O'Connel Edward Thomas

Notes:

He moved to Kansas City, MO.

Notes:

Edward's first wife,Cora left him for a preacher in Momence. He soon remarried to Rose Helman. They had a daughter, Betty.

Edward married Simonds Cora Bell on 09 May 1900 in Kankakee County, Il. Cora was born on 13 Aug 1889 in Prob. Momence, Kankakee County, IL; died on 08 Feb 1957 in Independence, Jackson County, MO; was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, MO.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Cora Bell ran off with a preacher and left her children with Edward to raise. They divorced and he remarried a widow, Rose Hellman...She also had three children.

Notes:

Married:
Cora Bell ran off with a preacher and left her children with Edward to raise. They divorced on 3 April, 1919, and he later remarried a widow, Rose Hellman. Rose also had three children by a previous marriage.

Cora remarried shortly after Alexander A. Allison obtained his divorce from his wife. Later in life, she lived with a daughter, Violet O'Connell Gray until she died. Charlie or Charles, her brother, also lived with her and her husband.

After her death, Violet and Warren Gray moved to Park Rapids, Minnesota. They built a lovely home on Potato Lake.

Notes:

Died at 5:45 P. M. in his home of Chronic Endocarditis. He was a retired farmer. His parents were both from Ireland.
He died at the age of 79 yrs,7 mos. 6 days old and is buried in Momence Cemetery, Momence, Kankakee County, IL.

He is recorded as living in Beaver Township, Iroqois County, IL at the time of the Tax Record's census of 1890. On his death certificate, his wife is listed as Catherine Covan. He is also listed as having been born in Binghamton, Broome County, NY, not Chenango where the census says the family lived.

Thomas married Brown Rosella on 14 Apr 1874 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL. Rosella (daughter of Brown Erasmus Darwin and Loghry Lettice Lorena) was born on 02 Dec 1853 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; died on 10 Oct 1933 in Momence, Kankakee County, IL; was buried on 13 Oct 1933 in Momence Protestant Cemetery, Momence, Kankakee County, IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Rosella, as she was called, lived with her husband, Thomas at 125 North Walnut Street in Momence,Illinois. The house was willed to their daughter, Effie O'Connell Moody, wife of Arthur Moody and sister to Delia Louella O'Connell Wilson, my grandmother.

Notes:

Married:
The marriage ceremony was performed by A. C. Kline, a minister of the Gospel.

The marriage ceremony was performed by A. C. Kline, a minister of the Gospel.

Notes:

Daniel probably is the Daniel O'Connel who came over on the ship, "Agitator" From Ireland, landing in the port of New York harbor on May 28th, 1841. He was listed as 22 years old and a laborer. John Henry, Captain. The ship left Liverpool, England and lastly Cork, Ireland before sailing to NY. He would have been single at the time so he married Catherine Cavanaugh in NY.

In the 1850 Federal census for the town of Chenango, Broome County, NY, Daniel was living next door to Michael O' Connell, age 40, and his wife, Mary; son, James; Mary Ann; Bridget; and Johanna.

In the 1860 Federal census for the town of Lake, Cook County,with postoffice in Chicago, IL, Daniel is listed as age 40, white male, born in Ireland and could not read or write nor could his wife, Catherine.

The 1880 Federal census lists Daniel as a farmer, age 60 years, living in Pembroke, Kankakee County, IL. Married, white, born in Ireland, as were his parents.

Daniel married Cavanagh Catherine. Catherine (daughter of Cavanaugh Michael and Ann Mary) was born on 01 Apr 1825 in County Cork, Ireland; died on 19 Mar 1896 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; was buried on 21 Mar 1896 in St. Anne Catholic Cemetery, St. Anne, Kankakee County, IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Catherine Cavanagh could have come to America at the age of 20 years on the ship, "Sheridan" which left from Liverpool and arrived in the Port of New York on May 7, 1846. The family Identification number is # 113707, Microfilm Series # M237, Roll # 61.

Her name was also spelled Conon and Cavin in church records which was probably short for Cavenaugh. In later census records, we find she could neither read or write nor could her husband, Daniel.

Name: Cath Cavanah
Arrival Date: 7 May 1846
Age: 20
Port of Arrival: New York
Port of Departure: Liverpool
Place of Origin: Ireland
Ship: Sheridan
Family Identification: 113707
Microfilm Serial Number: M237
Microfilm Roll Number: 61

Notes:

Erasmus Darwin left Stillwater, NY early as a youngster with his family. They lived in several different places, including, Ballson Spa, Albany, Auburn and Caniesteo, Steuben Co. and Dresden, Yates County, NY.

He went to live briefly in Ohio, where Letty was living with the Schock family, in-laws of her brother, George. He and Letty were married about 1834 in New York. Their first two daughters were born in New York state.

He and Letty moved their small family to Shawnee, Fountain county, Indiana around 1838 where his third child, Mary, was born. His son, Allen, born in 1844 was his last child born in Indiana.

'Dar' and his familiy finally moved to the state of Illinois and settled in the wilderness area known as St. Anne sometime between 1844 and 1846 where his son, Samuel was born. Dar's brother, Achilles and his wife, Lucy, also came to IL.

An article written in the old book of the county history, 'Kankakee County History' is the following:

"Few of the early settlers or families of Kankakee County are better represented in its second generation both among its relief and active citizens, then that established here by Erasmus Brown and Letty Loughry Brown, the former born in New York in 1808. This worthy couple to whom in early life came the desire to travel West and ally their fortunes with its undeveloped strength, left their native New York state and settled in the Wilderness of what then was St. Anne but now is Pembroke township, Kankakee County. Loneliness and deprivation were their portion for they had little of this world's goods and there were few neighbors to whom they could turn for counsel or sympathy. Nevertheless, they had grit and determination and their farm yielded of its fertility in response to their untiring labor.

With the passing of years their family increased until seven children played around their hearthstone. Of these, Jane was the oldest." We know that eventually there were ten children born to this couple.

Sometime around 1856, Dar and Achilles were joined by their youngest brother, Samuel Right Brown, Jr. and his wife, Sally Ann Coss but wanting to move closer to his inlaws, Sally's sisters and other cousins, Samuel moved north to Algonquin after several years in the Iroquois-Kankakee county area and later to neighboring Cary, McHenry County, IL where he made his final home. His descendants live in that area today.

Erasmus married Loghry Lettice Lorena about 1834 in Oscaloosa, Mahaska County, OH. Lettice (daughter of Loghry Joseph Leander and Santee Mary) was born about 1820 in Cameron, Steuben Co., NY; died on 21 Dec 1893 in St. Anne, Kankakee Co., IL; was buried in Old Brown-Hanen Cemetery four miles east of Witchert in Pembroke Township on the old Brown farm.IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Letty was only 11 yrs old when her father, Joseph Loghry died in 1831. Her mother having died the year before.

A guardian was appointed for her and she was sent to live with Christian Schock and his wife, Catherine and their family. Christian and Catherine were parents of Esther, who was married to George Loghry (Letty's brother) at the time of Joseph's death. Why she was sent to live with them and not her brother is anyone's guess.

In a letter from Virginia Dickey, County Clerk at Bath, Steuben County, NY, she writes that Lettice was born in 1808. However, there was a guardianship appointed for her after her father's death and at the time she was thirteen, two years after his death. Also, according the 1850 census of St. Anne,Iroquois County,Illinois, it lists Letty as being 30 yrs. old and her husband, Erasmus as 42 yrs. old. This would make her birth date 1820.

Erasmus Darwin Brown, Letty's husband, went to live briefly in Ohio, where Letty was living with the Schock family, in-laws of her brother, George. He and Letty were married about 1834. It isn't certain if they were married in NY or Ohio but their first two daughters were born in New York state.

He and Letty moved their small family to Rob Roy, Fountain county, Indiana around 1838 where his third child, Mary, was born. His son, Allen, born in Shawnee, Fountain County, in 1844 was his last child born in Indiana.

'Dar' and his familiy finally moved to the state of Illinois and settled in the wilderness area known as St. Anne sometime between 1844 and 1846 where his son, Samuel was born.

An article written in the old book of the county history, 'Kankakee County History' is the following:

"Few of the early settlers or families of Kankakee County are better represented in its second generation both among its relief and active citizens, then that established here by Erasmus Brown and Letty Loughry Brown, the former born in New York in 1808. This worthy couple to whom in early life came the desire to travel West and ally their fortunes with its undeveloped strength, left their native New York state and settled in the Wilderness of what then was St. Anne but now is Pembroke township, Kankakee County. Loneliness and deprivation were their portion for they had little of this world's goods and there were few neighbors to whom they could turn for counsel or sympathy. Nevertheless, they had grit and determination and their farm yielded of its fertility in response to their untiring labor.

With the passing of years their family increased until seven children played around their hearthstone. Of these, Jane was the oldest." We know that eventually there were ten children born to this couple.