Quinn Blog-Post 2- St. Francis Xavier, Jerseyville. Illinois- searching for clues on the Quinn's amongst the headstones

St. Francis Xavier Church, Jerseyville, Illinois

Jerseyville was my mother's childhood home, and most of her family still lives there. One of my very favorite things to do as a child was to visit the family farm there. I remember going to church at St. Francis on Sundays when we visited each summer. It is a beautiful church.

Interior of St. Francis Xavier church

Visiting the cemetery, even on findagrave, was a little more difficult for me. My grandmother, Nellie Quinn Allen, died just five days after my fourth birthday. I do have some memories of her, but sadly, losing her at such a young age, I really didn't get to know her. I was her youngest grandchild, but my older cousins who lived on the farm with her were lucky to have known her very well. But this family mostly stayed in Jerseyville, so I have many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins buried at the St. Francis cemetery.

My grandmother, Nellie Quinn Allen, with my sister, Ellen, in about 1947.
 (It turns out from my research that "Ellen" is a favorite family name!)

For today, though, my job was to focus on find my grandmother's father and mother, Thomas Quinn and Ellen Kinsella (my sister above is at least the third generation of "Ellen's") and her Quinn grandparents- John Quinn and "Mary." 

With some luck I might find some of her Quinn aunts and uncles.

Family history says that they came from Kilkenny, and the history put together by Margie and Aunt Helen notes that John Quinn came from "Parish Mullminot, Kilkenny County, Ireland."  Unfortunately, in my research I could find no such parish in Kilkenny. So new clues were needed to track down their origins. Gravestones can be great sources for new clues!