On July 14, 1895 he and Martha Ella Thomas, the daughter of Aaron and Lydia Meeks Thomas, were married. She was born January 24, 1877.The Reverend H.M. Meeks performed the ceremony.

On March 19, 1922, John A. Kirkland married Betty (Shug) Tanner.
His granddaughter Marion Rooks remembered that her grandfather had sandy red hair, the same as his daughter Dora. She also remembered that he always gave her a silver dollar when he visited and that he often went to White Springs, Florida for vacation. (This resort in north Florida was popular with rheumatism sufferers.)

Their children were:
IRA C. born September 6, 1896, died July 6, 1948, buried in Douglas City Cemetery. He married first on November 11, 1915, Idella Youngblood, the daughter of Isaiah and Nancy Kirkland Youngblood.
Ira married second Margaret Louise Hilton. She was born January 20, 1911 and died August 19, 1939.
Ira married third, Inez Hilton, sister of Louise.

ETHEL, born in 1900, married Oliver McKinnon,1894-1976.

BERTHA, born January 11, 1899, killed by a falling tree January 22, 2901, buried in Douglas City Cemetery.

DORA, was born GA 1901. She is buried in Bonaventure Cemeter in Savannah. She married George Henriott. She married second Jack C. Wright.

DOLLIE, born August 31, 1902, died July 10, 1982, buried in Palmetto Cemetery in Brunswick.

John Abraham Kirkland died July 4, 1936 in White Springs, Florida. He was buried in the Douglas City Cemetery, Douglas, Ga.

The will of J. A. Kirkland was written October 16, 1930. Jesse Roberson was his executor. The original is on file in the Coffee County courthouse.

Ella Thomas Kirkland died December 3, 1953 and is buried in Douglas. Her daughter Ethel McKinnon acted as administrator of her estate.