Catherine "Kate" Bowes (1833 - 1909), Lawrence Ryan (1856-1912) and their children

 Catherine "Kate" Bowes 

(May 4, 1833 Ballyconra, Kilkenny, Ireland - May 22, 1909, Olathe Kansas) 

Catherine Bowes' parents were John Bowes (1808-1854) and Mary Murphy (1810-1875).  

(map from 2021)

Catherine immigrated to the United States as a young teenager in 1848, in the middle of the "Great Hunger" - the Irish potato famine.  She traveled with her mother, a dressmaker, and siblings.  Her father had traveled ahead of time, about a month before.  Catherine is listed as "Kitty" on the ship's manifest.  

The family settled in Ohio to farm.  Neither of her parents could read or write.  

Catherine married Lawrence Ryan (1830 - 1912) on January 27, 1856 in Perry County, Ohio.  (Lawrence was born there on July 23, 1830.  His mother, Mary was born abt. 1808 in Pennsylvania.  His father (name unknown) was born in Ireland).  

 
Lawrence and Catherine had thirteen children over 22 years, and their eldest child was Emma Ryan [Cosgrove], mother of  Katherine Cosgrove [Hoart] and grandmother to Frances Hoart [Poth].  

In July 1860, the young family is living in Hocking Township, Fairfield County Ohio, with their first three children, Emma, age 5, Martha, age 2, and Clark, age 1 month, all three born in Ohio.  Lawrence is a farmhand. 
 
Their daughter Clara V is born later in 1860; Anna in 1861; Albert in 1862; George in 1865, William H. In 1867, Catherine A. In 1868, John D. In 1869.  
Presumably, Clark and Catherine A. did not live past 1870.  

In June 1870, the family is now living about 145 miles northeast of Hocking Township, on a farm in Jackson Township, Perry County, Ohio. 
Lawrence Ryan, farmer, 38 years old (likely 40), father of foreign birth.   

Katherine Ryan, 32 (likely 36) keeping house, born in Ireland, both parents of foreign birth (presumably Irish).  

They have seven children living, all born in Ohio: 
Emma (13) and Martha, (10), attending school 
Clara (9), Albert (7), George (4), William (2) and John (7 months).  
Lawrence’s mother, Mary, (aged 62, born in Pennsylvania) is also living with the family.  

Curiously, Anna (Annie) age 9 , is missing from this census but appears again in later censuses.  


Move from Ohio to Kansas: 

The Ryans moved from Ohio to Johnson County Kansas in 1871. They settled on a farm six miles south of Olathe.  

Thomas is born in 1871.  In 1873, Blanche is born in March, and seven year old George dies just two months later, in June.  
Six years later in 1879, their last child, Catherine, is born.  

In June 1880, the family is still living on the farm near Olathe Kansas.  Lawrence is a farmer and Kate is keeping house. 
They have nine children living now: 
Children born in Ohio: 
Emma, 23 - at home
Clarra, 20 - at home 
Annie - school teacher
Albert, 17 - farm laborer
William, 12 - farm laborer
John, 10
Children born in Kansas: 
Thomas, 9, 
Blanche, 7 
Katie, 5 

In about 1884, the family moved to Olathe proper where Mr. Ryan bought property and built a home at 133 South Walnut Street.  This image of 133 S. Walnut Street is from 2020.  The house is said to have been built in 1890: 

In 1898, two of their sons, Thomas (age 26) and then John D. (age 28), died within six months of each other.  They are buried in the Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Olathe.  

In 1900, Lawrence and Catherine are still living in Olathe, with their two youngest daughters, Blanch (27) and Catharine A. (24).  Catharine is working as a public school teacher.  Lawrence’s occupation is still listed as farmer. 

On May 22, 1909, Catherine dies at the age of 76.   Lawrence and Catherine had been married 53 years. 
In 1910, Olathe Kansas, Lawrence Ryan is listed as a widowed, retired farmer.  He is living with   daughters Blanch,32, a clerk at a dry goods store, and daughter Annie (Anna) Beehler, 48, listed as married. 

Lawrence Ryan died on March 22, 1912.  Obituary mistakenly says 10 children.  Three of their thirteen children died in childhood. 

Lawrence Ryan and Catherine Bowes Ryan are buried at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas:  

 Children [and their spouses] of Lawrence Ryan and Catherine Bowes: 


Emma Ryan (b. Nov 3, 1856 -  d. 1900)  [Edward Cosgrove]
Martha B. Ryan (b. 1858 - ? ) [Steacy] [James Mitchell]
Clark Ryan (1860 - ? - presumably died before 1870) 
Clara V. Ryan (1860 - 1944) [James H. Cosgrove]
Anna Ryan (b. 1861 - ?) [Charles F. Beehler] 
Albert Ryan (b. 1862 -  d. 1925)  [Elizabeth Griffin] [Allie Pennington] 
George Ryan (b. 1865 - d. 1873) - died age 8 
William Horton Ryan (b.1867 - d.1927) [Sarah Ann Kelly] [Martha _]
Catherine Agnes Ryan (1868 - ? - presumably died before 1870) 
John D. Ryan (b. 1869- d. 1898), died age 28.  
Thomas Ryan (b. 1871 - d. 1898), died age 26 
Blanche Ryan (1873 - ?- died sometime after 1913) - Blanche cared for her younger sister Catherine before Catherine’s death 
Catherine A. Ryan (1879 - 1913) [John Emry Heaton] 


Sources: 

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 census

Ohio marriage records

Find a Grave index 

newspapers dot com 

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree on Ancestry dot com