From our family history, and from the headstone, we knew that John Quinn had a wife named "Mary," who died on the 7th of November 1864, at age 73, putting her birth year at about 1791.
I saw that Ed had contributed Richard Quinn's death certificate on Ancestry.com. This held a very important piece of information- the proof of his mother's maiden name.
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| Richard Quinn son of John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald |
When I contacted Ed, he advised me that he was a descendant of Richard's sister, Catherine.
But there was no record of a Catherine Quinn in Aunt Helen's notebook- this was news to me!
Ed informed me that Catherine married Patrick Flynn in Kilkenny, and never came to America. They lived in Kilmacow Parish, Kilkenny, and had three daughters; Catherine, Ellen, and Margaret. Their daughter Catherine Flynn came to America, where she married his great-grandfather, Edward Besterfeldt, in 1889 in Jerseyville. Their daughter Ellen "Nellie" Flynn also came to Jerseyville, where she married John Durney.
After some research, I realized that Nellie Flynn and John Durney were not strangers who just happened to meet after she immigrated. They were cousins!
Nellie Flynn -daughter of Catherine Quinn and Patrick Flynn- was the granddaughter of John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald.
John Durney -son of Margaret Quinn (Catherine's sister) and James Durney- was the grandson of John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald.
This would make Richard Quinn (death certificate above) the uncle of Nellie Flynn Durney. (You might notice that the informant on his death was listed as Mayme Durney. This was one of Nellie's two daughters.)
John Durney died before the June 1900 census- he shares a headstone at St. Francis with his parents- James Durney born 1829 died 1890 and Margaret (Quinn) born 1824 died 1898.
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| John Durney b 1863 d 1900 - husband of Nellie Flynn Durney- buried with his parents- James Durney b 1829 d 1890 and Margaret (Quinn) Durney born 1824 died 1898. |
Nellie (Flynn) Durney is shown on the 1900 census as a 34 year old widow, mother of three children, two of whom were living; Marguerite age 10 (born in Missouri) and Mary age 5 (also born in Missouri.) This census shows that she immigrated in 1880. Nellie is keeping house for her uncle- Richard Quinn.
The census (which is not always accurate!) shows Richard Quinn age 65, born in Ireland in March, 1835, and immigrating in 1880. He was working as a teamster, as was his son, Richard, age 40.
The 1910 census shows Nellie still living with her uncle Richard Quinn, who is now 80 years old, as well as a widowed aunt, Mary Cuddihee, age 78. This would be Richard's sister Mary Quinn, who married John Cuddihey of Garryduff, Ireland, in 1864 in Jerseyville.
Mary Quinn Cuddihey (daughter of John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald) would pass away in January 1917 and is buried at St. Francis Cemetery in Jerseyville with her husband John.
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| John Cuddihee b 1830 d 1899 and Mary (Quinn) Cuddihee b 1833 d 1917 and their son John |
Richard passed away in September of 1922. His age on the death certificate is 91 years- birthdate shown as 19 May 1830. He was buried at St. Francis Cemetery with his parents, John Quinn and Mary (Fitzgerald) and three of his brothers. (You have seen that headstone in a previous post)
The 1930 and 1940 census show Nellie (Flynn) Durney still living in the house - at 405 Hollow Avenue in Jerseyville.
I think I have found this address on Google Maps- is anyone there familiar with this address? Perhaps you can send me a picture of the house there for this blog? Do you know who lives there now- or is the house long gone? I need some local sleuths to fill in for me there! Thanks!
Nellie (Flynn) Durney, granddaughter of John Quinn and Mary Fitzgerald, passed away on January 15, 1951, and is buried at St. Francis cemetery. There is no picture of her headstone on findagrave.
Can anyone there please find Nellie's headstone at the cemetery and email me a picture to add to this blog?
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