| Notes |
- 1920 Census, San Diego County, California:
John M. Ward, rents, married, age 3, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Pennsylvania
Jess S., his wife, age 32
L. Mifflin, son, 6
John M., son, 4 6/12
Philip S., son, 3 10/12
At time of settlement of his father’s estate (1930), John McCartney Ward resided at 3200 Second Street in San Diego.
1930 Census: 3200 Second Street, San Diego, San Diego, California:
Ward, John M., head, age 46, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Iowa, attorney, private practice;
Jessie W., his wife, age 42, born in PA, father and mother born in PA;
William L., their son, age 16, born in CA, father born in Iowa, mother born in PA;
John M., their son, age 14, born in CA, father born in Iowa, mother born in PA;
Phillip L., their son, age 13, born in CA, father born in Iowa, mother born in PA.
Lash, Anna M., aunt, age 72, born in PA, father and mother born in PA.
City of San Diego and San Diego County:
“JOHN M. WARD is the second member of San Diego’s prominent law firm of Ward, Ward & Ward in the Granger Block. He has lived most of his life in San Diego, has been active in his profession for the past eleven years, is a former president of the San Diego County Bar Association, and is one of the ablest of San Diego’s younger lawyers and citizens.
“He was born at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, November 18, 1883, son of M. L. and Ella B. (McCartney) Ward. The career of his honored father, senior member of the law firm, is noted elsewhere in this publication. John M. Ward came to California with hih his parents in 1887, attended the Chula Vista public schools, the high school at San Diego, from which he graduated in 1903, and took his literary course in Leland Stanford University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907, and after a year in the East, at Harvard Law School, returned to Leland Stanford to continue his law studies, and was awarded the degree Juris Doctor by that institution in 1909. Admitted to the California bar the same year, he returned to San Diego and took up practice with his father and the late Edwin A. Wells. The firm was Ward, Wells and Ward until the death of Mr. Wells in 1912. It then became Ward & Ward, and in 1914, by the admission of the younger son, M. Luther Ward, Jr., the title was extended to its present form. In the general branches of practice this firm has some of the best established conections in Southern California.
“The junior partner of the firm joined the colors for duty in the field during the World war, while John M. Ward was continuously active in home service. He was on the Legal Advisory Board, a member of the Four Minute Bureau, and active in the various Liberty Loan campaigns. He is a thorough republican in politics and for several years was a member of the County Central Committee. He was exalted ruler in 1920-21 of San Diego Lodge No. 168 of the Elks, and has held all the lower chairs in that order. He is a member of the University Club, Cuyamaca Club, San Diego Rowing Club, San Diego Golf Club, San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Nestor Duck Club, the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, the San Diego Bar Association, the Lawyers Institute of San Diego and the California Bar Association. Outside of home and profession his favorite hobby is hunting, and he has also been a very successful fisherman.
“At San Diego August 26, 1912, Mr. Ward married Miss Jessie Smith, daughter of Capt. and Mrs. W. Mifflin Smith of this city. Mrs. Ward is a native of Pennsylvania, but was reared and educated in San Diego, and is a member of the Point Loma Golf Club, the old San Diego Country Club and the Zlac Rowing Club. Mr. and Mrs. Ward reside at 3200 Second Street and have three sons, L. Mifflin, John M., Jr., and Philip L., all of whom were born in San Diego.”
Daily Transcript, San Diego, California, 3/27/37:
“BAR ASSOCIATION PAYS TRIBUTE TO JOHN M. WARD”
“Following Memorial Services Yesterday to Honor the Memory of the Late John McCartney Ward, in Department 5 of the Superior Court, the Committee of the Bar Association Prepared the Following Story of His Life”
“John McCartney Ward, who died in this City on November 29, 1936, was born at Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa, on November 18, 1883. He was the eldest child of the late Martin Luther Ward and Ella McCartney Ward, who moved to San Diego with their family in 1887. Martin Luther Ward was himself a distinguished member of the Bar of this county for over forty years.
John was a graduate of the Chula Vista Grammar Schools, the San Diego High School and Stanford University. Aftger a postgraduate course at Harvard Law School, he returned to Stanford in 1909 to receive the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence. The same year he was admitted and began his practice at San Diego, where he continued actively engaged until his death; at first forming a partnership with his father under the name of Ward & Ward, and later with his father and brother, under the name of Ward, Ward, & Ward.
He was married on August 26, 1912, to Jessie Smith, only daughter of the late William Mifflin Smith and Mary Lash Smith, another pioneer family of San Diego. His widow survives him. There were born of this marriage three sons, Luther Mifflin WWard, John M. Ward, Jr., and Philip L. Ward, all of whom are now attending Stanford University. Luther Mifflin Ward, the oldest, is now taking a course in law at Stanford, and after his graduation and admission to practice, he expects to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by practicing law at San Diego. The other two sons are fitting themselves to be engineers.
As to John’s practice, he was a counsellor as distinguished from a trial lawyer, although a noteworthy exception was his active participation throughout the trial and subsequent appeal of the case of Rancho Santa Marguerita vs. Vail, which consuumed practically the entire time of one department of the Superior Court of this county for two and one-half years, a record. His characteristics as a lawyer were an even temper, sound judgment, a kindly, courteous and unassuming manner, coupled with marked sympathy, ready energy and abundant patience, which bound him steadfastly to his clients and endeared him to the Bench and his fellow members of the Bar.
In addition to being a fine lawyer, John was a sound and solid citizen, and he worked diligently and efficiently in the upbuilding of the community. The diversity of his interests is well illustrated by the fact that he was a member of the local Bar Association, the State Bar and American Bar Association, of the University Club (of which he was President in 1934), of the Cuyamaca Club, the Rowing Club, the Elks (of which he was Exalted Ruler in 1920), of the San Diego Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite Bodies and Al Bahr Temple, Mystic Shrine, of the Fine Arts Society, the San Diego Historical Society, the San Diego Museum Association, the San Diego Yacht Club and the Society of Mayflower Descendants.
No tribute to John’s memory would be complete, however, without a reference to his unusual qualities as a friend and companion. His greatest pleasure was found in ministering to those in need of the comfort and support of a friend in times of ddistress. As a companion in any pleasure and in hardship he was always the one to make the pleasure more keen and the hardship less severe. His constant good nature and wholesome fun, as well as his level-headedness and great store of uncommon common sense, made his companionship a source of great satisfaction to all those who were privileged to enjoy it.
John passed away peacefully in his sleep. He had been to his office and attended to its duties as usual the day before. The morning found him gone, just as he would have wished. Quiety, gently and unafraid, he had departed on other ventures, along the same sure path he had trod while here.
THE BAR ASSOCATION OF SAN DIEGO
WALTER AMES
DEMPTSTER McKEE
E. SWIFT TORRANCE.
Committee
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Connected Bloodlines
1883 - 1936 (53 years)
