San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. KITTIE L. MUNFORD
Liberal and kindly, a woman who is
much interested in charitable and civic organizations is Mrs. Kittie L.
Munford, who is a native daughter of the Golden West, born in Stockton. She was in maidenhood Kittie Crofton, a
daughter of John and Margaret Crofton, who were born in Ireland and came to
Cincinnati, Ohio, in their youth and there they were reared and educated. In the fall of 1852 Mr. Crofton came to
California, crossing the plains with ox-team and wagon. His wife joined him eighteen months later, coming
via the Isthmus of Panama. Mr. Crofton
and family were pioneer settlers in Stockton and Mr. Crofton took an active
part in the affairs of the growing city.
He served as constable of the city and was an able conscientious and
efficient officer; he died in 1873, aged forty-six years. He was a member of Charity Lodge of Odd
Fellows. His widow survived him until
1881.
This worthy pioneer couple had six
children, as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth R.
Lillis of San Francisco; Margaret, Mrs. McDougald passed away in Oakland; Mrs.
Kittie Munford, the subject of this review; Ella C., Mrs. Harrell, died in Palo
Alto; John died in San Francisco; Mrs. Laura Stanford resides in San Jose. Kittie Crofton attended Dr. Hunt’s Seminary
for several years, then the public schools until she graduated.
She was first married to Brooke C.
Crawford, who was a successful merchant of the firm of Rosenbaum and Crawford
and passed away March 22, 1895. Her
second marriage in 1900 united her with Philip Barry Fraser. He was a prominent banker and influential man
of affairs in Stockton until his death in 1910.
In July, 1919, she married Edward S. Munford of Washington, D. C., now
living retired in Stockton.
Mrs. Munford has always taken an
active part in civic and social circles in Stockton. She is a member of the Philomathean Club and
is one of the seven women who organized it.
She was very prominent in the founding of the Stockton Day Nursery,
being one of three women who started it, October 1, 1918, being president of
its board of directors, and her efforts of those early days stand out
prominently in the history of the organization.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
995. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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