My Mother's Geneaology

Gwendolyn Laverne Gallagher (1930-1995)

(updated 9/9/00)

I got started with my geneaology in 1990, and have been researching it on and off ever since, when time and finances will allow. (My father's side had been researched and documented by a cousin of mine, who went through the LDS church.)

The records of my mother's family were lost while they were living in Los Angeles, in a fire that followed the earthquake of 1932. I had heard many stories about my mom's family from several relatives, and wanted to see what was true, and what wasn't. I have put up this page so family in other parts of the country may keep up with my progress.

Here's the family tree so far:

My grandfather:

John Edward Gallagher
b. Oct. 30, 1893 - Poynette, Columbia Co., WI

d. Aug.15, 1945 - Las Vegas, Clark Co., NV

siblings: Mary, Frank, Albert

John Nemeson (Nemesin? sp?) Gallagher

b. Dec.18, 1853 - WI

d. 1911 - (see comment 3)

siblings: Mary, Francis, Sarah, Michael Iraneus, Theresa

Laura Lee Douglass
(aka Mabel Smeck)
b. Sept. 29, 1863 - Kirksville, Adair Co., MO (see comment 1)

d. Dec. 19, 1935 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA

siblings:
Sarah Anne, b. 1844
James M. , b. 1846
Malinda, b. 1848
John E., b. 1856
George, b. 1860

Michael Gallagher
b. 1819 - ?
d. Jan.24, 1892 -(see comments 2, 3)

Bridget Maguire
b. 1824 - ?
d. Feb. 28, 1899 (see comments 2, 3 )

John Douglass
b. 1815/16 -- Kentucky -

(Malinda?) Jane Andrews
b. 1825/6 -- Missouri
Siblings: Margaret (see comment 5), Marion

John Gallagher

Mary Mullen

Francis Maguire

Bridget McTague

(unk.)

My grandmother:

Nannie Mae Smith
b. May 19, 1893 - Carlsbad, Eddy Co., NM
d. July 13, 1977 - Oxnard, Ventura Co., CA

siblings: Jesse Harvey, James, Velma, Samuel Jr., Dixie

Samuel Oscar Smith
b. Apr. 11, 1856 - San Antonio, Bexar Co., TX
d. June 28, 1920 - Douglas, Cochise Co., AZ

Virginia Elizabeth Ferguson
b. Dec. 27, 1869 - Dallas, Dallas Co., TX
d. July 27, 1934 - Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA

J.A. Smith (see below, comment 4)
b. - unknown

mother unk.

John Ferguson
b. Ireland.

mother unk.

1.Another family legend says that Laura and Jesse James were playmates; in truth, he was old enough to be her father, so the playmate scenario is an impossibility. Plus, James' parents lived in a completely different county than either Adair or (Kirksville's).

1a. 5/20/00 -- I have now made contact with two persons over the Net who are descended from Douglasses in Adair Co. -- one from Malinda, one from James. 2. I'm sure that both Michael and Bridget were born in Ireland, as I've always been told that they came from Co. Donegal, Ireland, during the potato famine. They were married in 1844, but I don't know if that is before or after they came here.

9/9/00 -- I found a Michael Gallagher in Columbia Co. in the 1870 census; hopefully I will get down to the library soon to look at the census entry, and I will know more.

3. Everyone that I've asked knew what day these people died, but no one remembers where they were when they died.

4. I verified Samuel's father on Samuel's death certificate. In '96, I found a child named Samuel O. Smith as listed in the 1860 census in Texas. His parents are listed as Jake Smith and Sarah Elizabeth Johnson. Further research in Bexar Co, TX, found a Jacob Smith that was a carpenter, from Germany. A conversation with one of my cousins revealed that Samuel's father changed his name, because as an immigrant he couldn't get a job, but my cousin thought he changed it from something Irish. If this is the right guy, then an anglicization of the name would make more sense (Schmidt to Smith).

5. Malinda's descendent gave me the listing from the 1880 census, when the family was living in Miami Township, Miami Co, KS; it looks like my g-grandmother was living with the Rogle family, listed as their niece. Since Samuel Rogle was from Ireland, it's possible that his wife, Margaret, was my g-g-grandmother's sister (hope to verify this soon).

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