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.