Washington County KS Archives Obituaries.....VANKIRK, Johnson  July 30, 1897
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Jim Laird jlaird@bellsouth.net September 11, 2005, 10:32 pm

The Washington Republican
Washington County
Friday
July 30, 1897

Died of Heart Failure.
Sunday morning the people here were startled to hear the sad news that Johnson
VANKIRK, living four miles southeast of here, had died the night previous. Mr.
Vankirk was in his usual good helath and had just finished eating supper. While
the family was yet seawted around the table he died in his chair suddenly of
heart failure. His funeral was held Monday July 26th, at the home, conducted by
Dr. Hageman and the body was laid to rest in the cemetery south of here.
Obituary.
Mr. Vankirk was born in Washington County, Pa., Dec. 2, 1827. He was reared upon
a farm and resided in his native state until 1859. During the Mexican war he
volunteered as a soldier, but no more troops being needed he was not mustered
into the service. Miss Mary A. PORTER a native of Fayette county, Pa., won the
regard of the young man and on Dec. 4, 1849, they were united in marriage. Then
years after that happy event they removed to Illinois, settling near Ottawa,
LaSalle Co., where Mr. Vankirk purchased eighty acres of raw prairie land. To
this he subsequently added forty acres, improving the whle and making it the
family home until 1870. He then removed to Streator, becoming owner of a part of
the city (fifty-six lots), putting down a coal shaft there. After a residence of
eighteen months, Mr. Vankirk returned to farm life, renting a farm near Dwight.
He however, retained property in Streator for some time longer. In Dec. 1875, he
started for Kansas, the journey being m!
 ade with team and wagon. In January, 1876, he stopped at Highland, Doniphan
County, and there followed agriculture during the succeeding five years. At the
expiration of that time he came to this county.
Mr. and Mrs. Vankirk are the parents of seven children, two of whom have been
taken from them by death; Thomas H. died at the age of twenty-three and Cephas
P. at the age of six years. Sadie is the wife of Thomas D. BOWERS, residing at
Streator, Ill.; Ella, James, John, and Katie and the mother, surviving.
Mr. Vankirk was a member of the Presbyterian church in which he has been an
Elder since the age of twenty-five. He was ordained at McClellandtown, Pa., and
was again installed at Farm Ridge church, Ill., at Highland, Kans., and
Washington, Kans. 


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