Allen County Kansas
Obituaries and Death
Notices
KERR
George M. Kerr
Noted Railroad Man
Brother-in-Law of L. L. Carter Wore (?)
Herald of California, Missouri - date unknown. (The subject of this sketch was not well known in California, Mo. although he had been here. He was a brother-in-law of editor L. L. Carter and this sketch is written for the family, although it may be of interest to the other readers of the Herald.) George M. Kerr was born in Alpha Illinois, October 20, 1862, and died at his home, Long Beach, California June 30, 1940. He located in Allen county Kansas in 1883, and became a Santa Fe railroad brakeman in 1889. He was located to Chanute Kansas for convenience of his work in 1902, and transferred to Iola in 1908. Until the time of his retirement he run out of Iola, as a brakeman and conductor on freight trains and finally a passenger conductor between Kansas City and Tulsa. He was a member of the American Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen for fifty-one years and came from Long Beach to receive a Golden anniverary pin in 1939. Besides the Brotherhood of Trainmen, representative of his vocation, he was a Mason for 48 years, Iola Lodge No. 38, A.F. & A.M., and the Odd Fellows for 50 years, and a Rebecca. He was a member of these Masonic bodies; Carwell Consistory No. 5, Kansas City, Kansas; Abdallah Shrine, Leavenworth, Kansas; Iola Chapter, R.A.M.; Iola Council, R. and S.M.; Iola Knight Templars, No. 49; Salem Chapter No. 4, O.E.S. He was married to Miss Mattie Riggs, December 18, 1888, who survives. His wife is a sister of Mrs. L. L. Carter. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kerr. Clyde M. of Kansas City who is a conductor on the Santa Fe out of Topeka, Kansas. A twin brother, Claude, died when a child. Vernon Earl of Long Beach, California. Vernon is employed by a large oil company and has spent considerable time in South America oil fields and recently returned from Brazil. Delmar Dean is secretary of the Fire Department of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Letha Mae McCoy, deceased. There are ten grand children; Kenneth L., Loren M., and Warren E., the two latter twins, children of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Kerr of Kansas City; Vernon Jr. and William G., sons of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Kerr, Long Beach; Betty Jane, Dora Dean and Deana Darlene, twins, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Kerr of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Marjorie and Jo Ann McCoy, daughters of the deceased daughter, Letha McCoy. There are three great grand children; Ronald Lee, Kenneth, Jr. and Beverly Lee, children of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Kerr of Kansas City. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr located at Long Beach in 1929 after his retirement, and the body was brought from there and the funeral and burial services were at Iola, July 4, 1940. The funeral was at the Sleeper Funeral parlors, conducted by Rev. Releford of the Christian church, and the burial was at the Iola Highland Cemetery, with Masonic honors and Knight Templar escort. Mr. Kerr was one of the best known Trainmen of the Santa Fe in eastern Kansas. He served only the one railroad, and was promoted to the highest place in his department of the railroad work. He knew his railroad, and was an enthusiastic union advocate. He got much enjoyment out of life as an employee and lodge work was one of his most enjoyable social entertainments. Submitted
by Pam Barnes, psb454@cox.net
Golden Anniversary Service Pin
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