Bertha Bell McNeely and John Clay Kirby

DR. JOHN CLAY KIRBY was born January 7, 1864 in Benton County, Missouri,⁹⁰⁰² and died November 16, 1922 in Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas.⁹⁰⁰² He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Sedan, Chautauqua, Kansas.⁴⁵⁶

He married BERTHA BELL MCNEELY on April 19, 1909 in Winfield, Cowley, Kansas,⁹⁰⁰¹ daughter of SARAH ANN HOUSTON and WILLIAM MCNEELY. She was born December 6, 1872 in Salt Springs, Saline, Missouri,⁴⁵³² and died November 26, 1966 in Washington.⁹⁰⁰⁷ She is buried in Acacia Memorial Park, Lake Forest Park, King, Washington.⁴⁵⁶

• Descendant Reports
  • Samuel Houston Descendant Report (Ancestor of Bertha B. McNeely)

Children of BERTHA BELL MCNEELY and DR. JOHN CLAY KIRBY:

1. JOHN PAUL KIRBY, b. April 18, 1910;⁵⁶ d. October 8, 1983, Tacoma, Washington.⁷⁵⁶

Personal Information

John C. Kirby

• graduated from University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa⁹⁰⁰²
• was a doctor in Verona, Ill. and Cedar Vale, Kan.⁹⁰⁰²
• was a member of the Masonic Lodge⁹⁰⁰²
• was a member of the Methodist Church, Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas. ⁹⁰⁰²

Bertha B. McNeely

• was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star⁹⁰⁰⁵
• was a piano teacher⁹⁰⁰⁷

Marriage Announcements and News

Winfield Courier, April 22, 1909⁹⁰⁰¹

McNeeley—Kirby

Miss Bertha B. McNeeley and Dr. John C. Kirby both of Cedarvale were married by Probate Judge Shreves at his office in Winfield the afternoon of Monday, April 19, 1909.

Obituaries

County Liner and Cedar Vale Commercial, November 24, 1922⁹⁰⁰²

Obituary—John Clay Kirby

John Clay Kirby, son of Robert and Nancy Jane Kirby, was born near Warsaw, Mo., Jan. 7, 1864, and passed suddenly from us on Thursday evening, Nov. 16, 1922, being at the time of his death almost 59 years of age.

In 1871 when but a lad, he came with his parents to Elbing, Butler Co., Kansas, where his young manhood was spent. He was a student at Kansas State Normal School and Kansas University, but later took his medical course from the Medical University of Iowa City, Iowa, where he received his M. D. degree. He took frequent post graduate courses in Murphy's Clinic and Medical University of Chicago.

He began the practice of medicine at Verona, Ill., from which place he came to Cedar Vale, Kansas, in 1902, where he lived at the time of his death.

He was married on Jan. 18, 1899, at Verona, Ill., to Miss Louis Dondanville, to which union were born three daughters, Jean, Louise and Evelyn. Mrs. Kirby died Oct. 23, 1907. In 1909 Dr. Kirby married Miss Bertha McNeeley of Cedar Vale, Kan., who, with her son, John Paul and the above mentioned daughters, remain to bear the sorrow and loneliness.

Dr. Kirby also leaves two brothers, James J. Kirby of Des Moines, Ia., and O. H. Sheppard of Geary, Okla.; and four sisters, Mrs. Lou Kirby Curtis, Berrien Springs, Mich.; Mrs. H. S. Comer, Sheridan, Wyo.; Mrs. Annetta Buey, Casper, Wyo.; and Mrs. Helmbaugh, Crescent, Okla.

Dr. Kirby was a member of the Methodist church of Cedar Vale. He was also a member in good standing of the Masonic order.

Funeral services were conducted from the Methodist church by the pastor, Fred B. Benson, on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps the largest group of sympathizers ever gathered at a funeral in Cedar Vale was present to help in these last rites. The profuse and most beautiful array of floral offerings also spoke of the high esteem with which the Doctor was held in our community.

The Masonic brothers of the Cedar Vale lodge accompanied the body from the residence to the church, also going to Sedan, where they assisted the lodge there in the burial ceremonies.

Tacoma News Tribune, November 26, 1966⁹⁰⁰⁷

MRS. JOHN KIRBY

Mrs. John (Bertha) Kirby, 82, of 14622 Grant St., Steilacoom, died in a local hospital Saturday. She was born in Marshall, Mo., and came to the Tacoma area in 1952 from Cedarville, Kan.

Mrs. Kirby was a retired piano teacher and a former member of the Order of Eastern Star.

Surviving are a son, John P., of Tacoma; three stepdaughters, Mrs. Earl Logsdon and Mrs. Louise Ford, both of Sedan, Kan., and Mrs. Evelyn Freeberg, of Galena, Kan.; a brother, Paul Pierre McNeely, of Seattle; two grandchildren, John and Jim Kirby; and four step-grandchildren.

Services will be announced by Mountain View Funeral Home.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
June 4, 18808957	Grand Pass, Saline, Missouri	William McNeely Sarah Ann Houston Clarence Houston McNeely Bertha Bell McNeely Blanche McNeely Bessie H. McNeely William Dexter McNeely Charles Grosvenor McNeely Elizabeth Rankin McNeely
April 21, 19108717	Jefferson, Chautauqua, Kansas	John Clay Kirby Bertha Bell McNeely
January 9, 19208718	Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas	John Clay Kirby Bertha Bell McNeely John Paul Kirby
April 2, 19309003	Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas	Bertha Bell McNeely
April 29, 19409004	Cedar Vale, Chautauqua, Kansas	Bertha Bell McNeely