Dr. Kirkland and his six children who lived to adulthood.
Back row:
Parmelia Jane (Kirkland) (Bramble) (Cole) Herring/Hessing; (1839-1921)
Martha Mariah "Mattie" (Kirkland) Stribling (Mrs.
Thomas Edwin Stribling (1850-1925))
Rose Clementine (Kirkland) Boyd (1854-1944)Sarah Emeline "Emma"
"Em" (Kirkland) Boyd (1860-1942)
Front row: Edward Pickens Kirkland (1843-1929)Dr. William Wilson
Kirkland (1820-1905)Thomas Augustus Kirkland(1845-1914)

Dr. William Wilson Kirkland died in Dec., 1905. This is the house
where the 1900 Birthday Anniversary was held. Dr. Kirkland is on the
front row and flanked by his two sons. He is directly underneath the
stovepipe on left side.

BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY
Published in a Gatesville, TX, Newspaper, 4 January, 1900
Tuesday, January 2, it was our privilege to attend the 80th birthday celebration of Dr. W. W.
Kirkland near Osage. The early part of the morning the clouds hung dark and lowering, but by 
nine o-clock the sun came out bright, and we vainly thought it warm. We put on extra raiment, 
and with a hot rock to our feet, and heavy buggy robes, we took our seat beside our other 
half behind a spirited livery team and started on our trip of 15 miles. ‘Tis so seldom that 
we have a chance to take a little lark together, that we drew the robe about us, wrapped our 
veil more closely about our face and settled ourself back to enjoy the ride, while baked 
turkey, cakes, pies, etc., loomed up in our imagination at the other end of the 15 miles.

The recent rains have made the roads extremely rough and it was impossible to travel in any
but a very moderate gait. Before we had gone a great distance, we discovered that it was 
very cold, but not wishing to complain, said nothing about feeling the chill morning air. 
Every stream was frozen over, the crushing of the ice as we broke through while crossing 
over sent an extra shiver down our spinal column and made us wonder if Owen Fauntleroy had 
not brought some of the Klondike weather back with him, and distributed it out about the 
Coryell mountains.

Occasionally we would travel for a shot distance along a part of the road sheltered by the 
mountainside with warm sun beaming down upon us, and we would thaw out a little, but a 
sudden turn in our route would bring us facing the keen north wind. At last we struck 
the bare, bleak prairie, over which we would have traveled four miles had we gone direct, 
but we missed the way and went three miles out of the course. At 12:30 we reached Mr. 
Felix Boyd’s, the place we had started for. The place was thronged with guests and 
everybody seemed to be having a good time.

We were almost frozen, could not talk for chattering teeth, and Mrs. Boyd [Sarah Emeline
"Emma", "Em" (Kirkland) Boyd] had to take off our wraps for we were utterly powerless 
to use our benumbed hands.

Two long tables were set in the yard and fairly groaned beneath their load of good things.

While warming we had a pleasant conversation with Dr. Kirkland, the old gentleman to 
whom this dinner was given. He is a courtly, intelligent gentleman, and to judge from 
his present appearance you would take him to be about 60 years of age.

At last having sufficiently thawed we went out to the table. It has never been my good 
fortune to sit down to a finer dinner. There are certainly some very fine cooks in that 
connection. And such quantities of everything! There was something near one hundred guests 
and there was enough left to feed as many more.

After spending a very pleasant time after dinner we left at 3:30 for home. When we got ready to 
leave Mrs. John Boyd [Rose Clementine (Kirkland) Boyd] of our town who had gone 
out the day before and carried an extra amount of comforts, blankets, cloaks, etc., 
made us take a comfort and another cape and wrapped us up so warm that we did not know it was 
cold at all.

Notwithstanding the bitter cold ride of the morning we had a delightful outing and promised 
the Doctor that we would go to his birthday dinner next year if we were all alive. We 
sincerely trust that our venerable friend may live to see many returns of his birthday.

Dr. Kirkland’s wife [Polly Ann (Kellum)] died about six years ago [Polly 
Ann died 21 June, 1893.],after they had peacefully and happily traveled life’s uneven
pathway, hand in hand for more than half a century. [William Wilson 
Kirkland married Polly Ann Kellum on 14 September, 1837, in Winston County, MS]

The descendants of William W. and Polly Ann Kirkland now living are:
Mrs. P. J. Cole [Parmelia Jane (Kirkland) (Bramble) Cole, consort of the 
late J. N. Cole, deceased. [James Nun Cole, M.D.]; 
E. P. Kirkland and wife Lou G. Kirkland [Edward Pickens "Pick" Kirkland and 
Louisiana Gregory (Hartfield)];
T. A. Kirkland and wife Laura A. Kirkland [Thomas Augustus "Tom" 
Kirkland, Sr. and Laura A. (Allen) Kirkland.];
Mrs. M. M. Stribling and husband, T. E. Stribling [Martha Mariah "Mattie: 
(Kirkland) Stribling and Thomas Edwin Stribling.]; 
Mrs. R. C. Boyd and husband, J. W. Boyd [Rose Clementine (Kirkland) Boyd 
and John Wellington Boyd]; 
Mrs. Sarah E. Boyd and husband Felix Boyd [Sarah Emeline "Emma" "Em" 
(Kirkland) Boyd and Felix Boyd].

Grandchildren: 
Mary L. Reaves, consort of the late R. F. Reaves [Mary Louise (Bramble) 
 Reaves]
William N. Cole and wife, Virginia M. Cole [William Nunn Cole]; 
H. A. Oliver and husband, T. L. Oliver; [Henrietta/Henryeta Agness (Cole) 
Oliver and Thomas Lee "Dock" Oliver]; 
M. J. M. Moore and husband V. L. Moore; [Martha Mary Jane "May" (Cole) 
Moore and Virgil Lagarus Moore]; 
Iva A. Boyd and husband J. H. Boyd [Iva B. (Cole) Boyd and J. Hardy Boyd]; 
W. A. Kirkland and wife, Rosa Kirkland [William Augustus Kirkland and
Rosa Mae (Gooding) Kirkland.]; 
E. V. Gooding and husband, T. J. Gooding,  [Emma Viola "Ola’ (Kirkland) 
Gooding and Thomas Jefferson "Jeff" Gooding]; 
F. W. Kirkland and wife Jessie Kirkland; [Franklin Woodville Kirkland and 
Jessie Coleman (Overstreet) Kirkland];
Amanda E. Craine and husband J. W. Craine [Amanda Elizabeth (Stribling) 
Crain and James Wesley Crain];
William W. Boyd and wife, Johnnie May Boyd.[William Wellington Boyd and 
Johnny Mae (Daves) Boyd];
These compose the grandchildren and their companions.

Summary. There is now living 6 children; their companions, 5; grandchildren,
37; their companions, 10; great grandchildren, 27; total, 87.
There were present on this occasion, children, 6; grandchildren, 23; 
great grandchildren, 11; consorts 6.

The family has resided in Texas 37 years and have had only ten deaths in all of that time.

There were also present representatives of the families of five of the Doctor’s brothers and sisters.
Several special friends, who were present, appeared to enjoy the reunion as much as did the members 
of the family. Speaking for ourselves, we don’t remember to have ever enjoyed an occasion more.


Notes in red by descendant, Elreeta Weathers.

Copyright 2002 by Bobbie Ross