Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-02-14
KIRknUIR
ANSWERS CALL
A Good Soldier Never Refuses to An
swer Any Call Made Upon Him.
Kirk Made a Strong Fight
But Lost.

Grand Rapids never lost more
promising young man than it did in
the passing on of Kirk Muir, son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Alex Muir, old time and
well known residents of this city.
After reaching mans estate and
entering into active business life ne
was stricken with tuberculosis, from
this time on he made the greatest fight
Of his life to overcome it. He was en-
outraged by his parents, relatives and
friends. and everything that was
known to human skill was done for
him and he labored with his greatest
,fforts to this end.
His death therefore came as the
result of the general course of nature
which no human help could prevent.
George Kirkham Muir was born in
Pittsville, Wood County, Wisconsin,
July IA, 1886. His parents moved to
Winona. Minnesota, when he was one
wear old and remained there until Kirk
was six years old, and it was here that
he received his first schooling in the
Kindergarten. At this time, 1892, they
moved to Grand Rapids, where they
have since resided. Kirk was educat-
ed in the public schools of this city
and graduated with the class of 1904.
He enlisted, Sept. %, 1904, in Battery
D. 8th Artillery U. S. regular army
and served three years, two of which
were spent in the Philippines. On his
return from the army in the fall Of
1907, he went into the shoe business
with his father, and remained in this
business until he was obliged to dis
continue on account of failing health.
He was married to Miss Ella Young
in 1910, who with one daughter, Mar
garet, survives him. 1t was in the fall
of this wear that his trouble was first
discovered and he entered the SAM
tarium at Wales, where he remained.
with several vacations spent at his
home here for a period of nearly five
years at which time he was pronounced
an arrested case, and he went to Los
Vegas. New Mexico, hoping to estab
lish himself in that climate and go
into the chicken business, but his trou-
BILE again developed and he returned
home and spent the last two years of
his life in the sanitarium at West De
Pere, where he died, Monday after
noon, Feb. II, 1918.
During his residence at DePere he
contributed many articles, both stor-
les and poetry, which were published
in the Cutters Book, for which he re
ceived several first prizes as we'll as
honorable mention. Kirk was bright
young man with a splendid physique
and popular with everyone he came in
contact with, his life from the time he
graduated from school to his closing
hours, was attended with trying cir
cumstances, under which many would
have become discouraged and given
UP in despair. He was loving and
devoted husband and father and enjoy
ed those traits of character which
speak for success and popularity.
His passing on to his final reward is
attended with great sorrow in the fam
lily circle where he was an ideal.
/ His parents, sister, wife and daugh
ter have the sympathy Of the whole
community in this hour Of their aff1ic-
ton.
His remains arrived in this city Tu-
asday morning when they were met
/ by about sixty members of the Elks
Lodge, Of which he was devoted
member, who escorted the remains to
TIE undertaking parlors of Geo. W.
Baker, on account of his parents now
being residents Of Biron. Wednesday
morning the remains were taken to
the Elks Club building, where they lay
in state until the afternoon, at two o.
clock at which time the funeral ser
vices were held Father Rockstroh of
St. Johns Episcopal church, of which
Kirk was alife-long member, oficiat-
ing, and interrment made in Forest
Hill Cemetery, the Elks Lodge of this
city being in charge.
It viii be remembered that Kirk re-
ceived a Carnegie medal for his brav-
cry on the night of May 27, 1909 when
several of our young people went over
the dam, and all thru his life from
that time, Mr.. Carnegie has never lost
sight of him and has done very many
things of material help.