#52Ancestors Wk1 “First”

In 1862 Robert Kerr, aged 16, joined the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Rifles to fight for the North in the American Civil War. He seems to have remained unscathed until 1864 when he was injured in March and again in June. His injuries were such that they affected him for the rest of his life.

For the final year of the war Robert was not in combat. He acted as an escort for new troops joining their units and rounded up deserters. His long recuperation forced him to be inactive for long periods, so he turned to study. This led him to seek further education after the close of hostilities, so that after working in his home town for a short time he entered Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA and graduated in 1873 with Bachelor of Arts, the FIRST of his family to do so.

He was an active participant in a range of social activities, being a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He supported himself by working on the construction of new buildings at the college and as a teacher. Even with these commitments his grades were good enough for him to win the school prize for the “most competent student”. This did not satisfy him. He went on to obtain an LLB at Boston University in 1877.

By 1905 he was a District Judge in Colorado Springs, the FIRST and so far the only member of the family to become a judge. Robert Kerr was my great grandfather’s only brother. My great grandfather was the FIRST and only member of his family to emigrate to Australia. He was not a college man, but his living offspring include engineers, a doctor, accountant, teacher, occupational therapist, architect and a medical technology specialist.

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