Timothy & Dan Burns Families

     At one time, there were many Burnses in the St. Thomas area. The Burnses who lived near St. Thomas were the descendants of 2 brothers--Timothy and Daniel. 

     Timothy is buried in the St. Thomas Cemetery. I'm not sure where Daniel is buried. More on his story later.

     Timothy and Daniel settled in Stoughton, Massachusetts when they came to the United States.  The old stories say the Burnses are from Boston, but records show that to be inaccurate.  Timothy appears in the 1850 Federal Census in Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, age 23, a boot crimper.  

   

  In 1852, he and Eliza Barry, show intention to marry.  Records appear in the Town Records of Stoughton. This was dated November 20th.  (See above).

Timothy and Eliza were married at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Boston. 

     The oldest three children of Timothy and Eliza were born in Stoughton.  They are Patrick T., Eliza Frances, and Daniel W.  

     In 1860, the family appears in the federal census in Tyrone, Le Sueur, Minnesota.  In all, the couple had 11 known children. The other children born in Minnesota were John J., Timothy C., Ellen, Honora, William Henry, Jeremiah, Mary Jane, and Agnes. Honora died very young.  The others all grew to adulthood. 

     Timothy died in 1872, at about 45 years old leaving Eliza a widow with many children to raise alone. 

If you notice in the record above, there is a John Barry who married Hannah Mansfield on the same day as Timothy and Eliza.  I believe this is Eliza's brother as both of their fathers are given as Garrett.  In the 1880 census, John and Hannah and their family are living in Derrynane Township.  I surmise that they may have come to Minnesota from Stoughton to help Eliza out.  They later returned to Stoughton.

     Eliza died in 27 April 1885.

     Patrick T. Burns married Hannah Murphy in 1880.  She is the daughter of Moses Murphy and Mary Shea.  They had 13 children:  Patrick, Mary Eliza, Ellen, Ambrose Timothy, Mary Ellen (Mae), Cecelia, Moses, Baby Boy, Thomas, Frances Cordelia, John Joseph, Agnes and George F. 

     Eliza Frances didn't marry until 1892 in St. Paul,  I'd like to know her story.  She married George Tinsley and lived in Chicago.  They were married by an Episcopal priest.  I couldn't find any notice of her marriage in the newspapers. She died in 1904 without children. 

     Daniel W. Burns married Catherine Ronayne in 1886.  She is the daughter of Patrick Ronayne and Catherine Regan.  Their children are:  Elizabeth; Patrick C.; Timothy J.; Anastacia; Margaret; William; John; Regina,  Daniel; John Francis "Bud"; and Irene. 

     John J. married Mary Ellen Skelly in 1897.  They had 3 children: Raymond, Leo S. and Grace. John died in 1902 in St. Peter, Minnesota.  Mary Ellen married again to Timothy O'Dea.

     Timothy C. married Margaret McCarthy in 1890.  She is the daughter of  Michael McCarthy and Catherine Kehoe.  Their children were: Blanche, Marion, Catherine and Timothy M.  Timothy C. died in 1932 and is buried in St. Thomas.

     Ellen was unmarried and died at about age 19 in 1883. Her sister Honora appears in the 1865 Minnesota State Census but does not appear in the 1870 census. She was born about 1864 in Minnesota.

      William Henry Burns married Catherine W. O'Connell, daughter of Richard O'Connell and Mary Besy. They married in 1893 at St. Thomas.  They had 10 children:  Elizabeth, Paul, Mary Agnes,  Alice, Catherine, William H., Gertrude, Cyril, Raphael,  and (Cletus) Robert. 

      Jeremiah M. Burns was unmarried.  He lived in Cottonwood County for a while. He died in Hudson, South Dakota.  More on that later.

     Mary Jane Burns was married to Edward J. Flaherty.  She lived in Chicago and died there in 1916.

    Agnes was married to Patrick McCarthy at St. Thomas in 1895.  She had 6 children including:  Gerald, Bertram Patrick, Elizabeth, John, William and Marian.  She died in 1905.

     As you can see--that's a lot of Burnses!  And Daniel's family is still to be enumerated.

    Father James Burns is a descendant of Timothy, his son Patrick T.; his son George and his son John G. 

   

The Doherty Families

This was published in the Le Sueur News Herald, May 8th, 1940 in a column titled:  "Our Neighbors":

The Doherty Families

    Hugh Doherty was the oldest of this family to live in Le Sueur county. He came as a young man from Ireland, living in Philadelphia for a while and finally coming to Minnesota he procured a home for himself in Tyrone township.  He helped organize the township and it was he who gave it its Irish name.  This farm is now the home of one of his great-grandchildren.
     Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Doherty had seven children.  One of the daughters, by marriage became Mrs. Ferrell and lived in the East.  The other daughter was married to Pat Cantwell Sr. one of the pioneers of Le Sueur. The sons were Sam, James, Pat, Hugh and Frank.
     James Doherty, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Doherty, served in the Union army in the Civil War, first as one of the defenders of New Ulm in the Indian Uprising and after that in the regular army until the close of the war. His wife, before marriage, was Ann Heatherstone.  They had nine children: 1. Sarah, Mrs. Martin Spence, 2. Richard who died in his childhood. 3. Rose, Mrs. D. J. Coleman. 4. Margaret, Mrs. David O'Connell. 5. Hugh who died in Le Sueur about a dozen years ago.  6. Mary, Mrs. H. C. O'Connell.  7. Matthew of St. Thomas. 8. Sam who lived on the farm for some years, then became the manager of the Farmer's elevator, which position he held for many years. In 1919 he bought the W. H. Tomlinson home on North Main Street where he and his family now live. Mr. Doherty has been married twice. He is the father of seven children:  James, Francis, Mary, Margaret, Paul, Michael and Richard. Margaret married Ashley Schlegel who died some years ago.  She has two children:  The oldest being born on St. Patrick's Day was named Patricia and the son born after his father's death was named Robert Ashley.  Paul Doherty is the manager of the Le Sueur Recreation hall.... Michael Doherty, the youngest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. James Doherty, is an attorney and is now the senior member of the law firm of Doherty, Rumble and Butler in St. Paul.  Many of the people of Le Sueur will remember that Michael Doherty was one of the three members of the Le Sueur team that many years ago won the State championship in debate.  The other two members of that famous team were Henry and Alice Currer, the children of the Reverend and Mrs. Currer.  Mr. Curre (sic) was at that time the pastor of the local Presbyterian church in Le Sueur.

The Kerry O'Connells

     St. Thomas had Cork O'Connells and Kerry O'Connells.  

     The immigrant ancestor of the Kerry O'Connell families is John G. O'Connell.  He was born about 1829 in County Kerry but the exact place has not been found.

     He first settled in Brown Township, Delaware, Ohio.  He was married on 9 April 1861 at St. Mary's Church in Delaware to Mary Ann Pyle (or Piles). The first four children were born in Brown Township and baptized at St. Mary's.  They were Mary Agnes, Ellen Theresa, John W. and Elizabeth.  

     By 1870, the family was living in Minnesota.  They appear in the 1870 in Belle Plaine. By November of that year, they appear in the St. Thomas Church records.  David Thomas was baptized 18 Nov 1870. Two more sons were born to them:  Daniel and Sylvester. By 1875, they appeared in the state census in Derrynane Township. 

John G. O'Connell, Ellen O'Connell Ronayne, James Doherty & Mary  Ronayne Doherty

     The three O'Connell sisters all married Ronaynes.  Mary Agnes married James Ronayne. Ellen married Cornelius Ronayne.  James and Cornelius were brothers.  Elizabeth married Dennis Ronayne (he may have been a cousin to the brothers Ronayne).  

     John W. O'Connell married a Cork O'Connell.  She was Catherine O'Connell, daughter of Michael O'Connell and Mary Slattery.  

     Daniel O'Connell never married. 

     David Thomas O'Connell married Margaret Doherty, daughter of James Doherty and Ann Heatherston. 

     Sylvester O'Connell married Margaret Murray who also has roots in St. Thomas. 

     John G. O'Connell had no siblings in the area. He may have had a brother, David, in Brown Township, Delaware, Ohio.  Soon there may be DNA results to prove or disprove that!  He did have relations in the area.  In Belle Plaine, was Johanna O'Connell Kelleher.  Johanna and her husband Martin Kelleher also lived in Brown Township, Delaware Ohio near David O'Connell before coming to Minnesota. David O'Connell was the godfather for Johanna's son Martin.  David was also the godfather of John W. O'Connell, John G.'s son. Johanna's descendant, Agnes Bailey, said that Johanna and John G. were cousins. Johanna O'Connell Kelleher claimed to be "related to" Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator. 

This photo was submitted to Ancestry.com by  Kathy Finn. 

     Another relation in the St. Thomas area was Catherine Galvin O'Leary. Her husband was James O'Leary.  They also lived in Derrynane Township.  Information from Ann O'Connell Burns says that Catherine Galvin O'Leary's father was John G.'s uncle.  His name was Maurice Galvin or Gallivan.  He was from the Ballybunion area of County Kerry.  Maurice and his family lived in St. Paul. 

     

The Store

 

The above photo was taken by William Sharkey.  This was probably taken around 1910.  The photo was reproduced from a glass negative. The following is research done by Kelly Coleman:

Le Sueur Sentinel

November 19, 1896

D. J. Coleman purchases Roynane store building

D. J. Coleman, who has for the last seven years been employed in the wholesale trade at St. Paul, and for most of that time with Koehler & Hinrichs, of that city, has purchased the Roynane store building at St. Thomas and will put in a stock of general merchandise.  Mr. Coleman has a thorough practical knowledge of goods and of business and ought to make a success of his new undertaking.

Note:

This is interesting because in the Church of St. Thomas 1883-1983 Centennial book says the following about the Coleman stores:

In 1855 John Coleman came to Minnesota and settled in Tyrone Township.  He operated a general store for many years in St. Thomas.  There was a dance hall over this store.  This store was built by John Ronan and then sold to John Coleman.   John’s son Dave Coleman, built a frame store which still stands.  Dave O’Connell bought the store in 1914.  Mr. and Mrs. Tony Madsen leased and operated this store until 1926.  The O’Connells lived in St. Paul at this time.  In 1928 Dave O’Connell was running the store in Coleman’s original structure. 

Early mail was brought from Belle Plaine by Pat Ronan who walked to get it.  The first post office was in the Coleman store which was a distribution point on the Star Route.  Mail was delivered to the Coleman store once a week from Le Sueur by horse and buggy by Pat Doherty.

So it appears there may have been only one store building at St. Thomas during the late 19^th century.  This building was built by John (Ronan) Ronayne (who was also from County Cork) and sold to John Coleman.  David J. Coleman may actually have purchased the store from his father who was 61 years old in 1896.

 

Some O'Connell Ronayne Women and ???

The adult row:  3rd from the left, Lizzie O'Connell Ronayne; 2nd from the right, Ellen O'Connell Ronayne.
Children:  2nd fro the left, possibly Ann Mary O'Connell; right Alice O'Connell.

      No information about the date or the occasion.