Individual Details
James Theron Kirkpatrick
(5 Jun 1916 - 5 Sep 1981)
James Theron (Ted) Kirkpatrick was born 5 June 1916 at Bakersfield, Kern County, California. He attended Wilson High School in Bakersfield, graduating in 1934. In 1933 the school was extensively damaged in an earthquake and classes were conducted in tents. A family story tells that Ted and a classmate burned down the chemistry tent when an experiment went awry.
Ted worked at a number of jobs in his post-high school years, but when World War II started, he went to work as an inspector for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California. His duties included testing and inspection of materials used in the building of A-26 and B-17 aircraft and later the DC-3. He also trained and supervised a staff of forty inspectors. Ted left Douglas in 1944 to work at the Long Beach Naval Base. He became a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary during this period. In 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, and entered the service on 14 June 1945. After basic training in Texas, he was sent to Wiesbaden, Germany, and assigned to the 184th Medical Dispensary Aviation Unit. The he was given a one-week class in administration, was promoted to Tec-5 and ran the orderly room for the unit as a Medical Administrative Specialist. While in Germany, Ted received flight training and was promoted in the field to Captain. He was discharged on 12 July 1946, but he remained in the active reserve, and was recalled to fly in the Berlin Airlift.
After his stint in the Army Air Corps, he was employed with the U.S. Civil Service at the Long Beach naval Base. In 1957 he transferred to Edwards Air Force Base, about ninety miles north of Los Angeles, and moved his family to Lancaster. There he worked as a field expeditor and worked on many of the experimental aircraft projects at the base. He retired in June of 1979, and died 5 September 1981 in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, California.
Ted married on 27 November 1940 in Long Beach, California to Harriette Lillian Walker, daughter of Benjamin Harrison and Alice May (Yaunch) Walker, who was born 5 June 1921, Long Beach, California. She was living in 1990 in Los Angeles County, California.
There were three (3) children born of the marriage.
Obituary not found at genealogybank.com or newspaperarchive.com, May 3, 2018.
Ted worked at a number of jobs in his post-high school years, but when World War II started, he went to work as an inspector for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California. His duties included testing and inspection of materials used in the building of A-26 and B-17 aircraft and later the DC-3. He also trained and supervised a staff of forty inspectors. Ted left Douglas in 1944 to work at the Long Beach Naval Base. He became a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary during this period. In 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, and entered the service on 14 June 1945. After basic training in Texas, he was sent to Wiesbaden, Germany, and assigned to the 184th Medical Dispensary Aviation Unit. The he was given a one-week class in administration, was promoted to Tec-5 and ran the orderly room for the unit as a Medical Administrative Specialist. While in Germany, Ted received flight training and was promoted in the field to Captain. He was discharged on 12 July 1946, but he remained in the active reserve, and was recalled to fly in the Berlin Airlift.
After his stint in the Army Air Corps, he was employed with the U.S. Civil Service at the Long Beach naval Base. In 1957 he transferred to Edwards Air Force Base, about ninety miles north of Los Angeles, and moved his family to Lancaster. There he worked as a field expeditor and worked on many of the experimental aircraft projects at the base. He retired in June of 1979, and died 5 September 1981 in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, California.
Ted married on 27 November 1940 in Long Beach, California to Harriette Lillian Walker, daughter of Benjamin Harrison and Alice May (Yaunch) Walker, who was born 5 June 1921, Long Beach, California. She was living in 1990 in Los Angeles County, California.
There were three (3) children born of the marriage.
Obituary not found at genealogybank.com or newspaperarchive.com, May 3, 2018.
Events
| Birth | 5 Jun 1916 | Bakersfield, Kern Co., California | |||
| Birth | 5 Jun 1916 | ||||
| Marriage | 27 Nov 1940 | Long Beach, Los Angeles Co., California - Harriette Lillian Walker | |||
| Death | 5 Sep 1981 | Lancaster, Los Angeles Co., California |  | ||
| Alt name | James Kirkpatrick | ||||
| Burial | Forest Lawn Cemetery, Long Beach, Los Angeles Co., California | |
Families
| Spouse | Harriette Lillian Walker (1921 - 2007) |
| Child | David Melton Kirkpatrick (1942 - 1942) |
| Child | Richard Everett Kirkpatrick (1944 - ) |
| Child | Kenneth Childs Kirkpatrick (1948 - ) |
| Father | James Melton Kirkpatrick (1876 - 1941) |
| Mother | Florence Childs (1887 - 1975) |
| Sibling | Roberta Kirkpatrick (1912 - 1989) |
Endnotes
1. California Death Index.
2. Find A Grave.