Meeting my cousin

     A couple of Sundays ago, I met with my cousin James Chock.  We used to call him Jimmy Chock when we were little.  He is the son of my aunt Catherine Hogan Chock and Aloys Chock.  He has 2 sisters--Roseann and Janice. Their family lived in the St. Cloud area and we seldom saw them. It is strange but true that first cousins don't automatically know each other!! We reconnected when his daughter Jennifer started working on the family tree.

    Nice to meet you, James Chock!

Ma and Pat the Neighborhood Dog

Ma and Pat

I wonder who had the presence of mind to take this picture of Ma and Pat the Neighborhood dog.  Dad said that Ma didn't care much for dogs.  This dog hung around the neighborhood and went from house to house for food.  Ma didn't really want to feed him.  One day she stopped the dogcatcher from taking him. 

One day at a time...

In my mother's family, people did not live very long. Her oldest sister, Lois, died when she was about 2.  Catherine died at age 33.  Mom died at age 59, 8 months and 9 days and Uncle Jimmy died at age 57.  So, I am counting down to the day that I surpass all these Hogans.  It will give us all hope that we inherited the Burns genes for longevity.

John G. O'Connell, Man without a genealogical trail...

     Today is the anniversary of John Galvin O'Connell's death. May he rest in peace. Every once in a while in genealogical research, there is an individual whose family of origin is a frustrating mystery.
     Not even his obituary says he was from County Kerry!  This is a bit unusual for a person who is well known in his vicinity. But St. Thomas lore differentiates two O'Connell families who lived there.  The other O'Connell family was known as the Cork O'Connells and ours were known as the Kerry O'Connells.
     In the first records for John G. in Delaware, Ohio, he appeared as John Connell. In the area of Delaware there were a number of O'Connells and in the St. Mary's Parish records, his name changes.  At some point he started using "G" as his middle initial, I speculate to differentiate him from the other John Connells in the area.  The O was also added. It could be that it was known that Connell takes an Ó, and so the priest or maybe John G. himself didn't bother to use it. The Ó on Irish names means "grandson of". The Ó could also mean descendant of. For the time in Ireland when they were under English pressure or rule, the Ó fell into disuse because it was a distinctive sign of being Irish and Catholic.
     Below is John G. O'Connell's signature taken from the Derrynane Town Record book:

 This gives us more than just a look at his signature.  He was educated.  This is often not the case with Irish immigrants of the famine time. Even on this page from the record book, there is a place for the petitioner to mark his "x".
     While in Ohio, he lived in Brown Township, Delaware County.  In this area were also Johanna O'Connell Kelleher (wife of Martin) and David O'Connell.  It is fairly certain that Johanna is not his sister, because Johanna's granddaughter remembers John G. walking into the house in Belle Plaine and using the greeting "Hello, Cousin".  Flimsy, I know, but of some help.
     I think there is a good chance that David O'Connell of Brown Township is John's brother.  Can't prove that either. I would really like to have a DNA test done on a descendant, but so far I have no takers even though I have put the offer out to pay.
     There are known "relatives" of John G. O'Connell.  Kate Galvin O'Leary lived in the St. Thomas area.  Her father was Maurice Galvin. It is believed that Maurice was John G.'s uncle.  This family did leave a trail!!  Ma (Ann O'Connell Burns) told me that Grandpa O'Connell used the G as his middle initial because his mother's maiden name was Galvin.  In records in Ireland, this name is recorded interchangeably as Gallivan or Galvin.  This has not helped me at all in finding John G.'s or David's baptismal records.

Kate Galvin O'Leary and Julia Galvin Moriarty

     Records for the Galvins can be found in the Ballybunion Church records. Maurice's whole family emigrated and lived for a while in Dakota County and then in St. Paul.  Kate O'Leary lived in St. Thomas and sons John and Michael lived near Morris, Stevens County, Minnesota.
     There are also other related Galvin families.  Ma remembers the family of Kate Galvin Maloney visiting in St. Thomas.  She was particularly intrigued with the children's names.  They had a daughter Mary and a son Thomas.  They called the daughter "Ray".  Ma wondered out loud what they called the son.  (See Thomas G. Burns--it is hereditary--even Ma would do it!!!).  It turns out that Mary's middle name was Rachel, so possibly the "Ray" nickname came from that.
     The Kerry Church records are now online.  What a boon, but I cannot find John, David or Johanna in them!  They were born about 1829, 1830 and 1827 respectively.
     Johanna O'Connell Kelleher made the claim to be related to Daniel O'Connell the Liberator.  This information turns out to have some credence. Dick O'Connell was gracious enough to give up his DNA for a test. It turns out that our O'Connells are related to Daniel.  Sheila, Daniel's ggg granddaughter, agreed to upgrade her brother's DNA test to 67 markers.  It was pretty exciting when we had a 25/25 match.  With the upgrade, we have a 61/67 match.  This means we are related but the common ancestor is not very recent.  This proves true for Sheila's database.  None of the 3 O'Connells mentioned above--John, David or Johanna--fit into her extensive data base. Why didn't any of these people write down their secrets!!!!!!!!  And, why didn't the Belle Plaine reporter who recorded this story use those 5 WH questions?  The secret is probably somewhere in Daniel's parents--O'Connell marrying O'Connell and 3rd cousins to boot.
     Deep breath.

  
          John G. O'Connell had a prayer book.  This made me think of Dad.  Unfortunately, when I tried to get back to look at it, it was too late.  It was in the possession of Lucille O'Connell Talbot, daughter of Sylvester O'Connell, son of John G.  May John and all the deceased in his prayer book and in Dad's rest in peace.

Persistent Mysteries

     I really don't enjoy being introduced as the "5th cousin of my grandmother's cat".  So I continue to pursue the elusive bit of genealogical information that will settle once and for all what relation I am to Colette's grandmother's cat.  (As long as that cat doesn't drag me in!)

     I met Colette Keniry through John Whalen.  John Whalen lived in St. Thomas, Derrynane, Le Sueur County, Minnesota.  He was my grandfather's cousin on his father's side.  John's father Thomas and my great grandmother Bridget Whalen Hogan were siblings. John's mother was Mary Herlihy Whalen.  She was a native of Carriganes, Ballydesmond, Cork.
     When Mary Herlihy arrived in New York, it was the 4th of July 1889.  She had to wait until the next day to get off the ship because of the holiday. The Le Sueur Sentinel announced her arrival thus: Mary Herlihy arrived from Queenstown on the 4^th after 10 days on the “City of Paris”, cousin of Dennis Sheehan.
     She was headed to St. Thomas, Minnesota where her brother Dan already lived.
     My favorite part of this whole story is that ongoing connection to Ireland.  Mary kept in touch with home. It was traditional to write at Christmas and Easter. At some point, the correspondence was done by Colette's mother--Kate Kelly Lynch.  Then Colette took over the job.  John Whalen's wife, Margaret, used to correspond with Colette.  Then, after Margaret's death, John wrote to Colette.  John gave me one of the letters.  I couldn't read her handwriting, so I did my best to decipher her name and wa-la!  Somehow, she got the letter! We have been writing since 1978. Thus, this family has been corresponding since 1889!!!!! I love that part! Unfortunately, none of those old letters exist.
     Back to the genealogy.
     When John's parents married, they got a dispensation to marry because they were (if I understand this correctly) 1st cousins once removed.  You'd think that with this specific of information, sorting out the exact families involved would not be THAT difficult!!!  But, that common ancestor is unknown.  The trail ends just before that person.
     Mary Herlihy's line is as follows:  John Herlihy & Mary Hartnett; John's father--unknown. Colette's line goes Catherine Kelly-->Hannah Herlihy--John Herlihy & Mary Hartnett-->unknown.
    Our line goes:  Mare-->Marguerite-->James J. Hogan-->Bridget Whalen-->Julia Sheehan-->Mary Herlihy Sheehan-->unknown.  Now, here is the rub.  Mary Herlihy Sheehan appears in her marriage record and in the baptismal records as Mary Sheehan.  Where does that Herlihy come in!!!???
     In the death records for the siblings of Julia Sheehan Whalen, the parent's names do not agree.  On Patsy Sheehan's death certificate, his parents are given as Dennis Sheehan and Mary Herlihy.  On Dennis Sheehan's certificate, the parents are given as Patrick Sheehan and Johanna Herlihy.  On John Sheehan's death certificate, his parents are given as Michael Sheahan and Mary Sheahan. Oops!  Looks like I don't have a copy of Julia's or Mary's death certificates.  Notes say that Julia's maiden name is Sheehan.
     Anyway, you get the point of confusion. On this side of the pond, the common knowledge is that the parents' surnames were Sheehan and Herlihy. In records in Ireland, the mother always appears as Mary Sheehan--even in the marriage record.
     At this point, who knows!  Could the mother of Mary Sheehan be a Herlihy? Probably not, because that would not work out with the 1st cousin once removed theme. I am entertaining that Mary may have been previously married. Right now, It looks very likely that John Whalen's grandfather and William Herlihy (whom I have not yet alluded to) are brothers.  I'm basing this on the furor caused by the marriage of Julia Babe Herlihy and Denis Herlihy.  They were third cousins.  Her grandfather was said William.  Denis' grandparents were John Herlihy and Mary Hartnett. The common ancestor would be the father of John and William.
     Well, let's add a little more.  Colette believes that the woman in the photo wearing the hat is her grandmother. Hannah Herlihy is a sister of Mary Herlihy Whalen.  She came to the USA in 1902.  She had been working previously to that in Limerick as a milk maid. The stories on Colette's side of the pond were sketchy. She was told by her mother that her grandparents had moved to America. Hannah was living in St. Thomas in 1903 she attended the wedding of wedding of Mr. Hogan in St. Paul according to a little news bit in the Belle Plaine Herald. This turned out to be the wedding of Thomas H. Hogan and Julia Kalka.  Thomas was the brother of James J. Hogan.
  
     The mystery continues...
  
 In the photo:  front: John, Jimmy, Tom, Thomas.
In the back:  sisters Hannah Herlihy and Mary Herlihy Whalen.