Mills County, Iowa
The Silver City Community History
Biographies 1879-1979
Silver City Community History Book Committee

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I     J    K    L    M    N
O    P    Q     R    S    T    U     V    W    X    Y    Z

VANKIRK, JOHN
     John VanKirk, another pioneer of our community, was born July 25, 1835 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Hamilton and Eliza (Snodgrass) VanKirk. Hamilton VanKirk was born May 16, 1809 in Washington County, Pennsylvania and was married to Eliza Snodgrass on April 2, 1833. He was a stone and brick mason, contractor and builder as well as being a large landowner. They migrated to Iowa with their son John where they lived for several years. Mr. VanKirk died October 19, 1887 and Mrs. VanKirk died April 18, 1895.
     John VanKirk married Ann VanKirk May 15, 1856 and they moved to Silver City in 1892 from their farm home. He died January 28, 1913 and she died March 21, 1913. They had eight children of whom three, Edward, Marion and Laura, reached maturity.
    Marion Joseph was born November 26, 1864 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was identified with his father’s large land and stock operations. He married Lyda Jackson on July 3, 1895. They had one daughter, Ann, a graduate of Silver City High School and Drake University. She is now Mrs. Scott Pidgeon of Des Moines and has two daughters, Marion and Jean. both of whom are married and have children. Marion VanKirk died January 15, 1901.
    Edward Hamilton was born August 14, 1862 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was also engaged in extensive farming and stock raising operations with his father. He married Cecelia Frazier on November 22, 1883. In 1895 they moved into Silver City, where he also became active in city affairs. He was a member of the council for many years and served on the school board for 15 years. He was a devout member and supporter of the Baptist church. They had four daughters. Julia Etta, Georgia Ann, Mildred May and Beatrice Fern. He died March 22, 1922 and she died February 7, 1953. Etta graduated in music at Simpson after graduation from Silver City High School. She taught music here for several years and married F.W. Anderson. Georgia received higher education and was a successful teacher for several years before her marriage to John Hettinger. Mildred died in young womanhood. Beatrice graduated from Silver City High School and attended Nebraska Wesleyan before she married Gordon Vaughan of Lincoln, Nebraska. They had one son.
    Laura was educated at St. Francis School in Council Bluffs. She married Dr. Walter Hostetter, an early dentist of Silver City and their daughter, Gladys, died in her teens. She later married Charles A. Moore (See Moore) and she died September 15, 1950.

Transcribed and contributed by Roseanna Zehner and Darlene Jacoby, 2010