Mathias Schwarz / Casper Lauer / Germany

Descendancy Chart:
Mathias Schwarz to William Edward Dunn

Great Great Great Grandfather of William Edward Dunn
Mathias Schwarz - aka Matthias, aka Matthew, depending upon the source - was a tailor who became a farmer. He emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in 1853, probably due to war and unrest in Germany during that era, and settled in Madison County, Illinois. He married Theresa Ganguiner, aka Graedinger, aka Ganninger, again depending upon the source. As you will see below, they were the parents of John Schwarz.

Mathias' GGG granddaughter, Colleen Dunn Becker and her husband Ken, provided me with an excerpt from an 1894 book (which I also found online) titled, "Portrait and Biographical Record of Madison County, Illinois", subtitled "containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county". In an article about John Schwarz (see below) it says the following about Mathias.

"His father, Mathias, was born in Mangelsheim, Baden [Germany] March 25, 1810, and in youth learned the trade of tailor. He married Theresa Ganguiner, who was born in Baden October 27, 1812, being a daughter of Mathias Gangninger (sic) of that province. In the spring of 1853 Mathias Schwarz with his family set sail from Bremen in a sailing vessel and after a voyage of fifty-six days landed in New Orleans [Louisiana]. Transferring there to a river steamer, he ascended the Mississippi to St. Louis [Missouri] and went thence direct to Highland, Ill[inois].

After a week's sojourn in Highland, Mathias Schwarz went to Marine [Illinois] where he rented a small house and began working at his trade. During the following year he erected the first two-story brick building in the town, and there he continued at his trade until 1862, after which he operated a rented farm for four years. Rural life pleased him so well that in 1866 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres on section 30 of Leef township, and there he made his home until March 15, 1872, when he was called from earth."

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The 1860 census shows that they lived in Madison county, and that the household looked like this (all of them were born in Baden except Johana, who was born in Illinois):
Mathias Schwarz, 50, tailor
Theresa Schwarz, 48, housekeeper
Catherine Schwarz; 23, servant
Margretta Schwarz, 20, servant
John Schwarz, 18, servant
Peter Schwarz, 15
Theodore Schwarz, 12
Conrad Schwarz, 10
Lena Schwarz, 8
Johana Schwarz, 5

Since it seems unlikely they would have been called servants in their own home, it appears that the three eldest children were employed as servants elsewhere in the area. In researching the subject of Irish slavery (covered elsewhere in this blog) I came across an article that may explain why they were servants:

"Because of the cost of passage—which exceeded half a year’s income for a typical British immigrant and a full year’s income for a typical German immigrant—only a small portion of European migrants could afford to pay for their passage to the Americas. They did so by signing contracts, or “indentures,” committing themselves to work for a fixed number of years in the future—their labor being their only viable asset—with British merchants, who then sold these contracts to colonists after their ship reached America... In other cases, migrants borrowed money for their passage and committed to repay merchants by pledging to sell themselves as servants in America, a practice known as “redemptioner servitude."

If the article cited above does, indeed, explain why the three members of this family were listed as servants, they would not have been slaves, but would have been referred to as "indentured servants". This was a voluntary alternative that resembled slavery in many ways, but with a definite term as opposed to being without an end. It may be that Mathias had insufficient resources to pay the fare for all of them to get from Germany to the U.S. and the "indentured servant" route was a way to get them here.

Incidentally, because he was a tailor I looked around to see what I could find about what he might have been doing in that era and found this site with info about men's clothing and this site with info about women's clothing, both dealing with the year 1860.

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The Civil War started in 1861 and ended in 1865, and I have not so far learned whether any members of this family served in the military during that war. A site that provides a list of those who served does not record either a Mathias Schwarz or a Peter Schwarz from Illinois. It does list a John Schwarz and a Theodore Schwarz from Illinois, but provides insufficient data to determine whether they are part of our family.

The site records that the Theodore on the list served with the 43rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, which was organized at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois, and mustered October 12, 1861. It also records that the John Schwarz from Illinois served with the 16th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, which was organized at Camp Butler January to April, 1863.

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By the time of the 1870 census they were still in Madison County and the household had evolved to look like this:
Mathias Schwarz, 60, farmer
Therese Schwarz, 58, keeps house
Peter Schwarz, 25, farm laborer
Conrad Schwarz, 20, farm laborer
Hellena Schwarz, 18, farm laborer
Johnanna Schwarz, 15, at home

Mathias' birth: 25 Mar 1810 in Mangelsheim, Baden, Germany

Death: 15 Mar 1872 in Madison County, Illinois, at age 62

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Great Grear Grandfather
John Schwarz emigrated to the U.S. as a child with his father in 1853. He became a farmer and married Elizabeth Guenter, who was born in Prussia, Germany. The book referred to above says this about him.

"John Schwarz. In this book may be found biographies of many influential citizens who have plodded up the steeps of honor and prosperity with energy and success. The life of Mr. Schwarz provides a good example of this kind. He is now the owner of a good farm on section 29, Leef township, and thereon is devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits. Progressive in every way, he is known to this part of the county as one of the well-to-do and prominent farmers.

In the village of Langenbrucken, Baden, Germany, Mr. Schwarz was born January 22, 1842. Of a family of nine children our subject was fourth in order of birth and the eldest of four sons. From his sixth year until the time of emigration he attended parochial schools and continued his studies for a short time after reaching America. When twelve years old he began to work by the month on farms in the neighborhood, his earnings going into the family treasury. After the purchase of the farm in Leef township he rented the place where the family had resided for the four preceding years and began life for himself.

April 10, 1866, Mr. Schwarz married Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Guenter, who was born in Prussia [Germany] in 1800. Mrs. Schwarz was also born in Prussia, the date of her birth being June 21, 1842; she was the fourth child and only daughter in a family of five, and only two years old when brought by her parents to the United States. Unto our sibject and his wife have been born eleven children, six of whom survive. They are: John C., Charles M., Theodore W., Emma T., Johanna and Elizabeth.

In religious connection Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz are identified with the Catholic Church at Grantfork [Illinois]. In politics he is a firm supporter of the old Democratic principles. Among the official positions held by him may be mentioned those of School Director, in which capacity he served for ten years; School Trustee, six years; Highway Commissioner, three terms, and he has also been Church Trustee for many years. He is a member of the Catholic Knights of America, Highland Branch N0. 373, of which he has been Trustee."

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For John's household the 1870 census shows that he lived in Madison County and records the following about the household:
John Schwarz, 28, farmer
Elizabeth Schwarz, 27, keeps house
John C Schwarz, 2
Charlie Schwarz, 5/12 [5 months old]
Oswold Heiner, 14, farm laborer, born in Pennsylvania

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The 1880 census shows them living in Leef township in Madison County and records the household members as follows:
John Schwarz, 38, farmer
Eliza Schwarz, 38, keeping house
John C. Schwarz,12
Chas. M. Schwarz,10
Emma T. Schwarz, 8
Hannah Schwarz, 5
Theo. William Schwarz, 3
Franc. Frederick, 22, farmer, born in Baden

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The 1910 census shows them in Leef township and the houshold as follows:
John Schwarz, 68, own income
Elizabeth Schwarz, 67

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The 1920 census records them still living in Leef township and the following in the household:
John Schwarz, 78
Elizabeth Schwarz, 77

John's birth: 22 Jan 1842 in Langenbrucken, Baden, Germany

Death: Madison County, Illinois, date unknown, but sometime after 1920, when he was 78, since he was alive for that year's census.

As shown above, they were the parents of Emma Schwarz.

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Great Grandmother
Emma Schwarz married Casper Lauer. The 1860 census shows the family as follows:
Caspar Lauer, 26, farm hand
Emma Lauer, 21, housekeeper
Lena Lauer, 6.12 [6 months old]

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The 1880 census shows them living in Leef township and the household looking like this:
Casper Lauer, 46, farmer
Emma Lauer, 41, keeping house
Lina Lauer, 20, at home
John P. Lauer, 17, at home
Etta M. Lauer, 16, at home
Anna R. Lauerw, 14, at home
Emma T. Lauer, 12, at home
Josephina Lauer, 10, at home
Elizabeth Lauer, 6, at home
Theodore Lauer, 3, at home
Caroline Lauer, 2, at home

Note that Josephine is now in the family.

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His obituary is interesting:

"He Would Have Been 80 Years Old Next Summer"

"Casper Lauer, 79 years old, a former resident of Edwardsville, [Illinois] died at 7:10 a.m. today at the home of his son, Theodore Lauer, at Gillespie [Illinois]. Death was due to a complication of diseases from which Mr. Lauer had suffered for many weeks.

The body will be brought to Edwardsville by Roy A. Lowe and the funeral will be held from the home of Thomas Fisher, on Union St. Mrs. Fisher is a daughter of Mr. Lauer.

Besides Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Lauer is the father of Mrs. Henry Vogel and John Lauer, of Edwardsville. [O]ther children surviving are Mrs. William Duffy, Steager (sic), this state, Mrs. William Berry, of St. Louis; Theodore Lauer, of Gillespie and Mrs. Herman Frisse of near Alhambra. The wife [is] also surviving.

Casper Lauer, who would have been 80 years old on June 17, this year, was a native of Germany. He spent his childhood years in that country, but immigrated [sic] to America [as] but a young man. He settled [text missing] for some years and was [text missing] a driver for the grand [text missing] Gericke, of that [text missing] a farm, first near Marine and then between Alhambra and Grantfork.

They came to Edwardsville about twenty-three years ago and managed a boarding house on South Fillmore Street for several years. Then the family went to Glen Carbon where they again managed a boarding house, at No. 2 mine.

In a year or two they returned to Edwardsville again and lived on North Fillmore street until about nine years ago. Old age affected the couple, however, and Mrs. Lauer found herself no longer able to properly care for the home. Then they went to Gillespie, where they have resided with the son until the present time. Add Lauer funeral [sic]

The funeral will be Saturday at 9 a.m. from the Thomas Fisher residence to the St. Boniface’s Catholic church where Rev. J.D. Metzler will conduct services. Interment will be in the Catholic cemetery.

The pall bearers (sic) are to be grandsons of Mr. Lauer. They are George and Thomas Fisher, Henry and Wilbur Vogel and John and Joseph Lauer.

Besides the children mentioned, Mr. Lauer was survived by 45 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Two daughters, Mrs. Fred Funke and Mrs. Lizzie Petgen, formerly of Missouri, are both dead.

The body will arrive in Edwardsville from Gillespie this evening or tomorrow on the McKinley line.” [The "McKinley line" was a railroad.]

His birth: 17 Jun 1845 in Baden, Germany

Death: 12 Feb, 1914 in Gillespie, Illinois, at age 79

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New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Info about Casper Lauer

Arrival Date: 12 Mar 1870
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Bremen, Germany
Destination: United States of America
Place of Origin: Bavaria
Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Bavarian
Ship Name: Smidt
Port of Arrival: New York
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States

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Emma's obituary is also interesting:

"Mother of Dozen Children Will be Buried Wednesday"

"Mrs. Emma Schwartz (sic) Lauer, mother of twelve children and who has sixty-five grand and great grand children, will be buried Wednesday morning at St. Mary’s Cathilic [sic] cemetery following services to be held at at (sic) St. Boniface’s Catholic church.

Services will be conducted by Rev. E.J. Eckhard.

The living children are Mrs. William Berry, St. Louis; Mrs. Herman Frisse, Alhambra; Mrs. J[osephine] Dunn, Steger, Ill., Mrs. William Duffy, Chicago; Theodore Lauer, Gillespie; John Lauer, Mrs. Henry Vogel and Mrs. Thomas Fisher, Edwardsville. Two children died in infancy and two others, Mrs. Fred Funke and Mrs. James Poettgen have preceded the mother in death.

There are 37 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren. Mrs. Lauer is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Johanna Leef and a brother, John Schwartz [sic] of Highland [Illinois].”

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Birth: 6 Oct 1838 in Baden, Germany

Death: 17 May, 1925, in Illinois, USA, at age 86

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Grandmother
Josephine Barbara Lauer married William Edward Dunn on 11 Feb 1892 in Edwardsville, Illinois. All four of their parents were immigrants - hers from Germany and his from Ireland - so both were first generation Americans. The 1900 census says they were living in Chicago and that he was working for a railroad as a foreman at the time. She was a housewife who became the keeper of a boarding house after she was widowed in 1909. They were the parents of Eugene Michael Dunn and seven other children.

Birth: 20 Dec 1870

Death: 28 Oct 1942, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, at age 71

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(For the details about Eugene Dunn's and William Edward Dunn's stories below, see the other pages of this blog. Their complete stories are not reproduced on this page.)

Father
Eugene Michael Dunn married Hazel Loretta Nolan in Crown Point, Indiana, on or about 20 June 1917. Their marriage license application says he was a bookkeeper and she was a "stenog" [stenographer]. The 1920 census shows that he was a "clerk - die casting", which suggests that he was employed in a clerical job at a factory by that time. He later became a chicken farmer.

Birth: 08 Jul 1898 in Litchfield, Illinois

Death: 15 Dec 1969 in Cabot, Arkansas, at age 71

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William Edward Dunn
He married Fleeta Claire Jones 27 June 1940.

Birth: 07 Jul 1918 in Chicago, Illinois

Death: 29 Dec 1986 Hammond, Indiana, at age 68

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Ancestry.com has additional information that goes back four more generations on Mathias Schwarz’s paternal ancestry. In addition, his mother’s maiden name was Hoffman, and Ancestry.com has info going back to the 1200s on them - which covers about 60 generations of that family line of our ancestry.

Trivia: Here's a fun bit of trivia. In the Hoffman line Ancestry.com reports that we are distant cousins of former presidents Lyndon Johnson and Dwight Eisenhower.

Ancestry.com reports that Mathias Schwarz was a 1st cousin 4 times removed of former president Lyndon Johnson. The connection is that the maternal grandfather of Matthias Schwarz was the GGGG Grandfather of Lyndon Johnson.

Ancestry.com also reports that Mathias Schwarz was a 5th cousin 2 times removed of former president Dwight Eisenhower. In that case the connection is that the GGGG grandmother of Mathias Schwarz was the GGGGGG grandmother of Dwight Eisenhower.

Last updated 6/24/09

John Ring / Ireland

Descendancy Chart: John Ring to William Edward Dunn

Background:

In April, 2008, I posted an inquiry on a genealogy message board about Marjorie Ring, which was the maiden name I had for the mother of my generation's grandmother, Hazel Nolan Dunn.

My source for that name is Hazel's 1917 marriage license application in which she listed "Marjorie Ring" as her mother. But I couldn't find that name in any other records. The only documents I found with information that came anywhere near being about her mother showed her name being Mary. But I wasn't convinced Mary could be Marjorie; thus her identity remained an open question for some time.

A year after posting it I received a response to my inquiry on the message board. It came from a person whose GG grandmother was a Bridget Ring, and who may be related to us via the Ring line. This person provided confirmation that "Marjorie'" was Mary Ring - and provided info about Mary's parents and grandparents. Here's the response I received:

It seems clear, Patrick, that your "Marjorie" is in fact Mary E. Ring, daughter of John Ring [Jr.] and Mary Ann Martin (married 2/10/1874 in Will County), who lived near Manhattan [Illinois].

Mary and Francis Edward (or Edward Francis?) Nolan married 9/21/1898 in Will County; Hazel followed less than a year later, in 8/1899; by the 1900 Census, Mary was deceased and her sister Sarah/Sadie had moved into Francis Edward's house as a housekeeper.

John Ring was the son of John Ring and Mary Delaney and Mary Ann Martin was the daughter of Edward and Sarah Martin. No luck on connecting my Rings to this family yet, but given that they migrated first to Dutchess County in NY, followed by the move to Will County, it seems very likely.

So, Hazel was born in August, 1899, and the 1900 census (taken in June, 1900) records Hazel's father, Edward Francis Nolan (EFN), as being widowed ten months later. The 1900 census also records Sadie [Sarah] Ring (Mary's sister) as "housekeeper". From this information I surmise that Mary Ring Nolan died, either giving birth to Hazel or shortly thereafter, and her sister stepped in to help with the baby.

In view of what her early life was like, Hazel’s confusion about her mother's name may be understandable. Her father married twice more after Mary's death (he was widowed again), had three families and five more children. Furthermore, Hazel told a family member that she lived with relatives for several years before she married Eugene Michael Dunn in 1917.

My perception is that Hazel, having never known her mother - and living not with EFN, but with relatives - may never have seen any official paperwork containing her mother's name, but somehow remembered it as Marjorie when completing her marriage application. Another possibility is that Marjorie is what the family called Mary, just as Sarah Ring was called Sadie.

The information we have about the Ring line of our ancestral family is sketchy. What we do know comes from a couple of censuses and the information received in that response to my inquiry on the message board. Below is what we have at present.

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Great Great Grandfather of William Edward Dunn
The 1870 census records a John Ring and wife Mary - both born in Ireland - in the same location as Mary Ring's family in the 1880 census (see below) and includes a son John, born in New York. All of this info is consistent with the other data I have about this family, and while I can't say for sure, I'm inclined to think he/they are part of our ancestral family.

This household looked like this:
John Ring, 56, farmer
Mary Ring, 45, keeping house
John Ring, 23
Lizza Ring, 21
Catharine Ring, 19
Thomas Ring, 17
Mary A Ring, 15
James Ring, 13
Julia Ring, 11
Bridgett Ring, 9
Margarett Ring, 7
Patrick Ring, 5
Martin Ring, 4
Bell Ring, 2

This census records him as being a farmer, and based upon what I've learned about the potato blight and resulting famine in Ireland in the mid-1800s, I'm thinking that our John Ring was probably a farmer in Ireland. I also think it's likely that he emigrated to the U.S. in the 1840s. I say those things because although he was born in Ireland, the 1880 census says his son John, Jr. was born in the U.S. about 1850 and became a farmer.

The 1870 census shows that son John as being 23, which would make him born about 1847, so the conflict in when the son was born may mean the family above is not our ancestral family. On the other hand, I've seen larger differences in other censuses, so I can't eliminate the family above as being part of ours.

John [the elder's] Birth: Ireland
Death: Unknown

In any event, the message above reports that John [the elder] married Mary Delaney. My informant told me they had a son, also named John.

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Great Grandfather
John Ring, Jr., married Mary Ann Martin 10 Feb 1874 in Will County, Illinois. The 1880 census shows them living in Manhattan, Will County, Illinois. His birthplace is listed as New York, her birthplace is listed as Massachussets and all four of their parents are recorded as being born in Ireland.

The household looked like this:
John Ring, 30, farmer
Mary Ring, 27, keeping house
Edward Ring, 4
Mary Ring, 2 [who became Hazel's mother]
Sarah Ring, 9 months [who became known as Sadie]
Jennie Cook, 13, adopted daughter

The children are all shown as being born in Illinois.

John Jr.'s birth: About 1850 in New York
Death: Unknown

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Grandmother
Mary E. Ring married Edward Francis Nolan.

Born: About 1878 in Joliet, Illinois
Death: Probably on or about 31 Aug 1899 in Chicago, Illinois, at about age 21

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Mother
Hazel Loretta Nolan married Eugene Michael Dunn in Crown Point, Indiana, in 1917.

Born: 31 Aug 1899 in Chicago, Illinois
Death: 29 Oct 1994 in Dyer, Indiana, at age 95

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William Edward (Bill) Dunn
Born: 07 Jul 1918 in Chicago, Illinois
Death: 29 Dec 1986 in Hammond, Indiana, at age 68

For details about the lives of Hazel Nolan and Bill Dunn, see the other pages of this blog; their complete stories are not reproduced again on this page.

Last updated 6/12/09

Edward Nolan / Ireland

Descendancy Chart: Edward Nolan to William Edward (Bill) Dunn

(Click here for a timeline of historical events that occurred in Illinois during the various dates mentioned below.)

◄ This photo is Mary Ellen Kavanaugh Nolan and Edward Nolan, reportedly circa 1862. 

They were Bill Dunn's Irish immigrant maternal great grandparents and my generation's great, great, grandparents. Cousin Dan Nolan is the source of this photo, and it was reportedly taken at their wedding.

Although the top of the flag behind them may be cut off in this photo, we can see 40 stars in it. The U.S. didn't reach 40 states until 1889, long after their marriage, so the event here is in question. In fact, the presence of the flag makes me speculate that the photo might have been taken when they became citizens of the U.S.
 
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Edward Nolan was a farmer in Ireland - and continued farming after coming to the U.S. He emigrated at age 21, departing from Liverpool, England and arriving in New York in September, 1852, on a ship called "Great Western". Ancestry.com reports that it was the first steamship ever to be built especially for trans-Atlantic service.

The timing of their emigration to the U.S. suggests that, like thousands of others in Ireland, they probably left to escape the famine and literal starvation in Ireland that was a result of the potato blight there. He settled in Illinois, and on 3 March 1862, in Grundy County, Illinois, married Mary Ellen Kavanaugh, who was born in Ireland and emigrated to the U.S. in 1853.

To put their wedding date into historical context, understand that the 1861 pre-Civil War United States consisted of 34 states, and slavery was practiced in some of them. The Civil War was 1861-1865, and it was in 1861 that president-elect Abraham Lincoln left Springfield, Illinois, for Washington. He would never return to the only home he had ever owned.

Several Deep South cotton states had seceded from the union by February 1861; they were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These seven states formed the Confederate States of America. Following the attack on Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called for a volunteer army from each state. Within two months, four more Southern slave states declared their secession and joined the Confederacy: Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee. 

An Internet search for "Civil War"+ Illinois provides links showing Illinois involvement in that war, and a site that records the names of Civil War soldiers lists 51 Nolans who served, all on the Union side by the way. However, no Edward is listed. Thus, I don't know whether - or to what extent - the war affected our Nolan ancestors, but they arrived in their newly-adopted country not long before - and were married after - it began.

Sidebar: Elsewhere in this blog are the stories of others of our ancestral families who fought on both sides of that war, including our maternal North Carolina ancestors who fought for the Confederacy, five of whom died while doing so.

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Edward and Mary Ellen's GG grandson, Daniel Nolan and his wife Jennifer, have a family tree site that records Ed and Ellen's children as follows:
John Nolan
Anna Nolan
Lawrance Nolan (sic)
Francis Edward Nolan
Sarah Nolan

In her obituary (shown below) these were the children reported as surviving Ellen's death:

■ Mrs. Daniel Donovan [Anna Nolan from above];
■ Mrs. Sammuel McKennard [the correct spelling is Samuel McKeand and this is Sarah Nolan from above];
■ Edward Nolan [Francis Edward from above];
■ Lawrence Nolan [listed above];
■ Mrs. Mary [Nolan] Haggerty [not listed above];
■ Miss Katherine Nolan [not listed above];
■ Mrs. Louise [Nolan] Donahue [not listed above];
■ John Nolan [listed above].

Those in Ellen's obituary but not in the links above were no doubt born after the first list was compiled, which is why they don't show up there. In any event, the first list is incomplete, but has been retained in this blog because of the availability of the links, which provide other information about them and their families.

Here's what the 1880 Census shows for Edward Nolan.

Name: Ed. Nolan
Home in 1880: Pilot, Kankakee, Illinois
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1835
Birthplace: Ireland
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Spouse's name: Ellen
Father's birthplace: Ireland
Mother's birthplace: Ireland
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male

Household Members:
Name, Age
Ed. Nolan 45
Ellen Nolan 38
Mary E. Nolan 16
John Nolan 13
Laurence Nolan 12
Catharine Nolan 11
Anna Nolan 9
Edward Nolan 8
Sarah Nolan 6
Elisabeth Nolan 4

Edward’s birth as shown on his gravestone: 29 May 1832 in County Carlow, Ireland

 Death: 15 Oct 1904 in Joliet, Illinois, at age 72

Saint Patricks Cemetery Joliet, Will County Illinois, USA

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[Mary] Ellen’s Obituary

[Mary] Ellen’s obituary, in an undated article in which the publication is not named, reads as follows:

“Elderly Woman Passes Away

Mrs. Ellen Nolan, who has been a resident of this city for the past eleven years, passed away at 2:00 at her home, 34 Forrest Avenue, at the age of 78 years.

Solemn High Mass will be held at St. Agnes church at 9:30 o’clock Friday morning, and thence by trolley to St. Patrick’s cemetery in Joliet. She is survived by eight children: Mrs. Daniel Donovan of Blue Island, Mrs. Sammuel McKennard, Edward Nolan and Lawrence Nolan of Joliet, and Mrs. Mary Haggerty, Miss Katherine Nolan, Mrs. Louise Donahue and John Nolan of this city, also a sister, Mrs. Mary Kenney of Hammond and a brother, John Cavanaugh of Manhattan, Ill.”

The spelling of her maiden name was recorded elsewhere as Kavanaugh, but that name was frequently spelled as Cavanaugh in various places, as in the obituary above. Also, the name recorded as Sammuel McKennard above was Samuel McKeand, a son-in-law who married Ellen and Edward’s daughter Sarah.

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In an article from an 1890 book titled, “Portrait Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County…” it says this about John Cavanaugh (see the obituary) who was Ellen’s brother and the great grand-uncle of Bill Dunn:

“JOHN CAVANAUGH. The estate which this gentleman has secured is a monument to his ability as an agriculturist, and a conclusive proof that persistent effort will be rewarded. It comprises three hundred and eighty-eight acres on section 35, Jackson Township, and it needs but a glance to assure the passer-by that here comfort abounds, while thrift is seen in every detail of the work which is carried on. The estate is thoroughly improved, the buildings being especially noticeable for their size, number and convenience.

In County Sligo, Ireland, about 1829, John Cavanaugh opened his eyes to the light, and in the Emerald Isle he remained until he was almost twenty years old. He then went to England, where he remained until the fall of 1851, when he determined to seek a wider field for his energies in the land across the sea. Taking passage for America he landed in New York, whence he went to Albany, sojourning in that city three or four months. He then took up his residence in the western part of the Empire State, making Herkimer County his home for some two years. His next removal was to Will County, Ill., where he has since been a resident, and where he has devoted his attention to agriculture.

One of the most important events in the life of Mr. Cavanaugh was his choice of a companion, and he has no reason to regret his selection. His wife bore the maiden name of Kate Maher, and was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, November 15, 1838. She was about twenty-three years old when she left her native isle for America, and at the time of her marriage she was living in Wilmington, this county. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Cavanaugh includes ten living children and two deceased. The latter are James E. and Mathew; the survivors are William, Michael, Thomas P., George, Edward, Mary, Lizzie, Maggie J., Julia and Katie A.

The active intellect and quick wit which are proverbial to natives of the Emerald Isle are not lacking in our subject and his estimable wife, and the religious element of their characters is satisfied with the worship of the Catholic Church, in the faith of which they are devout believers. Mr. Cavanaugh has been Commissioner of Highways, taking the interest which all dwellers in the county should in the improvement of the roads.”

Because John and Ellen were siblings, it seems likely that Ellen was from County Sligo, Ireland, as well.

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Bill Dunn's maternal grandfather; my generation's great grandfather

Francis Edward Nolan, also known as Edward Francis Nolan, referred to himself simply as Ed Nolan in a telegram sent to his son in 1935. To distinguish between him and his father Edward in this blog, I'll use the initials EFN.

The 1900 census records him as living in Joliet, Illinois and his occupation was "shearer - tin plate", which sounds like he worked in a steel mill at that time. He was recorded on his daughter Hazel's 1917 marriage application as being a machinist, one of his obituaries refers to him as a retired machinist, two of his granddaughters told me he was a custodian at a Catholic school in his later years, and one of his obituaries refers to him as having been a maintenance man for a Catholic parish.

He was married three times - and widowed three times.

Marriage # 1:

Maiden name: Mary E Ring

Date married:
■ 21 September 1898, in Will County, Illinois
■ Witnessed by Edward Ring and Nellie Delaney

Date of her death:
Mary Ring Nolan apparently died on or shortly after daughter Hazel's birth on August 31, 1899, based upon the 1900 census showing EFN as a widower 9 months after Hazel’s birth.

Documentation:
■ Mary's name: Hazel’s baptismal certificate and Illinois marriage records;
■ Marriage: License from Will County; married by Catholic priest in Joliet, IL;
■ Death: Mary’s date of death not documented.

Children of this marriage:
Hazel Loretta Nolan (married names Dunn, then Youngs)

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Marriage # 2:

Maiden name:
As we’ve found with others’ historical records, there are variations in how her name is recorded. We've seen it show up as Johanna, Joanna and Josephine, with her maiden name being Fitzgerald.

■ Her son John Bernard’s birth record lists her as Johanna Fitzgerald Nolan, but she signed the document as Joanna – no “h”.

■ Her son Harold Joseph’s death certificate records his mother’s name as Josephine.

Our genealogist friend Molly reported that those names – and more - were often interchangeable in Irish families, which appears to be the reason for these differences in the records.

Date married:
Assumed to have been after the 1900 census but before 10/1903, when twins were conceived (see below). The marriage record has yet to be obtained.

Date of her death:
Presumably after her son Harold Joseph was born on 11/29/07 and before the 1910 census, where she doesn’t appear, and where her and EFN’s children are living with relatives, as discussed below.

On another page of this blog we have a photo of EFN with Hazel and the three children he and Johanna had together, but Johanna is not in the picture. This suggests that she may have died by that time. The baby appears to be eight or nine months old, so the evidence suggests that her death occurred between November, 1907 and July/August,1908.

Children of this marriage:
Cousin Dan Nolan’s wife Jennifer says, [After Hazel], “We believe that all the kids except Eileen and Patricia came from wife # 2, Josephine.” They would be:

■ Agnes (whose twin brother apparently died shortly after birth, for we have a birth record of them being born as twins, but no other record of him thereafter);

■ John Bernard Nolan;

■ Harold Joseph Nolan (who became Dan Nolan’s grandfather).
These children and Hazel are in the photo of EFN and his family referred to above.

EFN’s granddaughter, Mary Jo Nolan Tongue, reported that EFN was devastated after losing his second wife - and felt terrible that he was unable to take care of all his children afterward. That's why, according to Mary Jo, he had to “farm them out to different relatives”.

■ EFN's daughter Hazel lived with her grandmother - EFN's widowed mother, Ellen Kavanaugh Nolan - in Chicago Heights, Illinois;

■ His son Harold Joseph lived with EFN's sister - Mary Nolan Haggerty - down the street from Ellen in Chicago Heights;

■ Agnes and John Bernard stayed with their twice-widowed father, living with his sister - Sarah Nolan McKeand - and her family in Joliet, Illinois.

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Marriage # 3:

Maiden name:
Her maiden name was Margaret L O'Neil - born July 29, 1884 in Illinois, the daughter of Roger O'Neil, born in Ireland and Ann Riley O'Neil, born in Ireland.

Date married:
■19 Oct 1910 in Will County, Illinois;
■ Witnessed by John F Kelly and Catherine Nolan.

Date of death:
Genealogist friend Molly reported that the Illinois Death index says “1935-01-14, Will [County], Joliet”. This is confirmed by her obituary.

Margaret O'Neil Nolan's Obituary
Margaret's obituary appeared in the Joliet Herald News on 14 January 1935. It's interesting to note that it contains neither a reference to her maiden name nor to her first name, just her married name.

"Brief Illness Proves Fatal to Mrs. Edward Nolan

Mrs. Edward Nolan, 50 years old, died this morning at het home, 214 Campbell street, after a short illness.

Mrs. Nolan was born in Joliet and lived here all her life. Survivors are her husband; two sons, Harold and Bernard of Joliet; three daughters, Eileen of Joliet, Mrs. Hazel Dunn of Chicago; Sister Jane Patricia of Detroit; three brothers, John, Joseph and James O'Neil, all of Joliet.

Funeral services will be conducted from the home Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock to St. Patrick's church at 9:30 o'clock. Burial will be in St. Patrick's cemetery."

Documentation:

■ The 1920 census shows Margaret as EFN’s wife, and the children match up, as seen below (Hazel was married by this time and on her own).

Household Members:
Edward Nolan, machinist, 45
Margaret Nolan, 39
Agnes Nolan, 15
John B Nolan, 13
Harald Joseph Nolan, 12 (sic)
Eillen Nolan, 8 (sic)
Patrica Nolan, 1 & 2/12 [14 months]

■ The date of death matches EFN’s telegram to son Harold Joseph regarding Margaret’s death. Her death certificate contains her date of death, as well as the names and place of birth of her parents.

■ In addition, the Illinois birth record from Will County for daughter Ann Patricia, below, shows Margaret's maiden name.

Children of this marriage:
■ Eileen Nolan;
■ Ann Patricia Nolan.

One of EFN’s obituaries reports only that he was the husband of the late Johanna, and we've discerned that the obituary was probably submitted by one of Johanna's children to a publication that was a small local newspaper in Roseland, Illinois. It appears that Johanna's name was used in that obituary because she was known in that area, even though his last wife was Margaret O’Neil Nolan.

Dan and Jen Nolan have been working on the Nolan family tree for years, and have done a phenomenal job with it. For a wonderful look at our cousins in the Nolan clan, click here and here. Clicking on this link will take you to Dan and Jen's site.

This family was Catholic, actively so. In fact, one of EFN's daughters entered a convent at age 14 and became a nun. Dan Nolan reports that she was the daughter whose birth name was Agnes. However, as nuns did in those days (and may still do), she adopted a new name – Sister Jane Patricia – and served as a nun for 51 years until the time of her death in 1975.

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Francis Edward Nolan's Obituaries
One of EFN's obituaries, a copy of which was received from his granddaughter, Mary Jo, is transcribed below. The paper's name is not included in the article, but the date would have been in May, 1955.

"Francis Edward Nolan

Funeral services for Francis Edward Nolan, 74, of 233 W. 111th pl., were held Monday, May 23, in St. Patrick's church. Burial was in St. Patrick's cemetery. Mr. Nolan died Saturday, in his home of coronary occlusion. Cooney Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Nolan was born Apr. 11, 1880, in Chebanese, Ill., and had been a resident of this community 10 years. He was a retired machinist for the American Steel and Wire Company. Mr. Nolan was the husband of the late Johanna; father of Mrs. Darrow Young[s] of Chicago; sister of Jane Patricia, O.S.P., Bernard, Joseph, and Mrs. Eileen Kloppers."

However, the obituary writer erred in reporting about Jane Patricia. She was not his sister, she was his daughter - the nun, Sister Jane Patricia, and O.S.B. was the acronym for the order with which she served, the Order of Saint Benedict.
Another obituary, published in the Joliet (IL) Herald-News, Sun, May 22, 1955 - reads as follows:

"Edward Nolan, Former Parish Employe[e], Dies

Edward F Nolan, formerly of 518 Campbell St., died early Saturday at his home at 233 West 111th St., in Roseland. Death followed a prolonged illness.

Mr Nolan had lived in Roseland for the past 10 years. A native of Chebanse, he made his home in the Joliet area for about 50 years prior to moving to Roseland in 1945.

For 25 years he served as a maintenance man for St. Patrick’s parish. He retired 10 years ago. Prior to his employment by the parish, he served as a machinist at the American Steel and Wire Co.

His wife, the former Margaret O’Neil, preceded him in death.

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Darrow Young[s], of Chicago; Sister M. Jane Patricia of the Dominican Order at East Lansing, MI; and Mrs. Louis Coppers of Joliet; two sons, Bernard of Joliet and Joseph of Chicago; and 12 grandchildren.

The funeral will be from the Fred C. Dames funeral home Tuesday at 9 a.m. to St. Patrick’s church for a requiem mass at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 5 and from 7 to 10 p.m. today and Monday."

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EFN's birth: 11 Apr 1880, in Illinois

His death: 21 May 1955, in Illinois

It's curious that although EFN lived for 15 years after his first great grandchild in the Dunn line was born - and we lived reasonably close to where he lived - there was never any relationship established with the five East Chicago Dunns before his death. In fact, until the assenbling of our Family History, which started in 2007, I'd never even heard of him.

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Bill Dunn's mother; my generation's paternal grandmother

Hazel Loretta Nolan was EFN's eldest child, and as mentioned above, her mother, Mary Ring Nolan, died giving birth to Hazel - or shortly thereafter. We know this because Hazel was born 31 August 1899 and the June 1900 census records EFN as being a widower and Hazel being nine months old. Also showing in the household at that time is Mary Ring's sister, Sadie Ring (aka Sarah). She is listed as sister-in-law and housekeeper. Thus it appears that she came to stay with the family to care for Hazel, at least for awhile.

Hazel once told a member of our family that she lived with relatives for several years before her marriage to Eugene Michael Dunn in Lake County, Indiana in 1917. As mentioned above, that's confirmed by the 1910 census, which records Hazel as living with her widowed grandmother, Ellen Kavanaugh Nolan. Although he married again and had other children, EFN apparently never brought Hazel back to live with him.

Cousins Mary Jo Nolan Tongue and Patricia Nolan Roach - who are Hazel’s nieces - reported that Hazel and a cousin whom the family called “Tootsie” eloped together with their respective husbands-to-be. Hazel's marriage certificate records her occupation as "stenog"[rapher]. After her marriage, Hazel was first a housewife and later worked as a retail sales clerk in stores in Chicago after Eugene abandoned her and her two small children.

Some years later she remarried, this time to Darrow Youngs, who was a salesman for a candy company and who also had children from a previous marriage. It's interesting to note that Hazel never owned a car. Nor, to the best of my knowledge, did either of her husbands (at least while they were married to Hazel). They depended upon public transportation and/or rides from others to get where they needed to go.

While in Chicago, where she spent most of her life, she lived in rented apartments. In her later years she lived is a house owned by her daughter, for Hazel, who lived to be age 95, never owned her own home. She lived that long after surviving both colon cancer and breast cancer long before today's sophisticated medical treatments became available.

Hazel and Eugene's children were William Edward Dunn and Rita Jane Dunn. Hazel and Darrow had no children of their own.

Hazel’s birth: 31 Aug 1899, in Chicago, Illinois

Death: 29 Oct 1994 in Dyer, Indiana, at age 95

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William Edward Dunn; my generation's father

Known as Bill, he reportedly dropped out of school at about age 13 to earn money to help support his mother and younger sister, who would have been three years old at the time. This was deemed necessary because of his father, Eugene, abandoning the family.

As an adult he went from working at a White Castle restaurant (where he met his first wife, Fleeta Claire Jones) to being a laborer in a steel mill and then to becoming the owner of a bakery and a small chain of donut shops in northwest Indiana. Click here for more details about his life.

Birth: 07 Jul 1918 in Chicago, Illinois

Death: 29 Dec 1986 in Hammond, Indiana, at age 68

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Bill Dunn was the father of Patrick, Timothy, Cory, Toby, Molly, Karla, Linda and Laurie Dunn. He was also the stepfather of Diane, Steve, and Carol Wells and played a father role with the children of Ann Girski (the mother of Laurie), with whom he lived for several years before his death.

Last updated 10/10/2011