Individual Details
James Parker Kirkpatrick
(5 Aug 1906 - 25 May 1975)
James Parker Kirkpatrick was born 5 August 1906 in Cozad, Dawson County, Nebraska. He was the first child of Orville Hale and Lillian Belle (Garner) Kirkpatrick.
James lived on his family's farm located approximately 9 miles north of Cozad with his parents. James had two siblings, a brother Roscoe and sister Jennie. In 1923, his parents divorced, leaving James to take responsibility for his mother, brother and sister.
According to family history, the next several years were hard on the Kirkpatrick family, just trying to manage a living. This was the time of the Great Depression. The winters were brutal and at times, James forewent eating but one meal per day to ensure that his younger brother, sister and mother had the proper nourishments.
Another story from James' girlfriend at the time relates that James’ brother, Roscoe became very adventurous with some to the neighboring farm boys and slipped off with another farmer’s unattended vehicle. They went on a ‘joy-ride’ into Wyoming. James, hearing of this, wanted to get them back to Cozad area without any further trouble. He went in search of them and found them near Laramie, Wyoming having run out of gas and with no money. As luck would have it, that was the point that the reportedly ‘stolen’ vehicle was found, with it’s occupants by the police. James, being the oldest and feeling ultimately responsible for his younger brother, accepted the blame for the taking of the vehicle, to prevent Roscoe from being prosecuted. James was found guilty and was sentenced to 1 year in jail. Before going to jail, James secured from Roscoe that he would see to the safety and security of the family back home.
James was released from jail and joined with the family on a move from Nebraska to Northern California, Eureka. In Eureka, it was a very rural and hardy way of life, the timber industry being the largest employer, and construction being the second.
Settling the family in, James went South in California to search for a job in one of the construction areas or factories. He found work doing road construction on the Caldecott Tunnel project, to link the East Bay area to the Oakland-Berkley area. This was 1933.
On February 1934, James married Emily Fereira in Oakland, Alameda County, California. This was James' first marriage. James and Emily were divorced, date unknown. No children were born of this marriage.
While in construction on the Caldecott Tunnel in 1934, an accident occurred with a cave-in of some several thousand tons of limestone trapping many of the workers inside. After several days, James is freed and taken to the hospital, near death. Two of the workers are killed.
After a somewhat lengthy stay in the hospital, James is released, but, he believes that he was so very close to death that he had seen the Angel of Death and was told that "This is not your time, you have a long life ahead of you, and your death will not be a violent one." He made a full recovery in spite of his head having been pinned under a bolder that was estimated at 900 lbs.
In 1937, James then went to work in the open hearth steel furnaces in Fontana, California. He worked his way up in the furnace crew from coker to foreman. On the 1940 U. S. Census of Oakland, Alameda Co., California James and Emily appear with her son Edward George, age 14. James is working the furnace in a steel plant.
On the 1940 U. S. Census of Niles, Washington Township, Alameda Co., California, James P. Kirkpatrick is listed with his wife Emily and her son Edward George. James is a steel furnace helper in a steel plant. They are living at 486 Third Street.
When the new Defense Foundry opened at the US Steel plant in Pittsburg, California in 1941, he was offered a job there, helping to train the new crews needed for the defense industry and to run their hearths.
It was there, that he met Bonnie Faye (Johnston) Miller. A young, recently divorced woman who worked in the Chemistry and Testing Labs.
James and Bonnie (known as Faye) were married on 19 June 1944 in Napa County, California. Faye is the daughter of Roscoe Conklin & Alva Dessie (Cowan) Johnston. This was James' second marriage. Faye was born 13 January 1920 in McKey, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.
James, now working at the same steel mill as his wife move to a neighboring community, Antioch, California and established their household. Seeing that the thousands of young men that went off to war would be returning at war’s end, James decides to open a photography studio in Concord, California. His wife, Faye, is unusually talented in being able to take oil paint colors and tint black and white photos for their clients. The business had an initial success, but then the post-war depression caused them to close their business.
James then began his new career with the Antioch Fire Department. He went to work with them in 1948 and remained with them until he was disability retired in 1968 at the rank of Brigade Captain.
James was highly respected in Antioch and Eastern Contra Costa, as he was a member of the Civil Service Commission and the small communities accident investigator. His expertise with the camera was very helpful in the documenting of accident scenes and ultimately the growth of the small community over the years.
James was also an accomplished archer. He believed that a true archer did not need to have ‘sights’ installed on his bow, and believed that natural sighting was only needed. He thrilled many civic groups with his mastery of the bow and arrow by putting on exhibition shoots, shooting playing cards out of the hands of willing assistants. He was one of the charter members in the foundation of the Delta Archer’s Association in Contra Costa County, California. James, being the true archer, even made his own arrows and bow strings. He would use turkey feathers for the arrow fletching. He designed and patented a machine that would allow him to ‘true’ an arrow and to apply the archers crest (color banding combination that identifies the archers arrow from another). He had a hobby business of making arrows for himself, his children and others. He started with the maple shafts and when aluminum arrows were popularized, he mastered that media also.
James and Faye were divorced in 1958. James kept a close relationship with his children, including his two step-sons from Faye’s previous marriage. James had adopted one of the children, David Wade Hampton, whose name was legally changed to Kirkpatrick. David was born 4 September 1940 in Napa, Napa County, California. David married in 1966, to Marty McParland of Brentwood, Contra Costa California.
James married third, in 1963 to Hazel (White) Woodmansee. James died 25 May 1975 at the age of 68 years, 9 months and 20 days of age in Antioch, California. He died in his sleep of natural causes. He was buried in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Eureka, Humboldt County, California, in the Kirkpatrick section where his Mother and Sister and many other cousins are buried.
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Social Security Death Index:
Individual: Kirkpatrick, James
Birth date: 5 Aug 1906
Death date: May 1975
Social Security #: 566-05-3795
Last residence: CA 94509
State of issue: CA
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Antioch Ledger, Antioch, California, Tuesday, May 27, 1975, Page 12: James Parker Kirkpatrick 68, of 1308 F St., Antioch, was dead on arrival at Delta Memorial Hospital Sunday morning. A native of Cozad, Neb., he was a former Antioch fireman, serving with the Antioch Fire Department from 1944 until his retirement in 1968. Prior to his employment with the fire department, he worked in construction and with U.S. Steel. He was a 40 year resident of California, and had lived in Contra Costa County for 28 years. Mr. Kirkpatrick was a member of the Antioch Senior Citizens Club. He is survived by his wife, Hazel M. Kirkpatrick, five children, Mrs. Due [Sue] Vieira of Los Angeles, John R. [P] Kirkpatrick of Marysville, Tim. M. Kirkpatrick of Antioch, David W. Kirkpatrick of San Jose and Benny R. Miller of Washington, a sister, Mrs. Roy Stevens and a brother Roscoe Kirkpatrick, both of Eureka, and 12 grandchildren. Visitation at Higgins Funeral Home will be held today until 9:30 p.m. Mr. Kirkpatrick's remains will then be transferred to Pierce Mortuary Chapel, 707 H St., Eureka, where funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Eureka.
James lived on his family's farm located approximately 9 miles north of Cozad with his parents. James had two siblings, a brother Roscoe and sister Jennie. In 1923, his parents divorced, leaving James to take responsibility for his mother, brother and sister.
According to family history, the next several years were hard on the Kirkpatrick family, just trying to manage a living. This was the time of the Great Depression. The winters were brutal and at times, James forewent eating but one meal per day to ensure that his younger brother, sister and mother had the proper nourishments.
Another story from James' girlfriend at the time relates that James’ brother, Roscoe became very adventurous with some to the neighboring farm boys and slipped off with another farmer’s unattended vehicle. They went on a ‘joy-ride’ into Wyoming. James, hearing of this, wanted to get them back to Cozad area without any further trouble. He went in search of them and found them near Laramie, Wyoming having run out of gas and with no money. As luck would have it, that was the point that the reportedly ‘stolen’ vehicle was found, with it’s occupants by the police. James, being the oldest and feeling ultimately responsible for his younger brother, accepted the blame for the taking of the vehicle, to prevent Roscoe from being prosecuted. James was found guilty and was sentenced to 1 year in jail. Before going to jail, James secured from Roscoe that he would see to the safety and security of the family back home.
James was released from jail and joined with the family on a move from Nebraska to Northern California, Eureka. In Eureka, it was a very rural and hardy way of life, the timber industry being the largest employer, and construction being the second.
Settling the family in, James went South in California to search for a job in one of the construction areas or factories. He found work doing road construction on the Caldecott Tunnel project, to link the East Bay area to the Oakland-Berkley area. This was 1933.
On February 1934, James married Emily Fereira in Oakland, Alameda County, California. This was James' first marriage. James and Emily were divorced, date unknown. No children were born of this marriage.
While in construction on the Caldecott Tunnel in 1934, an accident occurred with a cave-in of some several thousand tons of limestone trapping many of the workers inside. After several days, James is freed and taken to the hospital, near death. Two of the workers are killed.
After a somewhat lengthy stay in the hospital, James is released, but, he believes that he was so very close to death that he had seen the Angel of Death and was told that "This is not your time, you have a long life ahead of you, and your death will not be a violent one." He made a full recovery in spite of his head having been pinned under a bolder that was estimated at 900 lbs.
In 1937, James then went to work in the open hearth steel furnaces in Fontana, California. He worked his way up in the furnace crew from coker to foreman. On the 1940 U. S. Census of Oakland, Alameda Co., California James and Emily appear with her son Edward George, age 14. James is working the furnace in a steel plant.
On the 1940 U. S. Census of Niles, Washington Township, Alameda Co., California, James P. Kirkpatrick is listed with his wife Emily and her son Edward George. James is a steel furnace helper in a steel plant. They are living at 486 Third Street.
When the new Defense Foundry opened at the US Steel plant in Pittsburg, California in 1941, he was offered a job there, helping to train the new crews needed for the defense industry and to run their hearths.
It was there, that he met Bonnie Faye (Johnston) Miller. A young, recently divorced woman who worked in the Chemistry and Testing Labs.
James and Bonnie (known as Faye) were married on 19 June 1944 in Napa County, California. Faye is the daughter of Roscoe Conklin & Alva Dessie (Cowan) Johnston. This was James' second marriage. Faye was born 13 January 1920 in McKey, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.
James, now working at the same steel mill as his wife move to a neighboring community, Antioch, California and established their household. Seeing that the thousands of young men that went off to war would be returning at war’s end, James decides to open a photography studio in Concord, California. His wife, Faye, is unusually talented in being able to take oil paint colors and tint black and white photos for their clients. The business had an initial success, but then the post-war depression caused them to close their business.
James then began his new career with the Antioch Fire Department. He went to work with them in 1948 and remained with them until he was disability retired in 1968 at the rank of Brigade Captain.
James was highly respected in Antioch and Eastern Contra Costa, as he was a member of the Civil Service Commission and the small communities accident investigator. His expertise with the camera was very helpful in the documenting of accident scenes and ultimately the growth of the small community over the years.
James was also an accomplished archer. He believed that a true archer did not need to have ‘sights’ installed on his bow, and believed that natural sighting was only needed. He thrilled many civic groups with his mastery of the bow and arrow by putting on exhibition shoots, shooting playing cards out of the hands of willing assistants. He was one of the charter members in the foundation of the Delta Archer’s Association in Contra Costa County, California. James, being the true archer, even made his own arrows and bow strings. He would use turkey feathers for the arrow fletching. He designed and patented a machine that would allow him to ‘true’ an arrow and to apply the archers crest (color banding combination that identifies the archers arrow from another). He had a hobby business of making arrows for himself, his children and others. He started with the maple shafts and when aluminum arrows were popularized, he mastered that media also.
James and Faye were divorced in 1958. James kept a close relationship with his children, including his two step-sons from Faye’s previous marriage. James had adopted one of the children, David Wade Hampton, whose name was legally changed to Kirkpatrick. David was born 4 September 1940 in Napa, Napa County, California. David married in 1966, to Marty McParland of Brentwood, Contra Costa California.
James married third, in 1963 to Hazel (White) Woodmansee. James died 25 May 1975 at the age of 68 years, 9 months and 20 days of age in Antioch, California. He died in his sleep of natural causes. He was buried in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Eureka, Humboldt County, California, in the Kirkpatrick section where his Mother and Sister and many other cousins are buried.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Security Death Index:
Individual: Kirkpatrick, James
Birth date: 5 Aug 1906
Death date: May 1975
Social Security #: 566-05-3795
Last residence: CA 94509
State of issue: CA
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Antioch Ledger, Antioch, California, Tuesday, May 27, 1975, Page 12: James Parker Kirkpatrick 68, of 1308 F St., Antioch, was dead on arrival at Delta Memorial Hospital Sunday morning. A native of Cozad, Neb., he was a former Antioch fireman, serving with the Antioch Fire Department from 1944 until his retirement in 1968. Prior to his employment with the fire department, he worked in construction and with U.S. Steel. He was a 40 year resident of California, and had lived in Contra Costa County for 28 years. Mr. Kirkpatrick was a member of the Antioch Senior Citizens Club. He is survived by his wife, Hazel M. Kirkpatrick, five children, Mrs. Due [Sue] Vieira of Los Angeles, John R. [P] Kirkpatrick of Marysville, Tim. M. Kirkpatrick of Antioch, David W. Kirkpatrick of San Jose and Benny R. Miller of Washington, a sister, Mrs. Roy Stevens and a brother Roscoe Kirkpatrick, both of Eureka, and 12 grandchildren. Visitation at Higgins Funeral Home will be held today until 9:30 p.m. Mr. Kirkpatrick's remains will then be transferred to Pierce Mortuary Chapel, 707 H St., Eureka, where funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Eureka.
Events
| Birth | 5 Aug 1906 | Cozad, Dawson Co., Nebraska |  | ||
| Marriage | 24 Feb 1934 | Oakland, Alameda Co., California - Emily Fereira | | ||
| Marriage | 19 Jun 1944 | Napa, Napa Co., California - Bonnie Faye Johnston | | ||
| Divorce | Abt 1957 | Antioch, Contra Costa Co., California - Bonnie Faye Johnston | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1963 | Antioch, Contra Costa Co., California - Hazel H. White | | ||
| Death | 25 May 1975 | Antioch, Contra Costa Co., California | |||
| Divorce | Emily Fereira | ||||
| Burial | Sunset Memorial Park, Eureka, Humboldt Co., California | |
Families
| Spouse | Bonnie Faye Johnston (1920 - 1990) |
| Child | David Wade Hampton Kirkpatrick (1940 - ) |
| Child | Benny Roscoe Miller (1941 - 2006) |
| Child | Alva "Sue" Kirkpatrick (1944 - 1983) |
| Child | John Patrick Kirkpatrick (1949 - ) |
| Child | Timothy Michael Kirkpatrick (1953 - ) |
| Spouse | Emily Fereira (1907 - 1983) |
| Spouse | Hazel H. White (1907 - 2000) |
| Father | Orville Hale Kirkpatrick (1881 - 1938) |
| Mother | Lillian Belle Garner (1881 - 1954) |
| Sibling | Roscoe Alfred Kirkpatrick (1909 - 1979) |
| Sibling | Jennie Hester Kirkpatrick (1914 - 1992) |
Endnotes
1. Birth Certificate James Parker Kirkpatrick, K621/126-359-06.
4. Marriage License of James Parker Kirkpatrick and Bonnie Faye Miller, Book 27, page 80, J2815.
5. Personal knowledge of John Patrick Kirkpatrick.
6. Personal knowledge of John Patrick Kirkpatrick.