Minnesota 1995

In 1995 Maura, Cath, Tim and Pat joined Mom and Dad on a trip to Minnesota.  Sean was unable to join us.

With Aunt Dode and Kathy Young Raleigh

Adding Cajacobs

Tom & Teri Cajacob and family

The initial reason for the trip to Minnesota was a Walsh family reunion.  I have to admit, there were so many people there that I really don't remember anyone except our first cousins.  I know we met many relatives of Granny (Walsh) Geraghty.

Hill House where Mom taught for a year after graduating from St. Catherines College

Lake Owasso - The summer home throughout Mom's growing up years

St. Mark's Church where Mom & Dad were married.

 Dropbox pictures   Duluth 1995

Edmund English - Part II

Granddaughter, Dolores English Young (Dode), remembers her father talking about his father.  

Edmund was a very tall, slender, good-looking, rather quiet gentleman, but he loved a good time.  He met often with his old buddies and played a good game of cards.  His oldest son, John, remembers going down to the corner saloon for a bucket of beer for the card players--and the bartender would dunk in a hot poker before John would run home with it.  

About 1895 Edmund purchased a home at 99 Litchfield Ave. It was originally built by Wm Hellmann in 1887 and some remodelling was done by Edmund in 1895. All records with an address for Edmund show the 99 Litchfield address except the 1920 census which uses the number 105.  In fact it seems that Edmund owned two different houses right next to each other and even the city has mixed up the addresses in their records using 99, 101, 105 and 107.  In obtaining the historic building permits from the Minnesota Historical Society it became evident that the records of the two houses were mixed up.  For records and more for each house see 101 Litchfield  105 Litchfield The houses stayed in the family for many years.  The original home was the first home of John and Mae Geraghty English.

Edmund was also a good carpenter and did a lot of handy work in their home.  He was a very gentle and kind in handling his children.  

Edmund and Anna had eleven known children. One of the eleven died unnamed in 1907, the rest survived to adulthood.  Check the next post for Notes on the Children of Edmund.

Edmund must have worked for the Great Northern Railway from its formation in 1889. Various railways combined at that point.  His wedding announcement stated he worked for a St. Paul Railroad.

Edmund died on 23 December 1920 at the age of 63 from heart failure following a colocystectomy operation.  Burial was from St. Patrick's Church and interment in Calvary Cemetery. [see note]

Edmund was a member of the Great Northern Railroad Veterans[1], The ancient order of Hibernians[2], the Brotherhood of American Yeomen[3] and the Telegraphers Union[4].  With five minor children at the time of his death, the insurance that was part of at least the APH and BAY must have served as a welcome help to Anna.




 

In Memory of Edmund English

One by one a link is severed

   In the golden chain of love;

One by one some dear one leaves us

  To dwell with the saints bove

One by one our ranks are thinning

  "Round our firesides warm and bright

But the numbers there are swelling,

  In God's mansions fair and bright.

One by one a tie is broken--

  Long united, and so dear;

But it draws our hearts to heaven,

  And it seems so very near.

One by one we, too, shall enter

  That dear home of all the bless'd

And 'twill be so much the sweeter

  To be our dear loved one's guest.

Dora Erickson, a friend

• NOTE.......Edmunds children, Frank and Ceil were both of the impression that their father was 67 when he died, but Ceil found part of a letter from Ireland which gave his baptismal record and recorded his birth date as January 28 1857.  The same letter mentioned that his sister Bridget had died, and that Minnie and Kate were in St. Louis MO.  Maggie was home from America, single and 27 and planning to return to America.  The only brother Martin died at birth as did a sister Nora.  The beginning and end of the letter had been torn off so Ceil did not know who wrote it or when.  What is apparent from further research is that Maggie, Martin and Nora were not siblings of Edward, but rather his neices and nephew, children of his brother John.  Bridget died 19 Nov 1903, which dates the letter after that date.  Martin was born and died in 1877.  Nora was born in 1889 and died at the age of three in 1892.  Maggie was living with her parents in 1911.  It is unknown whether she returned to america.  By process of elimination it seems the letter must have been written by either Johanna who died in 1911 or Julia who married Patrick Rynne in 1915. Edmond's brother John and his wife Margaret Flahavin outlived at least four of their children. John died in 1918 and Margaret in 1932.
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

1. Great Northern Railway Historical Society, History of the Great Northern Railway
2.  "The Ancient Order of Hibernians is a Catholic, Irish American Fraternal Organization founded in New York City 4 May, 1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a parent organization of the same name, which has existed in Ireland for over 300 years. However, while the organizations share a common thread, the North American A.O.H. is a separate and much larger organization."  Click link for more and 
3. The Brotherhood of American Yeomen, a fraternal insurance society is an Iowa production,
   
   and was organized by J.E. and C.B. Paul, at Bancroft, Iowa, February 25, 1897, under the name of "Farmers' Mutual."  The society was popular from the start, the founder evidently having formed a plan of mutual insurance that seemed reasonable and just and which provided for a surplus fund for reserve.  The name, however, did not altogether suit and before the articles of incorporation were filed it was changed to Brotherhood of American Yeomen.  The word yeomen as used in old times meaning land holders.  Soon after incorporating the headquarters were removed to Cedar Rapids and later to Des Moines, where they are now permanently located.  The order has had a rapid growth and its jurisdiction extends from ocean to ocean north of a line drawn east and west through the mouth of the Ohio river, with a few exceptions.  The society has an entertaining ritualistic ceremony of adoption, the work being taken principally from Scott's "Ivanhoe."  The members are called archers and the lodges homesteads.  In 1914 the Brotherhood was located at 517 NY Life Bldg in Saint Paul.
4. It would seem likely this was the Order of Railroad Telegraphers.  There is a collection at the MN historical society that is on my research list.

Edmund English - part I

In December 1920 The Progress, North End Newspaper, St. Paul, Minnesota reported

"The funeral of Edmund English,99 Litchfield Street, who died at St. Joseph's Hospital at 2:20 a.m. Thursday, December 23, 1920, following an operation on the Tuesday previous, occurred from the family residence on Monday morning with solemn serviced at St. Patrick's Church.  The funeral was largely attended, and the floral tributes were many and very beautiful.  The remains were laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery.

Edmund English was born in Gullane, Co. Kerry, Ireland, sixty years ago and came to America when a lad of eighteen, coming to Rochester, Minn.  About 36 years ago he came to St. Paul and entered the employ of the Great Northern Railroad, and has been with this institution since.  Hes work was that of switchtender, and he was active in this to within a few days of his death.  On October 10, 1889, at Rochester, Mr. English was united in holy matrimony with Miss Anna Baier of that city.  Together they then made their home in St. Paul and have resided in this district for about 25 years.  Ten children were given them all of whom survive and together with their mother mourn the loss from their circle of a most loving and devoted soul.  The children are: John, William (at Anchorage, Alaska), Frank (of Seattle, Wash.), Mary (Mrs P.F. Carroll, Mark, Cecelia, Loretta, Leo, Paul and Edmund.  With the exception of William, the entire family was at his bedside at the hospital when he peacefully fell asleep in the Lord.

"Although not in the best of health for some time, Mr. English was always at his post with the exception of two months this fall, which he and Mrs. English spent together on the West Coast.  He was a man who possessed many sterling traits of character and had staunch friends wherever he was known.  He was considered much of a home man, but this never deterred from him performing his duties and more, toward his neighbors and fellowman.  He was a member of the GN Ry Veterans, the ancient Order of Hibernians, the B.of A. Yeoman, and the Telegraphers Union.

"In the sudden and unexpected death of Mr. English the North End lost one of it's finest and most beloved citizens and his pleasant smile will be greatly missed among a large circle of neighbors who join The Progress in extending to the bereaved ones deep sympathy and profound condolance in this their time of affliction, sorrow and temperal solitude."

___________________________________________________________________________

Like so many obituaries this one contains a few vital mistakes.

Edmund English was christened at Doon Church on 26 Jan 1857.  Throughout the years his age and day of birth changed according to the record.  Every record with a month gives October with the date being either the 12 or the 16. While the obit above and other records would put his birth in 1861, the reality is he couldn't have been christened four years before he was born.  Therefore, it seems likely his birth was in October 1856.

Edmund's father died when he was about four and his mother Mary Lawler married John Carmody in April of 1864.  Little is known of his childhood in Gullane. He had three older brothers and two known sisters.

SS Abyssinia

According to family stories, Edmund left home when one of his parents remarried, traveling with his sister Kate. The date of his mother's marriage gives the lie to the story. He was only seven at the time.  There is also no evidence that he sailed with Kate who according to a later letter settled in Saint Louis.

In fact a ship passenger list dated 11 Jun 1879 in New York harbor, states the S S Abyssinia had sailed from Liverpool with Edward English, age 18 a laborer from Ireland on board.  Directly above him on the list is James Carmody age 22. Is this the James Carmody born in Gullane in 1854?  This may not be the right record but we know that Edmund was in Stockton, Winona County in 1880. He is living with his cousin Edward, the son of Jeremiah English.  His age is given as 20.

Edmond filed a Declaration to become a citizen in Rochester that same year.

In 1885 Edmund is living with this cousin Mary, a daughter of Jeremiah, in Viola, Olmsted County.

By 1889 Edmund had moved to St. Paul where he worked as a switchman for the Great Northern Railway.

On 10 Oct 1889 he returned to Rochester to marry Anna Marie Baier

"One of the social events of the season was the marriage of Mr. Edward English of St. Paul, formerly of this county and Miss Ann Buyers of Haverhill, at St. John's church, on the 11th inst., Rev. Father Riordon officiating.  the groom is in the employ of one of the railroad companies of St. Paul, and the bride is well known in this county.  the best wishes of a host of friends accompany the newly wedded pair to their future home in St. Paul." Rochester Record and Union 18 Oct 1889 p3c4

Edmund  is listed in the city directories for 1890 and 1891 at 123 Viola St in Saint Paul.


 

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.