John Joseph Silk
Birth: 31 Jul 1890, San Francisco
Death: 6 Jun 1953, Reno, Nevada
Spouse: Stella M Murphy
Birth: 24 Sep 1884, Kansas
Marriage: 5 Aug 1919, Golden, Jefferson Co., Colorado
Death: 3 Nov 1963, Sacramento, California
Children: John Gilbert (1924-2002)
John Joseph Silk (he sometimes went by Jack when he was young) was the first son born to Patrick and Ellen Silk. He was born on July 31, 1890, at the home on Precita and Coso. He was probably baptized at St. Paul’s Church. He attended grammar school and graduated high school, according to the 1940 US Census, but it is unknown what schools he attended. By 1907, he was listed in Langley’s as a metal worker. It is likely his recently deceased stepfather Edward Ryan had gotten him into the profession. He was living in Bernal heights on California, up the block from where his uncle’s grocery store had been. By 1909, he was working in the brewery wagon drivers’ union and had been appointed to the examining committee. By 1912, he had moved 229 – 11th Street (near Howard) with his grandmother.
According to his World War I Draft card in 1917, he was living at 1264 Howard Street and was an out-of-work teamster. The draft card also described him as medium height and medium build, with brown hair and blue eyes. According to Langley’s he was a hoseman for the fire department.
Unlike, his cousins who registered for the draft, John was actually called up in on July 5, 1918. He was deployed to Denver, Colorado, where he served as a machinist in the Quartermaster’s Corps. He rose to the rank of sergeant and worked at General Hospital #21. While there in Denver, he met and married Stella Murphy Walters.
Death: 6 Jun 1953, Reno, Nevada
Spouse: Stella M Murphy
Birth: 24 Sep 1884, Kansas
Marriage: 5 Aug 1919, Golden, Jefferson Co., Colorado
Death: 3 Nov 1963, Sacramento, California
Children: John Gilbert (1924-2002)
John Joseph Silk (he sometimes went by Jack when he was young) was the first son born to Patrick and Ellen Silk. He was born on July 31, 1890, at the home on Precita and Coso. He was probably baptized at St. Paul’s Church. He attended grammar school and graduated high school, according to the 1940 US Census, but it is unknown what schools he attended. By 1907, he was listed in Langley’s as a metal worker. It is likely his recently deceased stepfather Edward Ryan had gotten him into the profession. He was living in Bernal heights on California, up the block from where his uncle’s grocery store had been. By 1909, he was working in the brewery wagon drivers’ union and had been appointed to the examining committee. By 1912, he had moved 229 – 11th Street (near Howard) with his grandmother.
According to his World War I Draft card in 1917, he was living at 1264 Howard Street and was an out-of-work teamster. The draft card also described him as medium height and medium build, with brown hair and blue eyes. According to Langley’s he was a hoseman for the fire department.
Unlike, his cousins who registered for the draft, John was actually called up in on July 5, 1918. He was deployed to Denver, Colorado, where he served as a machinist in the Quartermaster’s Corps. He rose to the rank of sergeant and worked at General Hospital #21. While there in Denver, he met and married Stella Murphy Walters.
Stella was born on September 24, 1894, in Labatee, Kansas. Her parents were John Gilbert Murphy, a railroad conductor from Iowa, and Nora Blanchard, a housewife from Illinois. Stella was a high school graduate. She had been married previously for nine years, to (Aaron) Burr Walters. They divorced in 1918. Stella and John were married on August 5, 1919, by Justice of the Peace B. P. Quaintance in Golden, Colorado. John was discharged from the Army fifteen days later, and he took a job as a machinist at a rock drilling company. They lived with Stella’s widowed mother. Her grandniece Christie Helmers remembered meeting her a few times when she (Christie) was young. Christie said Stella seemed nice and that Christie’s aunt never said anything derogatory about Stella, so Stella must have been nice because the German side of the family was nothing if not honest about people.
In 1921, John and Stella moved back to San Francisco where they took up residence at 9 Chenery Street with his sisters Juel and Gert. He continued working as a machinist, and, though he had been in the fire department before being drafted, he took both the fire and police department exams later that year. In December, he learned that he had passed both exams, doing slightly better on the Fire Department test. On November 15, 1922, he re-entered the SFFD and was assigned to Engine Company 19 in the Excelsior District as a hoseman. The firehouse was at 924 Vienna Street, just a few doors down from the newly moved Church of the Epiphany, where his niece Dolores’ children, the Quattrins, would go to grammar school. (The firehouse was later moved to Station #43 at the corner of Moscow and France.) He and Stella moved to 397 Vienna Street. By midsummer, Stella was pregnant. On April 24, 1924, they had their first and only child, John Gilbert Silk.
The marriage was rocky. John apparently had quite a temper, especially when he drank. In 1926, Stella sued for divorce claiming abuse, and the divorce was finalized on June 17, 1927. Stella took young Johnny and moved back to Denver to live with her mother. In September, John was promoted to truckman and transferred to Truck 9, on 24th Street down in the Mission. In January, though, John hit rock bottom when he and another firefighter were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. John was dismissed from the SFFD on January 16, 1928. John shaped up and followed Stella to Denver. By 1929, they were living together again with her mother at 4149 Tejon Street. They must have gotten remarried. They would stay together for the rest of their lives.
John had a variety of jobs in Denver. He worked as a pipefitter in 1929, as a teamster the next year, and as a laborer two years later. Stella worked as a garment worker in an overall factory. In 1934, Stella’s mother passed away and she inherited the house. John got a job in 1935 as a “tester” and engineer’s assistant for the United States Bureau of Reclamations. He held that job until he died.
By 1948, John and Stella moved back to California with their son Johnny. John continued to work for the Bureau of Reclamation, now as part of the Sacramento Valley district. They settled in Sacramento at 1422 Nineteenth Street. John became a member of local American Legion chapter, the Fort Sutter Unit No. 392. In 1950, he and Stella moved to Tulare, California, for a year or so while he worked on a project for the Bureau of Reclamation. Which project or what his job was is unknown at the moment.
The Silks enjoyed summer vacations and weekends in Reno. Gambling was always a popular pastime with both John Joseph and John Gilbert. While there one summer, John was admitted to the Washoe Medical Center with chest pains. He passed away on June 6, 1953, of a coronary occlusion, which resulted in a massive heart attack. The Walton Funeral Home in Reno handled the funeral arrangements. On June 9th, John’s body was laid to rest in Section R of Golden Gate National Cemetery. The obituary does not indicate that there was a wake or memorial mass.
In 1921, John and Stella moved back to San Francisco where they took up residence at 9 Chenery Street with his sisters Juel and Gert. He continued working as a machinist, and, though he had been in the fire department before being drafted, he took both the fire and police department exams later that year. In December, he learned that he had passed both exams, doing slightly better on the Fire Department test. On November 15, 1922, he re-entered the SFFD and was assigned to Engine Company 19 in the Excelsior District as a hoseman. The firehouse was at 924 Vienna Street, just a few doors down from the newly moved Church of the Epiphany, where his niece Dolores’ children, the Quattrins, would go to grammar school. (The firehouse was later moved to Station #43 at the corner of Moscow and France.) He and Stella moved to 397 Vienna Street. By midsummer, Stella was pregnant. On April 24, 1924, they had their first and only child, John Gilbert Silk.
The marriage was rocky. John apparently had quite a temper, especially when he drank. In 1926, Stella sued for divorce claiming abuse, and the divorce was finalized on June 17, 1927. Stella took young Johnny and moved back to Denver to live with her mother. In September, John was promoted to truckman and transferred to Truck 9, on 24th Street down in the Mission. In January, though, John hit rock bottom when he and another firefighter were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. John was dismissed from the SFFD on January 16, 1928. John shaped up and followed Stella to Denver. By 1929, they were living together again with her mother at 4149 Tejon Street. They must have gotten remarried. They would stay together for the rest of their lives.
John had a variety of jobs in Denver. He worked as a pipefitter in 1929, as a teamster the next year, and as a laborer two years later. Stella worked as a garment worker in an overall factory. In 1934, Stella’s mother passed away and she inherited the house. John got a job in 1935 as a “tester” and engineer’s assistant for the United States Bureau of Reclamations. He held that job until he died.
By 1948, John and Stella moved back to California with their son Johnny. John continued to work for the Bureau of Reclamation, now as part of the Sacramento Valley district. They settled in Sacramento at 1422 Nineteenth Street. John became a member of local American Legion chapter, the Fort Sutter Unit No. 392. In 1950, he and Stella moved to Tulare, California, for a year or so while he worked on a project for the Bureau of Reclamation. Which project or what his job was is unknown at the moment.
The Silks enjoyed summer vacations and weekends in Reno. Gambling was always a popular pastime with both John Joseph and John Gilbert. While there one summer, John was admitted to the Washoe Medical Center with chest pains. He passed away on June 6, 1953, of a coronary occlusion, which resulted in a massive heart attack. The Walton Funeral Home in Reno handled the funeral arrangements. On June 9th, John’s body was laid to rest in Section R of Golden Gate National Cemetery. The obituary does not indicate that there was a wake or memorial mass.
Stella survived John by 10 years. She had retired as a seamstress and spent her time with her son and daughter-in-law in Sacramento. She was initiated into the Ladies’ Auxiliary of American Legion shortly after John’s death and stayed involved in the community through them. She passed away on November 3, 1963. She is buried in San Bruno with John.