That day in Skippack, when I found myself and my parents included in the records of Kirk family history, I discovered a strong sense of belonging and rootedness. In a barn as old and strong as the family gathered inside, a family whose foundation is rooted in an awareness of its past, bonds were made between strangers. I left that day carrying the strength of that bond with me, feeling a lasting connection to something greater than myself. The first digit is the number signifying from which child of John and Tabitha Kirk they are descended. The second digit is which child of the first number and so forth.
Spouses share a number.
The funds of the Association of the Descendants of John and Tabitha Kirk have become depleted. As many of you know, the first Reunion was held 125 years ago this October. In 1911, two of our members, Stokes Kirk and his son Will Kirk, Jr., undertook the task of raising funds to support the organization. Unfortunately, some of these investments, notably bonds of the Shubert Theater in Philadelphia, were not so successful. Over the years, it has been necessary to use the principle to try to keep down the costs of the Reunion and to cover the costs of the annual news-letter.