4. | MCWHIRT, Garfield M was born on 26 Jan 1880 in Crawford, Kansas, USA (son of MCWHIRT, Josiah Bell and VALENTINE, Anna Elizabeth); died on 2 Dec 1925 in Florence, Fremont, Colorado, USA; was buried in Florence, Fremont County, Colorado. Notes:
Garfield had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was employed as a flour packer. On December 11, 1903, he enlisted in Company "C" of the 10th U.S. Infantry at Crawford County, Kansas. He was discharged at Fort Lawton, Washington, as a sergeant. His first wife Lena and their infant son Clement, died in 1920, in a flu epidemic that caused about 20 millions deaths worldwide. Garfield felt he was unable to care for his children by himself. His son, Emmett, described his father as "kind of an itinerant laborer. A streetcar conductor, a bartender and everything else. And he couldn't take care of me. For real, he couldn't." He asked friends in West Seattle, a contractor and his wife, to take in Emmett.
In 1921, while living in Billings, Montana, Garfield was diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis. Doctors felt that he had had the disease for some time. After his death, Mary applied for a widow's pension while living at 324 South 34th Street in Billings, Montana. The claim was rejected, however, since it could not be proven that Garfield had contracted the disease while in the service. Blanche (Reed) Grooms remembers Garfield living in a small house on his brother William Harry's place. Garfield's daughter Dorothy remembers him as being witty and "quite a talker."
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From Lea Watson:
After my father's father remarried, he had a boy, Gary McWhirt. Gary was here two years ago for Christmas, along with Pat Coryell (another McWhirt cousin) and her two sons. Gary lives in Silverdale. A few times over the last several years my father and I would go to dinner in Bellevue at a woman's by the name of Gloria (can't think of her last name), who was his first cousin. At these dinner's there always was, as well, a first cousin, Bill, who is a retired college professor, who came up from from California. They are all related to the Cornthwaite's, of which there were four sister's - my father and his cousin's mothers. The Cornthwaite's father owned an iron works factory in Ballard. He was also the mayor of Ballard - although myths have a way of becoming more colorful in time and he could have only just run for mayor. A lot more is known about the McWhirt side of the family and we seem to gravitate there. My mother's grandfather, John Hughes, was Seattle's Welsh Presbyterian (sp?) minister. He and his wife had seven children. They were both born in Wales, and the reason he came to America was to attend Princeton's Divinity School. Afterwards, they spent time in NY State and Kansas, before he came here to take over Seattle's Welsh Church, which used to be located on about 10th and East John St. My mother's father came here directly from Southampton, England.
Buried:
Highland Cemetery
Garfield married BEAUDETTE, Mary Louise on 10 Jul 1920 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, USA. Mary (daughter of BEAUDETTE, Albert and DEROUIN, Angeline) was born on 15 Mar 1886 in Crookston, Minnesota; died on 13 May 1955 in Billings, Yellowstone, Montana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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