Wordless Wednesday Sally At MU

This is my Mother-In-Law her Freshman Year at The University of Missouri. MIZ!

Is that dress not to die for? Love it!

Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, 18th Edition

My contribution to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture is a narrative from my mother-in-law, Sally Conlin. The year 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Brookfield, Missouri. A beautiful book was published that is rich in family history stories. Here is Sally's story:

"My Catholic roots begin in Roscommon, Ireland. This is where my great-grandfather, Martin John Conlin was born in 1828 and also my great-grandmother, Ellen McGowan in 1837. They both came to America by boat in the early 1850's, Ellen with her parents. Martin and Ellen met and were married in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 1856. They started their journey to Missouri in 1858 and during this time their first son, John was born. In 1860 they had made their way to Mexico, Missouri where Martin became a U.S. citizen. The family arrived in Brookfield around 1861 so Martin could work on the railroad. Martin and Ellen had 3 more children born in Brookfield. Thomas, who they called "Jersey" was born in 1862. Thomas left to work on the Panama Canal, contracted yellow fever and died there. Mary, born in 1869, married Edward Stephens and lived next door to her parents. Michael, my grandfather, was born in 1866 and married Sarah Golden in 1899 at the Immaculate Conception Church.

Ellen, my great-grandmother, had four sisters and one brother all born in Ireland. They too all settled in Brookfield around 1867 and were all members of the Immaculate Conception Church.

Martin John Conlin died in 1896 and is buried in the front row on the south side of St. Michaels Cemetery, next to Father Tormey. There is an old tale about Martin's tombstone. The story is that Martin brought his hitching post with him from Ireland and that it is in the tombstone. This maybe just "Irish Blarney" or maybe it isn't."

I have posted about this family before. My focus has been to try and find any siblings for Martin John in the hopes of identifying his parents and a starting point for them in Roscommon. The search continues.

Have Irishman...Need family

Martin John Conlin walked the earth for 68 years, 46 of those were in the United States. The first 22 years were in Roscommon Ireland and it is information from those years that I seek.

I have a Declaration of Naturalization and a marriage record that places Martin in Cuyahoga County Ohio from about 1852 to 1856. I have census records that place Martin in Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri in 1860. The remainder of Martins life is spent in Linn County Missouri where he rests today in St. Michael's Cemetery in Brookfield.

The Last Will & Testament of Martin gives little information, everything is left to his wife, Ellen McGowan, whom he married in 1856 in Cleveland, Ohio. Martin's obituary states that he was one of the oldest residents of Brookfield and that he worked for the railroad. In all the accumulated documents and family stories passed down, there is no mention of Martin's family in Roscommon. There is no mention of parents, brothers or sisters. Without a family to tie him to how do I find the right Martin Conlin born in December 1828 in Roscommon Ireland?

My first step will be to search for other possible records that may have been created during Martin's life in the United States. Church records, land records and his Declaration of Intent to become a US citizen are first on my list to search. The next items that may shed some light are documents of Martin's descendants. Martin had three sons and one daughter, John, Thomas, Michael and Mary Ellen. While I have some information on each, there is still more to be found.

I have an Irishman and I would like to reconnect him to his family.