Mary Kimberly Shirk
Mary Kimberly Shirk | |
|---|---|
 Mary Emma Kimberly (later Shirk), from the 1904 yearbook of Smith College | |
| Born | Mary Emma Kimberly April 2, 1880 Neenah, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 1979 (aged 99) Redlands, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Philanthropist, clubwoman |
| Parent | John A. Kimberly |
Mary Emma Kimberly Shirk (April 2, 1880[1] – October 15, 1979) was an American philanthropist and clubwoman, based in Redlands, California. Her home, Kimberly Crest, is a historic house open for tours. She was interim president of Scripps College during World War II.
Early life and education
Kimberly was born in Neenah, Wisconsin,[2] the youngest of the seven children of John Alfred Kimberly and Helen Cheney Kimberly. Her father was president of Kimberly-Clark, a paper goods manufacturer.[3] She graduated from Smith College in 1904.[4]
Career
Shirk moved back to Redlands, California, to live with her parents, after her husband died in 1919.[5] She was president of the Contemporary Club from 1926 to 1928 and sponsored the Kimberly Juniors, a club for teens that her mother founded. She was a trustee of Scripps College and acting president of the college from 1942 to 1944, during World War II.[6][7]
Shirk served on the board of directors of the Redlands Community Hospital.[8] She was active in the YWCA, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Assistance League and the Lincoln Shrine Association.[9] She and her sister were among the founders of the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Wisconsin.[5][10] She hosted a community tree-lighting event at her Redlands home every December.[11] She was on the board of the Webb School for Boys and a fellow of the University of Redlands.[2]
Shirk enjoyed international travel. She made a world tour in 1932, and toured through Europe with Grace Morrison Poole in 1933. She visited Australia and New Zealand in 1936.[3]
Shirk received several local awards, including the Elks Civic Award in 1959 and the Soroptimist Club's first "Woman of the Year" award.[9] She received honorary doctorates from Smith College[12] and the University of Redlands.[13]
Personal life and legacy
Kimberly married Elbert Walker Shirk in 1905; he was president of a cement company in Indiana. He was a naval aviator in World War I and died in 1919.[5] Her older sister Jessie Kimberly Paine, with whom she lived in their later years, died in 1973 at age 100.[14] Mary Kimberly Shirk died in 1979, at the age of 99, in Redlands.[2] Her home, Kimberly Crest, is a now historic home in Redlands, open for rentals and tours.[5][15] The household's full-time cook, Anne Canright, lived to be 102 and was one of the first docents at the historic site.[16][17]
References
- ↑ Some sources give 1881 as her birth year; her gravestone has the 1880 date, which is also the date in her newspaper obituary.
- 1 2 3 "Philanthropist Mary K. Shirk dies in Redlands". The San Bernardino County Sun. October 16, 1979. p. 28. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Shirk, Mary Emma Kimberly (1881-1979)". – Redlands Area Historical Society. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ↑ Smith College, Class of 1904 (1904 yearbook): 30, via Internet Archive.
- 1 2 3 4 Spiller, Steve. "Mary Kimberly Shirk: The Reality of Her Vision". Fortnightly Club of Redlands. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ↑ Kelly, C. (March 12, 2014). "Mary Kimberly Shirk: Interim President 1942–1944". Scripps College in Claremont, California. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Redlands Univ. Confers Honorary Degree on Acting Scripps Head as Junior Clubs Organizer". Progress-Bulletin. May 24, 1943. p. 5. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mary Kimberly-Shirk Award Recipients". Redlands Community Hospital. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- 1 2 "Mrs. Shirk, A. R. Schultz, Jr. Honored for Civic Leadership". Redlands Daily Facts. June 2, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mrs. Elbert W. Shirk". The Oshkosh Northwestern. October 31, 1979. p. 26. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ MacDuff, Cassie (December 4, 1995). "Tradition sustains itself as 85-foot tree is set aglow". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 9. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mrs. Shirk Awarded Honorary Degree by Alma Mater at Rite". The San Bernardino County Sun. June 4, 1950. p. 12. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Anderson Awards U.R. Degrees". Redlands Daily Facts. May 24, 1943. p. 5. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Venturini, Angie (May 29, 1993). "Paines were philanthropists". The Oshkosh Northwestern. p. 66. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Hernandez, Kristina (February 14, 2016). "Shirk love letters displayed on Valentine's Day at Kimberly Crest". Redlands Daily Facts. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ↑ Brown, Pat (January 29, 1985). "Kimberly Crest caretaker takes care with her marmalade". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 17. Retrieved October 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Anne Canright, longtime Kimberly Crest supporter, dies at 102". Redlands Daily Facts. March 18, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2025.