Week 13: Sisters (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

This week’s theme prompt is Sisters, "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..." Any families made up of lots of sisters? Now is a great time to tell their story! Click here to check out all the themes for 2022.

I decided to tell the story of my sisters, I have five and I am the youngest of my sisters and my entire family. We use to share one bedroom in our three-bedroom house. We had three sets of bunk beds. The older sisters slept on top and the younger sisters on the bottom. I remember going to girl scout camp and it felt just like home with all the bunk beds. ;-)

My two oldest sisters are born just shy of one year of each other. Thus, they are the same age for 5 days. The two middle sisters are born on the same day, five years apart. and my fifth sister and I are born less than a year apart and are the same for age for 16 days. 

My three oldest sisters are from my mother’s first marriage, her husband died as a result of a tragic work-related accident. He was a welder and was working on a skyscraper building in Chicago. He was climbing up the safety ladder and someone forgot to weld the top of the ladder and thus it pulled away from the building and he fell over 500 feet to his death. So tragic, he left behind 5 children and a pregnant wife. He died the day after my oldest sister’s birthday. My mother gave birth to her sixth child, a son on their wedding anniversary. 

My mom remarried and had three more children, all girls. Therefore, I have full sisters and half-sisters, however in my family we only use the term “half” when explaining why they have a different maiden name than my own. Otherwise, we always use sister or brother, no “half”.

My second oldest sister, Maureen had a daughter out of wedlock and gave her up for adoption. This was back in the early 1970’s, so she was sent away to have her baby and thus wasn’t able to attend our oldest sister’s wedding. My youngest child, a girl was born on my sister’s daughter’s birthday. 

Unfortunately, Maureen developed breast cancer and died in 1998, only about 7 months after my youngest child was born. Maureen was an artist and has painted many beautiful paintings and has done many lovely drawings both in black and white and color. I am blessed to have a few of her pieces of art hanging in my home. Maureen seemed to be the glue who held the family together. She was the one who would keep in contact with everyone and keep everyone informed of what is happening in each other’s lives. After her death, I felt our family slowly drifting apart.

My oldest sister, for whatever reason doesn’t talk to me, doesn’t want to talk to me and it took a while for me to realize this is on her and not me. I can’t make anyone like me, so I just have to surround myself with those who do. I once was staying with my oldest brother, helping him recovery from a broken hip and my oldest sister called and I answered the phone because it was a landline in the kitchen. I could see it was her based on caller id, when I said hello, she hung up. I had to take the phone to my brother and he called her back. I was shocked that she couldn’t just asked for my brother, I would not have forced her to talk to me, but would had given the phone to my brother. She knew I was taking care of my brother, so she really should not been surprised that I answered the phone. Anyway, I guess that line from the song "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..." is wrong.

My two “full” sisters were both born with Intellectual disabilities. I have set them up into an apartment. They know how to cook and clean. They go for walks, maybe too many even when the weather isn’t really for walking. I do all their shopping, take them to appointments and make sure their prescriptions are filled. 

I wish I had a group picture of my sisters and me but this really wasn’t something that was done. As we got older, I don’t think we were all in the same place much, maybe for Christmas and Father’s Day. My two sister’s who share a birthday, the youngest was born on Father’s Day, my dad’s first Father’s Day. Therefore, Father’s Day is a big day in our family, its usually our big summer get-together. Of course, not so much anymore. It also was near when my oldest sister got married, then my oldest brother’s daughter’s only child was born near Father’s Day. 

I know my family isn’t unique, might be a little dysfunctional but still is my family. 

Week 12: Joined Together (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

This week’s theme is "Joined Together." Could it be a marriage? Could it be an organization? Could it be a carpenter/mason/builder? It can be whatever you make it out to be! Click here to check out all the themes for 2022.

FYI – I skipped last week’s theme of Flowers. 

Families are joined together in so many ways, in the case of my 2nd great Grandfather James Crinion and his sisters Mary and Anne who all married McMahon siblings, their family ties became even closer plus all their children became double first cousins. 

James Crinion, who was born Feb 2, 1832 in Ireland on Jan 7, 1857 married Mary Ann McMahon, who was born about 1839 in Ireland. She is the daughter of Edward McMahon and his second wife Rose Ann Kirley. Her parents are both buried in Doylestown, Columbia County, Wisconsin, USA 

James and Mary Ann had 10 children. Mary Ann was pregnant with her fourth child, my Great grandfather David when she buried two of her first three children in 1864, Eliza and Patrick. While her second child had died earlier in 1861. Life didn’t get much easier for Mary Ann, she would bury two more of her children before she died on Aug 11, 1899. Her daughter Rose Ann Van Heukelon died during childbirth in 1890, her child, Rose survived and Mary Ann took the child in. Her other daughter, Mary Ann died on May 5, 1896 at the tender age of 17. James was left alone to bury two more children, his son James who died Sep 9, 1909 and his married daughter Jane Adline Spooner who died Apr 12, 1918. Jane gave birth to 11 children and her second child, her son John C Spooner died a few days after Jane’s mother on Aug 15, 1899. James and Mary had three sons who lived into adult hood. My great grandfather David died Mar 9, 1950 at the age of 85. Charles died Aug 3, 1933 at the age of 60 while John died Jul 9, 1946 at the age of 70. My 2nd great grandfather, James died at the age of 91 on Feb 2, 1832. 

Mary Crinion who was born Dec 25, 1824 in Ireland married Hugh Peter McMahon on Sep 2, 1855. Hugh was born Apr 5, 1825 in Ireland. Mary and Hugh had 6 children, all who lived well into adulthood. Hugh died on Apr 4, 1909 and Mary died on Aug 25, 1912.

Ann Crinion who was born in 1835 in Ireland married Philip McMahon somewhere between 1855 and 1860. Phillip was born in 1824 in Ireland. Ann died on Feb 16 1860 shortly after giving birth to her daughter Elizabeth McMahon. Philip remarried and had 7 more children and he died Aug 3, 1910.

Many of the McMahon’s, Crinions, descendants and other relatives are buried in Doylestown, Columbia County, Wisconsin in the St Patrick’s Cemetery. Most of these families were farmers. Many moved into the city as they aged. 

I can’t image how family gatherings were for these double first cousins. Edward McMahon and his wife Rose Ann Kirley had 9 children together, and Edward had two other children with his first wife. Thus, they had about 72 grandchildren and a majority of them lived in Columbia County, Wisconsin area. 

As for the parents of James, Mary and Ann Crinion, it is believed that their mother, possibly Ann Dillon died in Ireland. It is family lore that their father, Patrick Crinion came to America with his four children,  the other daughter being Margaret Crinion born about Aug 1839 in Ireland, in 1861 in New York State married Daniel Sullivan who was born Jun 14, 1835 in Ireland. They moved with their 9 children to the Chicago Area. Margaret died Mar 16, 1890 and Daniel died Jun 4, 1897. 

However, by the time my childhood came around, I don’t remember there being any family reunions. This branch of my family, my maiden name was unknown to me. Both of my Crinion grandparents died by the time I was five. My mother would joke and say that those Crinion's must have lots of secrets because not much was known about them. What I found has been through census records, actual burial plots and some vital records. 

Week 10: Worship (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

Religion played an important role in the lives of many of our ancestors. Write about how a person's faith impacted their life, how an ancestor was involved with their church, or a discovery you've made in church records. Click here to check out all the themes for 2022.

I have taken a different spin on this. I have decided to select my 2nd great grandfather Myron O’Brion who took his own life over a difference of religious view between himself and his family. He was not a member of any church. My warning is that this subject matter is very sensitive, however I feel it is important to share, because depression is known to run in families and it’s all a part of life. A very sad part, indeed. 

Myron was born in 1835 in New York State, the son of John O’Brion and his wife Jane Margaret Kress. After Spending much of his childhood days in Dodge County, Wisconsin, he grew up and married Mary Goodwin, daughter of Thomas Goodwin and Jane Burns. She was also living in the same vicinity. After marriage, they moved to a new home in Fountain Prairie. The farm was located one and one-half miles northwest of Fall River. After living there twelve years, he moved to a farm in the Lost Lake area of Dodge County, Wisconsin. He lived there until his death on November 19, 1883. Mary also lived on the farm until her death on March 18, 1910. She was born January 1, 1839 in Ireland. Their children were: Mary Jane O’Brion, John, Henreitta Cora (my line), Jessica, Caroline, Alice, and Thomas.    

Randolph Radical, Columbia Co, Wisconsin - 27 Nov 1883    

SUICIDE. - On Tuesday p.m. last Justice Calkins, of this place, was called to hold a coroner's inquest upon the body of Myron O'Brien, found dead by the road side some four miles from his residence, in the town of Westford. The justice, accompanied by Dr. Bliss, went to O'Brien's house and a jury was convened the same evening, which rendered a verdict that the deceased came to his death from poison administered by his own hand. The facts as developed at the inquest are as follows: Mr. O'Brien left his home on Monday, on foot, stating that he was going to Columbus, and that his family would not see him again alive. His son accompanied him a mile or so, vainly trying to persuade him to return home. He arrived at Columbus and had his will drawn up by a lawyer, signed and duly attested. On Tuesday morning after procuring a bottle of whisky and a vial of strychnine, he started for home on foot. When found, the whisky bottle in his overcoat pocket was nearly empty and the strychnine bottle duly labeled was found in his bootleg, with about a teaspoonful of the powder taken out. The presumption is that on his way he had drank enough of the whisky to nerve himself up or craze him then added the strychnine and taken a last and fatal drink.   

Mr O'Brien was a farmer, some 60 years of age, supposed to be well to do and not a man of sufficiently in temperate habits to impel the commission of the act. he had been in a depressed mental condition for some days, induced, it is said by some temporary pecuniary trouble and a difference of religious views between himself and the family, they being Catholics, while he, we believe, was not a member of any church. His suicide is doubtless attributable to the combination of these causes.

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The distance between Lost Lake and Columbus is 12 miles. Even though the article states he was some 60 years of age, I have him as only 48. In the 1850 census, he is a 14-year-old boy and thus his birth year is pretty much accurate. His children at the time of his death ranged in age from 24 to 4 years old. His eldest son John was 23, most likely the son mentioned in the article. 

Myron’s mother, Jane Margaret Kress died the following summer on Aug 19, 1884. I feel sorry for her having to live through such as sadness. Myron’s wife, Mary Goodwin lived 27 more years and died on Mar 18, 1910 on the farm. 

Later that year (1910), the farm was sold at public auction.

Week 9: Females (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

The theme for March and Week 9 is “Females”.  March is Women's History Month. What better time to write or record someone about one of your female ancestors! Click here to check out all the themes for 2022.

FYI – I skipped last week’s theme of Courting. I just wasn’t feeling it and thus I didn’t write anything. So if you thought you were missing something, NOPE, just didn’t do it.

For this week’s theme I have decided to look at the two wives of my 2nd great grandfather, Timothy O’Brien. Timothy was born 15 Aug 1836 in Ireland and died on April Fools Day of 1914 in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, USA.

His first wife is unknown to me. They had a child, Katherine O’Brien who was born 10 Feb 1872 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA. She was always lovingly referred to as Great Aunt Kate. Great Aunt Kate never married. She adored her nieces and nephews and when her sister, Mary Alice O’Brien Hiltz died in 1925, shortly after her 6th child had passed at the tender age of less than 3 months old, thus leaving four motherless children, Great Aunt Kate was there to fill that role. 

Timothy married my 2nd great grandmother, Mary Reilly on 17 May 1874 in Cook County, Illinois. Thus Kate was only two years old.

Looking at some scribbles my mother did of a family tree that I found at my late brother’s home, she listed Timothy O’Brien as married to Mary Ellen O’Neill. Was this Timothy’s first wife’s name? Were both his wives names Mary? Mary is pretty common, so it could be a possibility. I don’t know where my mother would have gotten the name O’Neill. 

Kate’s death certificate lists Mary Reilly as her mother. I know this isn’t correct, because Great Aunt Kate always told my mother that her mother was the first wife of Timothy and had died when she was little. Plus Mary Reilly married Timothy after Kate’s birth. 

I tried researching Mary O’Neill, but to be honest, I don’t know enough to even know if I am looking at the correct Mary. I find many Mary O’Neill’s and for that matter many Timothy O’Brien’s. Timothy came to America about 1861. 

Mary Reilly O’Brien is listed as immigrating in 1862. Where she was between her 1862 and her marriage in 1875, I have no idea. 

Mary was born about 1839 in Ireland, however the 1900 US Census states she was born Jan 1845. She died on 2 Dec 1901 in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. On her death certificate, her father is listed as James Reilly. I haven’t found anything on James.

Timothy and Mary Reilly O’Brien are both buried in in Brandon, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, USA. I did find any other O’Brien’s buried in this cemetery. This was the area they settled after their marriage in Illinois. 

After looking at what I have, I feel as if my brick wall is holding firmly.