Hi Ramona. I am your mom's cousin, Bonnie. I have info about AnnEliza that shows she had more children, born before Cordilla, but they died or disappeared. We are planning to hold a family reunion this coming July where we can talk about our family history. Ask your Uncle Harold D. for more info. Let me know if you find what you are looking for.

Hi Bonnie,

Yes I know about William and Johnny. I have found them in several records. William was the one that they apparently needed the court order to get married. John does not appear to have been married, however William was and had children. I also have talked to cousins, decendents of william Josephs brothers and sisters. William Joseph was also married once before marrying Cordelia. I also have found Williams Joseph's brother (Thomas) and his famliy as well as a cousin Valentine who lived next door to Thomas. So basically I am looking for the connections to lots of people. Nice to chat with you..Ramona

Ramona, I don't know how to phrase this without sounding like I am being critical. Please believe me, that is NOT my mind set. What documentation do you have that shows that W. J. Bryne was married prior to his marriage to Cordilia? I knew Cordelia quite well and can't help but think that if this were the case, I would have heard of it before this. Also, I thought she and Wm. J. were married when she was 16. Do you have any documentation to show otherwise? I am eager to learn all that I can. Again, please remember that I am not being critical. It is just that some family lore gets twisted in the retelling. For instance, your tale of Simon freezing to death in a snow bank...I well remember my Gradnmother (Cordelia) telling that story, but it was about a neighbor.

Also, the story about Ann Eliza and James Herron having a "shotgun" wedding is pretty factual. I ordered the marraige certificate from the county in Illinois. Attached to the marraige cert was an afidavit sworn by neighbor (who was acting in place of her father because he was away as a soldier during the Civil War). The afidavit states that Ann was "in the family way" and the responsible party was James. I do try to base my conclusions on documentation. Thanks for answering.
By the way, as a matter of interest, Ann Eliza's father, George Washington Pigg was a dispatch rider for General Philip Sheridan. We have a shared history of ancestors serving under famous people. George's grandfather, served in the American Revolutionary War under George Rogers Clark.

Hi Bonnie.
My information comes from the famliy desended from Margaret Alice Byrne (the first daughter of Simon and Bridge). A written family history provides such information as: Simon appeared on March 3, 1855 at Rcok island, Illinois , when his wife Bridget (Ryan) Byrne gave birth to their first child, Margaret Alice. She was baptized at Saint Mary's Catholic Church of Rock Island on 8 April 1855 by Reverend Father John G. Alleman. James Casey and Alice Ryan were her sponsors. Simon and BRidget moved to Dubuque Iowa in 1856. Their second child James Edward Byne was born at Dubuque on 16October 1856. And thus i continues through the birth of each cild, the move from Lorimer Street to Grandview Avenue. The Death of Bridget at age 54 on 25January 1880 due to pulmonary edema. She was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery at Key West Iowa. "There were 2 marrigaes in the Byrne family in 1886, as William Joseph and Annie McClain married on 15 SEpt and Michael F married Maggie Conlon on 24 November. Simon and his younger children moved in with William and Annie at ther home on Lawther street not long after the couples marriage.
I also have infomation from a decendent of Simons Brother Thomas Simon worked withon the Rock Island Railroad for a period of time. The infomration from that side of the family also supports that Simon married Annie. I am looking into what happened to Annie. I am also very curios as to what happened to the younger childern, Esther and Catherine. I Know and have talked to decendents of Mary who married a PEASE and the family line is now Kowalski. Please let me know if any of this is of interest to you. Thanks Ramona

Wow! Yes this is very interesting. When I have time, I will try and get documentation of what you have sent me. The Pease family connection sounds interesting. I do remember that there was a family by that name in Minneapolis. When I was a kid (in my teens?) you grandmother, Kathleen Davis, visited them. I think my brother, Clair, may have once too. I am not to sure about the later. But anyway you have given me some new avenues to check.
I presume you have looked at the So. Dakota census (I don't remember the year at the moment but the year ended in a '5'). Simon was living with Cordilia and Wm. Jos. in So. Dakota. Their neighbors were Ann and Joe Ellis. In it, it says that Simon was born in Ireland but his parents were born in Scotland and England. That makes it just a little bit harder to trace.
Thanks for your help.

I have the whole Pease line, and have some of the documetation for the rest of the info. The cousin of ours through Margaret has it all and will be sending copies when he gets back in the country ( on vacation right now.) Also, Harold is the one who told me about the snow bank, so you can straighten him out on that!. Cordelia was born in 1882 and married 1896 to me that makes 14 years. I know that william and Simon lived just down the street from the HErrons prior to the death of James, in Charles mix county. I contacted the Couty folks and they have no record of WJ bing a justice of the Peace, but they did say part of the county was swollowed up by another one an records were lost. Simon is just a mixed bag of contradcting info. One census says the england and scotland thing, one says Ireland, but due to my little friend who does the grunt work in Ireland for me, this sounds fairly reasonable:Simon, Thomas, Patrick and ...I have to look him up, were born in Wicklow.. Father was John, mother was Bridget Doyle. Simon came over on the ship the SHERIDAN in 1847..and since he says he emmigrated at age 13..it looks like they, as a lot of folks, went from Irland to England, then to Canada. Grandma and Grandpa used to take lots of trips to Canada, and I really wonder if they were visiting other family there. I am hoping to maybe get some photos from the other sides of the family. Will let you know what I find out. Nice to chat with you!! Oh, Vicki Jo (Marston) says she has a lot of old photos, some of her mom as a child with the other 3 girls.. after her knee surgery shw is going to take a look and see what she has.

Hi Bonnie...hope all is well...I've been looking for Simons obituary .. or at least the actual date or year of death. Would you happen to know it? He is listed in the 1910 census living with wm and cordelia, and shows as age 80. He was not with them when they moved in 1919....which moves all of the dates...if he was 80 in 1910 then he was born in 1830 not 1820. If his age was mistaken and was 90 then he would have died in 1910. Harold said the cemetary was covered bt a lakr which would make finding a marker out of the question. Thanks...Ramona