52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #4 - Anne O'Neill

This is #4 in a Genealogy Blog Challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow over on her blog "No Story Too Small." The challenge is to write 52 blog posts on 52 ancestors throughout 2014.

Picture from:
http://irishecho.com/2012/02/time-to-restore-the-quiet-man-cottage/

I have long been stymied by genealogy research of my Irish Ancestors; knowing only names from their children's death certificates here in the states or a random birth certificate, and being unable to find more. I thought, just from everything I'd learned, that my ancestors were most likely poor farmers, hence why they immigrated. I'd also always romantically hoped they lived in a stereotypical "thatched Irish Cottage" much like the one from "The Quiet Man" movie.  Aaah, Hollywood!

Which made a recent discovery even more incredible to me.

Anne O'Neill is my 2nd great-grandmother.  For over the entire 15 years I've worked on genealogy, all I knew about her was that she was married to Daniel Donnelly, they lived in Sluggan, County Tyrone, Ireland, and that she had at least 4 boys.  The names of her boys I got from my 1st great-grandfather's obituary (Edward Michael Donnelly - to be profiled later in the year).

Selection from Edward Donnelly's Birth Record

Her name came from a birth certificate that my mother's cousin had requested. This cousin was trying for the dual citizenship program that Ireland offered (I don't know if it still offers it) to descendants of Irish immigrants and needed the birth record. He gave a copy to my mom.

Recently, though, I attempted a technique that I had employed to great success on another branch of my family - and that was to research siblings.  I knew that Edward had a brother who had stayed in Ireland, also named Daniel Donnelly.  I wondered what had happened to him after his older brother Edward immigrated to America.  Lo and behold, I found census records from 1901 and 1911.

Excerpt from 1901 Census

These records were incredibly detailed! It wasn't just a list of names like found in the US census, but it was a record documenting not only the people who were in her house on the day the census was taken, but her property and the number of buildings on it were also included.

Here's what I now know about Anne.  In 1901, she 54, and a widow. She owned a farm in Sluggan, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. She called herself "Annie" and had 4 children living with her: Daniel, 26, John, 20, Rose, 18, and Peter, 16. All her children, except for John were listed as "Farmer's son / daughter." John was a "Scholar." She was a farmer and lived in a 3 room thatched cottage in the vicinity of other Donnelly's and O'Neill's. (I have not yet connected them together, but I hope I will be able to soon!) The family identified as Roman Catholic and everyone knew how to read and write.
 
By 1911, she was 64 and Daniel and Peter were still living with her, but John and Rose are absent from the record. I suspect they had married or moved on.  Daniel and Peter's occupations were upgraded from "Farmer's son" to "Farm labourer."  Most interesting to me, is the fact that there was a visitor staying with them by the name of Michael O'Neill.  Michael was 10 years older than Annie.  An older brother, perhaps?

Her farm seemed to be quite successful as by then; Annie had a servant. The thatched cottage had 4 rooms, and had been upgraded in the census from a 3rd class house to a 2nd class house - there now being 4 rooms with 3 windows facing the street.  The farm itself hadn't changed much, building wise, from 1901 to 1911, there still being a barn, two cow sheds, a stable and a shed.

Excerpt from 1911 Census

Anne made an error on the census record, to my benefit. When filling out the marriage information, she first wrote "married," and then included how many years she had been married.  She and her husband Daniel had been married for 39 years when he died.  I know that he was dead before the 1901 census, and that she was born sometime around 1843. Even if he died in early 1901, that put the date of their marriage prior to 1862, when she was around 19.  I should be able to use that information to find her marriage in the church records - once I figure out what church she attended.

She also included information about children.  She gave birth to 8 children, but only had 6 children still alive.  Now I have more people to find. Her son Edward's obituary, where I found his brother's names, only had a total of 4 people listed. This means relatives that Edward's family didn't know existed!

I don't think I have ever been as excited about finding a census record like this ever. After over half hour of looking at all of the images that were available online, I finally made another connection in my head.  Unlike the American Census records, which are lists of families all written by an Enumerator, some of these records were the forms that the families filled out themselves.  So all the writing on the Census return, was Anne's own handwriting.

Anne's signature from the 1901 Census

Seeing her handwriting, knowing more about her successes and the fact she was able to run a successful farm, has made me feel closer to her in a way. I may not have a picture of her, but I know that she was a strong woman, who not only survived the death of her husband and two children; but who was able make enough of a success of her farm that she could not only afford to add on to the house; she could also hire a servant.  Anne O'Neill Donnelly made a mark in the world, even if it was on a humble census form.

When starting this blog post, I thought that it would be incredibly short. How much can you write about a person based off of 1 or 2 census records?  I'm honestly surprised by how much I was able to find out.

There is still a lot of information that I do not know about her.  What was her birthday? When did she and Daniel get married?  What are the names of all of her children?  Who were her parents?  Her siblings?  When did she die?  I have hope though.  I now know for sure where she lived and that she was Roman Catholic.  With this information, I should be able to find the church where she attended, and from there identify the records. As of this very minute, I'm not sure if those records are available online or if I will have to order them on micro-film, but I suspect that I may have more to add to this story in the future!

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #3 - Joseph Smith

This is #3 in a Genealogy Blog Challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow over on her blog "No Story Too Small." The challenge is to write 52 blog posts on 52 ancestors throughout 2014.

When coming across a name in a family tree like Joseph Smith, most genealogists I know will roll their eyes and sigh. Trying to narrow down all the Joseph Smiths that are out there to the one you are related to can sometimes be difficult.  Just try searching the white pages for "Joseph Smith" to see how many are around now!

In a way, though, I had it a little easier. I already knew that Joseph Smith was my great-grandfather.  I had information on his birthday and death day.  I knew that he was related to me.  I even had an idea about his mother's name - Vilma Purez (or Furez or Feher) Smith. My grandmother, Joseph's second daughter, Rose, started working on genealogy when I was still a child.  She shared a story with me in a letter I have kept about her grandmother, Vilma.

"Any time I would ask my grandmother about my grandfather, she would mutter something in Hungarian and then spit."

 I don't think their relationship was a good one. 

"Buda Bowling League 1920 Champions"
Joseph Smith is on the Bottom Left.
All other men, unknown.

Joseph Smith was born as Josef Schmidt on 21 Jan 1892 in Pankota, Austria / Hungary.  In May of 1907, he, his mother Vilma (age 33), and his younger sister, also named Vilma (age 11), sailed from Bremen, Germany to New York on the Graf Waldersee. They arrived in New York on the 11th of May, 1907.  Though he was only 15, his occupation is listed on the passenger manifest as "Blacksmith."

Their destination, as declared on the manifest, was Philadelphia, PA where they would be meeting up with a "brother-in-law" named Johann Feher who lived at "N. Amerikaan St. 8" in Philadelphia.  Google maps shows that this is the location of Christ Church Neighborhood House. Who Johann Feher was, where he lived, and how he was related to the Schmidts is still a mystery.

Sometime between arriving in New York, and 1916, he moved to Chicago, but for all I can tell, his mother and sister did not. I have not been able to find them in any census records yet.

Joseph, his wife Florence,
and his mother-in-law Ida -
photo most likely taken at Ida's farm in
Kalamazoo, MI

In the 1910 Census, there are two Joseph Smiths who were born in Austria / Hungary and who immigrated to the US in 1907. One, who lived on N. Kimball Ave in Chicago's 27th ward is listed as being 16 years old and working in a Bakery.  This residence is one block away from where Joseph's then future wife Florence Genotte was living.  Because of this coincidence, I think that this is the right Joseph. I wonder how they met. 

On 26 November in 1916, Joseph and Florence Genotte were married and lived in Harvey, IL. They subsequently had three children: Florence, b. 1918; Rose, b. 1920; and Harry, b. 1924.

Joseph filed his Declaration of Intent on 26 March 1917. He then filed his petition on the 25th of January 1921. One of the witnesses for his petition was his father-in-law Leon Genotte. He was finally Naturalized on the 23rd of March 1922. At the time of his naturalization, his name was officially changed from Joseph Schmidt to Joseph Smith.

We actually found his Naturalization certificate in old family papers that my mother had in the attic, along with a receipt for $5 for the judge who married Joseph and Florence.

Florence and Joseph Smith
with their grandsons
Phillip and Dennis Donnelly
ca. 1944

Throughout the remainder of his life, Joseph worked as a laborer in various industries. In 1920, Joseph, Florence and their first daughter, Florence were living with Joseph's in-laws on the Dixie Highway in Flossmoor.  At this time, it appears that Joseph was working either as a Farmer or as a Farm Laborer. But in 1921, they had moved to Harvey, IL where he was working as a machinist. 1930 found Joseph's little family renting a house on Douglas Ave in Flossmoor, IL. During this time in his life, he was a building contractor. By 1940, he, Florence, and their two youngest were living in an apartment on East 62nd street in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. At the time, he was working as a tool and dye maker for a Refrigeration company. He continued to work as a tool and dye machinist until his death in 1955.

He had eight grandchildren; five from his daughter, Rose, and three from his son, Harry.

Joseph died on the 13th of January, 1955. He is buried in St. Lucas Cemetery in Chicago with his wife, Florence and their children Florence (d. 1960) and Harry (d.1952).

Joseph is my great-grandfather. His daughter, Rose, is my maternal grandmother.

Joseph Smith ca. 1950s

*This post was edited to indicate when his name was changed.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #2 - Wilhelm Eggelsmann

This is #2 in a Genealogy Blog Challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow over on her blog "No Story Too Small." The challenge is to write 52 blog posts on 52 ancestors throughout 2014.

Wilhelm Eggelsmann
ca. 1870-1880

Wilhelm Eggelsmann was born in Brunswick, Lower Saxony, Germany.  He was born on EITHER 23 December 1855 OR 10 Dec 1856.  (Two different "official" documents with two different birthdays!) He arrived in 1860 and quickly settled in Chicago where he married Rosa Hutterau (or Gutteran) on the 17th of July in 1882.

Wilhelm Eggelsmann
ca. 1930s

4 months later, his daughter Ida was born. Ida was quickly followed by Elena in 1884, Lizette in 1886, and Gertrude in 1887.  By 1888, Wilhelm and his family was living on Mowhawk Ave between Clybourn and North Ave in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood (as it is currently known).

In 1886, Wilhelm filed his Declaration of Intent to become a citizen.  By 1890, he took his Final Oath and became a citizen of the United States. This act gave his wife citizenship also. 

Newspaper clipping from 1932
Newspaper unknown

Twelve years later, in 1900, Wilhelm, Rosa and their daughters Elena and Lizette were living on Christiana Ave, just north of Diversey in the Logan Square neighborhood. Coincidentally, Wilhelm's daughter Ida and her husband were living next door, with some other in-laws living just down the street.

Wilhelm and Rosa remained in Chicago for another 20 years living near their daughters and their families until Ida and her husband moved to Flossmoor, IL.  Wilhelm and Rosa packed up house, moved to the "country" and lived along the Dixie Highway. 

Wilhelm and Rosa celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in style, even having a small feature in a local paper in 1932. Their celebrations were short lived though, as Rosa passed away that same year.

Wilhelm continued to live with his daughter Ida and her family in Flossmoor, IL. He was a loving grandfather, as evidenced by the photos that have been handed down through the family.

Wilhelm passed away on the 21st of January 1937.  He is buried in St. Lucas Cemetery in Chicago next to his wife.

Wilhelm is one of my 3rd great-grandfather on my mother's side.

Wilhelm Eggelsmann with three of his grand-daughters
(Left to Right) Florence Genotte, Violet Reiner,
Rose Marie Genotte  (Photo ca. 1905-1906)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #1 - Mae Hazel Follett

Mae Follett ca. 1910

This is #1 in a Genealogy Blog Challenge issued by Amy Johnson Crow over on her blog "No Story Too Small." The challenge is to write 52 blog posts on 52 ancestors through out 2014.

Mae Hazel Follett was born on the 25th of May, 1893 in Chicago, IL to immigrant parents. She was christened at St. John's Evangelist Church six months later. Her father, Charles, was from England, and her mother, Nora Sullivan, was from Ireland. The second of three daughters, Mae was only 5 years old when her father died of pneumonia in November 1898. At the time they were living on the 3000 block of South Canal Street in Chicago. 

By 1910, Mae, her older sister Sarah Ellen, her younger sister Catherine (Kitty) and her mother were living on 31st street in Chicago with their mother.  Mae was working as a Hair Dresser.

Mae with her sons (from Left to Right)
Edward Jr., Francis, and Gordon. ca 1922

In 1914, Mae married Edward Michael Donnelly, an Irish immigrant, at the Church of the Holy Angels on January 31st. Due to a quirk in the law, Mae lost the U.S. Citizenship she was born with because she married a non-citizen! She didn't get her citizenship back until 1936 when both she and Edward naturalized.

Mae and Edward moved to the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago where they started a family.  Mae had 4 children. Her first three children were boys, Edward Jr., Gordon, and Francis, and her last was a daughter named Dorothy.  Mae was a stay-at-home mother, as was normal in that era.

 They lived on Cottage Grove Ave on the South Side of Chicago for the remainder of their lives.  Edward passed away in 1951. Her son Edward Jr. died in 1964.  Mae soon followed and passed away on October 12, 1964.

Mae is my great-grandmother. Her son, Gordon, is my maternal grandfather.

Mae Follett Donnelly ca. 1960

*Blog post updated 1/10/14 to include picture of Mae with her sons.

52 Weeks 52 Ancestors - Introduction

Like all New Year's projects, I think this one will probably fizzle out in a couple of weeks, but it seemed fun to try.  So I've dusted off this old blog and figured I would try it.  At the very least, it would be a great place in order to collect the stories that I have. It is based on the challenge found at the "No Story Too Small" blog. 

I really am hoping that I will be able to get at least 40 ancestors written up.  With the other exciting things going on in my life lately, I may not have the time to write as often as I'd like.

Anywho... This may be an interesting challenge. The question is now... who to start with?