The Grahams come from
County Tipperary in Ireland. They are from St. Johnstown, Townland, which
is in Killenaule Parish, which is in the Diocese of Cashel, all in County
Tipperary Ireland. Cashel held the throne of Brian Boru, the one
king of Ireland able to unite all of Ireland, and drive the Vikings from
Ireland. All of the Grahams came to Stearns County in Minnesota where
they homesteaded. They were among the early pioneer settlers of Stearns
County. Gretchen Liesen, the sister of my brother Bill's wife Marjorie
Leisen, a qualified Genealogist, prepared the following vignette on the
Grahams for her nieces and nephews whose dad is named William Graham Donohue.
PIONEER PROGENITORS
THE GRAHAM FAMILY OF
STEARNS COUNTY
"It's a Long Way
From Tipperary"
Among the numerous famine immigrants from Ireland in the 19th century was the family of Patrick Graham and his wife Bridget Kelly of Johnstown, Tipperary. Patrick Graham was born 18 Feb. 1806 in Tipperary, Ireland where the name Graham is endemic. In about 1824-25 he married Bridget Kelly of Johnstown. Bridget was born in 1803. This couple had ten known children whom they brought to the U.S. in about 1849-50 entering in through the port of New Orleans. Eventually the family moved north and settled in Ross and Vinton counties in Ohio. They came west to Minnesota between 1857-1859. With such a large family and many of the children already adults, it's difficult to track them and arrange them in proper birth order. Primary records are not available at this time. Patrick and Bridget Graham came to Grove Township in about 1858. In the 1860 census they had 5 children in their household: Thomas, William James, Michael and Alice. Patrick farmed, and on 23 Feb. (or 26 Jan.) 1875 he died. He is buried in St. Patrick's cemetery in Melrose the first of the entire family to rest there! Bridget Kelly Graham remained on the farm with her son William until her death on 22 September 1881.
The children of Patrick and Bridget remained for the most part in Stearns County with the exception of one son, Arthur, who died in the Civil War according to family knowledge. The remaining nine children in presumed order of birth are discussed below:
Thomas Graham, born 20 May 1826 in Ireland. He married Mary McLean of Melrose in 1862. They farmed in Lake George Township. This couple had 14 children: Arthur, Patrick, William, Michael, Thomas, John, Alice, Margaret, Elizabeth, Johanna, Beatrice, Thomas, Mary and Catherine. In addition to farming, Thomas was a mason and he helped build the old St. Mary's church in St. Cloud. Thomas died on 9 Feb. 1900, and Mary died on 8 May 1909.
John Graham (birth date unknown) died of a fever and the last known record of him was the 1865 Minnesota census where he was living with a James Duncan family in Oak Township. William Graham born 5 April 1829-30, remained a bachelor for most of his life. After the death of his father he lived with his mother and farmed the old Graham homestead. In about 1882 it appears he married, for the 1885 census reveals a wife, Mary Moritz, born in Germany age 45 years, and a son Patrick, age 1. Also in this household were five older children with the name Moritz: Peter, Barbara Mathias, Margaret and Joseph. It would seem therefore, that Mary was a widow when she married William, and these older children were hers. William Graham died on 24 Feb. 1891 when he suffered a heart attack and fell out of a wagon. No further information on his survivors is known.
Margaret Graham was born 22 Feb. 1831-32, and sometime before the family's emigration she married Kieran Loonam in Tipperary. This couple lived in Ross County Ohio for awhile, for one daughter, Mary E. Loonam, was born in Chillicothe Ohio in 1861 according to her epitaph. The next two children were born in Michigan. They came to Minnesota in the late 1860's and settled in Millwood Township. Five children are known: John, Mary E., Arthur, Bernard and Elizabeth. Margaret Graham Loonam died on 4 April 1910. Kieran died on 6 March 1919.
Arthur Graham as mentioned earlier died in the Civil War.
Edward Graham, born between 1835-1840, was a private in the Civil War serving in Co. F., 9th Kentucky Vol. Cavalry. He married his wife, Kate, in 1863 in Shelbyville, KY. The two eldest children were born there. Eventually they moved to Millwood Township where they farmed. Their children numbered 11, among them: Honora, Patrick, Bridget, James, Ellen, Mary, Edward H., John A., & William. Edward died July 27, 1902 and Kate died March 31, 1930.
Patrick Graham, Jr. was born 1 March 1836-1837. He came to Stearns County in about 1859 and on 16 Oct. 1862 he enlisted in Co. D' 1st Minn. Mounted Rangers and was discharged in Nov. 1863. In 1876 he married Ellen Brown and they farmed in Grove Township and had 12 children: Mary Ann, Patrick, Catherine, Samuel, Arthur, James, Nell, Elizabeth, Alice, John, Michael & William. Patrick died 31 Dec. 1905, and Ellen died Sept. 24, 1936.
Alice Graham was born July 4, (between 1837-1846). She married Samuel Brown, Jr. in 1872. They had two children and lived in Getty Township. She died on 4 Dec. 1900, and her husband died 8 April 1913. One daughter, Bridget Brown, survived them.
James Graham was born between 1839-1844. He came to Minnesota in 1857, first to Monticello and later to Krain Township in Stearns County in 1868 where he farmed. James married Kate Brown in 1873, and they had 11 children: Michael, Samuel, Bridget, Arthur, John, James, Katherine, Patrick, Edward, William & Mary. James died on 20 Dec. 1903 and Kate died on 12 May, 1917.
Michael Graham was born on Dec. 26, 1844, and came to Minnesota with his parents. In his obituary it said he was the youngest of the children. Michael remained a bachelor and farmed in Getty township. He died on June 25, 1927. sources of information:
Bibliography:
The Genealogy of
the
William F. Donohue Family by Mary Grace Donohue, 1941.
Death Records - Stearns
County Courthouse Obituaries - Melrose Beacon
Epitaphs from St. Patrick's
Cemetery, Melrose
US & Minnesota Census
Records: 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880 1885, 1895, 1900.
CONTRIBUTED BY...GRETCHEN
LEISEN
LINKS: