Ira James Irvin (1912 - 1966)

Born 19 May 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 27 Sep 1966 at age 54 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Liz Marshall [send private message]

Biography

Ira Irvin is a part of US Black heritage.

Ira James Irvin was born 19 May 1912. He was the son of James Henry Irvin and Anna Evans.

For the majority of his life, he used the birthdate 19 May 1909. This was first seen as his birth date on his WWII draft registration on 16 October 1940.

Ira married Nettie Smith.

On 27 September 1966, Ira was a rear passenger in a car that was driving westbound on Market St. in Philadelphia. The driver of the car "swerved and slammed into" the rear of another car that was stopped at the stoplight at the intersection of Market St. and 48th St. at about 9 PM. He was taken to the Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:08 PM. The driver of the car as well as another passenger "helped Irvin out of the wrecked vehicle" before they both fled the scene on foot. The car, which had Massachusetts license plates, had been stolen from New York on September 10th. The driver of the other car was identified as Lonnie Mitchell, 31, of 135 N. 38th St. Lonnie was not hurt in the accident.

Ira was living at 5236 Cedar Avenue at the time of his death. The informant for his death certificate was his sister Henrietta Marshall. He was buried at the Philadelphia National Cemetery.

Research Notes

Was he the Ira J Irvin who married Elsie Belle, 1934 in Philadelphia?

Additionally, was he the Ira J Irvin living in the household of Lucille Philips in the 1950 census? At the time, he was listed as being separated from his spouse. His job was listed as "load and unload trucks" at the "paper factory", which is relatively close to this Ira's listed profession as "shipper" on his death certificate 16 years later.

He is likely the Ira Irvin who is living with his sister, Henrietta Irvin Marshall, and their mother Annie Evans Irvin, at 2325 St. Albans St. in Philadelphia in the 1940 census. However, there is a lot wrong in that census -- that person is listed as a widowed man from Virginia who was born in 1897 who was Henrietta's nephew. Unfortunately, much of the entire Irvin family's information is wrong.

Sources

• "Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HFQ1-QDMM : 15 February 2020), Ira James Irvin, 1912.
• "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPC3-966Z : 8 March 2021), Ira James Irvin, 19 May 1912; citing Birth, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1906-1913: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Birth Certificates, 1906-1913; Box Number: 475; Certificate Number Range: 77551-80700 Ancestry Record 60484 #35337482
• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFTH-J9X : 3 February 2021), Irving Irwin in entry for James Irwin, 1920.
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8TV-SBV : 5 December 2014), Ira J Irvin, enlisted 05 Jan 1945, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947: National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1190 Ancestry Record 2238 #9121507
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Philadelphia National Cemetery, 1862-2010: Philadelphia National Cemetery; Section: Q Ancestry Record 2306 #12057
• U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019: National Cemetery Administration; U.S. Veterans' Gravesites Ancestry Record 8750 #15426
• Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1968: Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Box Number: 2493; Certificate Number Range: 091201-094050 Ancestry Record 5164 #14915196
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2543219/ira-james-irvin: accessed 13 December 2022), memorial page for Ira James Irvin (19 May 1909–27 Sep 1966), Find A Grave: Memorial #2543219, citing Philadelphia National Cemetery, West Oak Lane, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by JSeipel (contributor 49487655).
• "Head Injuries Fatal to Auto Passenger in Stop-Light Collision", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (Wed) 28 September 1966, Page 41, Newspapers Clip: 114589917
• "Car Rider Dies Mysteriously After Minor Crash", Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (Wed) 28 September 1966, Page 18, Newspapers Clip: 114589978

Research Notes Sources

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XBT-BL79
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriage Index, 1885-1951: Ancestry.com. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Marriage Index, 1885-1951 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Index, 1885–1951." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009. Philadelphia County Pennsylvania Clerk of the Orphans' Court. "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia marriage license index, 1885-1951." Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ancestry Record 2536 #211022
• "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Marriage Indexes, 1885-1951", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZW9C-L8MM : 2 March 2021), Ira J Irvin and Belle, 1934.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQJK-NJV : 28 July 2019), Ira Irvin in household of H Marshall, Ward 30, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 51-939, sheet 5A, line 36, family 97, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3716.