Generations....

     The news of the day is that Evan Daniel Borton was born this morning at 3:02 am. Son of Amanda Burns Borton; daughter of Maureen Burns Fischer, daughter of Richard G. Burns, son of Ann Mary O'Connell Burns, daughter of David Thomas O'Connell; son of John Galvin O'Connell.

     In our Burns family, there are 4 generations alive presently.  There is a photo of Dad's great grandfather with his descendants.  This photo didn't seem to be in the possession of any of the Burnses. Ma didn't have one.  I got this from James Moriarity.  We were researching Galvins together.  Ma (Ann O'Connell Burns) told me that John G. O'Connell's mother was a Galvin and that is why he used G. for his middle initial.

      In this photo are John G. O'Connell, his daughter Ellen O'Connell Ronayne; her daughter Mary Ronayne Doherty and her son James.
     This picture brings up a lot of questions.  Why isn't John G.'s wife, Mary A. Pyles O'Connell in the picture?  Who instigated the sitting?  Why was this in the possession of the Moriarity family?
     Anyway, the reason I bring this up today, is that I am encouraging a generational picture of the "second cousins", as I call them, with Dad.  Here is the one that we took with Dad and Stella.  It will be a new tradition!

Permission Granted...

     I contacted the Minnesota History Center Library to clarify the rules and was told it is okay to put this picture on the website.  So, this is a picture of The North End Improvement Club from about 1931. It is at 1079 Rice St. in St. Paul.

Founder of the North End Improvement Club

     Speaking of lost books...I once had a copy of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary--North End Improvement Club (1922-1947) program, but somehow managed to lose it!
     Here is the opening paragraph from this booklet:  "In the spring of 1922 a young man appeared one day in the Progress Office, the local newspaper, then managed by H. G. Mueller.  He ordered a thousand handbills, which he later distributed in person all thru the North End District.  It was a call for the residents to meet at Hedman's Hall on a Friday Night in April.  This man was James J. Hogan. At this first meeting about 25 residents decided to meet the following month and organize a club in the interest of the District.  Thus on May 8, 1922 the North End Improvement Club of St. Paul, Incorporated, was organized by the citizens of the North End District of the City of St. Paul and dedicated, especially to the GROWTH AND PROSPERITY of the North End of the City."
       The 25th anniversary celebration noted the fact that the club had been maintained uninterrupted for the last 25 years. The work of the club was to advocate for the North End so that it would receive the improvements such as sewers, sidewalks, etc.
     Another mention of Jim Hogan in the book said:  "Jim Hogan and those early founders did their work well.  They safeguarded every avenue along the path of progress.  they built the Club not for a day or a year, but for the long and successful future."
     "Jim Hogan, founder of the club, was a very original and forceful character.  He had been a member of the North End League and was not discouraged over its failure.  In one of the early meetings it was reported that the only method of securing money to buy the desired playground for the district was to sell certain city property.  One of these was the Lafayette Park.  Nothing daunted, Jim agreed to go out and sell it.  In April 1924 he reported that he had practically sold--but the fellow died on him before he could complete the transaction."
     The building is still in existence today and is now called The Klub Haus.  The Minnesota Historical Society has a picture of the North End Improvement Club from the 1930s in its collection. I'm too cheap to pay to put it on the web.  The photo that appears here is from the Klub Haus website.  It looks like the Coen Brothers used it for a movie set!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to ye!

 Enjoy these Irish jigs!  Tom Billy shares a common ancestor with us!

Contentment is wealth / Tom Billy's Jig

Posted using ShareThis

Members of The Ancient Order of Hibernians

     Many of our ancestors were members of The Ancient Order of Hibernians.  In the obituaries of members you will often see mention of how many members of the Order attended the funeral in full regalia.  Below is Michael Hogan, father of James J. Hogan in his regalia.
     One of the benefits they provided was insurance. Le Sueur area papers often mentioned what the widow received  upon the death of a spouse.
     The Hibernians published a newspaper in St. Paul which carried news of the Irish across the country.  Our relatives were mentioned on occasion in The Irish Standard.

More about the Ancient Order of Hibernians

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day...

     It involves green.  Until recent times in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day was a church holy day and not a reason to drink green beer.  While I enjoy the pride that accompanies the clans walking together in the St. Patrick's Day parade, the stereotype of the drunken Irish is belittling.
     We can be proud of our Irish Heritage.  Our immigrant forebears came through a lot of diversity to come to this country, leave all they knew behind and start a new life.  They brought the practice of a strong Catholic faith that for many had survived even through the time of the Penal Laws.    

     Here are our Irish surnames.  Even Moorheads are supposed to be from Ireland!  It's that Grandelmyer that diluted the mix!!!!!!

James J. Hogan

         This is my mom's dad, James J. Hogan. He often went by J. J. Hogan.  He was born in 1881 in Camp Lake, Swift County, Minnesota. His parents were Bridget Whalen and Michael J. Hogan.  

         It was a surprise to me when I learned that he had been married before he married my grandmother. I found this out by reading the Belle Plaine Herald.  James and his wife attended the funeral of his grandmother, Julia Sheehan Whalen in 1919.  I knew it couldn't be Grammy. His first wife's name was Clare Strecker.  They were married 28 Jun 1911 at St. Patrick's Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.  As my great Aunt Lill told it, there was a big brouhaha over this marriage because Clare was not Catholic.  The priest tried to convince him that there were many fine Irish Catholic girls available.  He said he wouldn't have them. 

        Clare died in 1920.  There were no children from this marriage. 

        Jim Hogan worked for the railroad as a brakeman and died in a work related accident. This left Catherine Morehead Hogan, also called Cass, with 3 young children to raise.  Their children were Lois Catherine, born 1926; Catherine Marion, born 1928; Marguerite Luella, born 1930 and James Patrick, born 1932.  Lois Catherine died 22 Dec 1928.  Her death certificate actually says she is a boy and does not give her name.

Grammy

     Today is the anniversary of Grandma Selby's death in 1963.  Her maiden name was Catherine Marion Morehead.  She first married my grandfather James J. Hogan in 1925.

     The marriage lasted until James J.'s death in 1934.

     Here are a few things that will bring Grammy to mind:  fresh baked white bread, Wrigley's Spearmint Gum (1/2 a stick); and a pint of ice cream (mostly for her). 

     She lived at 97 Hatch St. in St. Paul in what was referred to as the "North End".  She was able to grow violets in her porch (4 season) window where her chair was.  It is the place I can visualize best from my childhood. 
     When she opened her purse, it smelled like Wrigley's Spearmint Gum. She would often offer half a stick. 
     When we lived on Jefferson, she would come over every Wednesday and make bread for us.  I remember watching her and her breasts would bobble around as she beat the batter.  There was no recipe--all in the head and hands.  She used the water from boiled potatoes to make it.  Usually there were regular loaves and then buns.  I loved the buns--especially the crusty edges. It was all good!
     If you stayed over with her, you might be sent on a trip to the corner store.  The mission was to buy a pint of ice cream.  She would open the package, take a knife and slice off about a 1 inch slab.  Then the rest would go in a bowl.  Both were covered with chocolate syrup and sometimes peanuts.  She got the bowl! The couch where she watched TV (As the World Turns, for sure!), sunk down on each end.  The right side as you sat on it was Uncle Jimmy's side and the left was Grammy's.  We got to sit in the middle or lie on the rug to watch TV.

      On birthdays, she usually sent a card in the mail.  It was a big deal--getting mail was quite a treat!  In addition there was usually a dollar or two in the card as well.

      In this picture are Maggie Burns, Grandma Selby, Mary Kay (me--Solemn Holy Communion), Ma (Ann Burns) and Mom. This is 1960.
     In my family tree, Grammy's line is the longest.  Her ancestor, Alexander Moorhead, served in the Revolutionary War.  Her brother put together a family tree because he wanted to belong to the Sons of the American Revolution. I am slowly documenting the information.  Her Moorhead/Morehead line goes like this:  Catherine-->Wilbert O.-->John Brown-->Nathan-->Alexander--Alexander-->Samuel Moorhead.
   
More Grammy stories later.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.  May she rest in peace.  Amen.
     
     


     

Daunting...

I must be crazy.  Anytime I talk about the family tree, people's eyes glaze over!  And then, where to begin!! Duh!  Like all genealogy books recommend--yourself and your family.

Here goes... 

Here are my parents--Marguerite Luella Hogan and Richard Gordon Burns.  They were married in 1948 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in St. Paul. Minnesota.  Both of them were born in St. Paul.   They met at a dance. They were married for 40 years.  My mom died in 1990.