Saturday, August 10, 2019

Wolterman Genealogy - Week 31

My husband’s 3rd great-grandfather, William Duffy, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland about 1810. The only information I know about William is that he married Johanna Britton, also of Tipperary, and that they had at least one child: James born 1833. This information was obtained from the marriage record of James to Katherine Gorman in Canada.

Duffy Gorman Marriage

It is unclear if either William or Katherine emigrated to Canada with James. This is the end of the information I know of the Duffy family.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Wolterman Genealogy - Week 30

James C. Duffy is my husband’s 2nd great-grandfather. He was born about 1833 in County Tipperary, Ireland to William and Johanna (Britton) Duffy. He emigrated from Ireland to Quebec, Canada around 1850. On 14 April 1856, he married Katherine (sometimes spelled Catherine) A. Gorman in Aylmer, Quebec. Their first 2 children were born in Alymer: William in 1860 and Catherine in 1862.

James and Katherine

Sometime after 1862 and before 1868, the family moved to Ishpeming, Marquette County, Michigan. The following children were born in Ishpeming: Margaret born 1868; Mary Ann born 1870; James F. born 1872; and Rachael born 1873. The 1870 census from Ishpeming indicates that James was a laborer.

After 1873 but before 1878, James moved his family to Renville County, Minnesota where son John was born in 1878. On the 1880 census James was listed as a farmer. The 1900 census indicated that 71-year-old James was a landlord in Renville. Between 1900 and 1910, James and Katherine moved to Yakima, Washington to live with their daughter Mary and her family.

James died at the age of 79 on 31 August 1912 in Yakima County, Washington. Katherine lived to be 86. She died 15 February 1922. They are both buried in Calvary Cemetery, which has served the Yakima Catholic community since 1903. It is interesting to note that the headstone show the name as Duffey. The marriage record of James and Katherine lists the name as Duffy. The stone also has the age of James at death incorrect. Inconsistencies are common in genealogy!

Duffy stone

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Wolterman Genealogy - Week 29

Last week I wrote about Filomena Reichel. I know nothing about her family, other than the fact that her parents were Frank and Francina (Fidler) Reichel, so I have no more to add to the Reichel family story.

Alymer, Canada

Instead this week I will talk about my husband’s other great-grandmother Catherine Duffy, who was born 24 April 1862 in Alymer, Quebec, Canada. Alymer was incorporated in 1847 and is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River.

Notre Dame Cathedral
The daughter of James and Katherine (Gorman) Duffy, Catherine was baptized on 25 April 1862 by a priest from the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ottawa. The cathedral was elevated to the status of a basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1879.

When Catherine was about 6 years of age, her family moved to Ishpeming, Marquette County, Michigan, which is located in the Upper Peninsula. By the time she was 18, they had moved again, settling in Birch Coolie, Renville County, Minnesota. The 1885 Minnesota Territorial Census, taken on May 1st, indicates that 22-year-old Catherine was living with her family in Norfolk Township, Renville County, Minnesota. That same year she married Joseph C. Reger in Renville. Their life together was discussed in Week 24, which can be found here.

Catherine was 72 when she died in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota on 15 June 1934.

Catherine Duffy Reger