James W. Downes

M, (1881 - 1964)
Father*Thomas Patrick Downes (1841 - 1925)
Mother*Margaret Ann Enright Downes (1860 - 1912)
Relationship2nd cousin of Thomas Duane McCarthy Sr
Birth*Jul 1881 Iowa (IA), United States (US)1 
Marriage*2 Jun 1908 Sheldon, O'Brien, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Mary Alice Griffin Downes, priest=Pastor James P. Barron, Witness=Thomas Patrick Downes, Witness=Kathryn F. Downes2 
(Witness) Marriage22 Feb 1911 Saint Patrick's church, Sheldon, O'Brien, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Eleanor Frances Cashman Downes, Groom=Thomas Patrick Downes2 
Death*17 Jul 1964 Sudbury, Ontario (ON), Canada (CA)3 
Biography* James W. Downes, 1881-1964:
James was a first generation Irish-American, his father was born in Ireland, his mother in Minnesota. James was the second of nine children and the oldest of three sons. He grew up in Sheridan twnship, Sioux County, Iowa. When James married Mary Alice Griffin in 1908, he had left the home farm, was living in O'Brien County, Iowa and working as a real estate agent. Their first child was born in Alberta Province, Canada but by 1910, the family was renting at 632 North Crestline Street in the first ward of Spokane, Washington. James was working as a real estate agent. The following year, they moved back to Canada and were living at 418 13th Street, Hillhurst Block in Calgary, Alberta Province. James was working in real estate and his sister Kate was living with them. In 1914, James became a Canadian citizen. In 1916, the family was living at 533 Stadacona West in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Province. James was farming and employing others. In 1925, James received 80-acres in section 16 of Sheridan township, Sioux County, Iowa from his father's estate. And in that year the family was back in Calgary. In 1926, they were living at 224 18th Avenue. James and Mary Griffin later separated and she and their children returned to the USA in 1937. James moved to Sudbury in Ontario Province.

James, 70, died in Saint Joseph hospital, Sudbury on a Friday. The funeral was held the following day at Saint Anne Catholic church with Rev, P. G. Fontaine (SJ) officiating. There was a legal notice published in the Oregonian newspaper (a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon) on 23 October by the executrix of James' estate attempting to locate James' kin and beneficiaries. The last known address of Mary Alice Downes aka Mrs J W Downes was Calgary, Canada but Mary and children settled in Porland when they left Canada.4 
Last Edited6 Jun 2023

Citations

  1. [S35] 1900 Federal Census, Sioux County, Iowa,.
  2. [S42] O'Brien county marriage record.
  3. [S1975] Ancestry.com, Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1802-1967.
  4. Apparently neither Mary nor any of the children stayed in touch with James. But the executrix may have known that one of the children lived in Portland while Mary and others were still in Canada explaining why the legal notice was posted in a Portland newspaper. Mary had died 12-years earlier in 1952. Whether one of the children responded to the legal notice is unknown.

John Joseph Barry

M, (1867 - )
Father*Thomas Berry (1819 - 1884)
Mother*Ellen Duggan Berry (1830 - 1902)
Birth*Aug 1867 New York (NY), United States (US)1 
Occupation*Nov 1907 railroad work||, Wapello, Iowa2 
Marriage*27 Nov 1907 Sheldon, O'Brien, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Mary E. A. Downes Barry, priest=James P. Barrow, Witness=Thomas Patrick Downes, Witness=James Griffin2 
Death*  
Biography* John Joseph Barry, 1867-????:
John was a first generation Irish-American. His father Thomas Barry appeared in Utica, Oneida County, New York circa 1849. His mother Ellen Duggan the following year. In 1855, married, they were living as servants with Mr. & Mrs. W. C. Johnson, he a Utica attorney. Thomas was working as a coachman, Ellen in housework. There were seven additional servants in the household, six of them from Ireland. In 1865, the family was living in a $500 house they owned in Kirkland township also in Oneida County. The father Thomas, now a U.S. citizen, was working as shoemaker. Eight children had been born to the union, six of whom were living - all born in Oneida County. Two more children were born in New York, both probably in Oneida County. John was the tenth and last. By 1870, when John was about three-years-old, the family was living in Plymouth township, Rock County, Wisconsin. And by 1880 the family was living in Cedar township of Greene County, Iowa and his parents were farming. The father Thomas died in 1884 and the mother Mary continued to operate the 40-acre farm in Section 34 with a mortgage. By 1900, John was the only child still living on the home farm.

NOTE: All the records found for John until 1900 list his birthplace as New York. After this, his birthplace was always listed as Iowa.

John's mother Ellen died in 1902 and by the time of his marriage in 1907, John was living in Iowa and working for a railroad. In 1912, according to his mother-in-law's obit, John and Mary were living in Malden, Washington. In 1915, they were renting in Sheldon, O'Brien County Iowa and John was working in real estate. In 1914, he earned $1,000. In 1925, John and Mary were living in a $500 house they owned free of mortgage in Center township, Wapello County. John was retired. They had a daughter living with them who it is believed was adopted by them. In 1929, wife Mary's grandmother's probate file listed her residence as Montana.

Nothing more about John has been learned. 
Last Edited1 Aug 2022

Citations

  1. [S1767] 1900 Federal Census, Greene County, Iowa,.
  2. [S42] O'Brien county marriage record.

Mary Alice Griffin Downes

F, (1884 - 1952)
Father*James Griffin (1839 - 1921)
Mother*Bridget Ryan Griffin (1853 - 1919)
Name Variation Mary A. Downs 
Birth*21 May 1884 Sheldon, O'Brien, Iowa (IA), United States (US)1 
Marriage*2 Jun 1908 Sheldon, O'Brien, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Groom=James W. Downes, priest=Pastor James P. Barron, Witness=Thomas Patrick Downes, Witness=Kathryn F. Downes2 
Married Name2 Jun 1908 Downes [Griffin] 
Death*4 Sep 1952 Portland, Multnomah, Oregon (OR), United States (US)3 
Note*5 Sep 1952 obituary: (Portland) Oregon Journal, Friday 05 September 1952/p.4/c.6/funeral Notices/Downs4 
Burial*8 Sep 1952 Mount Calvary cemetery, Portland, Oregon (OR), United States (US)5 
Biography* Mary A. Griffin Downes, 1884-1952:
Mary, a first generation Irish-American, was the seventh child of ten born to her father James Griffin from County Clare, Ireland and her mother Bridget Ryan from County Tipperary. Both parents immigrated, separately, to Cook County, Illinois and were marrried there in 1872. Their first child was born in Cook County. The second in Wisconsin, the third in Minnesota, the fourth and fifth in Sioux County, Iowa. 6 The sixth child died as an infant. By the time Mary, an unnamed seventh child on her birth cert, was born in 1884, the family had moved to Sheldon, O'Brien County. Two and possibly a third were born after Mary as a second child had died by 1900. Of the eight children living in 1900, She was the second oldest of four daughters and had four brothers. Mary grew up and was educated in Sheldon. Her education included two years of college. In 1908, Mary Griffin, 24, was married to James Downes at Saint Patrick's Catholic church in Sheldon by Pastor James P. Barron. Witnesses were Mary's brother Thomas and her sister Kate.

Mary and James left for Canada, where the first of five daughters was born. But by 1910 they had returned to the USA and were renting at 632 North Crestline Street in the 1st ward of Spokane, Washington. The following year they went back to Canada and were living in Hillhurst, Calgary, Alberta Province where the second daughter was born. By 1914, they were living in Saskatchewan Province. In 1916, the family was living at 533 Stadacona West, Moose Jaw. Two daughters were born in Saskatchewan Province. By 1918, they were back in Calgary where the fifth daughter was born. Sometime later, probably in the mid-1930s, Mary and James separated. In 1937, Mary and two daughters left 928-17 Avenue West, Calgary for Portland, Oregon to join a daughter that lived at 1650 S.E. Hawthorn Avenue there. They crossed the border at Eastport, Idaho on the 13th of June in an automobile. Mary was described as being 5'-7'' in height with a fair complexion, auburn hair and blue eyes. She had become a Canadian citizen during her stay there and petitioned for U.S. citizenship on the 21st of July in Clark County, Washington. In 1939, Mary had non-salary income. In 1940, she listed herself as a widow. Mary owned a $4,500 house at 2923 2nd Avenue in Portland, Oregon. In 1943, she was listed as Alys Downes on Social Security rolls. Later she lived at 2923 N.E. 24th Avenue.

Mary, 68 (her death cert listed her as a 65-year-old widow), died in Providence hospital in Portland on a Thursday. One of her daughters was informant on the death cert. She was survived by four daughters and one granddaughter. Cause of death was a cerebral vascular accident, due to artereosclerosis. F. Floyd South (MD) was Mary's physician. The funeral was held at the Church of the Madeleine, NE 23d & Sisklyou, on Monday. Hennessey, Goetsch and McGee Funeral Home, NW 17th and Davis, was in charge.

NOTE: Although Mary listed herself as a widow and is described as such on her death cert, she predeceased James by almost 12-years. The executrix of James estate posted a legal notice in a Portland newspaper seeking contact with Mary or anyone who knew her whereabouts. There must have been little or no contact between James and Mary or their daughters. For instance, the executrix did not know that Mary was deceased. But she did know enough to publish the notice in a Portland newspaper. At least one of the daughters was living in Portland on the date the notice was published. It is unknown if any contact resulted from the notice. 
Last Edited5 Jul 2022

Citations

  1. [S43] O'Brien county birth record.
  2. [S42] O'Brien county marriage record.
  3. [S1745] https://familysearch.org/, Oregon Death Index, 1903-1998.
  4. [S18] Obituary, genealogybank.com.
  5. [S18] Obituary,.
  6. NOTE: In 1880 this Griffin family was living in Sheridan township and were close neighbors of Matthew and Hannah McCabe. Matthew McCabe was the grand uncle of Mary's future husband James Downes.

Anthony Quinn

M, (1867 - 1893)
Father*Austin Quinn (1823 - 1906)
Mother*Sarah Collins Quinn (1833 - 1905)
Birth*23 Nov 1867 Lyons, Clinton, Iowa (IA), United States (US)1,2 
(Witness) Marriage30 Oct 1888 Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Groom=John Quinn, Bride=Stella McCarthy Quinn3 
Marriage*8 Feb 1893 Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Anna Cecilia McCabe Quinn Curtis, priest=Rev. J. Phelan, Witness=Mary V. Ryan McHugh2 
Death*26 Dec 1893 Sheridan Tp, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US)4 
Note*28 Dec 1893 death notice: Rock Valley (Iowa) Register, Thursday 28 December 1893/p.5/c.25 
Burial*28 Dec 1893 Saint Joseph's Cemetery, Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US)1,5 
Note30 Dec 1893 death notice: Alton (Iowa) Democrat, Saturday 30 December 1893/p.8/c.35 
Biography* Anthony Quinn, 1867-1893:
Anthony was a first generation Irish-American farmer. He grew up in Hampshire township in Clinton County, Iowa. Anthony was the sixth of nine children and the fourth of seven sons. Both of his parents were illiterate. Anthony came to Sioux County circa 1890, In 1893, when he married Anna McCabe, he was farming in Lincoln township. The marriage took place at the Catholic church in Hull, Sioux County and was witnessed by Martin Quinn (his brother) and by Mary Ryan, his bride's cousin.

Anthony, 26, died at his home north of Hull on a Tuesday - the day after Christmas. He had come up from Hull to visit his father-in-law Matt McCabe and while there contracted typhoid fever. Married less than a year, Anthony was survived by his wife and 50-day-old son. 

Family

Anna Cecilia McCabe Quinn Curtis b. 16 Sep 1869, d. 23 Aug 1954
Child
Last Edited3 Oct 2022

Citations

  1. [S8] Tombstone.
  2. [S2006] Sioux county marriage record.
  3. [S57] Skamania county marriage record.
  4. [S46] Sioux county death record.
  5. [S18] Obituary,.

James Leo Curtis

M, (1861 - 1944)
James Leo Curtis,
1861-1944
Father*James Curtis (1822 - 1885)
Mother*Julia Halloran Curtis (c 1826 - 1896)
Birth*20 Oct 1861 Urbana, Champaign, Ohio (OH), United States (US)1 
Marriage*1 Jul 1890 Elkader, Clayton, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Susan Cain Curtis2 
Marriage*31 Jan 1899 Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Anna Cecilia McCabe Quinn Curtis, priest=Rev. J. Phelan, Witness=Eugene Hagan, Witness=Ellen Leona McCabe Gossen3 
Death*7 Jul 1944 Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US)1 
Burial*10 Jul 1944 Saint Joseph's Cemetery, Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US)4,1 
Note13 Jul 1944 obituary: Sioux County (Iowa) Index, Thursday 13 July 1944/p.8/c.2 (cont from p.1 which is missing)1 
Note*13 Jul 1944 obituary Sioux Center (Iowa) News, Thursday13 July 1944/p.3/c.41 
Biography* James Leo Curtis, 1862-1944:
James was a first generation Irish-American. He was the middle child of five and the second of three sons. His father James Curtis was a farmer. His mother Julia Halloran was born in County Clare, Ireland. Circa 1866, the family moved from Ohio to Littleport in Clayton County, Iowa. Iowa and by 1870 were living in Elk township, Clayton County. James completed a sixth grade education there. By 1885, the family was on the East-Half of the North-East-Quarter in Section 01 of Jefferson township. In 1888, James moved to Maurice, Iowa where he operated a hardware store for two-years. Then for an additional two-years he farmed near Ashton, Iowa. James married twice. His first marriage to Susan Cain of Elkadre, Iowa in 1890 produced a son Merrill born in 1891. Susan died two-years later and James moved with his son Merrill and widowed mother Julia to Lincoln township in Sioux County. There he bought the farm on which he lived the rest of his life. His second marriage was to Anna McCabe in 1899. She also had been previously married and had one son Angelo Quinn. James Curtis and Anna McCabe produced five offspring of their own - two sons and three daughters. By 1905 the farm was valued at $5,600 incumbered with an $1,800 mortgage. In 1915, the farm was valued at $16,000 with $1,400 in mortgages and James earned $500. In 1925, the farm was valued at $24,500. There were mortages of $4,750 and insurance cost $2,000.

James died on a Friday at age 83. Cause of death was myocardial decomm (2-months) and senile dementia (6-years). Son Major Curtis was informant on the death cert. He was survived by his second wife Anna, son Major Merrill J Curtis of Fort Snelling, three daughters Mary C Durband of Hull, Julia T Nussbaum of LeMars, Iowa and Mildred C Murphy of Memphis, Tennessee and one-step-son Angelo S Quinn of Hull. The funeral was held Monday at Saint Joseph's in Hull. Funeral Director Ed. C. Weir (an uncle of James' wife Anna) of Hull, Iowa was in charge. James died without a will and by law one-third of his estate went to his wife Anna and the remaining two-thirds to his four living children. In October the court determined that the estate was valued at about $20,000.00 and consisted of 100 acres of land and about $2,000.00 in personal property. 

Family

Anna Cecilia McCabe Quinn Curtis b. 16 Sep 1869, d. 23 Aug 1954
Children
Last Edited4 May 2023

Citations

  1. [S18] Obituary,.
  2. [S1745] https://familysearch.org/, Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992.
  3. [S2006] Sioux county marriage record.
  4. [S8] Tombstone.

Michael L. Gossen

M, (1869 - 1944)
Father*William Gossen (c 1828 - )
Mother*Margaret Doran Gossen (c 1845 - )
Birth*16 Sep 1869 Wilmington, Will, Illinois (IL), United States (US)1,2 
Marriage*24 Apr 1901 Saint Mary's, Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US); Bride=Ellen Leona McCabe Gossen, priest=Rev. J. Phelan, Witness=John Gossen, Witness=Rose L. McCabe3 
Death*2 May 1944 Rock Rapids, Lyon, Iowa (IA), United States (US)4 
Note*4 May 1944 obituary: Rock Rapids (Iowa) Reporter, Thursday 04 May 1944/p.6/c.62 
Burial*6 May 1944 Saint Joseph's Cemetery, Hull, Sioux, Iowa (IA), United States (US)4,5 
Biography* Michael L. Gossen, 1869-1944:
Michael was a first generation Irish-American born in Illinois. His obituary listed his birthplace as Peoria but Wilmington in Will County is a more likely birthplace. Michael had an older brother that was born in New York State. In 1870, the family was living in Wilmington of Will County, Illinous. The father William was working as a day laborer. In 1885, they were farming in Emerick precinct in Madison County, Nebraska. The father was listed as married but the mother was not listed. The two sons were working as farm hands. Son Michael moved to Rock Rapids, Lyon County, Iowa circa 1896. He had an 8th grade education and worked for many years as a well driller. In the beginning he worked for M. E. Layne and in 1914 earned $3,000. By 1920 Michael was in business for himself. In 1920, he and family were living on Boone Street. They owned their house free of mortgage. In 1924, Michael was unemployed for six-minths. In 1930, they owned a $1,200 house at 311 Fourth Street. By 1935, they owned a house at 308 West Fifth. In 1939, Michael had no wages and no other income. In 1940, their house was valued at $2,000. His wife Ellen died in 1941.

Michael, 74, died at home on a Tuesday of a stroke suffered the night before. His health had been poor since suffering a stroke over ten-years before. Michael was survived by his six children: Mrs Ethel (John) McCord of Cherokee, Iowa; William of Grinnell, Iowa; Sergeant Delphin in England; Sergeant Michael in Omaha, Nebraska; Orville with the U.S. Navy in the southwest Pacific Ocean and Kathryn Gossen of Rock Rapids. There was a private funeral on Friday at the home. Michael was buried in Hull with his wife Ellen and their child Michal. 

Family

Ellen Leona McCabe Gossen b. 28 Mar 1872, d. 11 Aug 1941
Children
Last Edited23 Oct 2022

Citations

  1. [S2007] 1870 Federal Census, Will County, Illinois,.
  2. [S18] Obituary,.
  3. [S2006] Sioux county marriage record.
  4. [S59] Lyon county death record.
  5. [S8] Tombstone.