Hezekiah Hires

Hezekiah E. Hires is remembered as a man who served both his country and his local community. Public records and memorial sources identify him as an African American man who had served in the United States Army before joining the Jacksonville Police Department. By the time of his death on May 13, 1910, he had been with the department about ten months, a brief but committed period of public service following earlier military duty.

While many personal details commonly found in modern obituaries — a full birth date, a detailed family biography, or a long list of personal accomplishments — are not readily available in surviving online records, the verified facts speak to Hires’s role and the regard in which he has been held by later generations. He is listed in police memorial records and local cemetery histories as being buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, a historic resting place that holds many of the city’s early twentieth-century residents.

Contemporary memorials emphasize Hires’s place among those who served in uniform: his prior service in the U.S. Army and his decision to continue serving in the Jacksonville Police Department reflect a life shaped by dedication to duty. He was survived, according to historical accounts, by family members including a father, two brothers, and a sister; such references suggest family ties that mattered to him and that outlived him.

The public record of Hezekiah E. Hires is respectful and restrained, focused on his service and final resting place rather than on sensational detail. That restraint mirrors how many descendants and community members prefer to remember those who served: by acknowledging their commitments and honoring their memory. Though the archival trail is limited, Hires’s inclusion in police memorials and cemetery histories ensures he is not forgotten.

For those visiting Evergreen Cemetery or researching Jacksonville’s early public servants, Hezekiah E. Hires stands as a reminder that each name in the record represents a life that mattered to family, neighbors, and the wider community. His service in uniform, both military and civil, and his burial in Jacksonville connect him forever to the city he served. May his memory be held with dignity and respect.