John Geraghty

John Geraghty was born in Carrownaclea on 15 May 1864 to Patt Geraghty and Mary Killeen. The birth was reported by his grandmother Judy Ludden, who made her mark.  Ludden is the maiden name of Edward's wife, Judy, and Edward is still alive.  Although unusual in Irish records it appears her maiden name was used.

John was christened either the 15 or the 20 of May depending on the source.  The record found for 15 May gives a first name of Thomas rather than John.  It does appear to be a report of fees collected for the christening, so it may have been created at a later date and errors might have occurred.

Having grown up in poverty, John joined his father working in England as he got older. The family emigrated to Minnesota when John was twenty and he joined in the family efforts to build a house for all.

On 22 Sep 1891 he married Mary Walsh.  No record has been found to show whether Mary and John knew each other in Ireland, but they both lived in the same parish and were of similar age, so it seems likely that they had at least seen each other there.  No explanation of how they met in St. Paul exists, either and no family tales have been passed down.

John, like his father, worked for the water company.  He and Mary settled at 424 Charles.  It appears that the house in the South Frogtown area of St. Paul, no longer stands (although other streets had there houses renumbered so that isn't certain).

Over the next six years John and Mary had four daughters. Mary Agnes bn 1892, Julia Vereena bn 1894, Winnifred Irene (Minnie) bn 1895, and Angella Genevieve bn 1897.  Minnie died in 1896 and Angella in 1898.

St Paul Globe 5 Dec 1897 p.10

John died on 27 Nov 1897 of phthisis pulmonalis (tuberculosis) and the age of 33.  He was mourned by his parents, siblings and wife.  Mary told her daughter that his parents blamed her for his death.  Whether that is true or just a perception on her part we will never know.  Mary Agnes and Julia lived with their grandparents and often visited their doting Uncle Edward, so any bad feelings definitely did not transfer to her children.





After his death, Mary bought a cemetery plot in Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul for $35 and had a tombstone erected.  Today, the badly worn stone bears the names of her husband, Minnie, Angela and Mary, herself.

Patrick Geraghty

NO IRISH Landlord after landlord turned away the newly arrived Geraghty family as they searched for an acceptable home in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1884 or so the family story goes. A large burly bearded man, Patrick looked the epitome of the rowdy Irish immigrant that the landlords were hoping to discourage, but in fact he was the the opposite,  a tee-totaling, hard working, god-fearing, man.  They missed out on a great tenant.

465 Topping Street

Not finding suitable lodgings the family instead purchased land on Topping Street in 1885 and built a house.  That is a story itself, starting with the \seller of the lots not registering the sales until three years after the houses were built, to remodeling the house a year after it was built to create the second story ..... you'll find it all in 465 Topping Street: A House History.  The house remained in the family until 1936 when Patrick's daughter Bridget Geraghty sold it.

But back to Patrick.  He was born in Ireland 31 Jan 1839 probably in Islandeady Parish.  No record has been found, registers for the parish start later that year.

Patrick married Mary Killeen on 21 Feb 1863 in Islandeady RC Parish, Mayo, Ireland  

Auntie Dode wrote that ...  "The newly married Geraghty's moved to Carnaclay (Carrownaclea), near Westport in County Mayo.  They had six children.  Patrick was an Irish laborer who traveled to England to work. While he was away from home the children would work on their small farm, raising their own food. They were very poor.  The children remember spreading manure by hand and washing clothes in the bay with sticks and stones.  They lived on boiled potatoes (peeled by hand after cooking as they had no knives). They were poor, honest, and very pious people, with great faith in the Lord. The older children remember, too, the bread vans of Carnaclay, having tea in Westport, working long and hard and having little food."

Patrick and family arrived in Boston on the Scandinavian in May 1884 with the intention of traveling on to St. Paul.  They came unencumbered with goods, having only two pieces of baggage among them.  It is unknown whether they had any funds, but seems unlikely, especially considering the memories of the children.  Those memories also make it more likely they were part of an immigration scheme.  See Geraghty Immigration.

The entire family chipped in and lived in the house.  The 1888 Directory shows Patrick as a laborer, John as a plasterer, Patrick a printer, and Edward a canvassar.  After her marriage in 1892 Winifred and her husband James Tracy also lived in the household.

Patrick, never afraid of hard work, was an employee of St. Paul Water Works for many years. After his retirement he found it difficult to be idle and he took up the position of custodian at the Court House of St. Paul.  At the time of his death in 1923 of pneumonia at the age of 84 is was working as a "Watchman" for the city.