIRK
Mother: Martha UNKNOWN
Marriage date: about September 1873
Marriage place: Pontefract district, WRYorkshire, England

WIFE: Emma TOMLINSON
Birth date: 28 October 1852
Birthplace: West Riding Yorkshire, England
Death date: 26 December 1909
Place of death: probably Nodaway, Clarinda, Page, Iowa
Burial date: December 1909
Burial place: Clarinda Cemetery, Iowa
Other Spouse: 
Father: 
Mother: 


CHILDREN

Child No. 1: James Thomas STIRK
Sex: M
Birth date: 1875
Birthplace: Bradford reg. district, WRYorks, Eng.
Death date: 
Place of death: 
Burial date: 
Burial place: 
Spouse's name: Eva Ellison unknown
Marriage date: 
Marriage place: 
James Thomas Stirk served during the Spanish/American War; "Company E, 51st. Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Born in England, entered service 06-14-1898, discharged 03-30-1899 (30th March) in San Francisco, California. Age 23, living in Clarinda, Iowa, at time of enlistment. Foreign service Honolulu".
They had two children; Mildred B. Stirk, b. 1903 (Iowa); Charles W. Stirk, b. 1908.

Child No. 2: Ernest STIRK
Sex: M
Birth date: 7 November 1879
Birthplace: Baildon, WRYorkshire, England
Death date: 27 April 1965
Place of death: Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
Burial date: 
Burial place: Clarinda Cemetery, Iowa
Spouse's name: Florence Elizabeth NOAKES
Marriage date: 7 November 1907
Marriage place: 
They had five children, all traced. 

Child No. 3: Mabel STIRK
Sex: F
Birth date: November 1882
Birthplace: Iowa
Death date: 
Place of death: 
Burial date: 
Burial place: 
Spouse's name: 
Marriage date: 
Marriage place: 
Mabel Stirk is yet untraced.

Child No. 4: Ruby STIRK
Sex: F
Birth date: November 1885
Birthplace: Page Co., Iowa
Death date: 
Place of death: 
Burial date: 
Burial place: 
Spouse's name: Charles C. HOWARD
Marriage date: 
Marriage place: 

Child No. 5: Charles Albert STIRK
Sex: M
Birth date: November 1887
Birthplace: Page Co., Iowa
Death date: 1932
Place of death: 
Burial date: 1932
Burial place: Glenwood Cemetery, Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa, lot 684
Spouse's name: Carrie Ethel Penland
Marriage date: 
Marriage place:
Charles was killed in a railroad accident in 1932. At 1930 US Federal Census he is recorded at Pacific Junction, Mills Co., Iowa. Information needed. 
They had three children; Harold A Stirk, b. 19 Aug. 1917, d. 20 March 1993, possibly at St. Joseph, Mo., and two living Stirks.

Child No. 6: Vera STIRK
Sex: 
Birth date: May 1890
Birthplace: Iowa
Death date: 
Place of death: 
Burial date: 
Burial place: 
Spouse's name: 
Marriage date: 
Marriage place: 
Vera Stirk is yet untraced.

Child No. 7: Hazel Margaret STIRK
Sex: 
Birth date: 20 April 1894
Birthplace: Page Co., Iowa
Death date: 3 December 1986
Place of death: San Francisco, California
Burial date: 
Burial place: 
Spouse's name: James CRONAN
Marriage date: about 1915
Marriage place: 
They had one child; William Dennis Cronan.

Documentation and Sources:

Hazel Margaret Cronan - Hazel Stirk. Writer's childhood memory of a photograph of an American sailor against a seawall, caption "With Aunt Hazel Cronin". Family legend was that the Stirks had emigrated to Aransas Pass, Texas. William Stirk was the older brother of the writer's great-great-grandfather (Thomas, b. 1863). Nothing else was known. Hazel traced via California Death Index, listing her as Hazel Margaret Cronan, father Stirk, mother Tomlinson, born Iowa. This led to finding the family of William, Emma and seven children (there's a possible transcription error against Hazel) on the 1895 Iowa State Census, then to William, Emma and the two English born sons on the 1880 Ohio State Census, Kent Twp., Portage Co., Ohio. Marriage of William Stirk and Emma Tomlinson found via freeBMD, Pontefract district of West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Ernest Stirk, the second son, was born in mid to late 1879 in Baildon, WRYorks. The family emigrated in early 1880, arriving at the Castle Garden immigration centre on 8th. February 1880, on the vessel "England". Their first residence is recorded at Kent Twp., Portage, Ohio, 1880 US Federal Census. In 1885 they are in Clarinda, Page, Iowa.

The family members are recorded in the US Federal Censuses up to 1930, although in reducing numbers and other locations. In 1930 William is recorded as living in Ward 9, St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., Missouri, with daughter Ruby Howard and her family. William died in 1933 and was laid to rest with his wife, Emma (d.1909), in Clarinda Cemetery (Iowa Cemetery Records, Pat Combs O'Dell, bless her). The other family members are difficult to trace. Ernest is recorded as marrying Florence Elizabeth Noakes (LDS) and confirmed by Linda Zollinger's family tree - recorded as being born at Bailin, this is Baildon, West Riding of Yorkshire. Ernest, Florence and three daughters are recorded in Page Co., Iowa, 1920 US Federal Census. According to Linda Zollinger's pages, Ernest (and Florence) are interred in Clarinda, although the writer has not been able to confirm this. We think that Hazel married James Cronan, and had a son, William Dennis Cronan (he shows up in the California Death Index). A small Cronan family, James (b.1890), Hazel (b.1895) and William (b.1917), is recorded in Union Co., Iowa, 1920 US Federal Census. The search for Mabel & Vera Stirk continues. 

The Stirk lineage in Yorkshire, England, is traced back to 1733 in Thornton-by-Bradford, thence to Bingley, Shipley and Baildon. There is another branch of the Stirks in Albion, Orleans Co., New York State, from one of the brothers in the generation before William of Iowa. 

Much information is courtesy of Kitty Ferguson nee Stirk, grand-daughter of Charles Albert Stirk, who read the first entry on this site and provided much information. 


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Copyright (c) 2007 by John Hodgkinson & Kitty Ferguson.  All rights reserved.
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