Catherine "Kate" A. Ryan (1879 - 1913), schoolteacher, mother of two young sons, Frances Hoart's great aunt

Catherine A. Ryan (1879 - 1913)

Kansas school teacher, mother of two young sons 

This is Frances Hoart Poth's great aunt on her mother's mother's side.  

Catherine was born into a large farming family in Lawrence, Kansas, the youngest daughter of  Catherine Bowes and Lawrence Ryan.  We don't know anything else about her early years.  When she was 18 and 19 years old, two of her brothers died. 

Teaching School: 

In 1920, we find Catherine ("Kate") teaching school in Aubry Township, near Olathe Kansas.  We can find several newspaper clippings from that year, such as: 

This same year, her older sister Emma Ryan (Frances' maternal grandmother) passed away. 

Marriage 

We can presume that Catherine taught school for the next five years, until her marriage to John Emry Heaton on May 6, 1905, in Leavenworth Kansas.  

Their first son, John Harlan Heaton, was born in 1906.  Catherine's mother Catherine Bowes Ryan passed away a few years later in Olathe. 

Sometime between 1906 and 1910, the young Heaton family relocated to Eugene, Oregon, where John was employed as a manager for a telephone company.  They owned a home on West 11th Street. 

Their second son, Joseph Emry Heaton ("Junior") was born in 1911 in Eugene.   A year later, Catherine's father Lawrence Ryan passed away.  

Died in Colorado 

Sometime in 1912, the family moved to Loveland, Colorado.   Sadly, Catherine suffered a year-long illness and passed away in 1913 at the age of 34.  

Catherine's older sister Blanche had helped her through the summer before her death, and her siblings had visited for a family reunion July 4th.  

Catherine's sons were just 7 and 2 years old.  (Their father remarried in Billings Montana, in 1915, to Nellie Armstrong). 

Catherine's obituary in the Olathe Independent is so touching: 

Sources:

1880, 1900, 1910 census 

Find a Grave Index 

Kansas Marriages 

The Olathe Independent and Olathe Mirror in newspapers dot com

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree in Ancestry dot com 

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 

Children of Mary Murphy (1810-1875) and John Bowes (1808-1854), Frances Hoart side

See this post for a life sketch of  Mary Murphy (1810-1875).  She married John Bowes (1808- 1854) about 1830 in Ireland.  These are Frances Hoart Poth's second great-grandparents on her mother's mother's mother's side.  They had seven children and 38 grand children.  

The family immigrated to the U.S. during the Irish Potato Famine.   John died when their oldest child was 23, and their youngest was just 11.   Mary lived a lot longer, but I am not sure where she was in her last years.  I presume she was living with one of her children, but I can't locate the 1870 census for several of the children. 

Their oldest son James married and stayed in Fairfield County OH to be a farmer and raise a large family.  Their second child Catherine married a farmer, eventually settled in Kansas, and had 13 children.  Their third child, Mary Frances, married a brickmason and settled in Kansas City Missouri, and had 10 children.  Their fourth child, Lawrence, was married twice (his first wife died when their daughter was very young) and was a farmer in Kansas.  The youngest three children stayed single:   Margaret became a nun in Ohio and Indiana; Thomas served for the Union in the Civil War and became a dry goods merchant in Ohio; Hanoria ("Nora") became a nurse and housekeeper.   

1.  James J. Bowes (b. December 7, 1831 in Ballyconra, Kilkenny, Ireland - d. July 30, 1903 in North Berne, Fairfield County, Ohio)  m. Mary A. Welch (1839-1918) in 1858; 12+ children.  Ireland to Perry County and Fairfield County OH.  Farmer. 

2.  Catherine Bowes (b. May 4, 1833, Ballyconra, County Kilkenny, Ireland, d. May 22, 1909, Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas) m. Lawrence Ryan (1830 - 1912) in 1856; farmer;  13 children.   Ireland, to Ohio, to Kansas.  These are Frances Hoart Poth's second great-grandparents on her mother's side.  

3.  Mary Frances Bowes (b. February 8, 1835, Ireland - d. Sept 24, 1905) m. Jacob Welch in 1855; brickmason; 10 children. Ireland, to Ohio, to Kansas City, MO. 

4.  Lawrence A. Bowes (b. November 22, 1837, Johnstown, Kilkenny, Ireland d. July 27, 1914, Louisburg Kansas) Ireland, to Ohio, to Kansas.  farmer.  m1 Jennie Ward 1 child;   m2 Mary Louisa 'Lida' Flemm 2 children 

5.  Margaret Bowes (Sister Mary Salesia)  (b. February 17, 1839, County Kilkenny, Ireland d. July 25, 1916, Rome City, Noble, Indiana) Order of the Precious Blood, Ft. Wayne Indiana for 50 years. From Find a Grave: She entered the Sisters of the Precious Blood at Maria Stein, OH as a teacher and eventually became Mother Superior of the Ohio convent. 

6.  Thomas Hubert Bowes (b. August 25, 1841, Kilkenny Ireland d. January 29, 1923, Columbus OH).  grocer, dry goods merchant.  Ireland to Ohio.  Union soldier in Civil War. 

7.  Hanoria "Nora" Bowes (b. 1843 Kilkenny Ireland d. Feb 1, 1917, Columbus OH) nurse, housekeeper. 

Mary Murphy (1810 - 1875), Irish dressmaker, mother of 7, immigrated during Potato Famine, Stephen Poth's third great grandmother

 Mary Murphy (1810, Kilkenny, Ireland - Dec 28, 1875, Lancaster OH) 

This is Stephen D. Poth's 3rd great maternal grandmother. 

Mary Murphy was born in 1810 in Kilkenny, Ireland.  We do not know anything about her parents or growing up years.   

 Interesting to note:  This is the direct maternal line leading back to Mary:  Frances Hope Hoart (1921-1985)  to Katherine Cecilia Cosgrove (1885 - 1950), to Emma Ryan (1856 - 1900)  to Catherine Bowes (1833 - 1909), to Mary Murphy.   

Marriage and children: 

At around age 20, Mary married John Bowes, in Ossary Diocese, Ireland, about 1830. 

Variations of Bowe in records: Bow, Bowe, Bowes, Bows, Base 

Between 1831 and 1842, they had seven children, with  baptisms recorded in the Catholic parish of Lisdowney in Kilkenny, Ireland: 

Tom Bowe 7 Dec 1831 (most likely this is James J. Bowes based on his tombstone that matches this birth date)

Catherine Bowe - May 4, 1833

Mary Bowe - February 11, 1835

Margaret Bowe - February 17, 1839

Thomas Bowe - July 25, 1841

Honoria Bowe - November 12, 1842 

The baptism for their son Lawrence, born 1837 in Ireland, was not found in these records. 

So, at the beginning of the Potato Famine in 1845, the couple had a large family with children ranging in age from 3 to 14. 

Immigration to the United States: 

In 1848, with the famine in its third year with no end in sight, the family decided to immigrate to the United States.  Mary was between 35 and 38 years old.

Mary's husband John traveled first, arriving in New York City on August 5, 1848 presumably to find a place for the family to settle.

A month later, Mary and her children traveled, on the ship Fidelia which left from Liverpool, arriving in New York City September 30, 1848.  The Fidelia was a clipper ship and part of the Black Ball Fleet. 

This is a painting of the Fidelia by British artist Henry Scott: 

The ship's manifest shows: 

Mary Bow, age 35, dressmaker

James Bow, age 16

Lawrence Bow, age 14

Kitty Bow, age 12 (this is Catherine)

Mary Bow, age 10

Thomas Bow, age 8

Honor Bow, age 6

Mary Bow, 23 (this may be John Bow's sister or cousin) 

John and Mary's daughter Margaret (Sr. Salesia) is not listed on the ship manifest.  I'm not sure when she immigrated.  

Settling in Ohio: 

Mary and the children joined John in Perry County, Ohio.   

The Nov. 30. 1850 census for Monday Creek, Perry County Ohio shows the family: 

John is a laborer, and both Mary and John are listed as not being able to read or write. 

Their son James, 16, is also a laborer.  Catherine is presumably doing house work and child care alongside her mother at home.  Mary, Lawrence and Thomas attend school, and Honoria is the youngest child. 

John died just a few years later, January 14, 1854, at about age 46.

Widowhood: 

In July 1860 we find Mary, 45, widowed, in Hocking Township, Fairfield County Ohio, living very humbly with her children Lawrence (19)  and Thomas (18), both employed as farmhands, and Norah (Honorah), 16, employed doing housework.  They are living about 25 miles west of where the family originally settled. 

I have not been able to locate Mary in an 1870 census.  She died December 28, 1875 in Lancaster, Ohio, near Hocking Township. 

There are monuments for Mary, her husband John, and their daughter Hanoria in Elmwood Cemetery, and a cenotaph for John in St. Mary Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio.  

Sources: 

Find a Grave information from contributor Michael Johnson - memorial IDs: 91649517 and 83019384

1850, 1860 federal census 

Ireland, Catholic parish registers

Ship Fidelia passenger list 20 Sep 1848

Cynthia Poth Nanto tree on Ancestry dot com 

Maria Jane Watson (1822 - 1883), keeping house , mother of 14, Mary Lou's great grandmother

 Maria Jane Watson (July 8, 1822, Ohio - April 27, 1883, West Virginia) 

This is Mary Lou Brown's great grandmother (Mary Lou Brown < Garland T. Brown < Gideon Brown Jr. < Maria Jane Watson) 

Maria Jane Watson (Pop's Paternal Grandmother) was born in Ohio.  All we know about her parents is that her father was born in Ireland, and her mother was born in Pennsylvania. 

Variations of Maria's name found in the records: Mariah, Mirah 

At the age of 17, Maria married Gideon Brown in Meig's County, Ohio, on November 21, 1839 and settled there to farm.   This was Gideon's second marriage (we think his first wife died in childbirth) of three marriages. 

The 1850 census shows their family in Sutton, Meig's County Ohio, with no owned real estate.  Gideon is a farmer (possibly working for a neighbor) and there is also a 68 year old Irish laborer living with the family.  There are seven children from sixteen years old to 1 year old, and all but the youngest attended school.   (this census indicates Maria was born in Virginia, but this is the only source among many that does not indicate Ohio as her birthplace). 

Ten years later and less than a year before the start of the Civil War, we find the family living about fifty miles southwest, still near the Ohio River, but now in Mercer's Bottom, Mason County, Virginia, on their own small farm worth $8000 (267K in today's dollars) and value of personal estate is $2000 (66K in today's dollars).  This part of Virginia would become the Union state of West Virginia three years later in 1863.  

And in 1870, six years after the war, the family has grown and is living in Hannan township, Mercer's Bottom West Virginia, on a large farm worth $20,000 (420K in today's dollars) and personal estate worth $5000 (105K in today's dollars).  They have ten children.  Three of the older boys are farmers alongside their father, and their second to youngest child is Gideon (Pop's father). 

In 1880, Maria is 58 years old, keeping house, with her husband and seven sons, all of whom are farming, and one daughter-in-law and Maria's youngest child, Ella, who is 13.  

Maria died in Apple Grove, Mason County, on April 27. 1883 and is buried in Brown Holloway Cemetery in Apple Grove.  

Sources:

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 federal census 

Meigs County Ohio marriage records 

Find a Grave index

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree on Ancestry dot com 

Rev. Minor Wilkes Jr (1761-1801), Lunenburg County Va baptist minister, Mary Lou Brown's fourth great grandfather

Minor Wilkes Jr. (July 1761 - July 1801)

Minor's parents were Minor & Phoebe Yancy (Stone) Wilkes of Lunenburg Co VA.  

Minor Jr. was born in July 1761, the second of eight children.   He is Two's third great-grandfather

Minor Wilkes Jr. was a Baptist minister,  and was married twice.  He and his first wife, Margaret White (daughter of Carter and Margaret (Wynne) White of Lunenburg Co VA), had one son, Richard H. Wilkes.  Margaret died in 1790.  He married her sister, Phoebe White, on January 13, 1791, in Lunenburg County Virginia.  They had the following four children, including Emality, Two's great-great grandmother on her mother's father's side.

Minor Wilkes Jr. and Phoebe White children:
1) Phoebe Wilkes (b: 1795), m1: Robert Wallace, m2: John Davis. 
2) Washington Burwell Wilkes (1796-1860), m: Catherine Christopher.
3) Emality "Letty" Wilkes (1797-1887), m: Benjamin Harrison Wallace 
4) Sarah "Sally" Ann Wilkes (1801-1870), m: John W Christopher Jr.

Information from Find a Grave: 

Minor was a Baptist Minister. He died relatively young [around age 40], leaving no will. His father-in-law Carter White, was appointed administer to his estate in Sep 1801. The court elected Minor's brother, Richard Stone Wilkes, as guardian of the younger children. These children were also provided for in the 1811 Will of their grandfather, Minor Sr.

Per the 1800 Tax Rolls, Minor did not own any slaves.  The record shows that he owned one horse at the time. 

He is believed to be buried on the family farm, along with his wife, parents and other family members. The family lived on Big Hounds Creek, nearby towns are Victoria and Plymouth.

Many thanks to Candyce Hardin Williams Glaser for sponsorship of Minor Jr's memorial.

See also his father: Minor Wilkes 

Sources: 

Find a Grave Memorial ID: 84736813

Cynthia Poth Nanto tree on Ancestry dot com 

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Minor Wilkes (1737- 1811), Virginia farmer, slaveowner, married three times, Fisher side

Minor Wilkes (born 1737 in New Kent County, VA - died 1811 in Victoria, Lunenburg County, VA) 
We reach very far back into our Fisher family history here.   Minor is Two's fourth great-grandfather, on her mother's side.  (Mary Lou Brown - to Una Fisher - to Ollie Mae Leadman  - to George Washington Leadman - to Sarah Ann Wallace - to Emality Wilkes - to Rev. Minor Wilkes Jr. - to Minor Wilkes (1737-1811) and Phoebe Yancy Stone (1745-1785).   
All of the following information is excerpted from Find a Grave:  
Minor Wilkes' parents were John & Jane Wilkes, of Blisland Parish, New Kent County, Virginia. 
Minor was married to his first wife, Phoebe Yancy Stone in 1758 in Lunenburg County.  
Their son, Minor Wilkes Jr. (Two's third great-grandfather) is mentioned in Minor's will, which was posted on Find a Grave: 
Will of Minor Wilkes Sr -
Lunenburg County VA Will Book, VII:21: 
" In the name of God amen I Minor Wilkes of Lunenburg County being old and feeble but in sound mind and memory and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die recommend my soul into the hands of God; who gave it and my body to be buried in a Christian like manner and as touching my worldly estate, which it has been pleased God to bless me with, I give and dispose in the following manner Viz... 
I give to my beloved wife Ann Wilkes one feather bed and furniture to her and her heirs forever, 
I lend my wife one Horse Saddle and bridle, 
I lend my wife two Negroes Ned & Pat during her natural life,
I lend my wife one fourth part of my Cattle & Sheep and Hogs during her natural life, 
I lend my wife my land and plantation whereon I now live during her widowhood and my desire is that my two daughters Patsey Winn & Susanna Wilkes have a right for a home on the land and plantation lent to my wife as long as they live single, 
I give to my daughter Jincey Winn one negroe man Julis to her and her heirs forever, 
I give to my daughter Ann Winn one negroe man Stephen and one horse to her and her heirs forever, 
I give to my daughter Patsey Winn one Negroe Girl Clary and one horse and one Cow and calf to her and her heirs forever, 
I give to my daughter Susanna Wilkes one Negroe boy Dick, one Horse Saddle and bridle and one feather bed and furniture and one Cow and calf to her and her heirs forever, 
I give to my son Rich Wilkes my still only my wife is to have the use of it whenever she wants it, to him and his heirs forever, 
I give to my daughter Sally Snead the land and plantation whereon she now lives, I also giver her one Negro Girl Lucy to her and her heirs and assigns forever, 
I give to my daughter Mary White fifteen pounds, to her & her heirs forever, 
My desire is that all my estate not mentioned be sold and after my just debts is paid my desire that Minor Wilkes [Jr] deceased, children have one sixth part of it, equally divided among them and the balance equally divided between my five Eldest children John Wilkes and Thomas Wilkes, Richard Wilkes, Elizabeth Winn, Letty White to them and their heirs forever.  
I also constitute and appoint my son Richard Wilkes & Renneson Tisdale Executors to this my last Will and Testament To Wit whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the ninth day of March 1809 signed and sealed in the presents of David Abernathy, Jess D Abernathy, William T. Abernathy

Minor
X [his mark]
Wilkes 
[SEAL]"

In Lunenburg County Court 12th Sep 1811, the written last Will & Testament of Minor Wilkes dec'd was presented in court by the Executors therein named and the same was proved by the oath of two of the witnesses thereto described and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of the said Executors who having made oath according to law certificate is granted them for obtaining probate of the said Will…….[last two lines illegible]..."

Minor's farm was located about 2 miles east of Victoria, on a 500 acre tract of land in the South Fork of Great (or Big) Hounds Creek. It adjoined land belonging to Edward Winn, Sally Snead, Peyton Powell and land from the Estate of Benjamin Snead. Minor is believed to be buried on this farm with several family members.

From Find a Grave Memorial ID: 84734255, by "Bonnie's Daughter" with credit to Candyce Hardin Williams 

As you can see, Minor owned a number of enslaved persons.  I have added their names to the Slave Name Roll Project.  

Sources: 

Find a Grave Memorial ID: 84734255, by "Bonnie's Daughter" with credit to Candyce Hardin Williams 

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree on Ancestry dot com (I have not added siblings, etc. to this part of the tree yet).  

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