Morgan Bio - Dept. of CA & Pacific, SUVCW

Department Civil War
Memorials Officer

Kirby R. Morgan

Kirby Ray Morgan was born June 29, 1929 at Salem, Marion County, Oregon. He was the only child of Chester Raymond Morgan and Ada M. (Carl) Morgan. Within a year of his birth, the family moved to Berkeley, California where they worked in the Berkeley Hat Works, owned by Kirby's maternal grandparents. In 1936, Kirby's parents bought the business and in 1937 they moved to a residence in Lafayette, California.

Lafayette was at that time a rural community so the family kept farm animals and horses. Along with the hat shop, both of his parents were commercial photographers. His father worked horse shows and his mother illustrated her short stories, articles and syndicated columns. From the time he was a toddler, Kirby spent many hours in libraries and cemeteries as his mother did research. As a teenager, he also helped with some of her photography work. After Kirby graduated from Acalanes High School in 1947, his mother fulfilled another dream by becoming an outstanding western equestrian instructor and horse trainer at their Lafayette residence, known as "Rolling Ridge Ranch."

Kirby left home to work on a Pacific Gas & Electric survey crew in the Sierra Nevada. After finding himself wading in snow up to his waist, he got smarter and talked his way into the University of California at Davis where he earned his first high marks in academic work. He worked at various odd jobs, including overhead crane operator for Pabco in Emeryville, California. While employed at Pabco, Kirby was drafted into the U.S. Army and spent the next two years on active duty. The most significant assignment was with the 8th Army, 712 Eng. Sub Depot at Puson and Inchon in South Korea.

With the assistance of the G.I. Bill, while living and working on the family ranch, Kirby was able to return to college, receiving an AA degree from Mt. Diablo College at Pacheco, California. In 1960 he earned a BS degree in Big Game Management from Humboldt State. Some thirteen other colleges were attended during his working career resulting in certificates in police science, supervision, interpretation and a variety of other subjects, including the live firing of cannon from the National Park Service at Fort Point in San Francisco.

Kirby started permanent work with the California Department of Beaches and Parks in 1961 and retired from the California Department of Parks and Recreation in 1986. Along the way, he learned much of California's history doing interpretation in a variety of park settings. He first came into contact with Civil War reenactment groups at Fort Tejon State Historical Park in 1971 and joined the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War about 1973. He claims his membership eligibility from his two great-grandfathers, namely:

Jacob Francis Morgan of Company E, 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry
Jacob Landis Berry of Company B, 98th Illinois Volunteer Infantry

Until 1998, Kirby was satisfied just being a National Member-at-Large and following the National Graves Registration and Memorials programs from a distance. He was then assigned to the Department of California and Pacific, which in turn assigned him to the Gen. George Wright Camp No. 22 of Elk Grove, California.

Kirby has been involved in his own family genealogy for many years. One day in 1998 his wife, Carol, and he had a few spare minutes so they decided to check Oak Hill Cemetery in Oakhurst, thinking there surely were not many Civil War veterans to be found in California. They found four Civil War graves that day. Due to a lack of records, only one grave registration form has been completed so far. Many cemeteries and monuments later, his work has continued, having met many interested and interesting people along the way.

Between them, Kirby and Carol have six children, thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They have a "residence" pad at Park of the Sierra in Coarsegold, California, their home being a 35-foot Alpenlite fifth-wheel RV. Kirby's "snail mail" is forwarded to him every Thursday morning when they are not at their residence and, if it arrives the day after mail has been sent, can take up to twelve days to catch up with him. In his hard-copy mail, one will note that he usually records where the letter was written, which can be just about anywhere in North America.

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