Week 25 - the Ancestor Who Stays With Me

 

Through years of researching my family history, one figure has haunted me more than any other: young Kate O'Brien. Her story has stayed with me, compelling me again and again to search the past and give voice to a life nearly lost to time.

Catherine "Kate" O'Brien was born March 8, 1852, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Thomas and Katherine (Connors) O'Brien. Both of her parents were born in Ireland and were new immigrants to America. 

Kate along with her sister Mariah and their parents lived in Hudson, Lenawee County, Michigan at the time of Kate's marriage to James Dennis Sheridan on May 25, 1874. James was a clerk in his half-brother Michael's general store in downtown Brooklyn, Michigan.


James D Sheridan and Catherine O'Brien
Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952

James Sheridan was the half-brother to our 2x great grandfather Patrick Sheridan. A twist to the family story is that Kate's sister Mariah was married to our Patrick's full brother Michael Sheridan. Oh, what a tangled web we weave! 

Kate and James were married just over a year when their first son Paul Henry Sheridan was born July 7, 1875, in Columbia, Jackson County, Michigan. Paul grew up in Brooklyn, Michigan and married Beulah Besse in 1903 in New Jersey and spent his lifetime between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He died April 29, 1930, in Pennsylvania. Both Paul and his wife Beulah are buried in Highland Cemetery in Brooklyn, Jackson County, Michigan.

Twins William and Joseph were born February 11, 1877, and unfortunately, William died at birth and Joseph survived less than twenty-four hours. 

Emmett Francis Sheridan was born November 24, 1879, and went on to marry Georgia Reist and they had one son Emmett, Jr. Not much is found about either Emmett. He and Georgia divorced in May 1936 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

Agnes Sheridan was born September 13, 1882, and twelve days later, passed away on September 25th. Peter Eclestine was born May 19, 1884, and passed away eleven days later on May 30th. 

Unfortunately, his mother Kate died three days before young Peter on the 27th of May 1884, from childbirth fever. Just two days after her 10th wedding anniversary. 

Catherine 'Kate' O'Brien Sheridan
St. Joseph Catholic Church & Shrine
Brooklyn, MI

She had birthed six children in nine years and four of them did not survive. I have records of their deaths, but there are no markers for any of them. My heart aches for her to have loved and dreamed of their futures to only have those dreams fade away.

Barbie






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