John FITZGERALD & Mary Ellen McKinley CONNER
Father: John FITZGERALD
Note in an ancestral family submitted file this man is listed as Edward Fitzgerald. However, on the children's death certifcate on Kate's her father is listed as John Fitzgerald. I have used John because of the official record one of his children's death certificate. The informant on the Kates death certificate is Ina Roy, one of Kate Woodhouse's children. who probably would have been best informed of her grandfathers first name.
Mother: Mary Ellen McKinley CONNER, (daughter of (Private)), b. 6 Jun 1841, Cork City Boherbue village Cork County parish of Kilmeen, d. 30 Sep 1910, Kansas City KS, bur. Webb City Cemetery Webb City MO
Mary Ellen's birth year varies though the date stays the same. . In the Bible she states she was born June 6, 1841. In another Bible she is listed as having been born in 1840 with no birth date. . On the census she indeed gives her birth month as June. Because of the various ages on census, it looks as if she either forgot or was trying to shade her age as many women did. Even though her dates varies, because of the bible date which she herself wrote more than likely and her identification of being born in Cork City, her parents being Patrick Conner and Mary Hickey are an excellent possible.. As my , Aunt Vonnie did say her she believed Mary Ellen's mother to be someone “Hickey ” There is a marriage record of a Mary Conner and John Fitzgerald in County Kerry the next county over from Cork Ireland in Sept 24 1853. However this would make her just turned 12 at the time of her marriage,so this date is questionable. As it is not the right county and because of her age I have included it in her notes but not used it as a sure date of marriage. For a time she and John Fitzgerald lived in England, as her daughter Katherine is born there in London in 1861.She says on the 1900 census that she gave birth to 11 children and 4 are living The four living in 1900 would have been Katherine, Patrick, James and David, . A file at Family search gives her name as Mary Ellen McKinley Conner., On her son David Edward Whalen's death certificiate her last name is verified as Conner. John Fitzgerald, her first husband died by the time of the Greene County Missouri Census in 1870. In 1870 the widow Fitzgerald lists her occupation as washing and ironing. And she marries Edward Whalen on .May 10, 1872 in Greene County where he is listed as Edward Wheelon and she is listed as Mrs Mary Fitzgerald. It is said by family members that after 1880 Edward Whalen deserted his family. He is not buried next to her and a plot she bought is finally sold to her daughter in 1913 in order to bury her granddaughter Hazel next to her. She wanted her son David to be a priest and sent him to a seminary at one time. This gave him a life long aversion to the Catholic church and my mother recalls her father not allowing the girls to go to anything but a Protestant church although they rarely went. Mary Ellen dies it said in Kansas City (Rosedale) and her body was brought back to Webb City in 1910 to be buried in Webb City Cemetery.1870 Census Campbell township PO Springfield Greene County Fitzgerald, Mary 29 Washing and Ironing as occupation born Ireland parents born Ireland widow Fitzgerald, Catherine 10 daughter born England parents born Ireland Fitzgerald, Patrick 5 son born Missouri parents born Ireland Fitzgerald, James 7 months born Missouri parents born Ireland 1880 census info see her husband Edward Whalen1900 Township Joplin of Webb City 11 East main Street Jasper County Whalen, Mary F Jan 1841 59 widowed 11 children born 4 alive born Ireland parents born Ireland house renter can read and write owns home.
Children:
- Katherine Margaretta FITZGERALD, b. 18 Jun 1861, London England, d. 18 Mar 1934, Missouri
- Patrick William FITZGERALD, b. 25 Mar 1865, Greene County Missouri, d. 7 Jul 1907
- James Thomas FITZGERALD, b. Nov 25 1868 0r 1869, d. 24 Mar 1935, possibly Harmony Indiana