Joe Kirby Biography


	This biography appears on page 556 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JOE KIRBY. 

	Joe Kirby, for twenty-eight years a practitioner at the bar of 
Sioux Falls, has in the arduous and difficult profession of the law 
made for himself a creditable name and place. He was born at Lawler, 
lowa, on the 5th of October, 1863, a son of Patrick and Mary (Ryan) 
Kirby, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The father, who was born 
in County Limerick, came to the United States in 1848 and settled in 
Iowa. The lady whom he made his wife was born in County Limerick and 
they were married in Connecticut, removing thence to Lawler, Iowa, in 
1856. The father farmed throughout his active life and thus provided 
for the support of his family. He died in 1897, and his wife, surviving 
for sixteen 
 years, passed away in 1913. 

	At the usual age Joe Kirby entered the public schools, wherein he 
continued his studies through consecutive grades until he reached the 
age of seventeen years. The succeeding five years were devoted to farm 
work upon a tract of land belonging to his father, and in the winter 
months he engaged in teaching. He then entered upon the study of law, 
and in 1886 located in Sioux Falls, where he has since remained, 
devoting his attention to his professional duties. He is careful and 
painstaking in the preparation of his cases, earnest and thorough in 
every phase of the work, and presents his case with a strength in 
argument that has won for him many favorable verdicts. He is seldom, if 
ever, at fault in the application of a legal principle or in citing a 
precedent and his contemporaries at the bar recognize his ability and 
accord him high respect for his close conformity to a high standard of 
professional ethics. 

	In Waucoma, Iowa, Mr. Kirby was united in marriage to Miss Ella 
McMahon, and their children are Patrick F., Joe H., Tom H., Dan M. and 
Alice. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church 
and the political support of Mr. Kirby is given to the democratic 
party. He has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, 
however, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his professional 
interests and business investments, for aside from the practice of law 
he is well known as the vice president of the South Dakota Central 
Railway, a director of the State Bank & Trust Company and secretary of 
the Western Surety Company. A man of determined purpose, he carries 
forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and his well 
managed and intelligently guided business interests and professional 
activity have brought to him a substantial fortune.