John F. Anderegg (b. 5-28-1941 d. 5-9-1979) wrote these Mahoney notes on May 12, 1973 he was married to Mary Ann, grandaughter of Mary Agnes Mahoney Leppert. Italized notes added March 2010
I will begin this history with information on James Mahony and Margaret Flynn; these people left Ireland in 1864 and went to Liverpool, England. They then sailed on the ship, "City of Cork" and arrived at New York City on April 2, 1864. The following is a portion of a letter written by William Joseph Mahony on Sept 27, 1937; William had compiled quite a history of his family during his lifetime, but unfortunately, all we have is this letter. This letter will give you an idea of what James Mahony and Margaret Flynn went through; (Realize that this William Joseph Mahony was a son of James Mahony and Margaret Flynn.)
My fathers grandparents were O'Mahoney; his grandfather married a girl of that name that lived in the adjoining County Tipperary of a very prominent family. So you can name them in the family tree. My fathers farm was 80 acres - considered wealthy in Ireland but think the security debt unusually high - 5000 pounds or $25,000. The rest of the history is correct. I think my father left two sisters in Ireland, Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Roche, whose son Michael came to America with them and left in search of work and was never heard from until your grandfather, Michael William Mahony, met him near Omaha, Nebraska, 30 years later. William Mahony and William Flynn went to Australia about 1855 - their folks learned that one of them became a soldier, the other a policeman.
Our parents, James Mahony and Margaret Flynn, left Ireland in 1864 and landed in New York April 1864. The trip over lasted three weeks in a sailing ship disgustedly furnished and provided for. Their family consisted of 3 boys at the time. There were four, one died in Ireland. Michael William, the oldest; John 2nd; Thomas 3rd; John 4th, who died in Illinois. Their first home was in Versailles, Illinois, where I was born Feb 3, 1865, from which they moved to Hamilton, Illinois. They lived there seven years before coming to Nebraska in 1872. My father made two previous trips to Nebraska, the first in 1870 and the 2nd a year or so later when he homesteaded the 80 where he lived five or six years.
The boarding and rooming house we lived in Hamilton, Illinois, was a large one - 25 rooms, possibly stood two or three rods away from the railroad tracks and 7 or 8 sidetracks with a large engine house on the other side of the tracks. You can imagine how dangerous it was. We kept roomers and boarders 30 to 40 of them for the railroad or other construction workers, a rough gang who spent all they earned for whiskey. Brothers Michael and Tom attended school in Keokuk, Iowa, about one mile distant.
During the seven years there the folks saved $1,500 to locate in Nebraska. My father and Michael and Thomas drove through with a covered wagon hauled by a fine span of mules with a mare tied behind the wagon - a crate of chickens fastened to the wagon box and some useless junk along with some useful articles. Michael had a double barreled shotgun and Thomas had a single barrel. This country was teeming with game then. My mother and me, Nellie and Jim came by train six weeks later. We landed at Schuler, Nebraska, via railroad; nobody there to receive us but managed to hire a man from near where David City now stands to take us to former Illinois friends there and so managed in three or four days to reach our destination. No post office closer than Linwood, Nebraska - father just received the letter the day we arrived.
I agree with your Grandma that Michael William was born in 1859 (records verify he was baptized in the Parish of Glanworth, Co. Cork on 12-30-1858)- he remembered his grandma in Ireland, the ship on the voyage over, etc. Brother John was born July 19, 1875, Mary in 1877 - they were baptized in Lincoln, Nebraska, and can verify this if they wish. My father was offered $1000 to act as a substitute by a man in Illinois a few weeks before the close of the Civil War - refused it. My father was not a citizen and was not subject to the draft. He was for the Union. When they landed in New York they had about $100 and a lot of clothes, bedding, etc., which they brought to Nebraska for the sod houses - we had 3 of them, two sod and one dugout.
This letter really is a pretty good history in itself; its too bad that some of these people aren't still alive to tell us more about
what they did.
James Mahony, born about 1824 in Ireland, the son of James O'Mahony and ------Hennessey.
Died August 2, 1889 age 65 years at Skull Creek Township, Butler County, Nebraska, and was buried at St. Marys Cemetery, David City, Butler County, NE.
Margaret Flynn, born Oct 20, 1832, near Kilworth, County Cork, Ireland, baptized April 3, 1833, at St Martins Church, Kilworth, County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of Thomas Flynn and Margaret Sullivan. Married James Mahony on Feb 15, 1858 at St. Martins Curch, Kilworth, Coounty Cork. Died Dec. 18, 1925, at Ulysses, Butler County, NE and was buried Dec 30, 1925, at St. Marys Cemetery, David City, Butler County, NE.
CHILDREN OF JAMES MAHONY AND MARGARET FLYNN
Michael William Mahony, born Dec. 26, 1859, in County Cork, IR (possibly born at Mitchelstown, County Cork, but this is not certain). Married Caroline Coufal on Jan. 31, 1882 in Butler Co., NE and died 11-11-1942 at Newberg Oregon.
John Mahony, born about 1861 in County Cork, Ireland. He probably died as an infant in Ireland
Thomas Mahony, born 1-1-1863 (according to his death certificat), in County Cork, IR married Ellen Teresa Fox on Nov 20, 1889, at Center Township, Butler Co, NE died 2-4-1936 at Los Angeles, CA
John Mahony, born about 1864 in County Cork, Ireland; he died as an infant in IL.
William Joseph Mahony, born 2-3-1865, at Versailles, Brown Co. IL. Married Mary A. Morris on June 3, 1902 at Brainard, Butler Co. NE; died 4-30-1948 at David City, NE.
Ellen Alice Mahony, born 4-24-1868 at Hamilton, Hancock Co. IL and was baptized 4-26-1868 at the Sacred Heart Church, Warsaw, IL. Married Daniel Powers on 3-28-1894 (according to her obiturary), and died Jan 25, 1941 at David City, NE
Margaret Cecilia Mahony, born 5-24-1872 at Bruno, Butler County, NE (according to her death certificate and obituary).Married William Joseph Beecham on 9-2-1902 at Bruno, Butler Co, NE and died May 26, 1914 at Omaha NE.
John Francis Mahony, born 7-19-1875 at Bruno, Butler Co, NE (according to death cet) Married 12-31-1923 at Palmyra, NE, Mary Ellen Roach. He died 6-30-1946 at Wichita, KS and is buried at Palmyra, NE
Mary Agnes Mahony born 4-12-1877 at David City, Butler Co. NE she married charles Francis Leppert on 2-12-1907 at St. Leos Church, Palmyra, NE. She died 2-8-1954 at Omaha, NE
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JAMES O'MAHONY, THE FATHER of our James Mahony was a stock buyer and cattle drover. He married a Miss Hennessey. They had the following known children, there could have been others.Records show that Michael Mahony/Bridget Dwyre were the parents of Julia V. Mahony, Michael and Catherine (not listed here) Mahoney.
Ellen Mahony born about 1818 in Limerick County, IR (according to her obituary. Married George Devine and died 12-21-1909 at Decatur, IL. (Both her and her husband are buried in the Decatur Cemetery; while I vistied Decatur, I saw their graves)
James Mahony, born about 1824 in IR, married Margaret Flynn 2-15-1858 at St. Martin Church, Kilworth, County Cork, IR and died 8-2-1889 age 65 at Skull Creek Township, Butler Co, NE
John Mahony, died about age 20 in Ireland.
William Mahony, born about 1835 in IR, left about 1855 for Australia and never heard of since.
Julia V. Mahony, born about 1834 in Ireland; married Patrick Flanigan. Died 1-15-1905 at Omaha, NE and buried at Center, NE
-------Mary Mahony, married a Mr. Andrew Roche in Glanworth Parish 6-30-1844. Died probably in IR. (Her son came to America and her daughter was a Mrs. Murphy who ran a dry goods store at Fermoy; she was alive in 1939 and wrote letters to the family here in America.
-------Mahony, married a Mr. Murphy. Nothing else known about this person
According to family tradition, our O'Mahony family lived on the estate of Lord John Hyde of Castle Hyde for 704 years. Due to law of Ireland, they could not own any land, but lived on the same place all their lives, each succeeding generation doing the same thing.
THOMAS FLYNN AND MARGARET SULLIVAN LIVED NEAR KILWORTH, COUNTY CORK, IRELAND, AND HAD THE FOLLOWING KNOWN CHILDREN; ITS POSSIBLE THEY HAD OTHERS
Michael Flynn born about 1825 in Ireland; married Bridget Reidy on 2-17-1856 at St. Martins Church, Kilworth, County Cork, IR and died 11-23-1902 is buried at the Center Cemetery near Brainard, Butler Co, NE
John Flynn born 3-5-1828 in IR (according to his death certificate) he never married. He died 3- 5-1914 at Palmyra, NE and is buried at the Center Cemetery near Brainard, NE (crippled after being kicked by a mule).
Mary or Katherine Flynn probably died as an infant in Ireland.
Mary Flynn baptized May 25, 1830 at St. Martin Church, Kilworth, Co. Cork, IR she married a Mr. Butler who was a school teacher in Albany, NY and had several children.
Margaret Flynn born 10-2- 1832 and baptized 4-3-1833 at St. Martins Church, Kilworth Co Cork, IR Married 2-15-1858 at Kilworth, Co Cork, James Mahony. Died 12-28-1925 at Ulysses, NE
William Flynn baptized May 22, 1838 at St. Martins Church, Kilworth, County Cork, left for Australia about 1855 and never heard of since.
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