Clontarf Tidbits and Galvin Family Genealogy

April 5, 1901 Swift County Monitor

Whenever I come across one of these Clontarf columns in a neighboring town’s newspaper, I am saddened by the fact that Clontarf never had a newspaper of its own.  I suppose I should be grateful for these sporadic reports of Clontarf events…at least it is something!

I obtained this clipping from the Swift County Historical Society when I requested an obituary for Tara resident Timothy Galvin.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the items mentioned in addition to the death notice (more about Timothy Galvin in a minute.)

A few things that stuck out in this clipping…”Sport” McDonald is one of my favorite Clontarf figures.  I like the nickname.  I wonder if he ever made it to Montana?  I know he made it back in time to woo and marry Michael Donovan’s daughter.  What were you doing in the woods all winter James O’Neil and W. Rutan?  And, the T. Foley mentioned here as delaying a trip to the coast with Ed. McCarthy is my great-grandmother’s brother.  I wonder if he ever made that trip?

Now back to Timothy Galvin.  A couple of weeks ago, Colleen left a comment seeking information on her Galvin and Fleming roots in Tara Township and Clontarf.  This is why I looked up this clipping in the first place.  I previously wrote a bit about her great-grandfather Timothy Galvin – click here to go to the post on Tara Township, section 10, Timothy Galvin’s home.

Unfortunately, the brief notice of Mr. Galvin’s passing does not provide many details about his life and family.  Several years ago when my mom and I were in Clontarf doing research, we came upon a typed genealogy (from the late 1960s?) of the Galvin-Fleming clan, completed by Robert F. Galvin of Saint Paul, Minnesota (I believe he would be Colleen’s uncle.)  The genealogy provides some data on Timothy Galvin, but there appears to be a couple of questionable dates – Timothy Galvin is said to have been born in 1860 and his wife Catherine Kelly in 1861.  I suspect this is incorrect since Colleen said the couple was married in 1872.  Both Timothy and Catherine were born in County Cork, Ireland.  Included are the names of Timothy and Catherine’s children, their spouses, and their children’s names.

The genealogy on the Fleming side is much more detailed and includes entertaining narratives of the lives of James P. Fleming and his wife Bridget (Delia) Fleming.  James fought in the Civil War and was one of the original settlers of Tara Township.  I will share more about the Fleming family in my next post.

In the meantime…does anyone have anything to say about the Clontarf column from above?  Any names or events stick out to you?  Anything you would like to know more about?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

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More on the Clontarf Play (plus…a few news items)

After reading my previous post about the Clontarf play (click here to see original post), cast member Tom Doherty sent me this email:

Hi,

I believe that the year of the play was 1956.  I know that it wasn’t the late ’50s.  All of the characters we played were still alive in 1956, such as Doc Apitz who died in 1958.

I broke my arm about 10 days to 2 weeks before the play and it looked like I wasn’t going to play my Dad (Joe) as scheduled.  Then Annie Ascheman, who worked on the play with all of us, came to me with a solution.  She got the Buck Eucker players to sit down and start dealing and then she had me go and sit down and join them.  Then they all started asking me about the arm – was it broke, etc., and how did I break it.   I said that I was patting myself on the back for playing good cards and I broke my arm.

The whole house just howled and I looked out in the audience and there sat my Dad glaring at me.  Annie was over by the stage and she was in convulsions laughing so hard.  I believe her husband was Fred and they lived out in Tara & Hegbert area.  They went to church in Clontarf, so she knew about all the characters inside and out.  She put in many hours with practicing and rehearsing on this play.

Tom Doherty

What a treat to have this first-hand account!  Thanks for sharing Tom!

Anyone else remember this play, or perhaps other performances put on my the residents of Clontarf?  Leave a comment or send me an email (clontarfhistory@gmail.com)

The big news in Clontarf this week is the new sign that went up on Thursday.  It is a great sign.  I forgot to take a picture, so if someone could email me a picture, I would like to post it.

In a couple of weeks, on Sunday, July 10th, St. Malachy will be holding their annual Summerfest.  This is a fundraiser, complete with Mass, a silent auction, games, and a pot-luck.

Eileen would like to thank everyone who came out Thursday to the Swift County Historical Society for her talk on, The Dutiful Son Louis W. Hill: Life in the Shadow of the Empire Builder James J. Hill.  If you missed it, the book is available from Ramsey County Historical Society…just click here for more information and to order a copy.

Have a good weekend!

Altar Boys: Corrections & Additions

I heard from several readers about the identity of the altar boys pictured below (you may also want to check out the earlier post here.)

 

Altar Boys, 1920

This is how the individuals were previously identified:

Father Patrick Kenney at very back

Back row: Melvin Klucas, unknown, Howard Regan, Robert Reardon (between two rows)

Middle row: Lewis Fennell, Clarence Hargreaves

Front row: ? Flynn, Donald Reynolds, Richard McMahon

Right off the bat, a few of you commented that Melvin Klucas was incorrect as he didn’t become Catholic until he married, and besides was only about five-years-old in 1920 (per Bob Klucas and others.)  Now that altar boy is unknown…could it be Melvin Daniel?

A Clontarf insider, who prefers to remain anonymous, thought the next boy in the back was a McCarthy (Joseph, Emmet, or John perhaps?), and agreed with Howard Regan and Robert “Bud” Reardon.

Next row, I believe everyone was OK with Lewis Fennell, but it was believed that Clarence Hargreaves was too young in 1920, but it could be an older brother (Leonard?).

Regarding the Flynn boy in the front row, I heard from Linda who is researching her husband’s Flynn roots, and she said that possibly it is Jeremiah Flynn.  There was some disagreement with Donald Reynolds (too young), and it was suggested that the middle boy in the front could be either Fred or Walter “Frenchie” Chevalier.  There was universal approval on the identity of Richard McMahon.

There you have it.  Any thoughts in light of the new information? We’ve never heard from any McCarthy or Hargreaves descendants with roots in Clontarf…

 

They Didn’t Need Facebook to Connect

One name stood out to me in the St. Malachy’s record books – it definitely wasn’t Irish and I didn’t think it was French, so I wondered what could be the origin of Birhanzel.  For a good chunk of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries there was a Birhanzel baptism, first communion, or confirmation on nearly every page of the record books. Read the Birhanzel family history (from the 1978 history booklet) to learn more…

Charles Birhanzel Family Story

Charles Birhanzel was born in Czechoslovakia in 1873.  While crossing the Atlantic during the immigration period he met Patrick McCarthy of Ireland.  Years later after Charles had moved to Clontarf Township he happened to stop in at Pat McCarthy’s blacksmith shop in Clontarf and the two shipmates reunited.

Charles settled in Iowa after arriving in the United States and he married Mary Rose Slemenda.  He and Mary Rose moved to the Clontarf area where they raised eleven children: Joseph, Alvina Ann (Hamann), Matilda (Franzmeier), Thomas, Anastasis, Fred (married Adele Hamann), Charles Jr. (Isabelle Palmer), Emma (Michael Zinda), Emily, Rose (Silas Tilotson, and Mary (Walter Wallace).

Descendants that are still living in this area are (in 1978): Joseph in Clontarf, and Mrs. Fred and Mrs. Charles Birhanzel living in Benson.

Would Patrick McCarthy be “Crackers” McCarthy?  Anything to add about the Birhanzel and McCarthy families?

 

School Picture and Altar Boys

It’s been a few weeks and I haven’t received much input on the Clontarf class photo I posted (see post here.)

Here’s the photo again:

Clontarf Class Photo

Tressa Burns (whose grandparents Charles and Phoebe Chevalier lived in Clontarf) had a few identification ideas:

• Back row – boy on the left with hair parted down the middle – Phious Chevalier
• Back row – girl on right with curly hair – Dela Fredrickson
• Middle row – girl in dark dress, left of center – Louise Chevalier; boy to her left – “Red” Regan
• Front row – seated in the middle in white shirt – Raymond Burns

Several years ago, my mother and I identified several of the students with the help of some former Clontarf residents.  Here’s what they told us:

• Back row – starting fourth from left, light-haired girl Marie Fredrick, Susanna Olson, Agnes Fennell (taller), Loretta Foley, Marie Boutain, unknown with face turned, Alice Chamberlain
• Middle row – fourth from right, dark dress is Florence Johnson, to the right is Emeline Mikkelson
• Front row – seated, third from left is Thomas McCarthy, fourth from left is a Chevalier or a Fennell, sixth from the left is Herman Fredrickson?

Nothing really matches up with the two attempts at identifying these students, but the only conflict is the boy Tressa said was her cousin Raymond Burns and our informants said could be a Chevalier or a Fennell.  But that is kind of close, anyway!  Tressa identified my grandfather “Red” Regan, and I don’t see him, but it is neat that she thought of him! JoAnn – does your mother have any memories of John “Red” Regan, or maybe even of his mother?  They lived right in Clontarf.

Take a look at the photo again and see if these identification suggestions jog your memory a bit.  If you need clarification, please leave a comment and I will do my best.

Another photo to ponder…

1920 St. Malachy Altar Boys

If the date is correct, that would be Father Kenny, and it looks like him.  I have some of the boys identified, but I would like to hear what you think.  I will share who I have identified in a couple of days.

This-n-That

Where did the month of September go?  I will announce the September drawing winner later this weekend.  Stay tuned!

Anne had some info on the Roll descendants, read her comment here.  She also had something to say about Jim Gosson here.  Make sure you read all of Anne’s comments…she has tons of great information!

I just received this obituary from Marlys at the Swift County Historical Society.  Mary (Owens) Gosson lived in Section 10 of Tara Township.

Swift County News June 16, 1921

Many of the pall bearers have been mentioned already as residents of section 10 and neighboring parts of Tara.  Neal Regan, James Duggan, William Kenna, David Kent, and John Green.  I am not sure if I mentioned this when I wrote previously about the Gosson family, but I remember Donald and Gerald Regan telling me that when their uncle Jim Duggan was a young man he had a crush on Margaret Gosson.  Jim Duggan never married.  I wonder if Margaret Gosson did?

I am headed to New Hampshire next week, and while there I plan to do a bit of research.  If your family came from Clontarf from New Hampshire and I have not mentioned them, please let me know.

Have a good weekend!