..

PRAYER
to

the

BLESSED VIRGIN
of

MT. CARMEL

Most blessed and immaculate Virgin, ornament and splendor of

Mount Carmel, you who regard with particular goodness those who
wear the scapular, benignly look upon me also, and cover me with
the mantle of your maternal protection.
Fortify my weakness with
your strength, illuminate the darkness of my mind with your wisdom,
increase Faith, Hope, and Charity within me, adorn my soul with
such graces and virtues that it may be always precious to you and
your divine Son; assist me in life, console me at the hour of death
with your most loving presence and present me to the most august
Trinity as your son and devout servant, to eternally praise and
bless you in heaven.
Amen.

() ()_11ee11 mho 11rt the

fwuuty of ( 'urmef,

pr11y for us.

1 -

THE LEGEND OF THE SHAMROCK

The word "shamrock" is derived rrom the IrL:oh "seamrog" or "sea.mar" whi:h
meam; trefoil or clover. The fir:3t wearing of the shamrock on St. Pa.trick's Day
was recorded in 1681. The first known reference to the use of the shamrock to
explain the Trinity occurred in 1727 when a great Bishop named Patrick came to
Ireland to teach the word of God. Although he was greatly revered, some of the
followers admitted they could not understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
There upon, St. Patrick plucked a leaf from the shamrock and held it up before
them as a living example of the three-in-one. This simple explanation
convinced the skeptics. To this day, on the 17th. of March, where-ever true
sons of Erin gather, the shamrock is proudly worn as a symbol of the faith that
is ....... Ireland.
The shamrock was accepted as an Irish emblem during the 18th. century.
It was used in the heraldic badge of the United Kingdom and on flags and
banners of Irish troops serving with the United Na1:ion5.
It has been written: "When 1:he I1-i::;h wet .b.c:i:- '::e.a.mar-o~e', tl:t'y o:'i:en
:ommit ex.:ess in J.ir::;uor-, h'Di:h i::o not right keeping c:f a iay of the :-.:::.:: .:;r:-or
gener.'.l~ly i.eading 1:0 debauchery."
There had been much unrest in Ireland having to do with outside rule in
the country; times were hard during the "Great Famin" caused by the failure of
the potatoe crop in "Black '47". The people were poor and opressed and wanted
a new way of life, so they boarded boats to America ................. ..
...... "Oh , Paddy dear and did you hear the news that's gain' 'round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground ............ "

2 -

Fr. Kilroy Planted Well

In Emmett's Kenockee Swamp
BY PETEU E. NEATON'
E:\L'llETT. - A venerable dis
trict school house here - the
Swamp school out Kenockee way
-shares with Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel parish school a remark
able record for contributing
priests and sisters to the work o!
the Church.
The parish school hasn't caught
up yet, but only because it is
much younger than the district
school. Fr. John F. Farrell has
been pastor here nearly three
decades. One o! his earliest
achievements was to establish the
parish school.
,SWAMP SCHOOL is situated
about three miles east and north
:o! Emmett in Kenockee township
'on the road running north !rom
Kenockee cemetery, site o! the
original parish church.
On the ~chool's register, in the
handwriting of many teachers,
appear long lists o! Brennans,
Mackeys, Cogleys. Jacksons, Ha
leys, Stapletons, Sharpes, Codys,
O'Loughlins, Stackpooles, Mur
phys, O'Mearas, Canaans, Sarsfields, Pierces, Hefferons, Mona
ghans and many other descend
ents of pioneers !rom Ireland.
Naturally a parish o! such
solid Catholic Celts has given
numerous priests to the Church.
The beloved chaplain of World
War I, Msgr. Patrick R. Dunigan.
was one of them. Another. was
Fr. Richard Sadler, the first
priest ordained !rom the parish.
He carried his books and h~~
lunch across the field.!! . lQ,. the
Swam-p. schoo~. Fr: . Den\3
O'Loughlin, who died shortly
alter his ordination, was another.

STILL ANOTHER was Msgr.

James F. Stapleton, founder and
un!orgettable pastor of Annunciation parish, Detroit. Fr. William
E. Cogley, SJ, of Manresa tame,
was a "Swamper." Msgr. A. X. M.
Sharpe of Dearborn learned the
alphabet and threw his first papeI'
wads there.
Fr. George W. Brennan of St.
Brigid's, Detroit, trudged to the
Swamp. Fr. Edward Mackey, retired, also Went there. Fr. WI!
liam A. Cogley of a Flint parish
also was a Swamp boy.
The mother of Fr. J. Leo Hea
ley, the chaplain of Providence
hospital, went to school at the
Swamp. 4nd so did the father of
Fr. Joseph A. Canaan of St.
Charles'. Detroit.
The father o! Fr. Richard G.
Cody, CPPS, recently ordained,
carried his lunch across the fields
to the old school and so dld the
!ather of Fr. Francis Sharpe of
the Lansing diocese.
Founder of Mt. Carmel parish
-and also of St. Stephen's, Port
Huron; and St. Philip's, Columbus-was the pioneer missionary
priest, Fr. Lawrence Kilroy. He
Iles now In the old Kenockee
cemetery among the pioneers he
served. He was the first priest
ordained in the Detroit diJ>cese.
It he could speak today to their
descendants, no doubt he'd .say,
"Well done, Swam~rs!"

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE COUNTRY

The early history of the Catholic Church in St, Clair County is mare or less
obscure, for while there is some evidence of the visits of Catholic missionaries to
this section as early as the seventeenth century, we have few records of the work
done previous to the first part of the nineteenth.
The earliest accounts of
Catholicism in this county date from 1670, when two Sulpitian fathers - Dallier and
Gallinee - visited the Indian villages along the St. Clair River and instructed the
natives in the truths of Christian Doctrine.
After the close of the War of 1812, the visits of missionary fathers became
more regular and positive measures were taken ta provide for the religious needs of
the people.
<It was right about this time that the Irish began to became a
significant factor in the life of the state of Michigan. )
In 1818, a parcel of land in St. Clair County was purchased from the
States government,
The receipt for payment was given in 1825, the parties
sale being John Quincy Adams and Father Gabriel Richard.
This transaction
regarded as the beginning of the first Catholic parish in St. Clair County
Cross parish at Marine City.
In 1833 the diocese of Detroit was created and Rt. Rev. Frederick
appointed its first bishop.
This meant much for the Catholics of the
Michigan.
Parishes were immediately organized throughout the diocese with
priests stationed there ta care for the needs of the Catholic people.
there was plenty of missionary work still to be done.

United
of the
can be
- Holy

Rese was
state of
resident
However,

In 1850, Rev, Lawrence Kilroy was appointed to take charge of the St. Clair
missions and with his name is associated much of the real work of parish
organization.
Father Kilroy had visited the missions in 1843, so when he was
appointed seven years later, to take complete charge, he not only came full of zeal
for his work - but he brought with him an equally valuable asset, a knowledge of the
conditions he would have to face.
His life, at least during his first years here,
was that of a real missionary, for although he was sent to the St. Clair missions,
his work was by no means confined to the limits of St. Clair County.
It extended
from Algonac in the south to Point au Barque on the north.
Residents of Michigan's
"Thumb" think the expression "Kilroy was here" originated with him.
When Father
Kilroy arrived,
Holy Cross parish was the only organized parish in the county.
He
immediately set to work to provide churches for the different congregations.
He
first built a church in Burtchville <Jeddo) in 1851.
The Catholics in Port Huron
saw their first church the following year.
This was not a new building erected by
Father Kil ray, but one which had previously served as a Non-Catholic house of
worship.
He
bought it from the Methodists and moved it to a lot previously
acquired.
Father Kilroy was born in Kings County, Ireland <now Offaly) and was the first
Diocesan Priest brdained in Detorit.
After his ordination in 1842 he was
transferred to Grand Rapids from Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit.
On the night of
January 14, 1850, the Rectory and part of the Church were consumed in a disasterous
fire.
Father Kilroy' s mother and sister, who were visiting him, perished in the
blaze.

- 3 -

1853 proved to be a very busy year. Father Kilroy built a church at St. Clair
on a lot at the corner of Fifth and Pine Streets <St. Mary's>.
He also started a
church at Columbus around this time <St. Philip Neri), His name also appears on the
parish records of Immaculate Conception in Anchorville in 1853.
The same year a small log church was built under his direction in what is now
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel cemetery located about two miles east of the village of
Emmett.
Soon after, a hugh wooden cross was hewn out of timber by a group of the
parishioners. The cross, which remained there for many years, was raised and placed
in the center of the grounds.
Forty acres for the church and cemetery was donated
in Kenockee Township by Michael Harrington.
Mass was celebrated in his home just
west of the cemetery before the church was constructed.
<The former home of Jim and
Mary Ellen Harter).
<On the next page you will find a copy of the deed for the property)
Through some research at the cemetery, Bernard Burns is thought to be the
oldest adult burial on November 25, 1852 at the age of 74 - born 1778.
A baby,
thought to be from the Dorsey Hause was buried in 1851.
The first recorded wedding here was in 1854.

The certificate says:

"On January 20, 1854, I joined in matrimony Thomas

Crowley, 23 years of age and Catherine Harrington,
18 years of age. The sponsors were Patrick McGinn
and Anna Marie Butler."
L. Kilroy

Father Lawrence Kilroy made sick calls and visits to his parishioners on
horseback in the vast open area of the 1800' s.
Many stories were told about him.
There was the time he went on a sick call on a wild, stormy night and held a lighted
candle to show the way.
When he arrived the candle had not blown out and his cloak
was dry.
Another time, on a journey back from Dgtroit, he was told that the train
would not stop near his home but, ta the amazement of those aboard, it did,
apparently of its own accord.
Father Kilr9y was shown to have officiated at the earliest baptisms, marriages
and burials in literally every parish in Eastern Michigan at that time.
Al though
Father Kilroy was in charge of the St. Clair M:issions, he must have had some help.
Our records show Father P, A. Tierney's name as well as that of Father John Lynch,
officiating at baptisms here in 1857 and 1858. These priests were not pastors here
until 1876 and 1878.

- 4 -

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The Harringtons signed

this
legal
document
with their "mark" as it
was called, or an "X".
els o ..
Cornelius
Spain,
the
J.P.
talked
to
Mrs.
Harrington
separately
from her husband to be
sure that she agreed!

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At the same time that Father Kilroy was building his log cabin church in
Kenockee, Patrick Kennedy was organizing Emmett Township as Supervisor.
Patrick
had knocked around a bit on his journey from Ireland and had lived in Nova Scotia
and in London Ontario before finally settling in Michigan.
It was said of him that
"Pat Kennedy was a thief; he had stolen an education in Ireland." This was no small
feat in the days of the Protestant Ascendancy there. Part of the farm acreage owned
by the Kennedys is now the property of Bob and Dorma Brennan. Patrick was also the
first postmaster. He used to take the mail to Church with him and pass it out after
Mass.
Kennedy was to become something of a patriarch and was to be the driving
force behind the settlements in "Kenockeetown."
Pa Kennedy, as they all called Patrick Kennedy, became lonesome for his Irish
countrymen and he envisioned a "Little Ireland" set off by itself in Michigan.
Being a correspondent for the "Irish 'World", a newspaper in New York, he wrote
glowing articles about his home in Michigan.
The Erie Canal provided a quick and
cheap way to travel and the footloose Irish came in droves.
Pa then became the
Land Agent for the area and took over the management of the newcomers.
He divided
the sections of the four townships settled by the Irish into subdivisions.
Those
from County Clare lived with County Clare neighbors.
It was the same with those
from Limerick, Tipperary, Kerry and Waterford - all had their own sections.
These
conclaves became quite clannish.
Fred Brogan remembers:
"Yes, and the feeling was so strong that the older
women moaned bitterly about 'marrying an outsider' when a County Clare boy picked a
girl from the Kerry settlement."
Elmer Brogan tells: "Many of the old-timers remembered Brockway. There was
lumbering at Brockway and the lumberjacks were mostly Irishmen.
They'd gather in
the bar and wait hopefully for a fight.
If none turned up within a reasonable time,
all would write their names and toss them in a hat. Two names would then be drawn
and these two lucky men were to put on the fight for the evening."
Some other pioneer settlers were the Donegans <Dunnigans), Kennedys,
Harringtons and J. Dorhemy. For many years following the first settlement there was
a steady influx of immigrants from Ireland. Some of the names: Heaton, Stapleton,
Gleason, Powers, Keegan, Johnson, Kavanagh, O'Neil, Brogan, Breen, Brandon, Brennan,
Maher, McMahon, Nolan, O'Brien, Reedy, Foley, Quain, 0' Connor, Buckley, Donahue,
Butler, Reid, Cogley, Ryan, McCabe, Mullally, Keough, Mackey, Dunigan.
Most of
these names still appear on the census cards in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel office today.
Land was first purchased in this area in 1836.
The village, known as Mt.
Crowley <After Thomas Crowley) was not platted until 1856.
It was given a Post
Office in 1869 and the name was changed to Emmett on April 21, 1883.
One old
Irishman was supposed to have said.
"To justify the prefix 'Mount' would need the
eye of faith as the country is extremely level." Section 36 and the east half of
section 35 in town 7 north, range 14 east was designated as the village of Emmett,
which was part of Emmett Township formed February 19, 1850, originally part of Clyde
Township. "The name was appropriately taken from Robert Emmet, the first Irish
patriot, as a very large portion of its early settlers were of Irish descent." As
in other nearby townships, the population increased swiftly during the first thirty
years and reached a high of 1, 848 in 1880.
Thereafter the population declined
precipitously until it reached a low in 1930 of 432. The township population today
is about 1,450. The population of the Village is 250.
Kenockee Township: serveyed township 7 north, range 15 east was set off from
the township of Clyde by an act of legislature on February 9, 1855.
It's name is
taken from Chippewa Indian words meaning "long-legged",
It contains Kenockee
cemetery and also the unincorporated village of Avoca which was named by Mr. O'B. J.
Atkinson from the Vale of Avoca in Ireland.
- 5 -

After much missionary work, Father Kilroy was finally made pastor of the
church at Kenockee and in 1865 a frame church was erected for about $2, 000.
The
parish then officially became known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and not just the
Church in Kenockee.
Father Kilroy resigned from active duty in 1876 and lived in retirement in
Columbus until his death July 16, 1891.
He was 88 years old; the oldest priest in
Michigan at that time.
Father Kilroy' s death closed the earthly career of one of
the noblest characters in the history of St. Clair County. A man o{'unbounded zeal,
unlimited charity and untiring energy, he proved him.self in every way fitted for the
heroic work which Divine Providence marked out for him. His name is as important to
our Michigan and Church history as Father Piere :Marquette or Father Gabriel Richard.
Father Kilroy was succeeded in the parish at Kenockee by Rev. Patrick Tierney
who remained 2~ years and at his death, in 1878, came Rev. John Lynch. Between 1879
and 1893, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel experienced a great increase in membership under
the strict and beloved Father Lynch. During the pastorate of Father Lynch a mission
church was built at Brockway. This mission consolidated with the Speaker mission in
Sanilac county and forms what is now known as Sacred Heart Parish in Yale. A church
was built there in 1904.
In 1899 Rev. Frank McQueen was sent to take charge of the
mission at Columbus and also to establish a new mission at Smiths Creek.
On
Christmas Day in 1893, Father Lynch died and was buried in Kenockee Cemetery.
At this time Rev. Peter Loughran was given charge of the parish and remained
here for 27 years. Shortly after his arrival, the need for a new and larger church
came under question.
At first there was a difference of opinion as to where the
church was to be built.
Some of the people thought the church would be more
convenient in the village of Emmett, nearer to the railroad.
For sentimental
reasons many wanted the church left at the same location.
This difference of
opinion gradually disappeared after the following letter was received from the
bishop:

Dear Rev. Fr. Loughran:

In regard to the new church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, I would
state that there are two points to be observed.
First as to the
necessity of a new church.
This no one can deny, in a parish of the
standing of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel there should be a substantial
ediface worthy of Him in whose honor it is to be dedicated and
manifesting the faith of the congregation.
It is decided, therefore,
that a new church is to be erected.
Second, as to the location of the new church. The location of a
church should be such that it may be convenient to the greater
m:i.jority of the congregation.
It is true, there are many tender
memories connected with the present location, but we must not permit
sentiment alone to guide our judgment.
After due consideration and
consultation, I have come to the conclusion that the more available
site for the new church would be the village of Emmett.
Yours in Christ,
John S. Foley
Bishop of Detroit
-

6 -

In 1896 the ground was broken for a

land was purchased from Patrick Keough.
suffered the loss of the old frame church
ground.
With Rt. Rev. John Foley in
cornerstone was laid for the new church
complete it.

new church (in the village of Emmett). The

On the second of May, our Irish pioneers
in Kenockee cemetery when it burned to the
attendance on the eighth of June the
in Emmett and efforts were redoubled to

Over 100 skilled and unskilled laborers came from Detroit to work on the
building of the "new0 church in Emmett. James Kavanagh who owned the hotel said he
had only 8 rooms available but that he and Mrs. Kavanagh would try to work out a
solution.
They turned the spacious ball room into sleeping quarters by placing
mattresses wall to wall for the men. The bricklayers received .44 per hour and .32
was paid to daily laborers.
They worked 10 hours a day, six days a week.
The
bricks for the church <and many homes in the area) were manufactured right here in
Emmett from clay from Buckley's "Brick Pond" located on Brandon Rd, part of the
McCabe property.
The men had a couple of metal scaups pulled by horses for excavating the
basement. They then finished the job with hand shovels before the stone masons came
in to set the face stones. To make a face stone a rock had ta be split by a strong
mallet. <Many of the men were scheduled to bring in loads of stone and there was
some time spent in the bar setting wagers as to who would bring in the first load.
Joe 0' Connor, who was not spending any time at the bar that day, was home loading
stone while the others talked and he is credited with driving up to the Church the
next morning with none other than.,,.,., "the first load of stone".) Next came the
bricks which kept 2 dozen brick layers busy until very late on the hot summer days.
Soon the high walls were rising and being noticed.
Everyone agreed that more help
was needed.
A meeting was called by Father Loughran and it was decided to ask for
volunteers to work as laborers. There would be no wages given but the ladies of the
parish would serve meals along with free beer, provided by the St. Patrick's
Society.
<The St. Patrick's Society was organized in 1878 by Rev. Patrick Tierney.
James Cogley was president; members were:
W. H. Butler, Edward Gallagher, David
Donohue, Thomas Butler and William Powers),
Large groups of willing men came to Emmett from Wales and Riley townships.
These farmers worked hard and made sacrifices to help their neighboring community of
Emmett complete the great undertaking of building the largest house of warship in
the county of St. Clair.
It is said that the Protestant wives did not always
approve when the word came: ":Ken needed at Emmett again." and their husbands would
go off to work all day for 3 square meals and lots of cold beer.
Freight trains arrived daily ta deliver lumber, cement, plaster, heavy slate
shingles, oak and pine flooring, hardware supplies, and the stained glass windows to
Emmett for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.
The "Laugh-a-Lot" Club, composed of the
St, Patrick's_ Society" sponsored dances and
building, especial'iy the stained glass windows
the bell, housed in the steeple which came from

younger set and the mens' club "The

other fund raisers to finance the
which were imported from Italy and
Belgium.

On Saturday afternoon, January 18 1 1897, the local 5: 00 train stopped in

Emmett at the Grand Trunk station to let off Rt. Rev. John Foley for the second
time; now it ~s for the dedication.
Fourteen priests from surrounding areas came
with him to ad their blessings on this great day.

- 7 -

The St. Patrick's Benevolent Society

After Father Kilroy retired in 1876, he was succeeded by Father Lawrence A.
Tierney who was instrumental in founding the St. Patrick's Socie~y in the parish.
Father Tierney died after being pastor only two and one half years., ... : and we
have no records to tell us how long the Society continued after his death. What
we do have is a copy of the constitution and by-laws contained in a notebook
written by Patrick Murtagh, uncle of Krs. Anna Brennan and now in possession of
her daughter, Mrs. Donna Francek.
According to the constitution written in 1877, "The object of the
association is for the relief of the distressed and their families, the
visitation of the sick, the burial of the dead and to aid and assist widows and
orphans of deceased members." It also says that it is being formed to continue
30 years unless legally disolved.
Besides being a benevolent organization, one
of the by-laws claims that it is for the "due celebration of St. Patrick's Day in
conjunction with other societies."
Father Tierney was named spiritual director and 13 men signed the
constitution.
These were probably the founders, however at the end of the
lengthy document is a list of about twenty more men who must have joined later.
The by-laws require that each member be a practicing Catholic and be
assessed 25 dues per month, payable at a bi-monthly meeting. This seems like a
lot of money considering this was over one hundred and ten years ago but, of
course, they were building up a fund to aid needy families.
There is a long list of qualifications for membership and an even longer
set of rules for admission of members and their duties.
We don't know haw well
they followed these rules, but there are many sanctions listed for those who step
out of line. Some of the highlights:
"He must be an Irishman by birth or descent and a resident of Emmett
or vicinity. 11
"He could be expelled for feigning sickness to collect benefits. 11
"He could lose benefits for dueling or fighting or for
public drunkeness."
"He would be fined $2.00 for missing the parade on St. Patrick's Day.
"He would be fined 25 for bringing up politics during a meeting. 11

11

All these fines went into the general fund.

The benefits included $2.00
per week up to three months for sick members unable to work and upon the death of
a member, the family collected $15.00 for funeral expenses.
Some of these rules and regulations may seem a bit quaint now, but the St.
Patrick's Society must have been on the right track as it predates two
international organizations active in our parish today.
Neither the Knights of
Columbus nor the Daughters of Isabella were in existance when the St. Patrick's
Society flourished in our parish last century.

- 8 -

The total cost of the church and priest's house was $33,767.00. Fr. Loughran
loaned the parish $5,000.00 and an $8,000.00 mortgage was taken out.
The
parishioners were assessed $1.00 an acre for the Building Fund.

Cost of Church and Rectory:

Carpenter Work
$7,265
Plumbing & Gas machine $1,261
Cut Stone Work
1,889
Iron
125
Mason Work
7,867
Furnaces
1,074
Architect
1,364
915
Windows
Seating
2,775
Painting
1,193
Lathing & Plastering 2, 100
Pews
1,643
Altar
350
Gas Fixtures
394
Hardware
264
Extras, including the lot, organ, carpets and furniture for church and
house, hitching posts, tiling, hauling, stone, sand, sidewalks,
cisterns, etc. =
3,288
Total

$33,767

Kost of the parishioners requested a pew of their own and a charge of $20 per
year was levied - $10 for ~ pew. The church held about 850 people.
In order to keep up with daily expenses at Our Lady of Kt. Carmel,
rules were made:

these

1. All heads of families who are not pew-holders shall pay at least
$10 annually for the support of the church.
2. All young men and women not represented by their father or mother
shall contribute $5 annually.
3. Pew rent of $20 must be paid in advance. Pews are not
transferable.
Pewholders who are behind with their pew rent for
six months must notify their pastor; otherwise their pews will be
rented without further notice.
4. The poor who are unable to pay will have pews supplied them and the
services of the pastor will always be at their disposal.
- Fr. Loughran
POSTED AND STRICTLY ENFORCED

Father Loughran planned to build a school soon after the church was completed
but the plans were shelved until Father Farrell finally built it in 1924.

- 9 -

Around the turn of the century, a picture of the village of Emmett would show
the grand new Catholic church and, as for the rest of the town: 5 grocery stores, a
three-story men's clothing store and boot shop, a telephone office, an ice cream
parlor (sundaes were a dime), a barber shop and pool room, a drug store, a
blacksmiths shop, the district school, the railroad and telegraph office, several
livery stables, charcoal manufacturing, a hardware and agricultural implement
company, cigar shop, meat market, H.P. :McCabe's Bank, Butler's- Ele.vator and Saw
Ki 11, Buckleys Brick Yard, 4 dress shops <. 50 - $1. 00 was the usual fee for an
ankle-length party dress), 2 milliners, a post office, David Donohue & Co. Furniture
and Undertaker, and the Emmett House Hotel.
<In 1889 at the Emmett House Hotel only
men were admitted and served. A sitting room was provided on the opposite side of
the hall for women who desired alcoholic beverages.
The bartender would bring
drinks on a tray to the room to accommodate the ladies - but only one glass was
permitted each).
Emmett boasted a bowling alley from 1903 - 1905 on East Mechanic
Street and a theatre where the VFW Hall is now around 1913.
There also was a resident Doctor in town in those days. Dr. John L. Chester
married Catherine Butler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Butler and built a new
house and office on Main Street in the village - today the home of Mae Jo Driscoll.
Dr. Chester was the first person to purchase an automobile. It was a roadster with
four cylinders and a Brush Make.
<Does anybody know what that is?) Bill Powers and
Frank Keough were next to own bright red roadsters that made plenty of noise. They
were Maxwells. At the same time that progress was being made in cars, many families
still owned black two seated surreys with fringe on top.
They were the Maurice
Foleys, the Larry Powers, the Thomas Keegans, the Ed Butlers, and the John Bradys.
From Kenockee were the John Brennans, the Patrick and Peter Graces, and the John
:Monaghans.
Some of the other occupations listed was a granite and marble mason, music
teachers, livestock handlers, carpenters, painters, the school principal, teachers,
a mid-wife, a carpet weaver, the Veterinarian, 2 home laundry services, several
Justices-of-the-Peace. F. J, Gooding was the deputy sheriff; Patrick Byrne, a horse
breeder; Thomas Cavanagh, a bee keeper and Thomas Kennedy, an apiarist.
In 1906 there were eleven Catholic Churches in St. Clair Co.
Holy Cross
church in Marine City and O.L.M.C. at Emmett were numbered among the finest church
buildings in the diocese of Detroit.
Father Loughran remained pastor until September 1921.
Father James Cotter
succeeded Father Loughran.
One complaint Fr. Cotter made from the pulpit had to do
with the heavy flow of pennies in the colleci ton basket.
Fr. suggested that a
person should "Save your red pennies until you have a nickel or a quarter and then
give."
This observation led parishioners to give a little better to the Sunday
collections.
The following year Father John Hackett came.
It is said that he never turned
down a sick call even in bad weather.
He wore a woolen shawl around his shoulders
and a bear pelt lap robe as he traveled around his vast Irish settlement.
-

10 -

Succession of Pastors
1867
1876
1878
1893
1920
1921
1923
1966
1971
1973
1981

Rev.
48 years.

Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father
Father

L. Kilroy
P.A. Tierney
J, Lynch
P. Loughran
J, Cotter
J, Hackett
J. F. Farrell
J, 0' Neill
c. Desantis
T.G. Schmitt
J, Sirianni

John F. Farrell <1885-1971) became pastor July 20, 1923 and remained for

In September of 1924 four sisters of the IHM order <Immaculate Heart of Mary)
from Monroe, Michigan were hired for the teaching staff of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel's
new school:
Mother M. Liguori, superior and principal; Sr. Georgienne; Sr. :Mary
Edwin and Sr. Marie Edward.
As the school had not yet been completed, the sisters
were not able to go directly to Emmett, so they lived temporarily at St. Stephens in
Port Huron.
Ten days later their quarters in the school which were to serve as a
convent were still not ready so Father Farrell moved out of -t;he rectory for three
weeks to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Donahue's <Bridgie) to let the sisters live in the rectory
until the school was finished.
Opening enrollment was about 200.
At this time it
included 10 grades. The following year the convent was built. This was a wonderful
time long ago when costs were not so high and not only could our parishioners get a
good Catholic education for their children, they were not even required to pay
tuition.
Under Father Farrell's loving and careful management, the Church in Emmett
prospered and the congregation grew.
Many new families moved into the parish to
enjoy the big church and school
As a source of income Father Farrell started the "Homecoming", held on Labor
Day week-end.
The St. Patrick's Banquet began during this time.
The Daughters of
Isabella and the Legion of :Mary were also established in the parish under his
guidance.
There were "Young Peoples Clubs" at various times through the years. At
this time we have our CYO active in the parish.
---~-- ~

~-

1f

~-----.....,

0eventh Annual 9iome (!]oming Cj'Jicnic

<9ur .ady of .:Jt(t. Clarmel Clhur.,ch
0mmett, S'l(tchlgan

ahor c:nay, .3r{onday, ,Beptember second

nineteen hundred and twenty.nine

Clhicken CJJinner at 11 a. m.
CJhildren 25 Clents

.Adults 50 Clents

'You are coroially invited

Clommlttee

<On the following page is the front cover of a financial report from 1938 - 1939,
showing the state of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel over 50 years ago.)
-

11

FINANCIAL

REPORT

-------OF-------

Our -Lady of Sfit. Carmel Chu1zch

EMMETT, .MICHIGAN

JANUARY l, 1938

~O

JANUARY l, 1939

The financial report of Our Lady of Mt. Carqiel Parish is herein presented.
It is true that the most important work of a parish is of a spiritual nature, but in a way, at least,
this depends upon the necessary material equipment. Each one, therefore, has the obligation in conscience of contributing according to' ability, that "the work of God may go forward.
I thank you for your assistance, and pray that God may bless you in the coming year.
JOHN F. FARRELL, Pastor.
FINANCIAL REPORT, JAN. I, 1933 TO JAN. 1, 1939
REVENUE
Balance on hand January 1, 1938. _______ ,............-$ 972.9f
Pew Rent .......................-........----- 1,772.00
Sunday Collections ------- 3,054.9-t
Fuel Collections ...............................................-.................. 377.00
Altar Society, Decorating Altar...................................... 225.00
Home Coming and Keno ............- .....................- ............... 2,300.00
Archdiocesan Collection ....---..----- 88.00
Votive Stand .....................................................---
64.00
Total ReYenue ...............................................................$1,8$3.11

OFFICERS OF THE ALTAR SOCIETY FOR 1938

President .......................- ....................... _ ... Miss Mary Dunnigan
Vice-President.........................................._._ .. Mrs. Mollie Reid
Secretary........................................................... Mrs. Mary McCabe
Treasurer.............................- ......................... Miss Mary Jo. Rynn
OFFICERS OF THE ALTAR SOCIETY FOR 1939
President.. ................ ---- ..... Miss Mary Dunnigan
Vice-President ....... _ ........................................... Mrs. Mollie Reid
Secretary ............................................................ Mrs. Mary McCabe
Treasurcr .................................................. Mrs. Mayme De Conick
By contributing $225.00, the Altar Society decorated the
Sanctuary in the month of December, 1938.

EXPENSES
Archdiocesan Taxes ............................................................$ 418.92
Archdiocesan Collection .................................................... 131.00
Repairs, Improvements, Etc............................................. 296.90
Decorating Altar, Statues.................................................. 225.00
Pastor's Salary ...................................................................... 1,200.00
Assistant's Salary -.. --....................
Organist's Salary ..................................................................
Sexton's Salary ................... -................................................
Altar Bread and Wine ..- ...-..............................................
Candles, Oil and Incense................................. :................

70.00
200.00
960.00
89.41
110.40

Telephone ............................---..-----
44.34
Fuel .............................................................................:............... 893.63
Light .............................................................. ___ .................... 167.38
Insurance .................................................................................. 443.10
Salary of Sisters ................................................... --- 2,000.00
Repairs on School ............................................................... _ 138.04
Miscellaneous ..........................................................................
98.46
Postage and Printing............................................................ 116.00
Car Maintenance ..................................................... ;............ 103.52
Total Expen1e1 ..............................................................$7,70t.lt
Balance on band January I, 1939.............................. 1,1'7.71

----------------

From 1941 to 1966

the parish was assigned
regular assistants.

They were:

Father Zak - 1941

Father Kaznowski - 1946
Father Szelc - 1951
Father Wahowiak - 1954
Father Pazik - 1955
Father Barzych - 1958
Father Sonnenfeld - 1959
Father Mansfield - 1965
Father Melton - 1966
In October, 1954 the blessing of "Our Lady of Fatima" Shrine took place. This
was a project of the Daughters of Isabella and very much encouraged by Father
Farrell.
Fram 1955 to 1960 Father Farrell was called upon ta minister ta All Saints
Church in Memphis as a mission and in 1961 he took part in ground-breaking
ceremonies far St. Nicholas in Capac, another mission church.
In August of 1961, the Holy Name Society was established at Our Lady of Kt.
Carmel. The members purchased Our Sunday Visitor and The Michigan Catholic far the
parish. Over the years, many donations were llllide ta poor families far food as well
as fuel ail.
In later years the Gaadells Food Bank was established by Harry
Goulette in connection with the St. Vincent DePaul Society. At that time Holy Name
Society funds were combined with St. Vincent DePaul and all bookkeeping was done
under the Food Bank which still assists poor families today.
In July of 1966, after 55 years of serving Gad' s people, Father Farrell
retired.
On August 17th of that year Father Jahn O'Neill arrived in EIDlllett as our new
pastor. His first task was ta build a new school but before it could be completed,
an October 16th, just two months after his arrival, the beautiful and stately Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel Church burned ta the ground. The school was rushed ta completion
and Mass was held there until the new church could be built.
Jahn Farrell Schaal
cast $317,695.93 and was dedicated an April 15, 1967 by Archbishop Jahn Dearden.
Father 0' Neill farmed a church cammi ttee. He said, "The church is the people"
and they should have a say in what their new church should look like.
On St.
Patrick's Day, March 17, 1967 at 8:00 p.m., the first meeting was held in the new
school.
Monsignor Sherzer came ta Emmett and talked about church architecture.
Thus began a series of meetings with different architects and a liturgical designer
who gave their views.
There also was a tour of churches in the Detroit
Metropolitan, Canadian and Thumb areas.
One of the first decisions in the planning was ta locate the church across the
road from the site of the old church far the fallowing reasons: There was mare roam
so it could be centered an the property ta enable it ta be seen well from all
directions.
If it were placed an the sight of the old church, it would be tao close
ta the road, ta the rectory and ta the convent. Its placement enabled us to use the
property we have ta its best advantage thus giving it a "campus effect".
The contract was finally awarded ta Richard Cagley and after many blueprints
were drawn, approval was received from the Chancery.
Ground-breaking ceremonies
were held March 16th, 1969. On June 12th, 1970 Jahn Cardinal Dearden dedicated the
new church.
The cast was $570, 000.
In 1962, the entire parish plant was insured
for $89,000. ,An~~ policy was taken out just 3~ years before the Church burned. We
received $326,386.63 from the insurance carrier an the lass of the old Church.
Father O'Neill called it "a sign of God's providence!"
During the fallowing year
the parish received financial help from various sources. Father O'Neill was invited
ta Guardian Angels Parish in Detrai t where the parishioners put on a pancake and
sausage breakfast far the benefit of our building fund.
Father returned with
$1, 802. 50 proceeds. The Friendly Sans of St. Patrick put on a benefit also. Fifty
parishioners j aurnied from Emmett ta the party with Father and brought home gate
receipts of $803.
-

12 -

bu 111
1

<.t

/ 67
/,j

I
V

Features of the New Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

To permit lower costs for heating, lighting, maintenance and

decided to incorporate a Chapel for daily Mass into the plans.

~peration,

it was

The "Nave" or general seating area holds 560 but can be expanded to 660 by
opening the Chapel or expanded even further to 750 by sliding aside the glass
partitions between the "Nave" and the "Narthex".
The "Narthex", or main entrance area can be used as a Cry Room if need arises.
The south curved wall of this room is 100 feet long and 13 feet high. It is made of
split-face stone, incorporating stones from the old church and native stones from
the farms of parishioners.
Selected stones from the old church were used ta
symbolize the continuity of the life of the parish at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel from
earlier generations ta the present.
When sending in her ancestry questianaire, one parishioner asked why the
bricks an one side of the church wall are smooth and the other side has bricks
sticking out.
The answer is that an Accaustical Engineer was engaged ta make a
study of the building's accoustical characteristics and, as a result, the Architect
and Engineer incorporated a decorative masonry screen along one wal 1 of the "Nave",
behind which is located an accoustical blanket to absorb excessive sounds.
The Altar is :made from granite from the quarries of Minnesota.
In the courtyard stands the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel created
in fiberglass by artist Gina Testaguzza of Lake Orion.
The stations of the cross are carved linden wood from Italy
The Baptistry, designed ta be striking and functional was built by one of our
carpenters from the parish, Paul Houle.
The confessionals are sound proof, equipped for the hard-of-hearing and the
slide may be opened by the penitent if he wishes a more personal confession.
Realizing that the church built in 1853, the one built in 1865 and the one
built in 1897 were all destroyed by fire, extra precautions were taken that this
would not happen again.
The new church was constructed basically of concrete,
masonry and steel.
The style of the church is bold, simple, massive but made warm through
texture, lighting, and color - classic in a way that will make it appear still
appropriate and in good taste in 50 years.

13 -

C::-, July 6,

1971, Father John F. Farrell died.

Perhaps the finest tribute to
F'r. Farrell was the fact that during his pastorate there were more vocations from
Emmett than any other town of its size in the state.

Father Desantis came to Emmett in February of 1971.

He often visited the
homes of his pari:3hioners while traveling around the parish with his dog.
When a
person would invite Father Desantis into his home, the dog also came in.
He thought
he was a parishioner too.
Father left EIDlilett in August of 1973.

Father Thomas Schmitt came in October of 1973 and left in June 1981.
Several
changes took place in the parish during Father Schmitt's stay here.
There were
several special collections taken up to try to support John Farrell school but costs
rema.ined high and income was not enough to continue.
In 1967 the school operated
with approximately $3,000 income and $20,000 in expenses (a deficit of $17,000) The
John Farrell School was sold to the Yale Public Schools for $348,000.00 on November
25, 1974.
The people then needed a center for parish functions which prompted the
building of our new hall, at a cost of $285,617.91.
Opening on April 15, 1977, it
has served us well as a meeting place for parish and colDlilunity activities.

Father Jasper Sirianni arrived here on June 15, 1981 and is still with us
today, helping to celebrate the 125th. Anniversary of Our Lady of Kt. Carmel Parish
in Emmett.
He has not taken a salary for the past several years which helps the
parish stay solvent.
Father was a recipient of the John Farrell award which was
begun by Cardinal Dearden in the Fall of 1972.
It is given to a priest whose
pastoral service deserves recognition and whose life has been open to continued
growth and renewal.
The award consists of a three month stay in Rome to participate
in the Institute for Continuing Theological Education conducted at the Graduate
House of the North American College and a grant toward expenses.
The Knights of Columbus was started in the parish shortly after Father
Sirianni came here.
The charter date is December 27, 1981.
Walt Szymanski was the
first Grand Knight and, later, Jack Hazelman was the first "elected" Grand Knight.

- 14 -

The 6ollowing i& a li&t 06 Altah Boy6 60h ~ne eu~~en~ ye~~.
We al&o 6ound a li&t 6hom 16 yeah& ago. Vo you know any 06 the&e guy&?
A L T A R

Pat \Jebb,

B 0 Y S

Robert Beatty

384-1314

384-6590

Sean Quain, Andrew Daoust

384-1877

395-2219

Brad & Brian Francek

384-6584

Jim Stapleton, Jerry Scheible

384-1786
384-6966

Brad Keegan, David Van Hensel

395-4489

392-2923

Roger McClelland, Kevin Kinney 384-1819

384-6643

384-1731

Michael Haggerty, Ricky Martindale

384-1743

325-1369

Ron Heilig, Lawrence Cowper

395-7209

324-2205

Chris Hazelman, Tim Schneider

384-6582

384-1758

AL~AR

Donald Brennan

Patrick Brennan

'BOY PARTNERS

(10)

384-H346
(2)

~io~ard Cowhy

(,4)

Michael Connelly David McClelland

James Donnellon

James Ryan

384-1831

Edward Cowhy

(12)

Mike Grace

Gerald Cowhy
Joe Grace

(8)

Mark Harter

( 9)

Tom E. Cowhy

}64-1306

~84-1366

James Kovach

Patrick Johnson

325-1379
Ro.ber::t Kea..n

384-1363

John Mackey

384-1708
Joe Mackey

Paul McClelland, Patrick McClelland

(13)

James O'Connor

Mike O'Connor

384-1735
( 14)

Bill Quain

Michael Quain

384-1719

384-1767
(7)

Bill Hyde

384-1819

324-2298
(6)

Thoma:s :Butler

384-1840

~84-1819

384-1369
(5)

(11)

~24-2298

384-1356

( 197 3)

384-1320

Thomas Cowhy

}24;..:2411

(3)

384-1711

Greg & Pat Kinney

Scott & Jason Schmidt

(1)

( 2989)

(15)

David Stahl

(16)

Scott Schneider, Sal Palazz.olo

384-6658
(17)

395-4382

Chris Szymanski

384-6698

184-1771!
Tony Chmielewski

Robert Stahl

384-6630

(18)

John Cowhy

387-2.254

John Nowakowski

Ga.;ry Zwiernik

384-1757

384-1712

Thank you to the sources used for this presentation:

Joe Donahue
"History of the Irish in Emmett"
Carmel Parish Bulletin in 1974-75)

<As published in Our Lady of Mt.

"EMMETT MICHIGAN" -Histories of the Irish by Joseph Donahue, Indexed, Edited and
Supplemented by Bonnie .McHugh-Gakstatter, Bay city, Michigan - 1988. <Bonnie is the
great-great-grand daughter of Patrick "Pa" Kennedy)
Geneva and John Sharpe

''History of St. Clair County"

<Churches)

Vickie and Ray Gleason

"History of St. Clair County"

<Towns)

Max Eschker "A History of Our Lady of .Mt. Carmel"

Port Huron Catholic High School)

<'Written for History class at

Harry Goulette
<Books and records from the Holy Name Society and St. Vincent de Paul Society)
"History of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel"
<As published in the Church Dedication booklet in 1970)
Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory
Polk 1905 - page 993
The Detroit News - July, 1961
"Early Kilroy Left Famed Legend in Thumb District"
PARISH RECORDS REVEAL ACTIVITIES,
by Harold Schachern "Detroit News Religion Writer"
IHM .Motherhouse - .Monroe, Michigan
Ellen Jane Koppinger - "IHM Sisters who Taught at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School"
Dominican Motherhouse - Adrian, Michigan
Sister Marie Therese and Sister Celeste for information on the background of the
Dominican order
Mary and Tom Brennan - "Fr. Kilroy Planted Well In Emmett's Kenockee Swamp"
Written in 1952 by Peter E. Heaton
George and Doris Hyde - A draft of Emmett Township General Development Plan
Dan Collins - A Michigan State Police Bulletin <On Irish subjects)
Mary Leigh and Larry Powers - Two Histories of the IHM Order - "No Greater Service",
and "Achievement of a Century" - Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Thanks to Helen We.ndling for her "idea" to include family histories in this book.
And all those who took the time to write about your families ....... .

15 -

"The Church Is The People"

While making plans for our 1990 celebration, a suggestion was.. given that we
should include in our booklet some information about the ancestry of the people who
make up Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. So, we sent out letters some time ago asking
questions and these are the replies we received:
Margaret and Eugene Asselin have spent the winters here for the past 3 years. Their
daughter and son-in-law Sandra and Bob Boyd and grand-daughters Jeanine and Bonnie
. ... , .
. ...... .
have lived here 14 years.
Rosemary Brogan Ryan My grandfather, Frank Brogan, owned the general store in
Emmett which still stands today (the current barber shop). His store was known for
it's "Brogan's Tea", supposedly the best tea ever. The little poem below tells it all.
Brogan's was a grocery
Once to try a test on her
In a little country town
I told a little lie
An item that was carried long
Brogan's hadn't any
Had brought it great renoun.
So I made another buy.
When Grandma had a shopping list
I handed her the Brogan Brand
And handed it to me
and watched her make a brew.
She always mentioned carefully
She poured it in a china cup
And took a sip or two.
A pound of Brogan's tea.
A look of disappointment
Was what she turned on me.
There isn't any other brand
That equals Brogan's Tea.
This store was later operated by my Uncle Elmer. It also housed the post
office and Elmer was postmaster until his death.
My grandfather married Kary Carroll and they had seven children Helen
<Nellie), Frank, Jimmy, Aloysius, Elmer, Fred & Phonse.
My father was Fred and he married Mae Chamberlain. They had three children Jack, Emmett & "me". Jack married Barbara Hansmen, Emmett married Kate Kearns and I
married Joe Ryan - we have four children - Christine, Joe Jr, Jim and Lee Ann who
died when she was 10 days old.
My mother was born in Clair, .Michigan to Vital Chamberlain and .Kary O'Brien
and came to Emmett as a youngster when her father died. She lived with her Aunt &
Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. James Cogley. Mother had three brothers - Henry, Bill & Tom and
one sister, Kate.
My father, Fred Brogan, owned the butcher shop next door to the general store
which was sold and torn down after his death in 1951. The Emmett Lounge now stands
on that site. Brogan's Meat .Market was well known throughout the area for its homemade bologna which my Dad made. The little smoke house stood behind the store and
I still have his recipe in his own handwriting.
I remember the "free shows" that took place every Thursday night. They were
shown on the side of the old bank building and were paid for through ads from
various business men in the area. The crowds really turned out for such thrillers as
"The Clutching Hand". I'll never forget that one.

- 16 -

Brandon
Thomas Brandon of County Clare, Ireland, and Margaret Dunigan of Emmett,
but born in Pennsylvania married and settled in Emmett.
Thomas had a brother,
Michael and 2 sisters, Ann, who married a Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mary, who married a
Kr. Reedy.
Margaret was a sister to Michael Dunigan, the first white child born in
Riley Township in 1840.
She had one sister and two other brothers besides
Michael.
Tom and Margaret purchased 80 acres on what is now Burt Road near Keegan
Road, cleared the land and built a home there.
They eventually added 40 more
acres to their homestead. Ten children were born to Thomas and Margaret.
Patrick, who left Em.mett, owned and operated a hotel in northern Michigan.
He married and had two children.
He was accidentally shot and killed while
trying to remove some stray dogs from under his house.
John, who had wanderlust in his soul, emigrated to Alaska and worked in the
gold fields.
He returned to Em.mett only for brief visits and died in Alaska.
John never married.
Mary married Patrick Rynn, and they had a farm at Rynn and Quain Roads.
They bad one son, Billy.
Margaret married Thom.as Rynn who worked for the railroad.
They lived in
Battle Creek and had no children.
Timothy died at the age of 2 years.
Michael and James stayed on the farm with their parents and continued
farming with their father. Neither of them married.
Martin never married either, and also lived at home, but he was a mail
carrier for the Emmett Post Office.
He worked as a
Thomas married Elizabeth Haggerty and moved to Chicago.
They had six
maintenance man for various elevators in and near Chicago.
children, Marguerite, Bessie, P.J., Catherine, Martin, and Thomas.
Christopher, born December 24, 1859, also worked on the farm, but he
eventually went to work on the Grand Trunk Railroad which was being built through
the area at this time.
He married the former Gertrude Klauka of Centerline.
"Gertie" came to Emmett to work as a cook in Larry 0' Neil's Hotel <later known as
the Emmett Hotel).
While working there she became acquainted with "Chris"
Brandon and they eventually married.
This union took place at the Kenockee
Church on January 23rd, 1890, and Father Lynch was the priest who performed the
ceremony.
Twin children were stillborn in 1890. A son, John F. was born in 1892. It
was during 1892 that Chris and Gertie moved to Canada to find work -- Chris as
the foreman in a logging camp in the great Canadian timber country, and Gertie as
the lumber camp cook.
With only 2 helpers, she cooked 3 meals a day for 100
loggers.
While in Canada, a daughter, Caroline was born, December 24th, 1893.
Shortly after this, they returned to Emmett and lived for a very short time with
Chris's parents, ,Thomas and Margaret on Burt Road. Chris and Gertie purchased 80
acres, one half mile west of M-19, on what is now named Brandon Road. He cleared
enough land to build a home and brought Gertie and the children there to live.
Gertie said when she came to live on Brandon Road, the forest came right up to
the back door, and all she had to bring to this new home were 2 old ducks her
mother-in-law had given to her.

- 17 -

Brandon (Con' t)

The rest of the children were born in this home. Joseph in 1895, Thomas in
1897, Leo in 1898, Mary in 1900, Margaret in 1902, Helen in 1904, Vincent in
1906, Ann, who died at birth in 1908, and James, who died at birth in 1910.
Chris was very active in the politics of the village, serving for many
year::> on the council in different cap!1ci ties, and also served as a Township
official.
During the construction of the new Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church in
Emmett, he donated many hours of work, and his team of horses and wagons. He was
also an active member of the Holy Name Society.
Gertie was not involved with
outside organizations as caring for her home and family occupied all her time.
In later years, she became a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Gleason-Butler
post in Emmett.
Chris continued farming until his death in 1940.
Gertie
remained living on the homestead with hersons, Joe, Leo, and Vincent, until her
death in 1948.
Jahn worked at home for a time, but eventually left and became a telegraph
operator.
He was the telegrapher
at the Emmett Depot for many years.
He
married the former Nellie Jackson, and they had four children, Madelon, Mary
Ella, Elsie, and Joseph. John died in 1974, and Nellie in 1975.
Thomas was a member of the U.S. armed forces in World War I. While he was
in Texas, he was in a train accident while they were moving troops from one camp
to another.
He was badly injured, and spent many months recuperating in a
hospital.
When he came home, he went to Flint to a trade school, learning the
field of mechanics.
He returned to Emmett and established a garage at the "Y",
the intersection of old M-21 and Brandon Road. Tom and Irene Balie were married
in Emmett and had six ,children, Lorene, John, Lucy, Robert, William, and Thomas.
Tom died in 1933 and Irene and her brother-in-law, Vincent Brandon continueed to
operate the garage for many years. She eventually moved to Flint where she lived
with her sons, John and Thomas.
Irene died in 1987.
Joe and Leo continued to live on the homestead, helping their parents with
the farm work.
However, for several years in the winter time, they left to work
in the lumber mills of Wisconsin, returning home in the spring to help with the
planting. Neither Leo, who died in 1961, nor Joe, who died in 1969 married.
Vincent, known as "Dutch", helped with the farming for only a short while,
preferring to work with his brother, Tom as a mechanic in his garage. After his
brother's death, Irene and Dutch continued this partnership.
Dutch served with
distinction in the army during World War II.
He was involved in many of the
European campaigns, and participated in the famous Battle of the Bulge.
After
his return, he was instrumental. in the formation of the Gleason-Butler V. F. W.
Post in Emmett and served many years as commander.
Dutch never married and died
in 1956.
Caroline, after completing school, went to Port Huron where she entered the
nursing program at Port Huron Hospital.
After graduating, she became a private
nurse, caring for various patients in the area until her marriage to Frank
Brennan. They had six children - Leo, who died at 3 days of age, George, Martin,
who died at birth, Thomas, Marie, who died at 6 months, and Jimmy, who died when
he was 11 years old.
Frank was an area farmer and also worked for the St. Clair
County Road Commission. Frank died in 1957 and Carrie in 1983.
M.ary was sick for many years.
However, she was able to finish her
schooling and graduate. She died in 1917 at 16 years of age.
-

18 -

Brandon (Con' t)

Margaret, better known as Peg, after graduating from the Em.'!lett school,
went to Cleary College in Ypsilanti and enrolled in the field of accounting. She
returned to Emmett and worked for Frank Keough at the Emmett elevator as the
bookkeeper until her marriage to James Brennan.
For a few years after their
marriage, they owned and operated a farm on Bricker Road.
However, they sold
this farm and moved to Detroit where Jim worked in the construction business.
They eventually moved back to Emmett and owned and operated a gas station,
grocery store, and creamery station. When Jim suffered a heart attack, they sold
the gas station - grocery store business.
They retained the creamery business
and moved to a new home on Main Street.
They had no children and Jim died in
1968 and Peg died in 1989.
Helen graduated from the Emmett school and stayed at home to help her
parents with the home and farm. She worked for a time at the Kike Mcinerney Ford
dealership and gas station which was located next to the Emmett Hotel.
She and
Clem Quain were married October 29, 1929 in Emmett by Father John Farrell. Clem
worked as a farmer for some years, then went to Port Huron where he was employed
by Mueller Brass and then Chrysler Corporation.
When Chrysler's closed, he
returned ta work in Emmett at Johnny Mullally' s gas station, located on Kain
Street next to his home. After Johnny's death, he found employment at the Emmett
Elevator where he continued to work until his retirement.
Clem died in 1970.
Clem and Helen have three children -Patrick, who married Kary Ann Sweeney, lives on the original Chris Brandon
homestead.
He has carried on the tradition of farming.
They have three
daughters, Laura, who is a research nurse at the University of Michigan Hospital
in Ann Arbor; Anne, who is married to Mark Ladd from Port Huron, and is a claims
representative for Aetna Insurance Company in Troy; and Judy, who is a student at
Michigan State University.
Robert, married Donna Belle Welch of Yale and they have six children, Linda, who
married Vito Palazzolo and lives in Emmett; Robert, who was killed in 1974 in an
auto accident; Michael, who is married to Nancy Normandin and lives in Emmett;
William, who is a student at Grand Valley College; and Nancy who lives in Emmett
with her parents.
A daughter, Sue Ann, died at 2 days of age.
Bob is a
detective with the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.
Helen Marie married Daniel LaM:ay, lives in Emmett and has 6 children.
Sue, who
is married to Don Lester and lives in Port Huron; Sherry, who is married to Andy.
Thomas and lives in Yale; Daniel, Christoper, Jason, and Bradley, who all live at
home. Helen is a homemaker.
Grandma, Helen bas always been active in her church and community, working
for many years as a section leader in the old "Homecomings" Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel became famous for, as a very active member in the Legion of Mary, holding
various offices in the Daughters of Isabella, and always a willing supporter of
the Al tar Society, now known as the Catholic Womens' Guild.
For many years, she
was a member of the Emmett V.F.W. Auxiliary. She is currently very active in the
Emmett Senior Citizens, and is a Minister of Praise in the OLMC Church. Helen is
the sole surviving child of Christopher and Gertrude Brandon.
The descendants of Thomas and Margaret Brandon have left their mark on
Emmett and the four corners of North America. They were, and are, a hardy people
who sunk their roots here, instilled their values of hard work, concern far their
fellow man, and love of God in their children.

19 -

Stories told by Irene Brandon

by Bill Brandon
Irene's grandfather,
Robert Balie, came from Ireland.
He ran away from
home and a captain of a ship hid him.
His father followed him' to London, but
gave up.
Irene says she remembers being paid 10 a week to milk the cows until she
learned how to do it, then "she just did it. 11
Her father was a mailman and,
when the roads were too bad for the buggy, she rode the little horse through the
deep snow to get the mail delivered.
Irene recalls:" There was a massive oak icebox
that hulked in a corner away
from the cookstove.
It was a monster whose entire life was dedicated to
aggravating people.
The block ice was never made in sizes that would fit and
each time it needed to be filled, it meant custom chiseling and showers of ice
in every direction.
Dad put in a melt-pipe to the basement to stop the overflow
in the drain pan in the kitchen, that no one ever emptied.
But it never worked.
Little pieces of food were always getting in the hose and plugging it up.
When
Detroit Edison started selling refrigerators they bought the old ice eater for
two dollars.
I think they hauled them to the dump.
The new ones cost ten
dollars and had brass hardware."
About her mother: "My mother was Methodist and when I was three, I
remember sitting on her lap in the buggy coming home from church.
I started to
sing 'Sweet Rosie 0' Grady' and she told me that on Sundays, we could only sing
hymns.
She died when I was five.
I said that they didn't have to take me in
there, I knew she was dead.
That Christmas there wasn't anything under the tree
for me.
I guess everyone was so sad they just forgot,
When my aunt Stella
found out she cried. The next year my brother, Bob, got me a doll and Aunt
Stella made all the different kinds of clothes for it."
In less than four months, Irene lost her father, the uncle who helped
raise her, and her husband, who died of lingering war wounds from World War I.
She raised six children and some orphan children by herself in the depression
years.
She owned two gas stations at one time in her life and kept all the
books for them herself.
She was the first woman to work in the elevator as the
bookkeeper. Previously, this position was always held by a man.
When Irene Brandon died on February 12, 1987, it was said that her
quapties were: self-sacrifice, perseverence, and courage; she had "true grit!"
"A woman of strong character, body, and mind, a true friend, devoted christian
and generous to a fault, the family and friends of Irene Brandon suffer an
irreparable loss in her passing. Good night, Irene - we love you!"

20 -

The History of the James C. and Anna Brennan Family

by Donna Francek
James Clarence Brennan was born to Thomas and Catherine <Mackey) Brennan
in 1887 in Kenockee Township.
He was one of twelve children. There were seven
boys:
John, Patrick, Joseph, twins Edward and Albert, James, and Richard, and
five girls: Clara (O'Brien), Catherine <Kinney), Mabel (O'Connor), Bessie
(Mcinerney) and Loretta <Zinzo).
James married Anna Foley in Emmett in 1917. They settled on a 101 acre
farm on the old Plank Rd. <now called Beard) which had been a stagecoach 1 ine
between Port Huron and Brockway.
The house they moved into had been in the
center of a town called Hard Scrabble in the 1870' s and it and the old barns
were probably built by the first settlers in the area. Five children were born
in that house, Lucille <Eschker), Donna <Francek), Betty <Kobarak), Leo and Bob
Brennan.
A sixth child, Helen <Noel) was born in a new house built on the same
site. James and Anna's lives were rooted in their faith and in the Church.
It
was seven miles to church but every Sunday and Holy Day was observed.
Every
Forty Hours and Mission service was attended by the family.
For several years,
they went by horse and buggy.
During the first eighteen years of their marriage, they built new
buildings, drilled a well, put up a silo and a wildmill and finally moved into a
new house in 1935.
Thomas Brennan, James' father had been active politically and had held
several township offices, including supervisor.
Following in his father's
footsteps, James ran for Kenockee Township treasurer in 1932 and was elected.
Childhood memories of those times bring a feeling of peace and security.
Small thrills such as a climb up through the apple tree to lay your ear on the
telephone line.
You could "hear" people talking! Large thrills, the first car
in the 1920's -- a Model T Ford, and the day in 1935 when the electricity "came
through" and lit up our lives and powered a radio.
Scary times, too, the
diphtheria epidemic when we were not allowed flway from home and we overheard
whispers about the tragic der:1ths of others.
Talk about a "crash", and a
"depression", and always Anna worried about James who had a heart problem.
James died at the age of 49 while he was still treasurer.
He left Anna
with six children, including a 4 month old baby. She was asked to fill out his
term of office and she remained Kenockee County Treasurer until her death in
1970 at the age of 77.
She also ran the farm, worked in a factory, and
eventually she renewed her teaching certificate and taught in the county
schools.
James and Anna had plans and dreams.
They were cut short for James by
death, but Anna was more than equal to the challenge of carrying on for him.
She survived and kept her family together.
She was alert, socially involved,
and happy until her death on New Year's Eve of 1970.
She was, even then,
expected at a New Year's Eve Party, and death alone would have kept her away.

21 -

The Brennans, The Breens, The Purtells, and The Neatons

by Marian Pratt
Grandpa Brennan (John F.) had 7 brothers and 5 sisters.
His brothers and
sisters are listed in Donna Francek' ::; story about James C. and Anna Brennan
<James and John were brothers).
They had another brother, Phillip Aloysius,
born in 1894, who died when just a baby.
Their parents were Thomas Brennan and Catherine Mackey.
"Paddy" Brennan
who was Tom's father came from County Cork, Ireland.
John Mackey and Betsy
O'Brien, Catherine's parents, were from Queen's County, Ireland and a generation
before, James Mackey and Catherine Dolan were from Linster.
Thomas Brennan had 4 brothers and 3 sisters.
Jim married Mary Breen
(father of Bi 11 ie 0' Neil "String").
John Joseph married Anna Cogley (father of
Fr. George Brennan; Bill Brennan, who was married to Mae Mackey; Sister
Hildegard; Sister Marie George; Harold, father of Mary Agnes Dunsmore and
Veronica Burgess; Jim, who married Peg Brandon; John D. , who married Blanche
Kelly to name a few).
Frank was not married.
Mike married Elizabeth Murphy,
the grandfather of Thomas M. Brennan on Cogley Rd.; Johanna married George Hyde
(see George Hyde's history). Elizabeth married Dan Ready.
Catherine married
Clem Cogley.
Catherine Mackey was the only daughter and she had 9 brothers.
Pat, Bill,
Richard, Chris, Ed <Bessie Haley's and Sister Basil's father), John, grandfather
of Jack Mackey, Margaret Cowhy, Gert Kean, Tillie Normandin, Ellen Jane
Koppinger, to name a few; Joe, and Tim.---- ---.,,,
Grandma Brennan was Catherine Breen. ) She had 4 sisters and 6 brothers.
They were Johanna, Mary,\JHizabeth, Celiav/Dan, Dave, Henry, Morris, Mike, and
Jim Cwho was murdered in Boston_JihS!n he,was on his way back home to stay) Her
mother, Mary Lyons escaped from Ireland with her sister Catherine and their
parents, James and Catherine Lyons when there was some trouble with the law and
a mule.
The story was that it was someone else who was in trouble and hid under
the bed.
The family was so scared and fed up, they left for America in the
morning.
In later years her sister, Catherine, married Bart O'Connor.
Catherine Breen' s father was Henry.
His parents, John Breen and Hanora
Shay were from County Kerry.
Henry's brothers were Dan, Morris, John who
married Abigail 0' Connor
<grandparents of Catherine Quain),
Dave,
Mike,
(ancestors of Culhanes and Vickie Gleason).

Grandpa Purtell <John H.) had 2 sisters.

Their parents were Jack Purtell
and Margaret Kevan.
John's sister Mary was born in Memphis, Tennessee during
the civil war.
Jack Purtell was in the army at the time.
Years later, in
Emmett, she married John Haley; their children were Vincent (father of Gene and
Jim), Ray (father of Liz Donohue), Joe, Mabel.
After the war, the family came
to Michigan to Detroit where John was born.
Finally, they showed up in Emmett 2
year:3 later where Catherine was born.
She later
married Richard Johnson.
Their 3ons were Roy, and Richard, who married Mary Eileen Kennedy; they had 17
children.
I used to love to get to Johnsons to play when I was little - there
were all those kids and you could have so much fun swinging on the ropes in the
hay mow in the barn.
Grandma Purtell was Mary Ellen Neaton.
Pat:;y Bowyer.

- 22 -

The Neaton history was written by

Brennans (Con't)
John Brennan ind Catherine Breen h~)i :3 children.
Catherine married Tom
Flannigan and 1 i ved \,~ Detroit with their children: Don, Jack, and Eileen.
Helen married Gerald Butl-er---and __ had three children:
Kay who died as a baby,
Jerry who died as a baby, and Sue, who married Jim Kovach and lives in Goodells.
They have three children: Jim, Karen and Jerry (who was killed in an auto
accident three years ago).
Tom Brennan married Mary Rita Purtell", the only
child of John Purtell and Mary Ellen Heaton.
Tom and Rita had 8 children, 7 of
whom died at birth:
Theresa Cl947), Michael J. <1949), Thomas G. <1951), Lori
0952), Dorothy M. <1954), Patricia <1956), Martha <1958) who died with my
mother.
I was born in 1944 and married Tom Pratt in 1964 and our children are
Barbara, Suzanne, Bernie, and Stephen.
Tom Brennan, my dad, remembers what life was like as a kid in Avoca.
He
says he and George Eschker, Leo Hyde, and Dave Wills used to walk to Avoca every
night, just for something to do.
He says what little money they had, they kept
a tight hold on because they had to have it to buy pie and cake when they got to
Avoca to the store.
Then, the return trip detoured around Mill Creek.
As a
young boy, he loved to play Euchre and hated horses (still does).
I remember
Grandpa John as a great Euchre player <Ky dad said grandpa would play cards in
church if he thought he could.)
Grandma Brennan (Catherine Breen) had a
ridiculous sense of humor.
Aunt Helen Butler says that when something struck
her funny, she would start to laugh and couldn't stop.
Pretty soon she had
everybody at it. Grandpa could never figure out what was so funny.
M:y mother <Rita) was great friends with Jo and Ruth Coll ins, Eileen
Johnson, Grace Goulette and Marge Weir.
She and grandma were very close; they
would spend hours in the kitchen baking and giggling.
She was a regent of the
Daughters of Isabella.
Momma made me take piano lessons from Mame DeCounick
and, later from Rosemary Ryan.
I remember long discussions when she wanted me
to practice and I didn't want to.
I remember Grandma Purtell (Mary Ellen
Heaton) lived with us and she would tell stories about the family - who was
related to who.
We wiled away many a summer afternoon, me with my dolls, her
with her stories.
Surprisingly enough, I remembered a lot of it.
George Kelly
who was her cousin al ways told stories about taking girls to parties in the
horse and buggy.
His wife, Mabel took all this very good naturedly.
I used to
try to imagine what they must have looked like with their big long dresses,
riding in a carriage.
I wondered how you kept from getting mud all over you, I
guess you didn't.

23 -

Harold B.u..al.aCdeceased) husband of Mrs. Martha Burns and father of

Harold Burns, Jr.
Great-grandparents: Bernard Burns (died 1852), <Thought to be the first adult burial
in cemetery, See page 1 "The Catholic Church In The Country".) and Bridget McCavi tt
Burns. They are both buried in O.L.M.C. Cemetery.
Maternal great-grandparent?:
Michael Short and wife was a Donnelly, first name
unknown
Grandparents: Patrick Burns (died 1912), Catherine Short Burns <died 1916) came from
Kingston, Canada. Catherine was born in Packingham, Canada, came to Michigan about
1856. They had one daughter born in Canada and ten children born in Emmett.
Maternal grandparents: James and Elizabeth Kennedy
Parents: Bernard Burns (died 1948), Josephine Kennedy Burns <died 1900).

Being born and raised in the small, Irish, Catholic community of Emmett is
something that holds strong and wonderful memories for me. It would be difficult to
put into words how I feel about Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Emmett without mentioning
members <past and present) of the parish.
I could ramble on, paragraph after
paragraph, about friends and role models -- people like Father Farrell, with his
saint-like aura; my grade school teacher, Sister Gerald Marie, with her patience and
understanding; and, a life-long friend, Jim Cowhy, with his courage and sense of
humor.
These people, along with my parents, John L. and Rosie Burns, left indelible
marks on my life.
Anybody who knew John L. or Rosie were aware of their commitment and dedication to
youth, the parish and the people of Emmett. As I grow older, I realize more and more
just how special my parents were.
Mom and Dad always gave unselfishly of their
time, made sacrifices and valued friendships. Whenever I return to Emmett and visit
family and friends, I am reminded that my parents are genuinely and warmly thought
of often. For instance, young men whom my dad coached will approach me and recall
his positive influence on them.
Others will mention his involvement with the Fire
Department or tell tall-tales about fishing and hunting experiences. Of course, when
it comes to mom, she had the ability to make people smile and feel good. She always
took the time to help others and it seems as though everyone that knew her has a
special story or funny anticdote.
I firmly believe this is also a tribute to the
character of the people of Emmett.
Even though I now reside in Marquette with my wife, Sharon, and daughter,
Jennifer, <where there are two seasons - winter and July), Emmett will always be
"home". I consider myself very fortunate to have been raised in Emmett.
- Larry Burns

Mrs. Edward ButlPr has lived here since 1909 and can trace her family
back to 1897.

24 -

Our Lady of Ht. Carmel

Written by Euphemia Collins
'Tis indeed grand that Pa Kennedy brought along a little name plate when he
came across ta America from his birthplace in Ireland.
Ah! the pride in the heart of an Irishman, as he stands there "forninst" the
door of his bit of a lag house an the little knoll by the creek bank, and gazes at
the words, "Tara's Hall" imprinted there an the little plaque which he had just
fastened aver the doorway. Yes, 'tis a far cry from the Tara's Hall in County lfoath
in Ireland but it is a bit of home.
"God bless this house and all within, and may ye all prosper," invoked the
youthful voice of the missionary priest.
Father Laurence Kilroy whose travels led
him along the trail beside the rude cot only recently erected by Pa Kennedy and his
stalwart sons.
Twenty odd miles west of what was then the village of Desmond, now called
Port Huron, lay this gentle land.
Wilderness, yes, but a kind and generous
wilderness.
The soil was rich and pliable.
There were trees aplenty for building
and good water so 'tis no wonder Pat Kennedy loved it and wished to share with
others. Pat Kennedy was known to all and sundry as Pa - Pat with the "t" left off. a kindly man who with his wife and family had come to carve a home for himself and
his loved ones here in this good land. He was one of the first to find his way into
this beautiful woodland, but he did not leave the world so far behind for he made it
a point to travel to Desmond to get a weekly newspaper, published in Boston and
brought by boat to this small settlement at the foot of Lake Huron.
The Boston
Pilot, published in Boston by John Boyle O'Reilly was the strongest link between the
new settlements, so what does our friend Pa Kennedy do?
On one of his trips to
Desmond he takes along a prepared copy of an advertisement which he sent to Boston
which probably read something like this:
"Come to Michigan - fine land - fine opportunities - Irish Catholics
wanted - homesteads $1.25 per acre - government land - railroad construction
offers employment."
So- along went the "ad" and the Boston Pilot did the rest.
Families came
from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the New England States, and Canada. These early
settlers had little in worldly goods but they were sturdy and venturesome and soon
many had come in and taken up land. The settlement grew and, although it had been
known as Clay - the name was eventually changed to the present name of Emmett in
honor of the Irish patriot.
At that time Detroit was a fairly large town and had a number of Catholic
families. Riding out of Detroit on horseback were two Catholic missionaries. Father
Kelly, who traveled to the west and south and Father Kilroy whose pathway led to the
north and east and Emmett and it was this young priest who celebrated the first Holy
Mass in Emmett. The home of Patrick Dunigan, a log house which still stands was the
scene of this first .Mass.
The exact date is not known but descendants of the
Dunigan family set the time as probably about 1840 as records show that the first
land in Emmett was entered in 1836.
A log church was eventually replace by a frame one.
In one of the early
records is a brief statement as follows:
"A.D. August 23, 1865 Ego didicavi Ecclesiam hujus loci
Kenockee sub-honore Sanctae Kariae Virginis de Monte Carmel.
-Laurentius Kilroy, Pastor"
<Translation:)
"On August 23, in the year of Our Lord, 1865, I dedicated
the church of this Kenockee location in honor of Holy Mary,
Virgin of Mt. Carmel <or Our Lady of Mt. Carmel).
-Laurence Kilroy, Parter"
<The rest of Mrs. Collins' accounts of the parish are the same as you have read
in the first part of the book.
Thanks to Jim and Jo Collins for providing this
manuscript complete with "Irish Brough".)

- 25 -

Grant and Jim Collins grandfather, Timothy Collins hauled stones for the church.
His great-grandfathers were Jeremiah Collins - 1823 and Sylvester Coacty - 1819.
Bridget Collins, daughter of Jim and Jo Collins was the first baby Father Farrell
baptized by the name of Bridget - 1958. Their son, Jim was Father Farrell's first
commentator <lector) at Mass

Helen Cameron has lived in the parish for 80 years and her family has been here 134
years. Patrick and Ellen Fox - 1855 are the earliest ancestors.

:Mary H. Cameron has lived here 48 years.

Her parents were Joseph and Lauretta
<Driscoll) Cameron. Their parents were Charles and Harriett Cameron and James and
:Mary <Woodlock) Driscoll. James Driscoll and Kary Woodlock were married in Kenockee
church by Father Lynch on June 26, 1888. Early 1860 1s - James Driscoll 1s parents
were Daniel Driscoll and Hanora Shay Driscoll. Mary Woodlock 1s parents were Patrick
Woodlock and Mysa A. Buchanan Woodlock.

Joan and Ron Charney have been in the parish since 1957 for Joan and 1963 for Ron.
His family is the Hreha's from Bryce Rd.

A.H. Durocher moved_,,here in 1963. He recalls wrhe parish community was very
happy when they learned that our insurance policy covered the cost of building of
the new church."
Vickie Gleason's mother was Patricia Culhane Smith (born in 1929) and her
grandfather was John Thomas Culhane, born in Emmett in 1897. Mortimer Culhane and
:Maggie Dempsey moved to Kenockee Township in the 1870's
Ray and Joe Gleason's parents are Dan Gleason, born 1903 and Elizabeth Butler, born
1909.
<grandparents) Dan Gleason, born 1864 and Mary Fitzgerald, born 1862.
<grandparents) Edward Butler, born 1874 and Nellie Foley, born 1879
<great-grandparents) Dennis and Ellen Gleason and John and Margaret Butler who came
to Emmett in the 1850's and Jeremiah and Ellen Foley.
Robert Culhane has been here 46 years. His parents are Earl and Francis Culhane and
Grandparents were Thomas and Hanora Culhane.
Great-Grandparents, Mortimer and
Margaret Culhane who came to this area in the 1850's.

26 -

Dunigans
by Ann Donnellon
Patrick Dunigan emigrated from County Limerik, Ireland, in 1832 and
settled in Philadelphia where the first two of his five children were born. He
and his wife Bridget Keough Dunigan left Pennsylvania in 1837 and headed to the
wilds of Michigan. The places later called Emmett and Riley Twonship were then
known only as Town 7, Range 14 in the territory of Michigan.
Patrick and his
friend Michael Harrington were the first to settle with their families in this
area.
It was here on February 12, 1840 that Patrick's and Bridget's third child,
a boy, Kichael, was born.
He was the first white child born here and in later
years, he loved to reminisce about the pioneer times.
In an interview in 1928
Ctwo years before his death) Michael recalled how the Indians would come to his
parents cabin and throw the venison they carried up on the roof to protect it
from wolves.
On cold nights, the Indians often came into their cabin to sleep
on the floor before the fireplace.
At night, the wolves prowled around the
cabin and they got so bad that the county offered $6. 00 bounty and the state
$7.00 bounty to get rid of them.
When the civil war began, Michael was 21 and
he tried to enlist in the army.
The fact that he was rejected because he was
"too frail" gave the old pioneer a good chuckle over sixty years later.
He recalled that the great Michigan forest fires of 1871 and 1881 did not
seriously threaten Emmett but stated that the smoke was so dense that, when he
dug for potatoes, he would have to get down and feel around for them.
In 1866 Agnes Brogan came to Emmett from Perth, Ontario to visit her
sister, Mrs. John Furlong and there she met Michael Dunigan. They were married
by Fr. Kilroy in 1867 and had a family of four sons and a daughter.
Msgr.
Patrick Dunigan, one of their sons, gained fame in World War I as the highest
ranking chaplain in the army and as a decorated and wounded war hero.
Their
daughter, Mary, lived all her life in this parish and is often remembered as the
President of the Altar Society.
Xichael Dunigan died in December 1930 and his wife of 65 years died a few
days later. Their funerals were attended by hundreds of mourners, more than 70
priests, the bishop and the governor of the State of Michigan.

- 27 -

George and Lucille Eschker Family

by Lucille Eschker
George Eschker's German ancestors left the Black Forest area of Germany
and immigrated to Hungary when Maria Theresa was Queen of Hungary. The Germans
were given a small piece of land in the center of Hungary that was mostly water.
They were good farmers so they worked that part into the best wheat fields in
all of Europe.
They were very poor.
There was barely enough to eat.
Georges' s mother and father had relatives in Detroit so they came to
Detroit about 1910.
The father had trouble finding work.
He spoke only German
and Hungarian.
He made a living by taking care of horses and delivering coal to
homes by horse and wagon.
George was born in Detroit in 1912. Two brothers and
a sister were born there too.
Work was scarce with the advent of the coal
truck.
The family moved to the farming country around Allenton and Capac and
worked on the farms.
George grew up there and joined the Civilian Conservation
Corps <C.C.C. it was called) and was sent to the Ludington area to plant trees
and build parks.
He later went to work at Pontiac Motors.
George and Lucille Brennan, <the oldest daughter of James C. and Anna
Brennan) were married in 1941 and settled on a small farm near her parents in
Avoca.
He worked for the St. Clair County Road Commission until his death in
1967.
His funeral Mass was held in the new Kt. Carmel School Hall since the
beautiful old church had recently been destroyed by fire.
George is survived by his wife, Lucille; seven daughters - Lucy Collins,
Mary Jane Click, and Margie Collins of Avoca, Alice McKernan of Port Huron,
Carol Horvath of Mt. Clemens, Rose Barton of Minnesota, and Sandra VanBuskirk of
California and three sons - Louis of Clark::;ton and Max and Peter of Port Huron twenty-eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Garofalo's come to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

by Geri Garofalo

Frank Garofalo and three of his brothers were introduced to Our Lady of
:Mt. Carmel in 1937.
That year his mother died and the state felt that his
father could not handle eleven (ll) children and work.
Being sent to St.
Vincent's who brought them out here, they spent about 4~ years in St. Clair
County before being sent back home to Detroit in 1941 when some of the older
brothers were drafted into the service during the world war.
Frank and his brother Charles stayed with Hugh and Nell Mackey on Kilgore
Rd.
His brothers Anthony and Victor stayed with the Jimmie O'Connor family on
Foley Rd.
<The father of Mary 0' Connor and Catherine Quain.)
Because Frank enjoyed it so much here in Our Lady of :Mt. Carmel, in 1967
he returned with his family.
Jim <who Frank worked with) and Mary Ellen Harter
told him about a farm being sold by Jim and Mary 0' Neil on Imlay City Rd.
After
coming out and seeing the property and checking his finances, he sold his
Detroit home and purchased the farm and he and his family have been here ever
since.
-

28 -

The Foleys of Foley Road

The Foley family immigrated from Cohersiveen, County Kerry, some time in
the later 1B40's or early 1850's.
The father, mother, five adult sons and two
daughters made the trip from Ireland to Canada. The oldest son, James, had died
in Ireland but his widow and three children accompanied the family.
It was while they were in Canada that the senior Foley died and family
tradition maintains that he had to be secretly buried at night because the
Orangemen resented the intrusion of the Catholic Irish to their land.
The
widowed mother, Catherine Foley, with her family, entered the United States and
settled in Jamestown, New York.
The Foley men worked as laborers and later as
contractors, building roadbeds for the railroad.
They followed this work which
took them into Ohio during the Civil War period (1860's).
The deceased James' son, Jeremiah, was, by this time, 17 and old enough to
enlist in the Ohio volunteers.
He fought in several battles, traveled with
Sherman's and Sheridan's armies through the south and was wounded, losing the
fingers of one hand.
Upon his return from war, Jeremiah found his mother had
died and his younger brother, P.J. was being cared for by members of the family.
His little sister, Alice, however, had been allowed to stay with another family
and, in the unsettled times following the Civil War, they had migrated westward.
Jerry searched in vain for his little sister.
Subsequent generations of his
branch of the family have had girls named Alice but no trace of the original
child was ever found.
In the late 1860's, the Foleys migrated to Kichigan where they purchased
farms in the northern part of Emmett Township.
John, .Maurice, Paddy, and Dan
along with their sisters, Hanora Bowler and Bridget Carey Newell owned several
farms along or near the road which subsequently took the family name. Because of
the prevalence of 11 Kerrymen 11 in that area, it became known as the Kerry
settlement.
The most remarkable of these pioneers was Dan, a bachelor, with whom his
mother lived until her death in 1891.
Jeremiah, who had married Elizabeth
Parkinson after his discharge from the Union Army, joined Dan and, together, they
built up a thriving stock farm.
In 1898, the family moved from their log house into a large, brick, Queen
This house, today, remains in the possession of
Anne style home on Foley Rd.
descendents of Jeremiah.
It was from here that Dan conducted the business of the
busy stock farm and also the ci vie and political affairs in which he took an
active part.
He served as supervisor of Emmett Township and twice, was elected
Clerk of St. Clair County.
Jerry and his wife, Elizabeth, had eleven children and, although several
died young, the remaining have many descendants living in the parish today.
Their third daughter, Nellie, married Edward Butler and the Edward, Gerald, Tom,
Basil and Elizabeth Butler Gleason branches of this family live in the EID1Uett
area. The youngest daughter, Alice, married Frank Keough and their two daughters
Ann <Donnellon) and Mary (Grace) live with their families in the parish.

29 -

Dan Foley's Journal

Daniel Foley kept a diary for over twenty years and though much of what he
wrote was a record of the weather and farming conditions.
He also comments on
events of the times.
His first journal was a notebook begun on Christmas Eve,
1889 listing the acreage and description of Maplewood stock farm. The next few
years, he kept only a sketchy record but by 1897, he wrote on a daily basis and
it is from this diary that most of the material has been taken.
Dan was self-taught learning to read and write on his own. He was an avid
reader, following newspapers, farm journals, and owned an extensive library.
The reader must note that Mapel wood Farm was located seven miles from
Emmett and ten from Kenockee so the family found it too inconvenient to often
attend Mass at the mission church at Brockway until the new Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel was built in 1896. Despite poor roads and slow travel by horse and buggy,
they attended Mass almost every week and it is his comments about the parish that
are recorded here.
July 9. 1891: Mrs. Byrnes was buried on the 9th.
Funeral being the largest I
ever saw going to Kenockee.
It was one mile and a quarter long - 160 teams.
July 21. 1891: Attended Father Kilroy's funeral.
It was the biggest ever brought
to Kenockee.
The Bishop and some 30 odd priests were there.
It was a big show
of respect for the saintly old pioneer.
The Year 1897
Sunday, January 3: A day of rest, or it should be but the farmer must do nearly
his usual amount of work on this day. Stock must be fed and watered and stables
cleaned and bedded - work that cannot be deferred.
It rained quite heavy last
night - mud everywhere - impossible to get around to do anything.
Wednesday. January 13: Was in Emmett today. Saw the inside of the new church and
had a talk with Father Loughran.
Located a pew and paid one quarter's rent for
two pews.
Thursday, January 14: Jerry and I drove to Emmett today.
Broke buggy spring,
Got it fixed and mare shod at Cogley's.
I helped the committee to rent pews in
the new church and had a jolly good time.
Ate lunch at the Parochal Residence
and got done about 3 o'clock.
Tuesday, January 19: A very fine day, clear and bright.
This being the day
appointed for dedicating the new church at Emmett,
We attended and the roads
were not as rough as we expected them to be.
The church was packed full of
people. The Bishop and a dozen or more priests were there. The Bishop preached
a sermon and thanked the priests and people for their zeal and success and hoped
that, in the near future, he would be able to return and consecrate to God's
service, the ediface he dedicated today.

- 30 -

Sunday, January 24: Cold - yes, very cold - a regular blizzard. Was to Emmett to
Mass and came near freezing coming home.
Temperature was 4 below zero this
morning.
Sunday, January 31:
Cold and foggy - everything loaded down with hoar frost.
Forest trees look beautiful in their frosty coats.
Went to Brockway to :Mass
today.
Father Loughran read the riot act to the congregation, telling them what
they must do and, if they did not do it, what the consequences would be. He put
two of the members qut of doors and told them ta stay out until they settle with
lilin._

From February 8th. to 10th., a Farmers Institute was held in Emmett and on
February 10th. he notes: After adjournment yesterday, something like two hundred
people visited the church and priest's house.
All were surprised at the beauty
of design and richness of finish.
Many of these people were never inside of a
Catholic church before and you may be sure they were astonished.
Sunday, March 7i Cold this morning with a very raw wind. Was to Mass at Emmett.
The priest gave a very good sermon coming down hard on the dancers.
Sunday, March 14: Typical March day.
It snowed last night and was snowing from
the north this morning.
It blew a gale - snow flew so that you could not see a
rod ahead of you. Ho person went to Mass today and we had no callers.
Wednesday, March 17: This is the day that is so dear to every patriotic Irishman.
Not many patriots in this town. No St. Patrick's Society - no parade - no doing
of a patriotic nature. The young folk went to Mass and the roads were rough.
Sunday, April 25: Showers early and it rained heavy last night,
We had a
division in the family today - one half going to Brockway and the other half to
Emmett to Mass. Roads were slippery after the rain.
Sunday. May 2i Lord bless us, it is still raining - wet, dark, and foggy.
No
one went to Mass on account of the rain.
It is pouring as I write at 7 PM.
Every place is flooded - fields beginning to look like lakes.
I am afraid our
seeding is all gone.
Sunday, May 16i Pleasant and warm.
Went to Mass to Emmett and the roads were
sloppy.
Father Loughran preached a good sermon on infidelity, pointing out some
of the things that lead men and women to deny their God.
The sermon seemed to
have a good effect on the congregation.
Thursday, May 27: A bright and beautiful day.
This being a holy day, nothing
doing except chores.
All went to Mass at Emmett.
This was the day for our
Farmers Club meeting but some of our over-pious members objected on account of
the holy day and had it adjourned until Saturday.

- 31 -

All were at
Sunday, June 6: It rained very heavy and we had some 1w.il as well.
Mass at Emmett - the priest gave a short sermon and took up a collection to pay
He also invited parishioners to
for some land bought of Keough's some time ago.
help finish the grading.
Monday, June 14: Jerry and Tim had a team to Elllll!ett - working around the church.
Jerry said they had a big time.
Sunday. June 20: Dark, cold, and cloudy. All hands went to .Mass to Emmett - had
to wear overcoats and gloves and almost required a fire in the evening. Rain did
not amount to anything in Emmett, barely laying the dust, which was fortunate on
account of the new grading they have been doing around the church .
. Sunday, June 27: Nothing doing except chores and going to .Mass.
A lot of boys
and girls made their first communion today.
Father Loughran gave them good
instruction, counsel and advice and they were well drilled.
Wednesday, June 30: Gillis and I worked at the church shed and we got finished
about 6 o'clock. All who have seen the shed say it is a good job. It will look
very nice when it is painted.
Sunday, July 4; A melter yesterday - well, what can I call today - a roaster and
a killer. The thermometer registered an even loo - even the wind was scorching
hot,
Went to Mass to E:mmett and the team occupied the new shed al though they
would be more comfortable outdoors today. Father Loughran read low Mass and did
not keep us long.
Sunday, July 11: Six of the family went to Yale where solemn high Mass was
celebrated in Central Hall. The first .Mass in the existence of the town. There
was some 300 people present at this first Mass.
In the crowd, I saw a number of
Protestants.
Father Kelly, of Lapeer, preached a very eloquent sermn on the
Bible and its use.
Sunday, July
gave a short
a collection
of a bell in
pounds.

18; Went to Mass to Emmett.

Father Reichenbach sang high Mass and
sermon from the parable of the loaves and fishes. He also announced
for the purpose of buying a bell. He explained the different uses
the service of God.
He wants a bell that will weigh 2500 or 3000

Sunday, July 25: Pleasant and warm.

Father Reichenbach gave us a short sermon
and announced that there would be no more sermons during the hot weather.
Sunday. August 29: A hot day - wind quite high all day and seemingly very hot.
The family attended Divine Service at the Emmett church - low Mass and no sermon.
Sunday, September 26: Same old story, hot, dry, and clear - the roads are awful
dusty. We divided today - Jerry and Tim went to Brockway and the rest to Emmett.
Nothing in particular in the sermon to record. The priest spoke on the seminary
collection and also on the 40 Hour Devotion which commences on October 3rd.

- 32 -

Sunday. October 3: Prophets talked of rain but none came.

Nothing done today
except going to Mass and chores.
Father Loughran preached a good sermon on the
love of God and the 40 Hour Devotion started after Mass.
Monday, October 11: Jerry and myself was in Moriarty's funeral and, if there is
anything in the old proverb, he died happy as it rained on the funeral.
Sunday, October 17: Family attended Mass at Emmett church.
The bell arrived and
is set at the foot of the communion steps for to be blessed before hoisting it to
its place in the steeple.
The bell is a beauty.
The blessing will be on the
26th.
Sunday, October 24: Father Reichenbach read Mass and announced that the bell
would be blessed on Tuesday next - and would like for the majority of the
congregation to be present - he also explained the uses that are made of the bell
in the service of God.
Tuesday, October 26: I was to Emmett to church attending the ceremony of blessing
the bell.
Vle had solemn high Mass and Father Kelly preached a very eloquent
sermon. The blessing ceremony was a long one and one that I never saw performed
before.
Sunday, November 19: A very unpleasant day - it commenced to sleet about eight
o'clock and then turned to rain. The family went to Mass - they started too late
and I did not go.
I hate to walk in church when Mass is more than half over besides I did not like to ride so far in the rain in an open rig.
Sunday. November 28; Went to Emmett to Mass.
The roads was rough in parts and
the mud flew.
Father John read the names and amounts of persons contributing
toward the bell.
He did not say the amount collected but it was a long string
(of names) and should amount to a larger sum.
Sunday. December 5; Father Loughran gave us a rather laughable sermon on fortune
telling and superstition.
Saturday, December 25; This Christmas, nothing was done except chores and going
to Mass at Emmett. Father Loughran gave a fine sermon on why Christ chose to be
born in a stable rather than a palace - a rebuke to pride and a condemnation of
covetousness.
The Christmas collection not as large as I expected - about one
hundred and forty dollars in all.
Last day of year. 1897 Thank God that the year 1897 is past.
We also feel
thankful for the many blessings received during the past year.
The daily notes
which form this record may be of some service at some future time so that the
time required each evening is well spent.
I hope ta continue this work for
another year, Go~ permitting.
Dan Foley died September 24, 1920 at age 79.

33 -

He is buried in Kenockee Cemetery.

The History of the Joseph and Sophia Francek Family

by Donna Francek
Joseph Francek was born in 1871 in the Krakow area of Poland. He was the
seventh son of Kichael Francek and his wife. He was sent to live with an uncle
where he worked in the coal mines. At eighteen, he returned to Krakow, where he
married Sophia Prosowisc.
Determined to escape the political turmoil and the
grinding poverty, the couple dreamed of a farm in the United States.
Leaving
his wife and three small children, William, Louis, and Frank, Joseph immigrated
in 1905. He began working in coal mines in Pennsylvania. He sent money to his
family in Poland.
After two years, Sophia had saved enough for a steerage
passage for herself and the three children.
After a long miserable trip, she
arrived at Ellis Island.
This was in 1907.
Sophia spoke no English and had
little money.
By writing her questions in Polish and taking them to a
translator, she was able to find a train. They joined Joseph.
Joseph and Sophia settled in West Virginia.
Five more sons, Joseph Jr.,
Adolph, John, Walter, and Charles were born.
The children attended Mount Hope
Elementary School in Mount Hope, West Virginia.
They still spoke only Polish,
so they had to learn English as they kept up with the other students
academically. There were no special teachers for this. The theater in Mt. Hope
gave free tickets to the Saturday matinee to all students who had "A's" for the
week.
The boys didn't miss many shows!
There were many happy stories and
memories of their childhood in the hills and along the rivers of West Virginia.
They enjoyed a solid family life.
The Francek family home was always a popular boarding house for other
miners.
As the boys became old enough, they also worked in the mines.
Every
extra penny that the family earned was hoarded for the purchase of the farm.
In
the 1920' s, the mines hit on bad times.
Work became sporadic.
The family
decided it was time to leave the mines.
They found their land in 1929, in
Kenockee Township.
Joseph and Sophia Francek, with intelligence and
determination and gruelingly hard work had achieved their goal.
With the help
and advice of good neighbors, a couple who knew nothing about farming was able
to live out their last years on their own land.
They are remembered with
gratitude and affection by scores of descendants in many parts of the United
States.
Graces
Peter Grace and his wife Mary <Maher) Grace came from County Tipperary in
Ireland, located in Portage County, Ohio in 1850.
The family, located in Kenockee Township in 1854, included three brothers
and three sisters.
Patrick Grace was born in Ohio but came to Emmett area in 1854 with his parents.
He farmed.
He married Kary Ann Haley and had one son, Peter who was one of the
first babies baptized in the new church in 1897.
Peter Grace, brother of Patrick, married Mary Quaine. They had three daughters;
Elizabeth <Bessie) Cowhy, Anna Cotter and Pearl Brown. Peter also was a farmer.
John Grace married Mary Culhane.
Bridget Grace married John Kennedy and had two daughters.
Mary Grace married Thomas Dempsey and had four children.
Catherine Grace married Peter Butler.
-

34 -

Kinney
The Kinney family originated in County Tipperary, Ireland.
Some members
emigrated to Perth, Ontario. They later proceeded to settle in Emmett.
Jeremiah Kinney and his family lived in a log house known as the "Cuttle
80".
His wife was the former Mary Doyle and they had five children. They were:
l..ohn. Cmore on John below);
L.u.ka who married Mary Ann Crowley;
Moses CMo) who never married;
Mary Ann Schaeffer, who moved to Saginaw ta bring up her family;
Margaret Dowd, who died giving birth to her first child.
Jeremiah was a farmer.
He was killed in an accident when returning from
Port Huron, where he regularly would go to sell butter and eggs.
His team of
oxen missed a bridge, and he fell into some water and was killed. This happened
about the year 1884.
John Kinney married Ellen Mullally in 1881.
John worked in the lumber
camps in Saginaw, Michigan, which is where several of John's and Ellen's fourteen
children were born.
Upon retiring from lumbering, John bought the hotel in town, on the
northwest corner of the railroad tracks and Main Street in 1904. He and his wife
ran this hotel, which featured meals and occasional dances upstairs in the
ballroom. John also farmed.
John's and Ellen's children were:
Marie who married Tom Bready and moved to Antler, North Dakota.
They had six
children;
Sylvester married Katherine Brennan and they had six children.
He farmed in
Emmett;
Frances married Ellis Maher.
She was widowed young and worked as a store clerk
in downtown Detroit;
Loa married Katherine Dempsey. He lived and worked in Detroit and they had three
daughters;
Margaret CMadge) married Charlie Murphy.
They lived in Detroit and had no
children. She worked for the Hudson Motor Car Company during the war;
They had eight children and he was an
Ambrose CAmmy) married Marian Maher.
Emmett farmer;
Moses (Mose) left home at a young age to join the Navy. He settled in California
where he married his wife, Elyse, and had one daughter;
L.e.o_ married Mary Helen <Mamie) Sharpe.
He was a policeman in Detroit. They had
no children;
Austin, Leo's twin, never married. He farmed in this area;
Irene :married Peter Grace and had three sons. She helped run the switchboard for
the local phone service, once it was installed in the hotel in 1920;
John Cecil never married. He farmed and worked at Chrysler's in Detroit;
Three children did not survive long after birth.
They were: Margaret, William, and John.
The hotel stopped operating as such in 1912 when John Kinney died.
Ellen
Kinney died in 1943.

- 35 -

Keough Family
by Ann Donnellon

Patrick Keough left County Limerik, Ireland in 1848 during the Great
Potatoe Famine. He emigrated to New York state where, for a time, he worked as
a laborer on the Erie Canal.
His sister, Bridget Keough Dunigan, and her family had, a few years
earlier, settled in the wilderness of Michigan and Patrick soon joined them in
Brunett.
He settled on land north of the village and married Kary Ann Murphy.
The couple had eleven children but only four grew to adulthood.
Six young
children died of an epidemic in January 1872 and are buried in Kenockee
Cemetery.
Patrick organized the first school district in Emmett Township and helped
build the log school-house.
Family tradition relates that he helped dig the
first grave in Kenockee Cemetery to bury a small child. It was on his land that
Father Loughran and the parishioners chose to build the new Our Lady of Kt.
Carmel Church and so he sold a portion of his farm in 1896 to the parish.
Patrick and Mary Ann's only surviving daughter, Mary Ann McKicken lived
and raised her family in Detroit. John was a lumberman and joined the gold rush
to the Klondike in 1896.
Edward Michael, called Mike, taught school in Emmett
at the turn of the century and then attended the Michigan College of Medicine in
Detroit.
He practiced in Gagetown and in Manistee where he gained a reputation
as the "poor man's doctor" because he treated all patients regardless of their
ability to pay. He died in 1925 at age 52 and was mourned for his kindness and
generosity to his patients.
The youngest son, Frank, owned and operated the
grain elevator in Emmett for many years. Frank married Alice Foley in 1923 and
their two daughters Ann <Donnellon) and Mary <Grace) reside with their families
in this parish.

Nancy Klug. has lived in the parish for 15 years. Mary Hyde was her mother and she
lived here until she was 15 or 16. Mary's parents <George and Effie Hyde) lived here
also. The family has been here for 3 or 4 generations. The next story is a further
explanation ........

My great-grandfather, George ~ the 1st, came to Emmett about 1848 - He died about
1850, leaving a wife and four children. He was one of the first to be buried in ](t.
Carmel Cemetery.
The childrens' names were; Dick, Edward, George <My grandfather)
and May. May married Jack Kendall.
My grandfather , George Hyde the 2nd, married Johanna Brennan in 1875. He died in
1927. They had ten children. They were Robert, Alice, George <My Father), Carrie,
Emma, Bridget, Joseph, Harold, William, and Frank.
Alice married Dave Sheehan.
Bridget married Neil Collins. Emma married Joe Ryder. Carrie married Clem O'Connor.
My father, George Hyde the 3rd, born 1880, married Eupharsia O'Connor in 1919. They
had ten children; Joseph, George <Me), Harold, Ray, Joanne, Barbara, Jim, Mary Alice,
and Patrick. .Mary Alice and Patrick died young. Harold died at age 30, Joe, George,
Ray, and Jim all live in Emmett.
I, George Hyde the 4th, married Doris Watson Anger <Hyde) in 1953. I have ten living
children; Tom, Sandra, George, Patricia, Marie, Barbara, Bill, Ruth, Mary, and Theresa;
and one deceased, David.
- 36 -

Mackey Family History:

Great-great-grandparents: James and Catherine <Dolan) Mackey had ten children: James,
Mary, Ann, Catherine, Nellie, Richard, Patrick, and John <two other children, Catherine
and Patrick died quite young and these names were given to two children born later).
They were from Queen's County, Ireland and immigrated to America in 1831 and located
near Belleville, Ontario, Canada. They invested in 200 acres of land and cleared it.
Great-grandparents: John Mackey was born in Queen's County, Ireland in 1822.
He
worked on his father's farm and helped in the clearing of the land. After working
for himself for a number of years he had saved some money and decided to settle
down.
In 1845 he married Miss Betsey O'Brien, a native of Canada. John and Betsey
had nine children: Richard, James, William, John, Christopher, Edward, Patrick, Joseph,
and Kate.
<Kate, the only daughter, married Thomas Brennan, the father of John F.
Brennan and grandfather of Thomas A. Brennan and Helen Brennan Butler and greatgrandfather of Marian Brennan Pratt).
Grandparents: John Mackey was born near Belleville, Ontario, Canada and came with his
parents to the United States in 1867 to settle in Kenockee Township. John married
Ellen Ward, who lived near Richmond, Michigan.
They had six children: Hugh, John,
<Reverend) Edward, Catherine, Joseph, and Alfred. They owned over 300 acres of land,
which they cleared and worked.
Parents: One of the first persons to be baptized in the old church was Alfred Mackey
who was born in Kenockee Township, St. Clair County, Michigan. He married Margaret
Smith, who was from Chicago.
They had nine children:
Ellen Jane <Koppinger),
<Sister) Mary Therese, Margaret <Cowhy), John <Jack), Patricia <Neaten), Kathleen
<Sholtis), Gertrude <Kean) and Matilda <Normandin), (a son, James died when very
young),
Jack Mackey was born in 1933, son of Alfred Mackey and Margaret Smith Mackey. His
wife, Maureen Kean Mackey has lived here since 1943.

James Muldoon 5367 Fargo Rd. Avoca.

Moved to Avoca in August of 1942 from East
Detroit.
After graduating from Yale High School, went to Woodward and Davision,
Highland Park area for one year - then 2 years in military service. Mother was from
Melbourne, Ontario.
Father was from Chipewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Wife, Vivian
Dickenson Muldoon; Son, James Muldoon, 22 years old and wife Tracy, presently in
Buckingham, England - U.S. Air Force; Daughter Margaret Anne Muldoon, 21 years old,
working in Port Huron for Peoples Bank; Son, Timothy Gilbert Muldoon, 20 years old,
college student at Central Michigan, junior, majoring in Math; Daughter, Mary Kathleen,
18 years old, college student at St. Clair County Community College, majoring in
business administration.

Henry Myers had liv;d in the parish for 10 years and passed away recently.
t

'

The Ronald La.lul. family have lived here since August 1987.

- 37 -

The Neatons
(Memories of Patricia Bowyer, Clair and Elsie Neaton, Lucille Potter)
Three brothers, Billy <William F., our grandpa), Bernie . CBernard), and
Manley <Peter Emmanuel) Neaton worked in lumber camps up north to earn money,
then came back here and cleared the land on the homestead.
Billy lived on the
corner of Kilgore and Lapeer Rds. <where Frank and Lee, his two unmarried sans
later lived out their lives raising sheep). Manley lived where the Theut family
lives now, a couple of hundred feet up Kilgore by the tracks.
Bernie lived on
Brennan Rd. west of M-19. CHis grandson, Jerry married Suzanne Johnson)
Grandpa Billy was born in Pt. Edward, Canada, June 22, 1850. He became a
naturalized citizen of the United States on June 8, 1897,
He was married ta
Bridget Kelly who was born in Bellville, Ontario in Kay of 1852.
They had six
children: Larry <who died in a lumber accident>, Frank, Lea, Bertrand (barn in
1883 and died in 1884), Lewis (our grandpa) and Nellie <Marian Brennan Pratt's
grandma) who married Jack Purtell.
Billy's father, Francis Neaton was married ta Margaret Lafferty and, after
she died, he moved to Marysville and lived on Range Rd. where the Skill Center
is now.
Bridgett's parents were William Kelly and Ellen O'Brien. Bridgett had two
sisters, Mary who married Manley Neaton (brother of William) and Ellen Nara who
married James Alpine.
She also had two brothers, Patrick, who was Maggie
Nolan's father and William who was the father of Nell, who married Frank Quain,
Sister Rose Vincent, Clara, who married Dick Mackey, and Blanche, who married
John D. Brennan. Eleanore Quain Butler tells about how the kids laved ta get to
"Aunt Bea's" <Patsy Bowyer's and Marian Pratt's great-grandmother) to eat sour
cream cookies.
She says, after they cleaned out their awn grandmother, they
would head dawn the road for Aunt Bea's ta see what iiha had ta eat,
Grandpa Lewis studied to be a priest in Sandwich, Canada but later married
Clara Pahnke who was barn in Danzig, Poland and had immigrated here. They had 9
children: Kary Garrison, Helen Beem, William, Lucille Patter, Virginia Wiegand,
Clair P. <married Elsie Bybee), Frances Rutkofske, Lawrence, and Rase Kubisch.
In the woods east of us there-was a lag cabin behind the barn of the old
Kelly place an Kilgore.
The stone well is still there.
Dad <Clair P.) thinks
grandpa Billy's father <Francis) lived there.
Dad's <Clair P. ) godparents were Albert Mackey and his sister Bessie
Mackey Haley <Gene and Jim Haley's mother).
She died in February of 1987 and
Dad was one of the pallbearers.

Madeline and Elmer Hazelman have lived in Emmett far 42 years.

Owen Kean's family moved ta the area in 1943, first ta Yale's Sacred Heart Parish.
In 1955 it was determined that they belonged to O.L.M.C. Owen, who worked an the
.building committee of the new church said there was a little dissension as to the
style but after the work was completed, mast agreed that it was a beautiful building.
Pat Kean moved ta the parish when she married Owen in 1961. She tells about the day
the old church burned. "It was the day of the D of I Bazaar, October, 1966. Some
children ran in saying that the church was an fire and the women said they shouldn't
make up stories like that. The children insisted it was true. I ran out behind the
Rectory toward the church just as the huge east stained glass window blew out. I'll
never forget it."
-

38 -

Elsie Bybee Heaton has lived here since 1951. Her mother was from Lapeer County and
her father was from Missouri.
Clair P. Neaton, Elsie's husband, was born at 9293 Brandon Rd., Emmett. "Pat" served
in the Army in Italy and Africa in WW II and moved back to Emmett in .. 1951. After he
married, he and Elsie lived in Port Huron and Marysville.
His mother was from
Columbus at Wales Center Rd. and his father lived at Kilgore and Lapeer Rds.
The
Pohnkes came from Danzig, Poland (mother) and the Neatons came from Ireland and then
Canada in the 1800's (father).
Pat's great-grandparents, Frank and Margaret Heaton
were born in Ireland.
William and Bridget <Kelly) Neaton, his Grandparents, were
born in Canada. William was made a U.S. citizen on June 8, 1897. Grandfather Pahnke
carved woodwork and pews etc. for the church. Grandfather Neaton (and all the rest
of the farmers) hauled stones.

Frances and Al Nowakowski have lived here since 1949. Al's parents, Xr. and Mrs. F.
Nowakowski moved here in 1948 and are both buried in O.L.M:.C. Cemetery. His father
originally came from Opole <Lublin) Poland - 1907.
His mother <Anna) was born in
Toledo, Ohio.
The old flag pole at the old O.L.M.C. School came from St. Stephens
School; donated by the Nowakowski family in honor of Frances' father, Mr. M. Dubik.
All of their 9 kids attended O.LJ(.C. School. Father Jasper Sirianni married Frances
and Al in 1948 at St. Alphonsus church in Dearborn. They were pleasantly surprised
when Father eventually showed up in Emmett. He has married the last three of their
daughters, baptized 4 grandchildren and they hope he will be around for their 50th.
Vedding Anniversary.
In the summer of 1973 Frances and Al visited Poland.
Vhile
riding on a train from Paris ta Warsaw, they had a conversation with a man who said
he knew they were from America by the way they dressed and spoke. He said he had a
friend in America but they surely wauldn 't know him because America is so big. Al
Said "Try me". He said "Oh, he's a priest in a small town in Michigan, you wouldn't
know him".
"Why not", Al replied; "We live and go ta church in a small town in
Michigan". "He's in a small town of Emmett - I used to be his organist when he was
here in Poland. His name is Father Borzych ...... 11 Vhat a surprise! To this day they
still cherish the friendships of two great men from the same town in far away
Poland.

Patrick Pierce (died 1952) was born in Wexford Ireland in 1860. He came to Emmett
around 1880 and married Margaret Cowhy (died 1950) who was born here in 1863. They
had one daughter Edna <Pierce) Sutter and three sons; Lambert, Frank, and Phil. Two
grandchildren still live in the parish. They are Margaret <Pierce) Kinney and Kary
<Pierce) Butler.
Maggie relates " My grandfather, Patrick always told us children
how he built the steeple on the church.
He was a carpenter and built many houses
and barns in this area.
His brother, Thomas Pierce also worked on the church
hauling stones. Thomas was the father of Angela Spiegel. Edna <Pierce) Sutter and
Margaret <Maher) Cowhy <Mother of Jack and Jim Cawhy) were the first and second ta
be baptized in the old church."

- 39 -

Jim and Mary O'Neil

We moved out from Detroit to Emmett, Michigan in the year 1938 to 9414
Imlay City Rd., on a farm of 60 acres.
Jim drove back and forth to Chryslers,
where he was employed, for many years.
Our very good friends were Alice and
Denny Donnellon and their family.
Through them, we made :many friends in Emmett
and we were happy to be parishioners of Our Lady of Kt. Carmel Parish.
Father
Farrell was one of our first visitors to our home and through our conversation,
the Altar Society and the Daughters of Isabella were mentioned.
I soon joined
them both and have been a member ever since and am a Past Regent of the D of I.
It was my pleasure to take part in the work and activities together with the
friendly ladies of Emmett.
I remember when our Daughters of Isabella had the first St. Patrick's
Banquet. Hazel Pierce was Regent then. A short discussion lead to a motion to
have a banquet.
She said, "We will need a program." She asked each one of us
ladies to reveal their talents.
She asked me, could I dance.
Naturally it
would have to be an Irish Step Dance.
I could only do the Charleston, but I
said, "If I can contact my brother-in-law Patrick Murray in Detroit, he has a
recitation called 'Kelly's Dream' which came from Ireland and if I can learn it,
I will say it." So I wrote him and he sent me a copy of it.
I didn't have much
time to learn it from memory but I did, and I don't think I could ever forget
it. We had a fine program; the hall was filled with guests and, with everyone's
help, it was a huge success. St. Patricks Banquets are still popular in Emmett.
I was a member of the Legion of Mary and enjoyed that too.
We cared for 2 boys in our home for nearly 13 years. Gale VanBrande, age
6 and his brother, Marshall, age 5; so they are our family.
Gale and his wife,
Brenda and their three children live near Yale and Marshall resides in Port
Huron.
In 1969, Gerry and Frank Garofalo bought our farm and we moved to 6995
Lapeer Rd. She and Frank have become our good friends. My husband, Jim, passed
away, April 20th, 1980.
Jim was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Richmond
Chapter.
I am a member of the Senior Citizens.
Everyone is so friendly.
Thanks to Sister Celeste and Sister Marie Therese for all they do for us Seniors
and thanks to Father Sirianni for your friendship.
I am happy to have a good friend, Betty Harter.

me.

- 40 -

She has done so much for

"Hangin' In

For More Than A Century"

The family of James E. and Catherine <O'Connor) Quain. have continued to live in Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel parish for the past 140 years.
William and Elizabeth <Fitzgerald) Quain were born in County Limerick, Ireland. They
came to the United States through New York and Ohio and homesteaded on an 80 acre
farm in Emmett Township in 1849. They later aquired six additional 80 acre farms in
the area. Emmett township was originated in 1852.
William and Elizabeth Quain had six sons and two daughters.
Son Patrick married
Catherine O'Brien on November 4, 1892 in the old Kenockee church.
Catherine's parents, Michael and Ellen O'Brien were born in County Clare, Ireland and
they too came to the United States through New York and Ohio. In Emmett, Michigan
),J they purchased an 80 acre farm from the State of Michigan. Their farm was located
I
across the road from the Quain home.
Patrick and Catherine <O'Brien) Quain were parents of five boys and one girl. Their
youngest son, James E. was married to Catherine O'Connor on November 10, 1937 B:!- (/J.r!
O.L.M.C. by Fr. Jahn F. Farrell.
Catherine <O'Connor) Quain's grandfather, James O'Connor was barn in County Wexford,J
Ireland an April 4, 1844.
At the age of 14 James was orphaned.
The English
government confiscated their horse farm so James and his three alder brothers left
far America.
They made it to Canada and settled in Walkerton.
A few years later
James came ta Port Huron, Michigan where he found work at Sanborn Lumber Yard. He
later found work as a carpenter and helped to build the ol'J city hall which stood
where McMorran Place now stands.
, ?v';..J)
James then met Ellen Cameron. They were married ~T":!!~e old St. Stephen Church in ~
Part Huron.
.JlLr:</ho.JJ.JA. (/Jl)!<.rtli1Jri
"'
) 0() 1,
Ellen (Cameron) O'Connor's parents, William and Mary <McHough) Cameron ;came from ( ~
Canada to the Emmett area in 1854. William Cameron was the third person buried in
I; i/~
the old Kenockee churchyard which is now O.L.M.C. Cemetery.
James and Ellen
,\ <Cameron) O'Connor and their family moved from Port Huron to Emmett in about 1875 .
.~ Catherine <O'Connor) Quain )iaS::)the daughter of James and Catherine (Breen) O'Connor.
Catherine's grandparents, ;Joh~ and Abigail Breen were born and married in County
Kerry, Ireland. They cam~d~~ctly ta thei~tarm~me in Emmett township, which had
been secured for them by analder brother, (_Dan Bree)i, who had immigrated earlier.
Catherine O'Connor and thtlate James E. ~uain~ised two daughters and four sons,
including twin boys.
Jam s K. Quain, John
Quain and Mary L. <Quain) Cowhy and
their families still live n O.L.M.C. parish1/ Catherine <Quain) Karth and her family
\
live in Port Huron. Patrlick W. Quain and/his family live in Marysville. Lawrence E.
\. died in September of 1977 at the age of )33.
"atherine, wife of the la e James E. Q~ain still lives an the Quain farm <Est. 1879)
1
on Quain Road, Emmett, Mlichigan in O~f Lady of Mount Carmel Parish.
'1

1, \

<

i.

. JI .

Alice and Alvin Rillke hlve lived;fn the parish for 10 years.

I
{//II

S1;

O"~

:\

{;' ii'-/
y"1.0AI
41 -

(Jl\
o.
/J',x

n//

The John Ryan Family and Their Descendants

Researched by Ellen Ryan
John Ryan was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1929. Hanora McMahon Ryan was
born in Clare Co., Ireland.
It is felt that the couple met in WaterJ.oo, Iowa. We
know that John worked on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers loading and unloading
freight.
Sometime in the 1860 's the John Ryan family arrived in Emmett. They built a
log cabin on the southeast corner of Foley and Gleason Roads. Four of their older
children died at an early age; they were William, Patrick, Catherine, and Kate.
Five descendants survived the parents and some of their offspring live in the
parish today.
JJ:ihn. <1865-1949) married Elizabeth Knox.
They bad one son, Father Michael Ryan (1896-1965). After the death of Elizabeth,
John married Mary Sheridan. Sheridan Road bears her family name. They had three
children including twins born in 1903.
William (1903-1960)
Margaret <1903-1942)
Mamie <1905-1917)
Michael <1869-1891) worked in the lumber camp in winter. He became ill in the
camp at Ewen, Mi. in the upper peninsula.
From there he was taken to Marquette
Hospital for treatment. Typhoid fever was listed as the cause of death. His body
was sent home for burial.
Martin <1873-1946) married Elizabeth Mackey <1885-1922).
They had seven
children: Irene (1910-1931)
Martin II - A soldier in the infantry under Gen. Patton in World War II.
Martin received awards for "outstanding leadership and
confident devotion to duty".
John O. - <1913-1974) John was in the 2nd. Armor Division in Europe
during World War II. He was badly burned at St. Lo, France.
After a lengthy recouperation, he was discharged from service.
Harold - (1914-1978)
Lucille - <1916-1981)
Francis - (1918-1954)
Rita
Daniel (1874-1953) married Ellen Clifford <1884-1978).
They had eight children:
Gertrude
Ellen
Daniel <1917-1976)
Genevieve
Vincent <1921-1952
Joseph
Betty
Catherine (1928-1928)

M.ary. (1876-1931) married John Gleason <1870-1950).

They had five children:
Marie <1902-1971)
John <1905-1961)
William <1906-1951)
Edward (1912-1917)
Catherine <1916-1983)
Dennis (1879-1958)
- 42 -

Stories Told To Me By Dennis Gleason

by Ellen Ryan
My grandfather, John Ryan, and his father started on their journey to America.
A bad storm arose. The boat turned on the side. They cut off the masts. The help
mutinied. There were several "Kerry" men aboard who had knowledge of sailing. They
all helped to get back to Ireland. The help was jailed.
On the second try he arrived in the United States about 1845.
John Ryan and Dennis Gleason worked as "steam boat rats" on the Mississippi
River from Dubuque, Ia. to New Orleans, La. Once in 1858 they were building a levee
on the Tallahatchie River.
It runs through Tallahatchie Co. in Miss. The boss left
to get money to pay them.
He didn't return.
The two men took off.
It was
Christmas morning. They got to Vicksburg and met a man from Ireland. He gave them
all the food and beverage they needed.
Grandpa John Ryan and Dennis Gleason left
the South prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.
In the 1860's Grandpa Ryan used a team of oxen to haul logs from M:t. Salem
(Foley & Welch Road area) to Brockway Creek. They piled them there until spring and
then floated them down to the Port Huron area.
Stories My Father Told Me About The Ryan's and Pioneer Life in Emmett
Twice a year Gramma and Grandpa Ryan drove a team of horses to Port Huron.
They would load the wagon with butter, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots and any other
item they could use to trade for yard goods, shoes, boots, and heavy wearing apparel,
sugar, flour, salt and tea.
They would leave at four in the morning and wouldn't
return until well after dark. The boys would go out and lie on the road with their
ears close to the ground to see if they could hear the sound of the horses hooves a
long way down the road.
Dan Ryan, my father, built his home on Sheridan Road in 1912. The cost at
that time was $600.00. The carpenter's name was Bill Schroeder. Daniel earned extra
money building streets in Detroit <Beaubian and Riopelle).
- I wish to acknowledge my grateful appreciation to
Dennis Gleason. His recall of past events was a great
help to me in my search. He remembered stories told
by our grandparents.

Jim and Nancy Shfili have lived here for 10 years.

Helen Wendling's earliest ancestors here were John O'Hara, The Crowley family and
James Reid. The Reid's came in 1853 and lived on Hain St. in the village of Emmett.
The Crowleys came about the same time and lived on Bricker Rd.

Tom and Marlene Zelecki moved to the parish from Center Line in September, 1978.
Tom's mother's parents lived off Bordman Rd. on the corner of Omo and Prinz Rds.
John and Mary Niesluchowski lived there in the late 30's, early 40's.

- 43 -

The Tommy Ryan Family

Owen Ryan and his wife, Ellen Kennedy Ryan and their three sons, Michael,
John, and Thomas immigrated from Nenagh, County Tipperary in the late 1840' s.
They settled in Emmett and two more sons, Owen, Jr .. and Patrick were born in the
1850' s.
Tho:mas, the surviving son, with descendants in this parish, married Hannora
O'Neil, a widow with a son, Rev. Father Richard Sadlier.
This couple had two
sons, Thomas Jr. and Owen, who died at age seventeen.
After the death of
Hannora, Thomas married Margaret O'Meara Murphy, daughter of Daniel O'Meara.
Thomas Ryan, Jr. <Tommy) married Margaret Murphy and had three children,
Mary, who died young, Pete, and Dick, neither of whom ever married.
When his
wife, Margaret died Tommy remarried and, confusingly enough, he, too, chose an
0' Meara.
Mary was the neice of Margaret who had married Thomas, Sr.
Tom and
Mary had four children, Owen, Nora, Alice, and Dan and only the descendants of
Alice remain in this parish.
Garrison <Denny) Donnellon came to Emmett fro:m Tyre as part of a road
building crew.
His father, Daniel, had the contract for roads in the vicinity
and it was while they were here that Denny met and married Alice Ryan.
They
lived in Detroit the first few years and then returned to the family farm east of
Emmett and made their home with the now elderly Tom and Mary.
Alice, besides
being a devoted wife and mother was also a willing and generous church worker.
Of their six children, Dan, MaI); jo, Janice, and Tom live with their families
elsewhere in Michigan and only two, Garry and Jack remain in the parish.
Garry
married Ann Keough and they have seven children.
Jack and Shirley 0' Connor
Donnellon have four children and they live in a new home next to the farmhouse on
the original Ryan farm.

Mullally
John Mullally came from County Tipperary, Ireland, at age seven.
He
married Marie <Mariah) Kennedy.
They had these children:
Ell.an. <Mrs. John) Kinney, who lived in Emmett, had fourteen children and ran one
of the hotels in town;
~ <Mrs. James) Sharpe lived in Kenockee and had three children;
Frances <Mrs. John) Coniff lived in Marine City and had one son;
Margaret was planning on becoming a sister but contacted pneumonia and died at
age eighteen;
Thomas married Alice Armstrong and had seven children. He farmed on land west of
town;
lrunes_ married and had eleven children.
He lived in Hayward, Wisconsin;
lohn. married Margaret Preston from Peck.
They lived in Mt. Morris and bad nine
children;
William married Ann Brennan.
They had two children;
Martin never married.
Marie died of a stroke in 1907.
John died in 1910 of a disease, such as
pneumonia.

- 44 -

Sweeney
Not much is known of Hugh Sweeney's life before he came to Richmond
Township,
near Richmond,
from Ontario County,
New York.
The earliest
documentation is that he was on the early 1800 census of Ontario County.
It is
possible that he was a sailor. It is not known when he came to Richmond Township
but on June 20th, 1852, he married Jane Reynolds of St. Clair. This marriage was
performed by Father Kilroy in that city. Jane and her sister, Mary, were born in
New Jersey, moved to the St. Clair area, and became local seamstresses.
Hugh and Jane purchased two adjoining farms in Richmond Township and farmed
both of them.
They attended St. Phillips Church in Columbus and, when Hugh died
in 1872, he was buried in the parish cemetery.
However, no record of Jane's
death can be found and it is not known if she remarried or moved from the area.
Six children were born to Hugh and Jane.
Margaret Eva was born in 1856.
She married Charles Murphy and they had four
children, William, Lola, Eva, and Irwin. They lived in Emmett.
Sarah Jane was born in 1858, married Bernard Burns of Emmett and they had one
daughter, Geneva; they resided in Emmett.
Margaret Ann was born in 1863, married a Daniel Dwyer in St. Clair.
Kitty Ella was born in 1865, married Val Fairburn and had 2 children, Hugh and
Harry. They also lived in the Emmett arf:l.a.
John B. was born in 1866, died in January of 1874 of pneumonia.
James <Jim) Riley, who was the first born of Hugh and Jane, came into the world
in the year 1854. Jim said, when he was a young child, it was not at all unusual
when you woke up in the morning to find Indians sitting around the fireplace.
His mother would prepare breakfast for them and they would be on their way.
He
said it was customary among all the settlers to be hospitable to the Indians.
Since he was the only surviving son, he helped his father on the farm until his
marriage in 1879 to Catherine <Kate) Murphy of Emmett.
Hugh owned some property
in Riley Township and it was here that Jim brought his bride. The land had to be
cleared and a home built.
The first of their children, Mary Jane, known as Mae, was born in 1880.
Mae married Alex Wheelihan of Port Huron and he was an engineer working on the
railroad.
They lived in Battle Creek and never bad any children.
Mae died in
1949, Alex in 1936.
Norbert, born in 1883, lived in the Emmett area.
Though he helped his
father on the farm, he left when he married the former Jenny Brennan.
They had
two children, Mary, who married Jack Watkins of Detroit, and John Francis who
became a priest and was assigned to various parishes in the Detroit area.
Mary
had three daughters and one son.
Norbert held a variety of jobs at different
times in his life.
Among them, he was a farmer, a blacksmith, and a factory
worker.
Norbert died in 1961, Jenny in 1958, Mary in 1965 and Father John in
1968.

- 45 -

Sweeney (Con't)

Mabel was born in 1887,

She was a school teacher in this area, New
Bal ti more, and St. Clair.
She married David Wheelihan of Port Huron and had
three children, David, Mary Ann, and Catherine.
David, the father, and his son
perished in the great flu epidemic of 1918. Mabel moved home to Emmett with her
daughters and taught at the Sweeney School in Riley Township.
She met and
married James Needham of Smiths Creek, who also worked on the railroad and they
moved to Detroit,
Jim died in 1963 and Mabel in 1972.
Mary Ann married James
Van Antwerp of Detroit and had four children, Ja:mes, William, Jack, and Mary
Jane.
Mary Ann died in 1972.
Catherine married James Yesko and lived in
Detroit. They have 8 children and now live in New York State,
William was born in 1888 and helped, for a short time, on the farm, but
earned his degree and taught school.
He taught in New Baltimore, Algonac, St.
Clair, and, for a short time, in Emmett,
He married the former Kary Dolan of
Columbus, Michigan and they moved to Detroit where he found employment with the
Fischer Body Auto Company.
They had no children and both William and Mary died
in 1970.
William's was the second funeral held in the new church in 1970.
Though he died in Detroit, he was brought back to Emmett for the Mass and burial
in the cemetery at Kenockee.
His grand-nephew, John Sweeney, served as an altar
boy. When the Mass was over, John threw the hot incense from the holder into the
waste basket and never thought anything of it. When the family returned from the
cemetery to the hall for a luncheon, the fire department was surrounding the
church and there was a great excitement.
They said that smoke had come rolling
out of the Sacristy and it was feared another fire was taking place. Naturally,
there was great apprehension. When they found out it was just the incense in the
waste basket, the family took a lot of teasing such as "You might know a Sweeney
would pull a stunt like that". or "Those Sweeneys must be going to hell, for
sure, because there is a lot of smoke here already."
Leo was born in 1891 in the new home Jim had built on Braidwood Road. This
was to be his permanent residence except for the last 3 years of his life. One
of Leo's earliest memories was of the construction of Our Lady of Kt. Carmel in
1897.
All the area farmers were asked to help out with their horses and wagons
and whatever equipment they had that could be used in the building process.
He
would have been 6 years old at the time but he said his father allowed him to
come each day and work with the men and drive the horses on the stoneboat while
they were hauling stones or dirt. He said he remembers eating lunch with the men
and feeling as i f he was a grown up man like the rest of them. Leo farmed with
his father and they added another 80 acres to the original homestead, only to
lose it during the great depression. In order to survive, Leo took on other jobs
away from the farm.
Norbert and Leo operated a blacksmith's shop in Emmett where
the village hall is now located.
But there was not enough business to support
two households, so Leo left the enterprise.
He became a rural mailcarrier for
the Emmett Post Office but quit that job. When asked why he quit, he stated that
they would not give him an oats allotment for his horse.
Leo was a pretty fair
ball player, playing the position of pitcher.
Both Leo and Bill played for the
Emmett team. At some point in his life, Leo was given the nickname "Ping", which
stayed with him his whole life.

46 -

Sweeney (Can't)

Over the years, Leo gained a reputation for being very knowledgeable in the
area of sick farm animals. Many of the neighbors came to him for advice or asked
him to come to their farm to look at their animals.
Since he had been a
blacksmith, he generally had the job of shoeing all the neighbor's horses.
He
had brought his forge, anvils, and blacksmithing tools home with him when he quit
working with his brother, Norbert. He was also the area butcher and, every fall
when cold weather came, the neighbors brought their cows and pigs to be
slaughtered.
They would fire up the forge and a very huge pot would be set over
the fire and water brought to boiling to scald the pigs in after they were
killed.
It usually took 2 to 3 days to get all of them butchered, cleaned, the
cows skinned, and hung.
They would hang in the garage for several days and then
the neighbors would take them to their prospective homes to be cut up and
preserved to keep them from spoiling over the winter.
On October 4th, 1924, Leo and Pearl Hildebrand of Yale were married in
Sacred Heart Church by Father Martin. Pearl was originally from Deford, but her
father, Jacob Hildebrand, sold their farms, and they moved to Ferndale. However,
he did not like the city so they returned to Yale where 3 of his other daughters
were living with their families.
At the time of her marriage, Pearl worked as a
weaver in the Yale Woolen Mills.
Leo and Pearl lived and farmed with Jim and
Kate on the homestead for many years.
In their later years, Jim and Kate lived
at various times with their daughters, Mae and Mabel.
Kate died in 1939 in
Detroit and Jim died in 1948 in Battle Creek.
In 1941, Leo went to work at Mueller Brass Company in Port Huron.
He
worked at various jobs and different departments until his retirement in 1958.
Leo and Pearl had 5 children, Lawrence, born in 1925, roarried Margaret
Fruend of Detroit and now resides in Roseville.
They have 6 children, Michael,
Patricia, James, John, Vicky, and Sandy.
Alex, born in 1926 married the former Eleanor Fraley of Columbus and
resides in Sparlingville.
They have 13 children, Alex, Douglas, Patrick, Gary,
Janet, Carol, Mary Ann, David, Dale, Leo, Kathleen, Colleen, and Paula.
William, born in 1927 and Mary Ellen Cameron of Emmett were married in
Emmett, now reside in Port Huron and have 6 children, Barbara, Mary Jean,
Theresa, William, Joanna, and Matthew.
Joseph, born in 1931, married the former Joan Pathic of Peck and have 3
children, Catherine, John, and Patrick.
They have lived in St. Clair Shores for
their entire married life.
Mary Ann, born in 1935, married Patrick Quain of Emmett and have 3 children
CSee Brandon History) Mary Ann is the only Sweeney now living in the Emmett area.
Pat and Mary Ann live and farm on the homestead of Christopher and Gertrude
Brandon who were Pat's grandparents.
Leo died in 1970 and Pearl in 1980.
If Hugh and Jane could come back and see the accomplishments of their
descendants, they would be proud. Though most of Jim and Kate's descendants have
moved from this area, they took with them the family values of hard work,
honesty, and pride in their Irish heritage.
'

- 47 -

The following IHM Sisters taught at OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL:
Now known as:

Years at Emmett:

Mary Jo

1959/1961
1938/1944
1962/1964
1953/1955
1959/1960
1945/1949
1945/1951

Sisters:

Family Names:

Agnes Louise
Anelise
Ann Carl (left)
Ann Elizabeth (dee,)
Anne Kathleen (left)
Ann Loretta
Antonine (dee.)

Murray
Perry
Sefcovic
Schulte
Thomas
!1urphy
Nadrach

Beatus (left)
Benita (dee,)
Blanche

Carne
Bannon
DeKoning

Shirley

1958/1960
1928/1931
1947/1951

Cassian (dee.)
Catherine Terese
Charlotte
Clara (dee,)
Clarellen
Clare Marie (left)
Cyrenia

Schloff
Ambs
Frank
Shaw
Stein
Renaud
Jock

Margaret

1958/1961
1926/1931
1930/1933
1925/1927
1952/1953
1954/1955
1962/1963

Edward Joseph
Edward Mary
Eustace

Riley
King
Kaya tin

Mary Anna
Mary
Mary

1962/1964
1966/1971
1941/1945

Florentine (dee.)

Si eland

Gabriel
Generosa
Georgiana
Gerard Majella (dee.)
Gerald Marie (left)

Guarnieri
O'Donnell
Beaufait
Mulroy
Lyons

Helen Teresa (dee.)

Semon in

Ina
Irma (dee.)

Wahl
Aubry

Ann Marie

1937/1938
1966/1967

Joseph Rita
Jovita

DeSmedt
Williams

Kathleen

1955/1957
1949/1955

Kathleen Mary

O'Brien

Kathleen

1958/1959

Liguori (dee.)
Leoni ta
Lurana

Stanley
Powell
Sankovic

1928/ 1930
Patricia
Helen

1938/1942
1967/1971
1924/1925
1934/1938
1964/1967
1939/1945

1924/1930
1932/1936
1944/1946

The following IHM Sisters taught at OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL School, page 2:

Sisters:
Maria
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
Marie
M;uie
Marie
Marie
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary

Family Names:

Wood
Alma
Champagne
Agatha
Leavy
Angelita
Gorham
Anita
Tefend
Ann (dee.)
O'Leary
Bosco (left)
Celestine (dee.) Trudeau
Hackett
Constance
Patton
Edward
Baker
Ernest
Boehmer
Leone
Lucille (dee.) Stevens
Markey
Norman
Adrian
Andrew
Benedict
Casimir (dee.)
Claude (dee.)
Constance (left)
Denis
Edmund
Edwin (dee.)
Ferdinand (dee.)
Kenneth
Lambert
Victor (left)
Wilfred (dee.)

Gentner
Krause
Logsdon
Marshke
Cheveron
Smith
Finehart
Kane
Israel
LeFebvre
Siefker
Critser
Walter
Riley

Now known as:

Years at Emmett:

Beth

1964/1971
1933/1935
1961/1962
1952/1953
1946/1947
1960/1962
1930/1932
1930/1932
1924/1927
1956/1957
1935/1939
1933/1939
1963/1966

Pauline

Eileen
Dorothy
Marcella

Sylvia

Agnes
Rita

1941/1943
1942/1947
1933/1936
1955/1957
1932/1933
1957/1958
1936/1937
1955/1958
1924/1926
1931/1933
1936/1938
1943/1945
1957/1959
1926/1928
1927/1930
1939/ 1941
1946/1952

Margaretta (dee.)
Martina
Merci le

Henry
Nusbaum
O'Hara

Noraleen

Smith

1938/1939

Paul Francis (left)

Paula Marie
Petronilla

Simmonds
Schloff
Ruppe

1960/ 1962
1961/1964
1964/1966

Regina Frances (dee.)

Remigia
Rosaire
Rose Stephen (left)
-Thecla (left)
Theophane
Thomas Marie
-Zita (dee,)
Zoe

Schaller
Mraz
Cassidy
Ratkov
Kenny
Catudal
Durack
Bourgoin
McKean

Ann

Rose

Patricia

Anne

1957I1958
1952/1956
1951/1952
1954/1955
1939/1943
1931/1934
1951/1954
1953/1954
1945/1950

VOCATIONS TO THE CONVENT

The Third Order of St. Dominic was approved by Pope Innocent III in
1214.
The first convent was in Prouille, France.
The order spread to
Rataisbon, Germany and then to Newburg, New York;
from there to
Traverse City, Michigan, and finally to Adrain, Michigan in 1884.
Our
first work was a home for the aged. Then we opened an academy for girls
and finally branched into schools and hospitals throughout the United
States and foreign lands.
Lorraine Brennan - Dominican - Sister Michael Eugene
daughter of William J. Brennan and Mary Helen <Mackey) Brennan,
entered April 12, 1953
Brennans: Dominicans
daughters of John Joseph Brennan and Anna <Cogley) Brennan,
Veronica - Sister Marie George - entered July 9, 1921
Rose - Sister M. Hildegarde - entered October 4, 1914,
died February 5, 1983
Catherine Cameron - Dominican - Sister Noelita,
daughter of Roderick J. Cameron and Margaret <Burns) Cameron,
entered February 2, 1907, died October 6, 1976 Mary Magdalin Cavanagh - Dominican
daughter of Tom Cavanagh and Minnie <Foley) Cavanagh,
born December 16, 1903.
Florence Dowd - Dominican - Sister M. Maurice
daughter of Dennis Dowd and Ellen <Culhane) Dowd,
entered March 27, 1913, died June 30, 1966
Mary Dowd - Dominican - Sister John Baptist
daughter of John M. Dowd and Mary Agnes <Kennedy) Dowd,
entered July 1, 1931
EmJM Foley <Emilia Catherine) - Dominican - Sister Francis Marie
daughter of Frank M. Foley and Elizabeth <Sheridan) Faley,
entered March 24, 1918
Bertha Kelly - Dominican - Sister Rose Vincent
daughter of William Kelly and Ellen (O'Brien) Kelly,
entered August 15, 1911, died December 7, 1969,
Mary Mcinerney - Dominican - Sister Rose Margaret
daughter of Michael Mcinerney and Margaret <Foley) Hcinerney,
entered Jan0ary 25, 1924
Nolans: Dominicans
daughters of Andrew Nolan and Ann <Woodlock) Nolan,
Mary - Sister Mary Andrew - entered December 8, 1919, died May 9, 1974
Catherine - Sister Marie Ann - entered December 31, 1926,
died October 31, 1987
Marguerite - Sister Mary Joachim - entered July 2, 1927
-

/, R

Vocations to The Convent <Continued)

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were the first

community of nuns to establish residence in the diocese, doing so in
1845 in Monroe.
The first members in Michigan were Sister Mary Theresa
Maxis and Sister Ann from Baltimore, and Theresa Renauld from East
Detroit, who was the first postulant.
Marie Dunnigan - Sister Marie Carmel IHM,
daughter of Jim Dunnigan & Mary (Fitzpatrick) Dunnigan, entered in 1932
June Johnson - Sister Richardine IHM,
daughter of Dick Johnson and Eileen <Kennedy) Johnson, entered in 1955
Alice Kendall - Sister Ellen Louise IHM,
daughter of Lou Kendall and Mary <Murphy> Kendall, entered in 1925
Mary Elizabeth Kinney - Sister Mary Bede IHM,
daughter of Ammy Kinney and Mary <.Mahar) Kinney, entered in 1940
Catherine Kissane - Sister Rose Estelle IHM,
daughter of John and Catherine Kissane, entered in 1925
Mary Therese Mackey - Sister Marie Alfred IHM,
daughter of Alfred and Margaret (Smith) Mackey, entered in 1947
Neatqns
daughters of Peter E. Neaton and Anna <Donohue) Neaton
Jane - Sister Angelica IHM, entered in 1933
Mary C. - Sister Imelda IHM, entered in 1931
Kathryn Pierce - Sister Catherine Ann IHM,
daughter of Frank Pierce and Hazel <Quain) Pierce, entered in 1954
Mary Catherine Quick - Sister Joseph Damean IHM,
daughter of Wilber Quick and Viola <Mulcaster) Quick, entered 1956
Janet Ryan - Sister Ann Rita IHM,
daughter of Martin Ryan and Rita <Cameron) Ryan, entered in 1961
Catherine Ureel - Si,3ter Mary Baptiste IHM, entered in 1938

- 49 -

Vocations to The Convent <Continued)

O'Neill Sisters Kate - Mother Frederick,
Religious of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, Washington D. C.,
Mollie - Sr. Mary Margaretta, died December 24, 1924
daughters of Lawrence O'Neill and Margaret Kavanagh,
<Larry and Margaret were the Confirmation Sponsors for each entire class
for several years)
Estelle Agnes Brennan - Sisters of Mercy, Chicago - Sister Depassi,
daughter of Michael Brennan and Elizabeth <Murphy) Brennan,
born July 15, 1894.
Elizabeth Clifford - Sisters of St. Francis - Oldenburg, Indiana Sister Bridget, daughter of Morris and Elizabeth Clifford,
entered 1913, died 1965
Dunnigan Sisters - Providence - St. Marys of the Woods, Sr. Bernard
Julia, Nell, Mollie - Notre Dame Order
Kathleen Mackey - Sister Basil S.S.J. - sister of Bessie Haley
daughter of Ed Mackey and Anna <McDermott) Mackey
Hazel Weldon - Sister Mary Jane Weldon - Ursulin nun, Mother General in
Canada - daughter of Tom and Jane (O'Connor) Weldon

50 -

.TamPs StaplPton, ::;on of Martin and Mary <Dunigan.l Stapleton of Kenockee Township
was born in August, 186.S and ordained July 19, 1896.
Made Monsignor in later
years.
He wa:3 the first young man to leave Emmett to study for the priesthood.
DPnnis O' Loughlin, born
<Carney) O'Loughlin.

July 26,

1869,

son

of

Laurence

0' Loughlin

and

Mary

Patrick R. Dunigan, son of Michael and Agnes <Brogan) Dunigan was born in Emmett
in 1871 and ordained on March 25, 1898. <Mi'.::hael Dunigan
was Emmett's "first
citizen", the first white child born in the town.
His motto was "Love thy
neighbor as thyself and don't be hard on anyone.")
Patrick was the beloved
chaplain of the Red Arrow Di vision during World War I I.
"He went to Europe and
ate with kings and presidents but when he came back to Emmett, where he had
spent his boyhood, he pulled his chair up to our oil-cloth covered kitchen
table", tells Elmer Brogan, "and somehow, I believe he enjoyed that more than he
did the fine banquets in palaces.
Anyway, he acted like he did and we liked to
have him.
Father al ways hoped he would be given the pastorship of Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel.
He said he would give twenty five years off his life to receive
such an appointment." He was later made a Monsignor.
Alphonsus X. M. Sharpe,
son of Franci::3 and Mary CMcColl um) Sharpe,
wa:3 born May 17, 1870 in Emmett and was
ordained by Bishop John S. Foley in
Detroit on July 2, 1899.
Made a Monsignor in later years.

William Cogley, son of William and Maggie <Powers) Cogley was born in May, 1878
and ordained a priest
of
the Jesuit order in Detroit and completed his
seminary training at the University of St. Louis about 1901.
Edward James Mackey, son of John and Betsy (Q' Brien) Hackey was born in Kenockee
Township on June 30, 1889 and ordained a priest by Bishop Gallagher in Detroit
on December 8, 1918.
George W. Brennan, '.30n of John J. and Ann <Cogley) Brennan was born in Kenockee
on August 17, 1891 and ordained a priest June 2, 1917.
Maurice Henry Dowd,
<Culhane) Dowd.

born

January

29,

1891,

51 -

son

of

Dennis

Dowd

and

Ellen

Francis <Mike) Ryan was born in Emmett on August 27, 1896, the son of John and
Elizabeth (Knox> Ryan was ordained in the 1940' s.
Did not decide to study for
the priesthood until the age of 40.
Was assigned to the Dakotas on an Indian
reservation.
William Alfred Cogley<Eldred), born March 7, 1901 in Kenockee, son of William K.
Cogley and Lily (Mackey) Cogley, was ordained June 30, 1930
James Leo Healy, born June 30, 1902 in Emmett was the son of James and Blanche
(Jackson) Healy, ordained in June 1934. Father Healy was the author of a number
of verses which were originally published in "Round About Providence".
THE ETERNAL WEAVER"

CONTRA ALCOHOLISM

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Here's a little tip from Fayther

'Bout the stuff they call the booze,
It will get you, sure as shooten
In the end you are bound to lose.

Oft times, He weaveth sorrow

And in my foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside

See the gink that used to kill it

'Member how he used to say,
I can take it or can leave it
Cut it out most any day.

Not til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reasons why.

Now they've got him canned forever

Where very many go in the end,
Down and out and under cover
Lost and gone without a friend.

The dark threads may be needful

In the skillful weaver's hand
And the threads of gold
and silver
In the patterns He has planned.

Now you see how you've been drifting

What the booze has done for you
Where it is surely going to land you
If you don't cut out the brew.
So just
While a
Hi thee
And cut

take this tip from Fayther

chance you may improve,
on the water wagon
the stuff they call the brew.

"-J_..a....m.,_e....,s,___.P~.--"-"M....c""C""'a. .b""'
. -e , born August 7 , 1903 in Emmett, Son of Henry P. and Margaret
(Furlong) McCabe, ordained May 22, 1932.
In later years he was made a
Mon:3ignor.
William Mark Mcinerney,
(Malloy) Mcinerney.

born March 6,

1906,

son of Dennis Mcinerney and Alice

John Furlong was born December 27, 1910, the son of Frank and Catherine \Cowhy>
Furlong, ordained June, 1939.

52 -

John SwPeney was the son of Norbert and Jennie <Brennan) Sweeney, born in Emmett
on December 26, 1914, ordained May 30, 1942.
Patrick Dunigan, son of Patrick and Mary CCarey) Dunigan was born in Emmett,
became a brother of the religious order of Christian Brother:3,
Richard G. Cody was not born in Emmett but
his great-grandparents, Sylvester
and Ellen Cody were among the very early settlers here.
He was born in Letroit
April 15, 1924, son of Margaret <Byrne) Cody and Sylvester (Bud) Cody.
His
grandparents were Thomas and Jane CFoley) Cody and they lived on Cogley Rd. in
Kenockee Township.
Aidan Patrick Murphy, born in Riley Township, son of John and Mary CPierce)
Murphy, became a brother of the Alexian order of Brothers.
He took the name of
Brother Stanislaus.
The story is told that while Brother Pat was making his
usual ::;ick calls, he was told that a man had been shot in front of the theater
on Chicago's west side.
After ministering to the dying man, police and FBI came
on the scene and Brother Pat found out that the man was John Dillinger.
Richard Sadler, half brother of Thomas F. Ryan (Gary Donnellon's grandfather)
Bernard Klim, brother of the Notre Dame order,
Kasimer Klim and Margaret <Nizio) Klim.

born March 29,

1930,

son of

Joseph A. Gribbs was born in Detroit, the son of Roman and Madeline Gribbs, they
resided on a farm in Riley Township.
He became a priest of the Maryknoll order
in 1954.
C. Joseph <Cappy) Carso, foster son of William and Bridget Donahue due to the
early deaths of his Italian parents, Casper and Mary Corso.
He was ordained a
missionary priest in June 1955.
The last time we heard from him,
Father Corso was stationed at
Muhoji Catholic Mission in
Mumosa, Tanganyika
British East Africa

-;

,,__~

..

Ir-'

and .Mrs. James Esper onahue, was born in

Raymond Martin Donahue, the son
His
Detroit on June 23, 1938 and ordained on June 6, 1964 by Cardinal Dearden.
father, James Esper Donahue and his grandparents, Martin and Ella (Burns)
Donahue are all natives of Emmett.

53 -

Thomas Mullally, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mullally was ordained on December 19,
1970 in Techny, Illinois at the Chapel of the Divine Word Seminary.
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,
I want to congratulate you as you celebrate your 125 years as a parish.
I was born in Emmett on November 9, 1942.
I am the son of the late John
Mullally and Mrs. Ann Mullally.
From this union came five children:
John
Joseph, Ann Madeline, Mary Alice, Patricia, and myself.
My great-grandparents
were married in Emmett in 1859.
Thus my family roots go back to nearly the
beginning of the founding of Emmett and Mt. Carmel.
I was educated at Mt. Carmel and was graduated from the 8th. grade in 1956
and from Vassar High in 1960.
At the age of 18, I entered Divine Word College
in Duxbury, Mass.
Thus began my 10 years of study to be a missionary priest in
the religious order of the Society of the Divine Word.
My religious order works
in over 50 nations and has about 5,500 members.
The first two years in the seminary were the most difficult for me since I
had to make up all my high school Latin, German, French, Greek, and Religion.
Many times I felt like quitting but I hung in there.
In 1964, I entered the
novitiate at Conesus, N, Y.
During this year I studied the church fathers,
history of the Society and its constitutions, various forms of meditation and
other spiritual exercises.
In 1965, I left the grape region of New York for the corn fields of Iowa.
Two years later I graduated from college with a degree in history.
Then, in
1967, I found myself in the windy city of Chicago.
There I stayed four years
studying theology.
During the summers I did pastoral work in Franklin, La.
This was my first pastoral assignment and it was among black people.
I really
enjoyed the hospitality and warmth of the people there.
I believe it was that
experience that called me to give my life to the black apostolate in the South.
In 1969, I worked among Mexican Americans in the beet fields of Idaho.
I also
traveled to California and worked in the tomato fields there.
That summer I was
really exposed to social injustices.
In 1970, I traveled to the opposite end of the country to New Hampshire.
There I worked in the state school for the mentally retarded.
Again, what an
eye opener for me.
That same year, I took: my final vows and was ordained a
priest on December 19,
1970.
I was assigned to my fir.st parish, St.
Martinville, La.
I came to this parish full of enthusiasm and plenty of energy.
It sure was needed for there were 5, 000 people in the parish.
I was very busy
with marriages, funerals and baptisms.
After four wonderful years there, I wa,3
tran,3ferrred to Jeanerette a:3 pa3tor,
What a challenge!
In St. Martinville,
had no wc:-:-ries.
Now I b.a1i plenty of them.
The people were great.
In fact,
wherever I am a,3,3igned, people have a.l ways been cooperative and good to me.
1
'3tayed :n J,:anerette for 9 very productive years.
The high point of my stay was
the building of their new church and its dedication.
I will never forget that
day.
The joy of the people was overwhelming.

- 54 -

In 1984, I was transferred to Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Thi:3 i:3 where I am
now.
I volunteered to come to Arkansa:3 and I 1 ike it here very much.
The
parish is very small with about 300 members.
However,
they are very
enthusiastic and cornrni tted.
r shall miss this place when I leave. I was sent
here to reopen the school.
Our Catholic school was closed for 9 years.
My
predecessor laid the foundation for the school to be reopened.
Thus, I just
have to see this project through.
We now have 155 children from grades K
through 6th.
The School Sisters of Notre Dame staff the school and we also
have four wonderful lay teachers.
I am just beginning to form a Newman Club at
our local university
Thus far, we have about 10 members.
The university is
the only predominately black school of higher learning in the state of Arkansas.
As you folks celebrate your 125th. in 1990, St. Peter's will be celebrating its
centennial of our school in 1989.
St. Peter's was one of the first schools
founded for black children west of the Mississippi River.
Thus we have a long
tradition of education here.
You are in my prayers as you are celebrating 125 years as a parish.
May
Mt. Carmel have many more.
May Mt. Carmel again give to the Church, men and
women who will enter religious life and the priesthood like it did in the past.

May Gad bless you and keep you,

Love,

Rev. Thomas Mullally S.V.D.

Thomas Mullally
Divine Word Missionary
Ordained a Priest
December 19. 1970

55 -

IRON AND WOODEN TOYS .

-'.''...

I: I

Doll Carriages

Dottor Ones

nt

500
75c
$1.

+.

All of These Goods You Will Hnd Displayed in Our

BASEMENT DEPARTMENT.
I

++ U

I 14 I It I U I ++I I I 11 + t l+fo

J.~w. GOULDING& coMrANY, .

'

"'!.

,.

ItLrLBlLE.J9:;3__FAMILY HISTORY ,

1'.'

PATRICK COONEY AND HANNAH KENNEDY

Patrick Cooney was born in Nenagh Tipperary, Ireland in 1812.

Nothing much,

is known about his early life in Ireland and not much ab6ut his later lif~

in Canada, either. But this we do know.

turbulent times on the Emerald Isle.

Pat Cooney grew up during

Acts of coercion, restricting individual freedoms in Ireland (but not in

England) were repeatedly passed by the British Parliament. The Press was
gagged. Habeas Corpus was suspended and ownership of property by Catholics
war:;> sever:Jy restricted. The education that Catholic children were allowed
was very restricted. The professions were closed to Catholics and taxes
and tithes tended to be confiscatory.
Pat Cooney wisely decided to get out of Ireland and he came to America.
Although we do not know how he got here or where he landed, he probably
sailed from Liverpool, as did most of the Irish in the 1830 1 s and landed in
Montreal.
There is a family story told by Ursula Dandeno who is Sister Mary
Christopher, that he almqst, diQ.!f' t maJrn it; but swam ashore in the St,
.'Lawerence River when his ship hit some rocks and foundered.
The stm-y of his travel:s and adventures after coming to Canada remains a
mystery al:so. But Pat was a farmer and he acquired farm land near High
Park, close to London and this is where he brought his bride, :Hannah
Ken~edy, in 1842.
Hannah was born in Nova Scotia in 1828, probably in Dartmouth. She was the
daughter of Patrick Kennedy and Johanna Lonergan. Pat was from Limerick
and probably Johanna was too. Folks didn't get around much in those days.
In 1842, Patrick Cooney and Hannah Kennedy were married in London before
her family set out for Michigan. The Cooneys stayed in London and the
Kennedy::> came to Michigan. Hannah was 14 and Pat was 30. <They got 'em
young in those days.) Their union was blessed - and how! it was blessed,
with 13 bundles of joy. <Some cynic has figured out that Hannah was
' pregnant about 40% of the time during her childbearing years.)
Johanna
Born 1843 Married Patrick Tynan
James
Born 1845 Unmarried
Annie
Born 1847 Married Mccaslin
Jc:ihn
Born 1852 No further information
Edward
Born 1855 Killed on Railroad in 1899
Michael
Born 1857 Killed on Railroad in 1884
William
Born 1860 Died October 12, 1914
Joseph
Born 1862 Died in infancy
Mary Elizabeth
Born 1865 No further information
Matilda
Born 1867 Died in infancy
Alena <Lynn)
Born 1869 Ma:r-ried Tom Moylan
AlexandraCLixie) Born 1870 Died when 8 years old
Arthur
Born 1872 No further information

Al though little is known of their daily life, the CoOneys' must have
reflected the times they lived in. Farms were quite isolated in those
days, then~ wa9 little communication and a twentf mile trip was a day's
journey.,
a horse.
They probably sold their produce in London Markets
and Market, Day roust have been a big event in their lives.

for.

Dull day:::; on the farm were inevitable but there was always something that
needed to be done and Johanna, the oldest daughter who was this writer's
Grandmother, was a high spirited lady, probably livened things up when the
days dragg~1i too much.
Hannah, pregnant much of the time between 1843 and 1871 probably spent most
of her t;ime cooking and keeping house for her ever increasing family.

As the children grew older they no doubt took over part of the household
duties and certainly helped Pat in the fie) ds.
There was much visiting between the Cooneys and the Kennedys. One or more
of the children of the other family l'llways seemd to be at the Kennedy farm
in Emmett, Michigan or the Cooney farm in Ontario;

When they grew too old to work the farm, Patrick and Hannah moved to
London. Pat died there on December 30, 1891. He was 79 years old. Hannah
lived there until December 10, 1910 when she passed away at 82.
They both rest in Mount Saint Peter Cemetery in London, Ontario.

Although I never lived there, my mother spent part of her early life in the
area at the Kennedy farm. She often regaled us with stories about the
people and their adventure::i. When my mother became ill with Tuberculosis
in her early teens, she went to the Kennedy farm to recover.
fother LaurenGe Kilroy was'the brother of :Martin Kilroy who was my wife's
Great Grandfather. Martin dled while quite young and his wife, Mary
Carroll Kilroy and son, La.urence came to Detroit from Canada. Laurence
went in business in Detroit and became a prominent printer and bookseller.

- James F. Burns
Redford, Mi .

-2-

,.

Born in Clare County, Ireland her father died in Ireland and her mother and
brothers Thomas, Michael, and sister Jane came to lew York. The year was
1845, Anna was fourteen years old when they made the trip by steamship.
The trip took four weeks and four days. They had to cook their own meals
on the ship. The reason for leaving Ireland was that the potato crop had
failed and there was a lack of food. They moved to Ravenna, Ohio. Anna
married Michael Fitzgerald in 1854. In 1855 Anna and her husband moved to
Kenockee Township in Michigan .. They cleared the land and built a house.
Anna 1 s mother remarried and she died in Ravenna, Ohio. Anna and Mike had
five bays and six girls. At one time Xike worked for the railroad and lost
an arm. It was said that he had great strength in his one arm and dug
fence post holes. Mike was older than Anna and he died June 18, 1899.
Anna lived to be' 104 and died April 19, 1935.

One of Anna's sons, Patrick Fitzgerald <brother of Nellie Haley> worked for
the railroad. There was a strike and, when it wtse over, Patrick lost his
job. He then went to Mexico to work on the railroad. On August 11, 1899,
while looking at a new kind of locomotive, it exploded and Patrick was
killed. He was buried in Mexico.
Nellie Fitxgerald married Thomas Haley on June 30, 1909. Thomas was a
, , farmer and they raised four children, Kary, Patrick, Thomas, and Everett.
Submitted by Margie Haley Quain <Anna was my great-grandmother) .

..- . ~

Coady <Cady> Family

I

'

.
Daniel Jp~eph Coady.was born May 13, 1854, the second son of
SylvesterCody and.Ellen Barry.
Daniel Coady" (;Cody) married Euphemia Ann Foley, daughter of John
Foley and Elizabeth Ann Keays on May 15, 1887 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Of this union, 10 c;hildren were borni namely Ellen, Robert, Euphemia, Kary,
Guy, Margaret, Harold, Edna, Lucille and Russell.. All are now deceased
except Lucille Cody Kirkbride who owns the north half of the original
Sylvester Coady property, and Russell, living i.n Delray Beach, Florida.
Euphemia Ann Foley was born in Emmett, February 9, 1864, one of
twelve children of John Foley and Elizabeth Keays.
John Foley was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1819. He migrated
to Canada and settled near Perth, Ontario, where he married Elizabeth
Keays. She was born in County Down, Ireland, October 10, 182'1. Of this
marriage 12 child17en were born, .many of whom marrying into Irish families
who had settled here. Those families being Palmer, Murtaugh, Buckley,
Reardon, and Cody.
John Foley had 2 brothers and a sister who also settled in E:mmett.
Peter married Mary Donovan in Perth, Canada. Their children were Frank,
Albert <:married Agnes Burns), Florence <John Burns), Alice <Thomas Reidy).
Anne married Thomas Crowley whose children were Peter, Charles <Nell
Morioraty, parents of Thomas and Marguerite Crowley), Thomas, Edward,
Margaret <Michael Reid), Angeline <Fry>, Jane <La Forge>, Elvina <David
Johnson>. Another brother of John Foley, of which I have no record of his
name or who he :married. Their children were Thomas, Mary, and Patrick.
Thomas and Mary lived their lives in the community. Patrick married Nell
Lane and lived in Spokane, Washington.
Sylvester Coady was born in 1820 in Thurles County Tipperary,
Ireland. He came to America on a whaling ship when he was 17 years old.
He married Ellen Barry, born March 12, 1828 in Abington, County Limerick,
Ireland. They married, presumably in Ohio where be worked in the mines.
There, their son, Thomas Coady <Cody) was born. They came to Michigan in
the 1840's. In 1852 he acquired 160 acres of land by land grant, located 2
miles east and north of the village of Emmett. On this farm Daniel Coady
<Cody) was born; also a sister, Mary Ann who passed away when 7 years old.
When Thomas and Daniel were children the nearest neighbors were a
family af Indians who lived to the west on property later owned by a
Donohue family, and now a Keegan. We recall our fathers telling of wild
cats having a den in a stand of trees along the boundary of the two farms.
To this day, both families speak of it as the "Cat Hole."
Thomas and Daniel Coady attended the Swamp School with Sharpes,
O'Medras, Brennans, Cogleys, Murphys 1 KcGuirks. Stapletons, Jacksons,
Canaans, and many other children of Irish immigrants, having a Pat McGinn
as schoolmaster.

THE HISTORY OF THE JOHN MULLALLY FAMILY

WRITTEN BY ANNE MARIA MULLALLY
John was born in Tipparary Ireland 6n June 5, 1832. John immigrated
from Ireland to Canada with hi:s parents and two brother::;, Martin and .James
iri 1841. Durillg the voyage over, Martin who was 10 years old, diedi be was
buried at sea. James and John with their parents settled in Perth, Canada,
and two daughter:=; were bor:n .
.Tohn, when he became a ma.n, moved to Emmett, Michigan where he bought
o.n eighty acre farm from the State of Michigan. John :married Marie Kennedy
who 1-ra.s from Kilkenny County, Ireland. John, when he married, wa:3 age 28
and Marie l'ras age 25.
My father, Thomas wa:3 the first born to them on March 15, 1860.
Their other children were Ellen, John, James, Margaret, Martin, William,
Mary, Francis, and Sylvester. Maggie died at age 18; Sylvester died at age
5; John married Marga.ret Pres.ton and they had 9 children; William married
Arma Brennan and they had 2 children and settled in Coleman, Michigan; Mary
married James Sharpe and they had three children and they lived in Brunett,
Michiga.n; Frances married .John Conniff and they had 1 son, John and lived
in Marine City; Ellen married .John Kenny and they had 14 children and lived
in Emmett; .James married Ann Walsh and settled in Wisconsini Martin never
married and he lived in Emmett.
My father, Tholl)8.s married Alice Armstrong and they had 8 children.
Their children were Sylvester, who died at age 26i Martin Lance who died at
age 26; Twins, Thomas alld Alice who died at birth; Anne Maria who died at 3
months; Anne Maria, My:::;elf; Thomas Emmett who died at age 33 an Christmas
D<?Y 1932; John lMrri.ed .Ann Lehotan and they had 5 children.
John died
September 1949. My nephews are .John and Thomas. Jcihn lives in La.Junta,
Color i:!do and has two sons, Micha.el and Mark; Thomas is a Divine Work
Missionary priest and he is pastoring at St. Peters Church, Pine Bluff,
Arka.n:o,;?,}.:,,
My nieco!;; a.n~ ,Ann Madf,;line, Mary Alice, and Patricia.
Ann
.ltL"ldPiine, who is a tea.chr.n-, i::; employed by the Federal Government and she
teache:::. on the island of Okinawa; Mary Alice, who is a social worker, lives
in Royal Oak; Patrici9., who is a teach8r 1 is married and has two da.ughters,
Kathleml and Mary Beth.

-5-

THE HISTORY OF THOMAS AND ANN ARMSTRONG

Anne Maria Mullally
Thomas and Ann <O'Shea) Arm.strong were married in Picton, Canada.
Their ancestors came from Tipparary, Ireland and they had a family of five
children. They were I 1ania.l, Loretta . Susan, Alice, and John.
Daniel married Ma.ry Ann Collins,., they had five children, Thomas,
Jerry, Charles, Irene, and Agnes~
Loretta married John Conger, they had six children who were Ann,
Minnie, Edna, Manley, Alice, and'Elmer.
Susan married James Kennedy and they had three sons, Leo, Frank,
and Louis.'
. , . , AHc;e <my mother) married Tl1oma::> Mullally and they had eight
children. They were Syl, Martin, Lance, twins, Thomas and Alice died
at ,birt11, Anne Maria who died at three months, Anne Maria <my$elf),
Thomas Emmett, and John,

John married Elizabeth Stackpole <Harrington). They had no children.

Thoma:3 married Mary(?),
They had no children
Jerry married Sophia Weldon. They had five children. Jerry, twins,
Patrick and Danial, Danial died at birth, John and Mary Ann.
Irene married Henry Dymond. They had one son, John.
Agnes married Ivan Blake. They had one daughter, Mary.
(Loretta and John Conger Family>
Ann married Joe .Jacques. They had no family.
Minnie married .John Plappard. They had one son, .John.
Edna married James (?). They had no children.
Manley married Agnes (?) and they had four children who are John,
Betty, Annabelle, and Don.
Alice married Norbert Ja.cques and they had three children, John,
Marjorie; and Annabelle.
Elmer married Abegail (7) and they had no children.
rsusan and James Family)
Leo married Cora O'Brien and they had five children. Betty, Mary,
Margaret, Jean, and Leo.
Frank niarried Minerva (?) and they had one daughter, Mary Ann ..
Louis married Al ice Cotter and they bGl.d no children.

'

<

,'

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'

CaU1erine Quain told this a .short time

thought H was interesting:

t'

befor~

her death and we

The fir::it 4:..H Fair w1u:; held in Emmett. Catherine's Father, Jim
O'Connor, wa3 Supervisor and Ruth N. Bacon <There was a school in Port
Huron named in her honor) was Commissioner. They had no place to have the
Fair <no fairgrounds and barns and riding arena in Goodells then) so they
contacted the area officials and requested the use of the field behind
Martin Wei.r's store. There was a big write-up in the Times Herald with
many pi1.:;tures <including one of Kate Butler as a tiny little girl). The
Fair wa:;:; :;;uch a success that they decided to make it an annual event,

-6-

FAMILY TREE

by Irene (Kinney) Babcock 1974

In a sailing vessel from Kelkenny 1 t.his couple crossed the big wide sea,
His name was Jeremiah Kinney and hers was Mary.
They wanted a home in a new country, and there they would raise a family.
'

T'was in Canada 1852, Grandfather John was born, don't know if it was nite or morn.
He was a young lad of three, they say, when the family all moved to the U.S.A.
It was in the township of Emmett they decided to stay,
and some of their decendants st.ill live there today.
When Grandfather John grew up and was a man,
he asked for. Grand.mother Ellen <:Mullally' s) hand.
They were wed, time went on, and these were the children they had -Sylvester, Joseph, Moses, Ambrose, Leo, Austin, and Cecil were the lads;
and Marie, Frances, Margaret, and Irene were the daughters they had.
Now Joseph, to me, is the most interesting one,
because it was Kate Dempsey he courted and won.
She was my mother and he was my dad,
three daughters they raised, I guess they were glad.
There was Mary_ :Helen, Catherine Ann, and Irene Margaret, that's me.
'When we_ grew 'up and married, we three, more branches were added to the family tree,
Robert Cummins and Mary Helen married and two sans had,
Robert Joseph, their first, named after his father and grandad;
years later they had Patrick Leo, dear darling baby Pat11
they didn't have him six months, when God took him back.
'1'he'ir son;. Robert, was wed to Doreen Bershas you know,
they have three children Rick, Jim, and a girl Sandy Joe.
Catherine Ann married Harold Peters, three children had they,
Patricia Ann, Michael, and Kathleen, her children were so young when she passed away.
Nov/ her,children are all married, and to me it is sad,
that Katie's not here to enjoy :'the family she had.
,
There is Pamela, Sandra~ and Janet - Pat and Bob Schmidt are their mother and dad.
Hike wed Maryann; Michael, Sherri, and Robert are the children they had. Kathy w~d
Fred Huebenei", and we have to wait and see, if they' 11 be adding to the family tre\e.
Now I married Ray Babcock, four daughters have we;
Irene <Dolly), Susalene, Joann, and Jane Lee.
Of our children, married are three - Dolly married Gordon,
their children are Jeff, Jonie, Ryan, Jill, and Amy Jo Bauer;
Joann married Harry March with children Hike, Greg, and Shawn;
and Janie married Pete, their children are Ann, Jennifer, and Paul Raymond Gawne.
Susalene still is unwed, claims she would rather be single instead.

-7-

FAMILY TREE (cont)

It's been over 16 years that I wrote what you just read.
our grandchildren have grown and 8 of them are wed.
Jonie Bauer married Dave DeLand you see,
Brandon is their little son, the girls are Heather, Rachel, and Kerri.
Evonne Kischnick, Jonie's twin brother Jeff married,
Tyler Catherine is their 1i ttle one.
..
Jill Bauer :married Dave Terbush, Cody Jay is their little son.
Mike March married Debra Duesj she had two chiidren Heather and Danny,
now they have baby Mike and Holly Irene who is two.
Greg March married Sherry Briggs; their baby is Joana.
Their baby is named after her grandma.
Shawn March marded La:r:ry Mathews, then she wed Tim May.
She has a son named David Mathews.
Ann Gawne married Bradley Aurenbammer, they have a little daughter Kara Lee.
Jennifer Gawne married Paul Whitney.
The branches are sure growing on our family tree.
Now

'

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Ilra MURPHY FAIILY

John Francis Murphy was born in Emmett, Michigan in 1864. He married Mary Pierce, born
in Wexford, Ireland 1864. They were married in Emmett and made their home on an 60
acre farm on Hill Rd. John had the Blacksmith Shop in Emmett. John and Mary are
buried in Kenockee Cell.'letery in Emmett.
John and Mary raised six children.
Charles, born in 1893 in Emmett and l'llarried Margaret Kenny also of Emmett.
children and are buried in Kenockee Cemetery.
Mary, born in 1896, married Adam Urquhart from Lapeer, Michigan and
children. Mary Woloszyn, who is deceased, Adam James, Jr deceased,
Veronica Dew, Margaret Krass, John Patrick, Richard Joseph, Theresa
Boquth, Suzanne McClellan. There are 39 grandchildren and, at last
grandchildren. One grandchild is deceased, also one son-in-law.

They had no

raised ten
Elizabeth Bultinck,
Kelly, Janey
count, 48 great-

Veronica, born in 1989, married Leo J. Heuser from Canada and had two children, Joseph
and Mary Anne Wood. They had fourteen grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Marcella, born in 1902, married Albert Graham from Cincinnati, Ohio and had four sons,
one who is deceased. Thomas who is a doctor in Iowa, John, Albert, Patrick. Also
eight grandchildren.
Aiden Patrick, born in 1905, became an Alexian Nursing Brother with the Alexian
Brothers Hospital in 1932. He is buried in lew Jersey.

John Francis, Jr., born in 1909, married Maxine Haskin from Detroit. They bad two
children, John, who was ordained a Basilian Priest in 1973 and Mary Theresa Rohr. They
had three grandchildren. John is buried in Kenockee Cemetery.

-8-

Wangling FamilJ - Reid

James Reid left Portage County, Ohio in 1853, came to Emmett, and bought the land
at the corner of M-19 and Brandon Rd. One of his sons, Michael, Married Margaret
Crowley, daughter of Thomas Crowley and Anna Foley. She was baptized on July 13, 1862
by Father Kilroy.
Michael Reid was St. Clair County Clerk during the 1890's and very active in the
Democratic party. The Reid's operated a local general store and were parents of 10
children: James, who married Irene McCabe, owned Reid Brokerage in Port Huron and died
while Postmaster in Port Huron; Edward, a U.S. Government employeej Michael, a Detroit
teacheri Andrew, a stock brokeri Margaret, who married Russell Sturdevant of Smiths
Creek; Veraj Charlottei Annai and Mary. Only Thomas remained in Emmett. He operated a
store at the site of Emmett Hardware, farmed, and was Mayor of. Emmett for many years.
He married Mollie Crowley <Helen Wendling's parents>
The original Reid home burned in about 1820 and was replaced shortly after.
Accounts of the dedication of the church in 1898 are part of Michael Reid's
journal. He also wrote of trips to Mt. Vernon and Chicago while serving as County
Clerk and of rece1.ving $100 as a yearly pay:ment for the clerk job. His sons talked of
hauling stones for the new church as well as ice cut from Mill Creek at Brockway and
brought to El1!lllett for food preservation. Many of the family members worked in the
store and manned the local telephone exchange switchboard housed there.
Mrs. Reid was widowed when the 10 children were young. She, with the help of the
older sons, managed the farm, store and raised the family. :Margaret Reid was County
Treasurer of the "Grange" Records also Michael Reid was Village Treasurer and treasurer
of the Emmett Fair in the late 1800's.

~endling Family. - Crowley

In 1846, John O'Harra home-steaded the Wendling farm on Bricker Rd. His sister,
Mary Ann O'Harra married John Crowley from County Cork, Ireland in Boston in 1853,
traveled to Emmett, built a log cabin on her brother's ho:me_,steaded land. They had 7
children, 4 of whom settled in the Emmett area: Edward, unmarried, settled at the
corner of M-21 and Breen Rd;; Ellen :married Luke Kinney; Mary Ann married Joe Palmer;
and John, who continued farming at the Bricker Rd. location.. He served in the 12th.
Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. Family members walked to Smiths Creek to get
mail from the soldier and later told of not knowing his fate until they saw him coming
over the railroad tracks on Bricker with his possessions on his back.
After the war, he returned to farming, bred Durham cattle, Berkshire hogs, and
raised crops, vegetables and fruits. In 1891, he married Mary Ann O'Connor, daughter
of John and Catherine Sheehan O'Connor of Emmett ToWnship. They had 3 children,
Mollie, Catherine, and John. Of this family, only Mollie ramained in Emmett and
married Thomas Reid. She taught rural schools in St. Clair Co. for 37 years and during
the 1940's, was employed by the U.S. Government as a soil conservation educator. She
wrote and presented a program on WHLS during it's early days. She had one daughter,
Helen Reid Wendling.
The Wendling home on Bricker Road <Centennial Pines Farm> is the original farm
dwelling from the 1800's. The cellar is constructed with 32" stone walls and full tree
trunks as rafters. Square nails were used and gigantic stones as foundations in part
of the structure. The first Christmas Trees were planted in 1959, the pond dug in 1965
and the house renovated in 1969. The older barn is original - built by a "barn raising
bee", constructed with hand-hewn beams and wooden pegs.
Helen Reid married Donald Wendling of Lexington in 1958. They had 3 children,
Michele Wendling Feeney, graduate of U of Mand Notre Dame law school, practicing law
in Phoenix, Arizonai Andrea, entering Medical School at U of M in August, 1990i and
Michael, a student of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.
The newest decendent is 2yr. old Maureen Feeney.

-9-

, .,,

One of the early recorded references to the Mahar name is found in the life of
St. Patrick when he went to Ireland to preach and baptize .... He met three brothers of
that nation, one brother was named Meachoir and it is to this man the Mahar clan traces
its origin.
Michael George Mahars family originated in Tipperary, Ireland. The Irish
spelling of the name is Maegher and the main characteristic of the family was
hospitality; whatever they had was shared with whomever came by to visit or play cards.
The Mahar family was fond of music, songs , and story telling. Most of the
stories and songs were entertaining and humerous. All in all, the Mahars could be
characterized as the "happy" Irish type. They were fun to be around and made you
forget your troubles and not take life too seriously. Life would be better tomorrow.
Michael G. Mahar was born in Mendon, Michigan on April 23, 1860. He had one
sister, Mary, who married a Mr. Hilliker and lived in Detroit. Their son owned and
operated the Hilliker Funeral Home on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan.
Michael had a younger half brother named James Mahar who settled in Kalamazoo, Michigan
and owned and operated the Mahar Business School in Kalamazoo. His son, Philip Mahar
continued to operate the school in the 1930's.
As a young man, Michael Mahar worked in the logging camps in Duluth, Minnesota.
After one of Sarah Ann Ryan's trips to Duluth, he returned to Emmett with her and the
handsome man and the beautiful Irish colleen were married in Emmett in 1890.
Sarah was born inE:mmett, Michigan on February 24, 1859. She lost her mother at
an early age a.nd was raised by her father in a home on a farm west of Emmett. Sarah's
brothers were Ellis and Denny and she had a sister, Fanny.
Michael and Sarah lived on the Ryan farmland and raised seven sons and two
daughters all of whom carried on the happy, fun-loving traits of their ancestors.
Michael and Sarah's children were:
married Frances Kinney, they lived in Detroit and had no children.
died of a heart attack at age 35.

Ellis

married Clara Cowhy. Lived and worked in Detroit for Chevrolet. They had
six children: Georgianna, Helen, William, Virginia 1 James, and Elaine.
Melvin.._

killed by a hay press at, the age of 16 years.

~I

married Ambrose Kinney.

Ml;u:guerite,

married Alfred Cowhy.

They had ten children <More on Marion below)

They had eight children .

.Al.l;W~,

named after Fr. Alphonsus Sharpe. Married Irene Ryan. Worked and lived in
Detroit. Irene died at age 21. Fonce lllOVed to Emmett with his two
children, Jack and Dolores and lived with Michael and Sarah Mahar.
He died in Port Huron, May 27, 1954. Patrick Kinney, bis nephew
was with him at the time.

~.

was a policeman in Detroit for a number of years. He never married.

Joe was killed by a car in ElJl11lett, February 18, 1952 .

.lU,wi.l.,

worked in Detroit, never married and died in 1927 as a very young man from
blood poisoning.

-10-

nnrried Ca.therine <Bay) Sarsfield, lived in Detroit for a time, then near
Yale. Dave and Bay had 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls.
Rita married Dale Clink
Mike married Eleanore Brennan
Pat married Jane Potter
Mary Married Tom Brenna.n
Sara
Leo
TJm married Barbara Vincent
.Rose married Larry Gardner
Veronica married Bil 1 Long
Bar-::i 1 married. Mildn?d Christy
Jerry m-=irried Cynthia Jon
',,.

Michael Mahar died in Emmett on May 27, 1939 and was buried from Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel Church.
Sarah Ann Mahar died in E1runett, Michigan at the home of her daughter Marion on
September 6, 1942 and was buried from Dur Lady of Mt, Carmel Church.
Both Michael and Sani.h are buried in the Kenockee Cemetery.

KIN..N.E..Y.
The Kinney family stems from an ancient Hy Many Clan whose original homeland was
located in Counties Galway and Ro:;;coruruon. The Gaelic Clan name was O'Cionnocth which
mea.n:s "sprung from fire" and might be translated 11 fiery",
The Clan's motto was Vinci t
Veri tas which tra.nslates II Truth Conquers". The name is found in many parts of Ireland
under such forms as O'Kenny, Kenny, Kinney, and Kenna.
Jeremiah Kinney, who was born in 1815 in Kilke_n.ny, Ireland, emigrated with his
wife Mary to Ontario, .Canada and later settled in E:ni:inett on 80 acres of land that he
purchased on a land gr~nt July 5, 1853. Jeremiah and his family lived in a log house
known o)3 tho "Cuttle 80." His wife was the former Mary Doyle, born in Ireland in 1829.
Jeremiah arid Mary had five children. They were:
r

l..illm - born 1852 (more on John below);

L.uka - who married Mary Ann Crowleyj
M.Q,~

--

CMo>. who ni-::ver married;

~lu:uLiS!~~

who moved to Saginaw to raise her family;

Margarn.t....J2.ruld. - who died giving birth to her first child.

On December 27, 1859, Jeremiah drove to Port Huron with a team of oxen and a sled
filled with farm produce to se U. On his way home he was robbed and killed. He was
buried from Our Lady of Nt. Carmel Church by Father L. Kilroy. His wife, Mary <Doyle)
Kinney, married Patrick Fitzgerald on April 6, 1864. Mary died in 1888.

-11-

John Kinney who was born in Canada in 1852 1 married Ellen Mullally, who was born
in 1861 on July 2 1 1883. John worked in the lumber camps in Saginaw, Michigan for
years. Upon retiring from lumbering, Jahn bought the Hotel Dewey in Emmett, on the
northwest corner of the railroad tracks of Main Street in 1904. John and his wife
Ellen ran the hotel, which featured meals and occasional dances in the ballroom.
Horses and buggies co.uld be rented from his leve:ry stable. John also farmed and he
bought up a great deal of farmland around Emmett which he gave his sons to get started
in life.
John was considered a kind and generous man, and it was well known that he
frequently assisted a young person in need and asked nothing in returri'.
John and Ellen's children were:
Ma.r.i.e. who married Tom Bready and moved to Antler, North Dakota.
children;
Sylvester :married Katherine Brennan and they had six children.
Emmett;
Frances married Ellis Maher.
in downtown Detroit;

They had six

He

farme~

in

She was widowed young and worked as a store clerk

JsJ.e. married Katherine Dempsey.

daughters;

He

lived and worked in Detroit and they had three

Margaret <Madge> :married Charlie Murphy. They lived in Detroit and had no
children. She worked for the Hudson Motor Car Campany during the war;
Ambro9e <More on Ambrose below>
~

<Mose) left home at a young age to join the Navy. He settled in California
where he married his wife Elyse, and had one daughter;

L.e.c_ married Mary Helen <Mamie) Sharpe.

He was a policeman in Detroit.

They had

no childre.n ..

Austin, Leois twin, never :married.

He farmed in this area.

lLe.na :married Peter Grace and had three sons.

She helped run the switchboard for

the local phone service, once it was installed in the hotel in 1920;

John Cecil never married.

He farmed and worked at Chrysler's in Detroit;

Three children did not survive long after birth.

and Jahn.

They were Margaret, William,

The hotel stopped operating as such in 1912 when Jahn Kinney died.
died in 1943.

-12~'

Ellen Kinney

Ambrose Kinney 1 born March 15 1 1893, married Marion Mahar, born February 18,
1895, on May 7, 1918 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Ambrose built the family home
on Stapleton Road on land given to.him by his father, .Jahn. Amy was a proud,
industrious farmer and he liked to be the first one to have his field:3 ploughed and his
crops sowed. He also enjoyed hunting with his sons and friends as wel 1 a:3 a gciod card
game. Marion <Mamie) loved to visit her friend:3 and neighbors and to have them in for
cards, fresh bread and tea. Mamie also loved to play the piano and sing Irish songs in
the evening.
Ambrose and Marion's children were:
Rit.a. married, lived and worked in Port Huron.

She had three children,

Marianne Campbell, Sandy Devriese and Larry who died November 20, 1977.
Rita died March 15, 1979.

Mary Ann died shortly after birth.

Patrick married Alice Bleau of Port Huron. They lived in Port Huron for years
and had seven children. Pat worked for General Motors in Pontiac until
he retired,
(More on Pat below),
Mary Elizabeth entered the Order of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. She. was a teacher, principal, Provincial and General
. Superior of the Order from 1976 - 1982,
Georgianna died of pneumonia at 18 months of age.
Lucy Helen married Delbert Renno and had one son, Greg. Lucy worked for
Prudential Insurance Company of California and in Mt. Clemens.
Gfil':1lld. served in the United States Marines in the Korean War.

He worked at
Mueller Brass Company in Port Huron until his death in a car accident on
October 12, 1957 ..

Michael marr'ied Mary Lou. Brown and had two children, Bill and Patty. Mike workeQ..
for Chrysler in Warren :far 30 years. Bill died January ~2 1 1989.

J:..olJ.n. married Maggie Pierce and they have five children.

Motor Company in Warren. <More on Jack below).

Jack works for Ford

Margaret never married and lives in Romeo. Peggy lived with and took care of Amy
for three years after Marion died in 1964.
Marion died September 21, 1964 from a severe heart attack suffered during Easter
Week of '64. The last services Marion attended were during Holy Week and her comment
was that she attended all the services because they were so beautiful. Marion and
Ambrose were committed to the faith and in later years continued to say the rosary
together daily even interrupting a T.V. program for their daily prayer. Ambrose died
on August 21, 1967 in their family home on Stapleton Road.

-13-

PAT:EICK KINNEY married Alice Bleau on August 23, 1947 in St. Stephen Church, Port
Huron, Michigan. Their children are
married Darlene Crawford on April 18, 1970 in St. Edwards-on-the-Lake,
Lakeport. They are residents of Emmett. Their children are: Patrick, Gregory and
Jaime.
~who

Nall. who married Daniel Schmidt on May 7, 1971 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church,
Emmett. They are residents of Emmett. Their children are: Scott and Jason.
Kathryn who married Duane Robinson on October 6, 1972 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel CHurch,
Threy are residents of Marysville. Their children are: Kerrie and Jaime.
Richar:d.. who married Helen Smith on .January 7, 1984 in Ft. Worth, Texas.
are: Tori, Nicole, Jessica.
Mary There;;&. who married Richard Herriman on June 7, 1985 in Port Huron.
residents of Port Huron. Their children are: Brian and Stacy,

Their children
They are

married Daniel Taylor on May 24, 1985 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Emmett.
They are residents of Port Huron. Their child in Lauren
~who

Jo/inns: who married Todd Kowalkowski on June 11, 1988 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, E:mrnett.
They are re:3idents of Bluemounds, Wisconsin.
JACK KINNEY. married Maggie Pierce in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel an May 21, 1966. They are
residents of Emmett.
Their children are: Kelly,
Lynn, who married John Osmialowski on Augu:3t 29, 19.'36 in Our Lady
of Mt, Carmel Church, Emmett. They are resident:::; of Yale,
Their child is Natalie.
Chris
Cindy
Kevin
lli1SE.

Frank P. Piorkowski married Mary Florence and bought a farm on the corner of Fox and
Dunn in September of 1925, Their children were: Gertrude who married Walter J. Rose,
and had trwo sons, Walter and Leonard; Pauline Pra.tt; Mary who married David Butler and
lives in New Yorki Helen who married Harry Hanna; Frank, Jr who :ma.rried Dorothy
Astembowski of Flint and now lives in Los Angeles; Benedict <Bennie) who died on the
farm. When the Piorkowski's came to Emmett, they were among the first Polish people;
all the rest were Irish. "Can you imagine what it wa:3 like to be the only 'toehead:3'
in town?" Pauline Pratt says. Father John Farrell married Walter's parents <Walter
Rose and Rose Violet Gagnon) while he was at Annunciation Parish in Detroit many years
previous.

-14-

The Stapleton Family

The Stapleton Family immigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland to the

city of Hamil ton, Ontario around the year 1847. In 1850, they came to
Enniskillen, Ontario and settled on the 8th. line west where, with the true
Irish hospitalities, kept open house for all residents of the settlement
and where, for :many years, the Roman Catholics of the neighborhood gathered
for worship.
Martin Stapleton, Sr. had a brother whose descendant still live in
the Petrolia and Sarnia, Ontario area. Martin Sr's brother, Matthew, had a
farm in Enniskillen, Ontario til he retired in 1913, when he then moved to
Petrolia until his death in 1924.
On June 27, 1861, Martin Stapleton, Sr. paid $80.00 for two passages
from Galway to Port Sarnia, Ontario, Canada for Catherine and Margaret
Gleeson. They, then, paid $19.00 for inland passage. This steamship
ticket is still held by the family today. Margaret married Martin Sr. 1 s
younger brother, Matthew.
:Martin Stapleton, Sr. married Mary Dunigan. Of this union, 7
children were born; James 1868, Patrick 1870, Stephen 1871, Mary 1873,
Martin 1874 1 Michael 1877, and John 1879. The Martin Stapleton, Sr. family
settled in a log cabin. The rock foundation still stands and is now used
as a shrine to our Blessed Mother. Stories were told that the Indians
would come to the log cabin to barter and some buried their dead in the
field across the road from the farm. The bank barn was raised on July 12,
1876. About ten years later an eleven room 2 story home was built west of
the log cabin.
James Stapleton was ordained into the priesthood in 1896. His first
assignment was assistant at St. John's Parish in Jackson. He served as
pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Bad Axe. In 1906, Msgr. Stapleton founded
Annunciation Parish in Detroit and was pastor for 37 years. Long
interested in the welfare of children, he established and donated Camp
Stapleton at Lexington to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Msgr, James
Stapleton died July 27, 1942. Rev. John F. Farrell of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, Emmett delivered the funeral eulogy.
Patrick left the family at a young age to look for gold out west
(stories tell us he went to Alaska) and very little was heard from him
after that.
Stephen died in 1890 at the age of 19.
tracks that run south of the farm.

He was killed on the railroad

Mary died in 1887 of influenza at the age of 14.

John attended the seminary for a short while. Poor health brought
him back ta the homestead where he died in 1933 at the age of 54.

-15-

Michael was once known as a mail carrier.

He came back to the family
homestead after he retired in 1949. - HFJ. died tn 1955 at the age of 77.
Martin, Jr. bought out the brothers' :::ihare of the family farm on
Stapleton Road. He worked as an Inspector at the Detroit Stock yards: He
was active in politics serving as treasurer and supervi.sor of Kenockee'.
Township. He also served as an officer on the Board of.Directorn of the
Emmett Commercial and Savings Bank.
After he retired, he, returned ta the
family home and raised sheep until his death in- 1964 a_t the age of 89. .
Since there were no direct descendants of the Martin, Sr. family, the farm
wa:;:; split between two second cousin:;:;, Leo Dunigan of Emmett and Wm . .J.
Stapleton of Detroit. Wm. 1 J. was the grandson of Matthew of P1~trolia,
brother of Ha:rttn, Sr.

.-::.

Matthew Stapleton of Petrolia married Margaret Gleeson of Galway,

Ireland. They had 10 children, one being Jame:;; .J, , father of Wm. .J.
Margaret died December 19 1 1916. Matthew died February 14, 1924. .fames .J.
moved to Detroit and married Marie Fluegge. Four children came of this
union, Wm. J, Elizabeth, Helen, and James.
Wm . .J. Stapleton married H.
Maude Cole on September 2, 1933. they moved from Detroit to Enunett in
1965. Wm. J, was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad for 40 years.
He
died in February of 1965 at 58 years of age.
Maude spent her winters in
Florida until 1985; she now resides with her niece in Des Moines, Iowa.
Her son Jim and wife. Darlene are now pre::>ent owners of the Centennial
Farm. Their children are: Maureen, Michael (married Toni Marie Dunsmore,
Port Huron) 1 Maria, Martin, and James Matthew.
. l

-16-

R E ])I.[ I 'I' 'I' .A. N

0 E

0 P

M: 0 N

:El Y

'l' 0

GREAT BRXT AIN, IRELAND,. FRANCE AND GERMANY,

It. R. ELLIOTT, 70 Woodwiwd .A.venue, Detroit.

,,,... ..

1ou are uwifd1 b~ 'ntbub

P1&e~i~en,t Roo~ec>elts . : B~~th~a~

.Ball

. Jj~lyooJ ~ubiformm 1 1!i~me'tt; ~id1iguu

~~htthttu, alnnuttr~ 30!!7, 1937

~imemg ttht!i! fo otte-t~irit!

. ~ttS?.k bu

~rmttl!~ J\tkm~on'.!l 4-,i.ece @rc~.e1dru'

~ill tte ~alfor

TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE:
IN CHARGE:

Mr. and Mrs. Edw. Gleason

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Keough
Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Reid

-17-

FLOOR COMMITTEE:
William Powers
Dan Gleason
F. V. McCabe
Dan Collins
P. E. Neaton
Martin Stapleton

O'Connor
<Refer to Page 41 of Book 1 - "Hangin' In: For More Than A Century")
The family of Joseph P. and Mary L. (Wood) 0' Connor .lived their
entire married life 1n Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish located in Emmett,
Michigan. They were married on June 6, 1917 by 'Fr. P. Loughran.
Mary L. was born to Christopher and E:::;tella Wood in Capac, Michigan
on June 17, 1896 from a family of 5 boys and 3 girls.
Joseph P. 's father, James O'Connor was born in 1849 in County
Wexford, Ireland and came to the United States approximately in 1870 after
spending some time in Canada.. He marri1:id Ellen Cameron from London,
Canada, in Port Huron and later moved to the Emmett area about 1875.
~

~~ ~ ~

~~.

'--..__

Joseph came from a family of 4 boys and 4 girls,

The youngest girl

a large
family and has several descendants living in this pari:3h today.

~being Christine O'Connor who rnaried Peter Kavanagh and raised

Although Joseph didn't marry till the age of 40, there were 14
children from this union. Eight sons and six daughters. Mother always
told us the number of children paved your way to heaven and dad insisted on
concrete all the way.
Mary L. Wood
6-17-1896-1972

married
6-7-1917

Jo:::;eph P. O'Connor

12-22-1976-1952

Mary Wood, daughter of Christopher Wood and B::>tel la <Tennant) Wood of

Capac was one of 8 children, 3 girls and 5 boys.
Children of Mary and Joseph are:
Francis married Madeline <Eagen),
grandchildren and reside in Marysville.

They have 2 daughters and 4

Joseph P. married Gertrude Spencer and have 4 daughters, 3 sons, and

14 grandchildren, Joseph died in April of 1989. Gertrude live::> in Warren.
Donald V. married Elsie Carroll 1?-nd also live in Marysville.
have 1 daughter, 2 sons and 4 grandchildren.

They

,.

Margaret M. married Omen. Gibbard. They 1 i ve in Auburn Hills.

have 1 son (deceased), 3'daughters, and 3 grandchildren.

They

Helen P. married Kenneth MacPherson and they lived in Bad Axe. Helen
died in October of 1978 and Kenneth died in May of 1968. They had 4
daughters and 2 sons. There are 12 grandchildren from this union.
Leo J. married Madeline Scheible. They live in Emmett.
sons, 6 daughters and 10 grandchildren from this union also.

There are 3

William E. married Violet Matthews and they r13side in Port Huron.

They are the parents of 5 sons (2 deceased) and 6 grandchildren.
'~

,_

Donna J, married Marvin Pace. They live in Bloomfield Hills and have
2 sons, 1 daughter, and 6 grandchildren,
Robert E. married Ruby D. Adams and lives in Beaumont, Texas.
have 1 ::;:;on, 2 di:lughters, and 5 grandchi'ldren.

They

I:;:;abelle A. married Patrick C. Atkinson. (deceased). Isabelle lives

in Casper 1 .Wymuirig, She and Patrick had 1 son, 1 daughter, and 3
grandchildren from this union.
Marie E. married:,James Lang and resides in Capac,
2 daughters, and 4 grandchildren,

They have 2 sons,

I. Lucille married Lawrence Gajda and lives in Yale.

son, 2 daughters, and 6 grandchildren.

Thomas M. married Karen Wilkins and lives in Utica.

daughter, 3 sons, and 2 grandchildren.

They have 1
They have 1

Gary J, married Bette Smith and lives in Huston, Texas.

daughter, 1 son, and 2 grandchildren.

They have 1

One of the many stories told by our' parents during our formative
years was how proud dad WB.s that, at daybreak on a hot summer morning, he
arrived with the first load of stones for the foundation of the .church we
would all be baptized in and grow to love. Dad Wa(';: an active Holy Name
Society member and. one of the original organizers of the annual parish
home-comi 11g.
Although a convert to Catholicism, mother was a member of the Altar
Society and a dedicated mother. She must have invented a 30 hour day
because she always found time.
Leo O'Connor, the 6th. child of this union res{des with his wife,
Madeline <Scheible) O'Connor on part of the original O'Connor homestead
11463 Bryce Road, Emmett, along with many of their children and
grandchildren who are members of Our Lady of Mt.. Carmel Parish today.
Written by Marie <O'Connor) Lang,

.'

,c

Sarsfield - Short - Jackson - Maher - Brennan - Many Others

Anne Clancy <Donovan-Clancy) married David Sarsfield <1818-1898)
ciri:::a 1850, We believe the Irish potato famine of the 1840' s brought them
to the United States . .r, They had ten children. We know for sure that their
daughter, Margaret Sarsfield Jackson was born in Emmett in 1860. They had
tiine other children.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.

Mary Anne Sarsfield <1851-1925) married Frederick Ernst.

Bridget Louise Sarsfield <1857-1919) married Thomas Short.
John Sarsfield married Theresa Shanahan.
Ellen Sarsfield married Robert Stimson.
Margaret Sarsfield <born 1860) married James Jaekson.
James Sarsfield married Mrs. Johnson.
David Sarsfield (1858-1934) never married.
Lila Sarsfield - infant d~ath.
Lila Sarsfield married James Mackey.
Alice Sarsfield married James Cogley.

John, Ma.rgaret, and David Sarsfield stayed in the Eminett area and we
are in the process of identifying descendants. Alice Holsworth Sarsfield
and her sons, Charles and Dennis remain.
The Brandons, Madelon, Mary Ella, Elsie, and Joseph are Nellie
Jackson's and Jack Brandon's children. And we have just learned that there
are many descendants of.Bay Sarsfield in the area. Mary Maher Brennan is
helping with the research of her branch of the family.
A young teacher from Toronto, Thomas Short (born 1847) took a
position teaching in the Emmett School District Number 1, circa 1870. Room
and board were provided in the homes of families including David
Sarsfield's. He met Bridget Sarsfield and married her on May 23, 1872. He
wa.s 25 and she was 18. John Kenny and Mary Ann Sarsfield were sponsors.

Thornas and Bridget Short stayed in Emmett until about 1881, we

believe. He taught and they also sold merchandise brought in from the F.
Saunders Company in Port Huron. Thomas Short's journal <1870-1880) is in
the possession of his great-grand-daughter, the writer of this article. It
includes sale records., lessons and speeches. At least fifty of his
cw:;torners, including Peter Grace and Owen Ryan are listed.
The Short's had nine children and, reportedly, a difficult life. At
least sixty-five of their descendants are readily identifiable. There must
be several hundred descendants of Anne and David Sarsfield. Many continue
to live in the Emmett area,
Nancy Unwin, the writer of this article, is interested in
genealogical re::;earch and would like to share information. Her address is:
1101 King's Cove Dr., Rochester Hills, Mi. 48064 - Phone: 313-651-5067
Postscript: Ann Clancy's sister, Lisa, married Philip Gillick. They
adopted two boys and two girls. Please contad Nancy Um.,rin if you have
information on the Gillick line.

-18-

<In Tho.ma:s Short':::; journal we founds some interesting prices from the
1.870' :s at his grocery store in Emmett. )
Dish pan .92
Matc])es . 16
Oil Cl;\Jl .35
1. ~b. ~offee .. 32
1 b~~.apples .25
1 envelope .01
<And W\iJ.

Lamp chimney .10

Bar of soap . 10
Spool of thread .07
1 lb. crackers . 10
1 bu. potatoes i.oo
Postage stamp .03

10 yds calico .25

Sack of salt .10
Bag of flour ,63
5 lbs. fish .20
2 lbs. sugar .25

fond some cures and concoctions .. ,,.,)

:I'

Cure for,Pile:3:
Put the hearts of roullins into about 1 gal. water and boil to thick
syn.ip. Stratn - take a little flour and mix into pills.
Dose: 1 pill in
the morning and physic at night for nine days in sucl:'.ession,
For

G~ave

or Gravel??
2 burdock roots, 10 yellow dock roots - boil 'together in 1 pail of
water to 1 pt. Do,se: Ta.ke one ::opoonful three times' per day.
Croup Syrup:
Take 2 cups of sugar and a cup of vinegar, adding a little water to
jt if it is too strong; also a tablespoon of butter.
Put all in a pan and
let boil until .it is thick. Let thi::i children eat it warm and if it is not
sour enougb, put in more vinegar.
<And this entry about a parade in Emmett>
The anniversary of Ireland's Patron Saint wiil be celebrated in the
forenoon by a joint procession of the members of the Rober:t Emmet Branch of
the Iri::;h National Land .League, and the members of the St, Patrick's
Ben~wolent Society of Emmett and vicinity, and a literary and musical
entertainment.
(There wa.s a note that the con::::;ti tut ion of the St, Patrick's Society
founded by Fr. Tierney in 1876 was signed by 13 men.)

-19-

"THE KING'S MISTAKE"

<A story by Thomas Short)
A number of politicians, all of whom were seeking office under the
government, were seated under a tavern porch where an old man named Joel, a
per:son who was very loquacious when crocked but exceeding by opposite when
sober, said that he 1'/ould tell them a story. They told him to "fire away"
whereupon he spoke as follows:
A certain king, I don't recall his name - had a philosopher upon
who:se judgement he al ways depended. Now, it happened one day, that the
king got it into his head to go hunting and summoned his servants and,
making the necessary preparations, he suI!lll).oned the philosopher and asked
him i f it would rain.. Mr, philosopher told him it would not and they
parted. While journeying, they met a countryman mounted on a jackass. He
advised them to return "for", said he, "it will certainly rain." They
.
smiled contemptuously and passed on. Before they had gone many miles, they
had reason to regret not having taken the man's advice as a shower coming
up drenched them to the skin. When they had returned to the palace, the
king reprimanded the philo:sopher severely.
"I met a countryman," said he, "and he knew more than you do, He
told me it would rain and you .told me it would not." The king then gave
him his walking papers and sent for the countryman. "Tell me," said the
king, "how did you know it would rain?" "I didn't know," said the
countryman, "my jackass told me so." "And how, pray, did he tell you?"
asked the King. "By pricking up his ears, your majesty," the countryman
replied.
The king then sent him away and, procuring the jackass from him, he
placed him - the jackass - in the office the philospher had filled. "And
here, 11 olx>erved Joel, "thinking so,. is where the king made a great
mistake." "How so," queried the others. 11 Why, ever since that time," said
Joel, with a grin on his face, "every jackass wants office!"

-20-

Kean

From the county of Roscommon, Ireland, Eugene Kean travelled to Ellis

Island and eventually to Indianapoiis where his family was born. One of
the seven children was Bill Kean who married Edna Wischmann, a nurse, and
settled down in Detroit as a welder at Fords.
1Jl tb.e ::rnmmer of 1943, Edna Kean came from Detroit to Emmett to look
for a farm.
It was October of that year when the Keans moved to the Kerry
Settlement on Quain Rd. to the farm known as the Mike McConnell. place. As
a nurse and having grown up or1 a farm near Carsonville, Edna was, no
stranger to hard work. She beg4n farming, even milking cows and raising
their four children, age::s 4 - 10 while her husband Bill continued to work
at Ford::. to help :;:;upport his family and the new farming adventure.

With the :3hortage of gas during the war, he was only able to come
home on week--ends. When the war was over, he came to Emmett tci farm full
time and, buying a brand new Ford tractor, set out to build a regi;ootered
herd of Holsteins and continued to farm with the help of all his f~mily.
They were the fi.rst farm in St. Clair County to install a bulk tank to ship
their mUk.

When Owen came home from the Korean war in 1955, he purchased;80
acres of land from .Joe 0' Connor and began. farming with his dad. He. 'married
Patricia Kavanagh of Lansing a.nd, when Owen's folks retired, they purchased
the farm and have raised five daughters and a son there.
Maureen Kean married .Jack Mackey, son of Alfred and Margaret: Mackey
and they raised three sons and two daughters and still reside in the Elillllett
area. Their involvement in sport:3 and especially baseball is known far and
wide,
Tom Kean graduated from Port Huron Jr. College and went to work for
General Motor:3. He married Gertrude Mackey (sister of Jack) and they have
rais:.ed four sons and a daughter in the Emmett area too.
Th~ youngest daughter, Margaret <Midge) married Patrick Gleason, son
of Dtn1 and Elizabeth Gleason of Emmett and they bad one son and six ..
daugbt~:ffs.
Midge and Pat are also big baseball fans and, like the Mackeys,
managed teams through the years.

-21-

t.
.. ,

-22-

EMMETT, MICHIGAN 1893 BUSINESB..J2!.RECTORY

1893 - Has a grist mill, saw mill, brick yard, carriage and wagon works, Catholic
Church and District School .. ,, Bank at Capac, 8 miles distance, Locality settled 1838
by Patrick Dunnigan and Nicholas Harrington. Village started in 1868. Pop.350.

Dr. Alfred Abbott, Druggist

Harry Baily, Railroad Agent
John Berger, Mason
Frank Brogan, General Store
:Mrs. James Buckley, Laundry
J.F. Buckley, Bricks
W.H. Butler, Flour & Saw Mill
Patrick Byrne, Horses
Thomas Byrne, Justice
James B. Cavanagh, Hotel
Thomas Cavanagh, Bees
Miss Emily Cogley, Music Teacher
James Cogley, Hardware, etc
Miss Fanni's Currie, Dressmaker
Miss Frank Corey, Dressmaker
Donohue & Co. <David) Furni tute
and Undertaker
John Down, Asst. Postmaster
John Dunnigan, Supervisor, Emmett House
Mrs. Ruth Kelley, Grocer
Kennedy, William, General Store
Daniel Foley, Live Stock
.James Furlong, Carpenter
Charles Garling, Justice
B.L. Gleason, Township Clerk
Isadore Groshaw, Grocer
Matt Healy, J.P.
Charles Hughes, Painter
Michael Kaugh, School Principal
John Kavanagh, J.P.
Mrs. Ella Kennedy, Dressmaker
James Kennedy, Blacksmith
William Kennedy, Cigars
Rev. John Lynch, Catholic Priest
Duncan McKenzie, Live Stock
Joseph McMicken, Carpenter
James Mackey, J, P.
Mrs. John Murphy, Dressmaker
, Miss Theresa 0' Meara, Milliner
William E. O'Neill, Postmaster, Groceries,
Patrick H. Reedy, General Store
. :Mrs. George Ruloff, Carpet Weaver
Mrs. Hannah Sinclair, Laundry
Andrew Smith, Meats
Dan M. Sullivan, Livery & Saloon

Keough, Frank, Manager, Richmond Elevator

Kinney, John, Hotel & Livery
Laughran, Rev. Peter <Catholic)
Mcinerny, Michael, Justice, 2 miles s.w.
MacMichie, Joseph, Carpenter
Murphy, John F. , Blacksmith
National Express Company, D.A. Dewar, agent
O'Meara, Theresa, Milliner
O'Neill, William E., General Store
Quain, Peter, Township Clerk
Richmond Elevator Company, Frank Keough,
Manager Flour Mill
Western.Union Telegraph Company,
D.A. Dey.rar, agent
Wolfstyn, John E., Clothing
A. Thompson, Veterinary
McCabe, H.P., Banker, Postmaster, Brick
Manufacturer.
Michael Sweeney, Physician
Dan Sullivan, Prop. Woodbine Saloon & Li very
<From 1905 Polk Michigan State Gazetteer Page 993.)

etc.

-23-

,'/'

,'

PORT HURON SUNDAY COMKERCIAL NEWSPAPER

November 17, 1878

DEATH TO FATHER IIERNEY

.News reached hereon Tuesday night of the death of Rev. Patrick P. Tierney,
Catholic priest of Emmett. He ~as born in the year 1842 at Maguire's
Ireland, and was, therefore, thirty-eight years of age. A meet of St.
Patrick's Society was called Wednesday to consider the matter, and on
Friday the day of burial, that Society attended in a body.
PORT HURON WEEKLY TIMES
November 27, 1879

EMMETT
Business is lively all around. A team belonging to William Cameron of
Kenockee ran away from the store of A.E. Pratt, Tuesday afternoon and
scattered some furniture< They were captured after a mile run over rough
roads with little damage done; There is serlous trouble in regard to the
supervisor of this town,. an,d the prospect for collecting taxes this winter
is daily growing darker. The antitax ring of Brockway, Dr. Gowan, leader
(head-center) have bulldozed some of our citizens , until the signing of a
warrant which will legalize the tax roll has become a serious matter.
William H. Butler, the supervisor elect, who made out the roll, sent in his
resignation on the 11th. The town board, consisting of W.E. O'Neil and
Benjamin Poppleville, justfoes, and David Donahue, clerk, appointed John
Keough to fill the vacancy. At the end of ten days he refused to accept.
Thomas Kennedy, superintendent of schools, was then appointed, but he
declined. It was then tendered to Patrick Kennedy, who qualified on
Saturday, the 23rd, but was constrained to resign on the Monday after. On
Tuesday, the Board was again in session, but seemed likely to find no
person to accept the most important office in the town, The township
business has all been settled up to date and there is a balance of $500 in
the hands of the treasurer, Dan Foley. The Board is anxious to have the
matter settled and not block the school, highway, and other interests of
the town.
December 18, 1879
E.MlffiTT

Quite an excitement exists in school district No. 9, growing out of a

complaint before the district officers that the teacher was incompetent or
neglectful with regard to keeping order and teaching some of her pupils.
Accordingly, two of the officers preceded to the superintendent to ask him
to investigate, he agreed to come on Monday and in co1npany with the
officers of the district to quietly investigate the matter. At the dates
appointed the superintendent arrived and found that fighting had been going
on in and around the school house, but could not decide whether the teacher
or officers were to blame. The teacher stated that the pupils always
obeyed her, and after exam5.ning the teacher and pupils in arithmetic and
grammer he declared her perfectly competent. Considerable dissatisfaction
exists in regard to the mattter.

-24-

''

,,. ':
'..'
;

March 5, 1885
EMMETT
Two mask1'ld. men entered the dwelling house of Frank Brogan about 9 o'clock
Saturday night .. There was no one in the house at the time but Mrs. Br-ogan,
her husband being in his store. One of the men held a revolver to her head
and ordered her to give them what money was in the house. She replied that
there was not any money in th1:i house. One of the men then searched the
house, while the other guarded Mrs. Brogan. They took her gold watch and
chain from the bureau drawer and examined it, but on seeing her name an it,
laid it on the table. They then departed and Mrs. Brogan ran aut of the
back door and gave an alarm. Upon the citizens going to the house, the
rnbbers had made their escape. Every effbrt was made to capture them, but
the search proved fruitless. It is supposed there was a third party with a
rig out::iide. The evening was bright, but there was no one on the street at
the time. Mr. Brogan offers a $50 reward for the arrest and conviction of
the parties.

KENOCKEE
Dr. Perry, while returning .frqm Emmett, and on .his way ta Thomas
Stackpole's house, on the evening of the 20th last, lost his way and
wandered in the wood::; all night. His feet and hands were frozen. It was
mentioned in a recent issue of the Times that it was thought that .John
Click had been overtaken in the late storm, but after waiting about nine
days a party found him at his best girl's home in the Carey settlement.

January 14, 1886

EMMETT
D. Donohue, our energetic young merchant, has thrown aside the credit
system of doing business, and will begin the new year by answering to the
negative each,and every one asking for goods on the old credit system. The
new year brings with it many changes and with this one our people were all
impressed wi'th the idea that they 'were really serving under a Democratic
administration from the fact that/news reached us recently of the
appointment of W. E. 0' Neill as postmaster at this village. Mr. 0' Neill
will have the office removed to his general store on the west side of Main
Street. The retired postmaster, Mr. Frank Brogan, has served in this
capacity for the past 12 years, or since he located in this village and has
served his time with all the honors due a servant of the department and
public. His efHciency and obliging manner while in the discharge of the
duties of his office was testified to by the manner in which our citizens
received the news of his removal. He can, however, surrender his position
with an unblemished record. His views on politics throughout have been
nonpartisan and as to his position in politics we can say but little. His
successor, Mr. O'Neill is in quite a degree partial to the Democratic
cau::;e, and his efficiency as postmaster is, we think, all that could be
desired, and we hope he :may follow the trail laid down by his predecessor,
Mr. Brogan.

-25-

December 22, 1887

EMMETT
Thomas Butler, proprietor of the Emmett House and James Kavanagh of the
Kavanagh House will each give a ball on the night of the 2nd of January
next.
April 5, 1888

EMMETT
The officers elect~d wer~: Supervisor, John Dunnigan; Clerk, Patrick
Gleason; Treasurer; Thoma:::> Byrne; Justice of the Peace, John Kavanagh;
School Inspector, Thomas McCarty; Highway Commissioner, Andrew Nolan.
July 25, 1899
EMMETT

\ii

\\'
(\

//

\ ,///
"

, Mrs. Patrick Cogley who died some three weeks ago, deserves more than a
passing notice. She was born on the 15th of August, 1811, in the parish of
Kilmore, in the historic county of Wexford, Ireland, within a bird's eye
view of St. George's Channel, the native place of John Barry, whom
\lla:::;hington appointed the first commodore of the American Navy. She was
near of kin to Rev. Phi lip Roche of 1708 fame who participated with Revs.
John and Michael Murphy in the Wexford campaign. She had a vivid
recollection of the scenes and stories of those fearful days and it was her
care to instill into the minds of her children lessons of virtue and
patriotism which made a lasting impression. She emigrated to Canada in
1517 and remained there eight year:::;, but having aspirations for true
liberty, she with he1' husband and family, came to Port Huron, M:ichigan in
1855 and settled in the township of Kenockee, taking up a large tract of
land. Her sons soon lll8.de it blossom like a rose. By habits of industry
and economy she acquired a competency which enabled her to live in ease and
comfort in after years. Mrs. Mary Cogley, maiden name Murphy, was the
mother of twelve children, ten of whom survive her. These are: Nicholas,
John, Patrick, Clement, and William of Kenockee and .James of Emmett. The
daughters are Mrs. Catherine O'Brien, Margaret Hefferon, and Mrs. Anna
Brennan of Kenockee and Mrs. George Brewer of East Saginaw.
August 8 1 1899
EIDIBTT

L.E. O'Neill arrived home Friday after a two month's sojourn in Ireland.
The Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will give an ice cream festival August
15 on the lawn near the church.
August 11, 1899

EMMETT
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kennedy Monday night, a son. The ice cream
festi~al at the new church next Tuesday will be under the supervision of
F. Sharpe, recently ordained. A game of ba::seball in the afternoon is on
the program. Music wi 11 be furnished by the Richmond Cornet Band. , , . Rev.
Fr. O'Reilley will preach at the new church Sunday. Mrs. Frank Brogan is
ill.

-26-

September 8, 1899
EMMETT
School will commence next Monday ....
Michael Stapleton has gone to St. Kary's, Kansas. Rev. Father Loughran on
Wednesday accompanied Misses Lulu Buckley, Nellie Keegan, Bessie Kissane,
Nellie Cogley, Lizzie Butler, and Nellie Donahue to Adrian, where they will
enter a Catholic convent .. ,. Julia Dunnigan went to Terra Haute, Indiana,
Tuesday, where she '\>1ill enter a Catholic convent.
December 15, 1899

KENOCKEE
John Purtell, sr. an old and respected pioneer of this township died at his
home on Sunday morning, .aged 8.0 years. Mr. Purtell had resided in this
township for over 40 years. He leaves one son, John, Jr. and two
daughters, Mrs. John Haley and Mrs. Richard Johnson all of Kenockee.
August 31, 1900
EMMETT
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Christopher .Bran:d6.n, a' girl..,, Miss Pearl Scott has
secured a large class in elocution .. , ,John Brandon returned to the Klondike
on Mondayi many friends went to the depot to wish him God speed'.
September 7, 1900

EMMETT
The reception give~ Rev. Fr. Loughran Monday on his return home was a grand
success. He was met at the depot by a large number of his parishioners,
headed by the Memphis band. The procession marched to the residence where
Rev. Fr. Elly of Lapeer delivered an address.of welcome in his usual happy
style. Fr. Loughran responded and said he had bee.n in Ireland, England and.
France, but all would have to acknowledge that.America was, the great
country of the world. The entertainment closed wfth a la\'m. ,,social.
September 11, 1900

EAST FREE:MONT
Moses Burns wil 1 raise a Republican pole at his place Saturday afternoon,
September 15 from which, shortly after, will float the names of McKinley
and Roo:3evel t,

septeID6~~ 2s, 1900

EMMETT
October 2, 1900
CAPAC - A SKIN GAME
Sheriff Maines atter1ded the fair and found a "skin game" in operation. He
promptly notified the operator that he had five minutes in which to close
up his business. The man, on the quiet, tried the bribe act but was cut
short with the remark that his five minutes were hurrying right along. The
man quit, That's the kind of shed.ff we have in this county.

-27-

October 9, 1900
RQOSEVELT OYEEWORKED:
.. .
~

Rock Island, Ill., Oct. 6 - Governor Roosevelt spoke in the city last
night. He is beginning to show the effect of the hard calllpaign work he has
been doing for niore than 30 days. The governor is called upon to speak 10
or 20 times a day, many ti:mes in the open air. Besid.es this he has
submitted to unlimited handshaking and much pulling and hauling by
enthusiastic mobs. If some relief is not afforded his physical powers,
though great, and his courage undaunted, he may be unable to last to the
end of the campaign. This :matter will be discussed by th'e National
committee on the arrival of Governor Roosevelt in Chic~go on Saturday
night.
EMMETT
The forty hour::; devotion commenced at the new church Sunday evening.
Father Loughran is assisted by Rev. Cullinane of Yale .... Farmers are
husking corn and it is the finest crop ever raised here .

Rev.

. ,I{ENOCKEE

Misses Blanche and Nellie Kelly are attending the High School in Port
Huron ...... Richard .Johnson, who has spent a number of winters in the South
and West buying black walnut timber, will soon return there for the
winter ...... John Brennan is building a large shed.
Christmas Day, 1900
EMMETT
The windows in the new church will be double glassed to keep out the cold.
Emmett Tent, K.O.T.M. has elected the following officers: Commander, H.P.
McCabe; Lt. commander, John J. Crowl~y; Record keeper, Charles Vanorman;
Finance keeper, Miche:i.el Reid; Chaplain, Bernard W. Burns; Physician, Dr.
J.L. Chester; Picket, Martin Donohue; Sergeant, H.M. Bailey. Humming Hive
L.O.T.M. elected officers also as well as Kennedy Arbor, Ancient Order of
Gleaners: Chief Gleaner, P. L. Gleason; Vice Chief Gle.aner, Jane-DOI}ohue;
Secretary and Treas.'JX.
Margaret Reid; Conduc~or 1 Henry V. Breeni"1
Conductreys, Julia Breen; nner Guard, Patrick"Q.lt9'in; I,nstalling officer,
Theo. Shar~-
~ /.,.,
---~~--

//

Feb. 21, 1901

TOPEKA, KANSAS
MRS NATION ACQUITTED
Mrs. Ca.rrie Nation, this morning, was acquitted of th.e charge of malicious
destruction of property in the "Senate" saloon raid.

-28-

Febtuary 26; 19-01

EMMETT

New building has had a severe si:!tback. Not a single one in the. course of
construction. The Stations of the Croes for the new church arrived
Saturday. They were imported from Europe. With the exception of two
churches, they are the finest work of art in the diocese of Detroit, T_hey
will be blessed Wednesday by a Franciscan Father from Detroit .. ,,., Michael
Keough of DetroH is home,
March 14, 1901
EMMETT

The Crescent Club elected officers for the ensuing year:

President, P.E. Neaton; Secretary, Kate Butler; Treasurer, Frank Keough.
The debatefor March 21 "Resolved, that the British are raging an unjust
war Tn South Africa." will be the feature of the evening. Those on the
affirmative side are Maebelle Davey, P. E. Neaten, John Donohue and on the
negative, Michael Stapleton, Tom Connors and Mary Kissane.
March 19, 1901

EMMETT
Rev. Father Loughran preached an eloquent sermon Sunday, St. Patrick's Day.
The choir rendered beautiful selections, especially the hymn to St.
Patrick, The balance in the village treasury at the close of the fi~cal
year, March 4, 1901, was $186.73. Mrs. Mary Grashaw is recovering from a
severe attack of the grip. Mrs, David Donohue will remodel the farm house
on the Donohue homestead.
March 29, 1901
EIDIBTT

Michael Reid, James Cogley and William Powers are the township committee
fcir the ensuing year.,.,, .John Balle and Fred Abbott find it almost
impos::;ible to make their trip on the free rural delivery route on account
of the mud.
April 5, 1901

EMMETT
George Freileigh has sold his farm and home to John Haley.
April 16, 1901
EMMETT
An electric railway, a new hall and an opera house are among the
improvements spoken of for Emmett this year.

-29-

April 30, 1901

EMMETT

H.P. McCabe, John Donohue and .John McCabe went to Detroit on Thursday to
attend the graduation exercises of Michael Keough. The exercises were held
at the DetroitiOpera House and were conducted by the Michigan College of
Medicine and Surgery.
Jf..ay 14, 1901
EMMETT

The musical recital given by Madame D. Erince at the church this evening
was a soul stirring effort and emphasized more clearly that music hath its
charms .... There wa::> a slight frost Sunday nighti no damage is reported.
June 7, 1901

EMKE TT

Jeremiah Foley, an old resident of the township, died Tuesday night and is
burried in the Kenockee cemetery Friday. The smallpox patient, Miss
Margaret Foley, is improving rapidly, no new cases have been reported. At
the meeting of the common council Tuesday evening, an ordinance was passed
that, hereafter, no sidewalk shall be built on Main Street unless the
material
construction is cement or stone flagging. Frank Brogan, Jr is
home on a visit. At the council meeting Tuesday 'night Michael Reid was
rendered'~ t\ vote
thanks for drafting the cement sidewalk ordinance.

on

of

June 14, 1901

EMMETT
Henry P. McCabe, banker, has purchased John F. Buckley's brick residence on
Main Street. The marriage of Frank Brogan, Jr. and Miss Gertrude Butler is
announced.

21, 1901
EMMETT.

'June

John C. Reidy, the new proprietor of the Eminett House will give a Fourth of
July ball, music will be furnished by the City Opera House orchestra.

-30-

September 24, 1901

ENNETT

1 .

Born to Mr. and Mrs. David Johnson, a girl. John Purtell and Miss Nellie
Neaton were married Wednesday <Sept. 18) The Rev, Fr. Loughran officiating.
Two new millinery shops have been opened on main street. Miss Mae Hyde is
manager of one and Miss Carroll the other. The contemplated cement walks
are in the air for this season. The council is divided, one half favoring
building it on a crooked line in place of the old walk, and the other half
favors building on a straight line, thus making the street three feet
w.ider .... Patrick Reeve.s, foreman on the Grand Trunk Western, will begin
laying steel rails on the double track Monday morning. He will have a
large fon;e of men. Gil Lovejoy of Lenox, promoter of the electric road
from Richmond to Sanilac Centre, was in town Wednesday. Patrick Keough is
ill. The street commission is graveling the principal streets. The
sidewalks of the village are in a dila,pidated condition, Very little wheat
will lJe sowed this fall. : At the citizens meeting Saturday evening, the
\rote wa:; 17 to 3 in favor of building a crooked cement walk through the
village,
October 8, 1901
EMMETT
Patrick Keough, an old resident and pioneer of this section died at 5
o'clock f.M. Aged, 60 years, Saturday. He settled here in 1848 and lived
to see many changes, and the~d~n~e forests cleared into fertile fields.
Mr. Keough as::listed in burying the first corpse in the Kenockee Cemetery.
The funeral was held Tuesday. A gang of men completed laying the street
rails for the double track between here and Goodells,
December 27, 1901
EMMETT
The decoration:::; in the new Catholic church Christmas Day were beautiful.
The altar was decorated with holly and evergreen which made the interior a
very pretty appearance. The choir also rendered excellent noise.
July 22, 1902
EMMET'T'
E.R. Dodge sold a carload of western bronchos here Saturday. John Donohue
has a.ccepted a position with the Port Huron Engine and Thresher Company.
At the Democratic Village Caucus, Michael Reid, Dr. Chester, and Ed Crowley
were elected delegates to attend the county convention. At the close of
divine services here Sunday, prayers were offered for dry weather. It is
generally the opinion of farme1':3, i f it don't cease raining it will be
impossible to work binders in the fields ... commencing last Friday, it
rained three days and three nights.

-31-

.July 29., 1902,.

EMMETT
.. ,

._, ' ;

Theopolis Sharpe has gone out of the meat business .. ; .Harvest drags along
slowly 1 not mare than half the hay crop is cut yet ... The wheat harvest is
late this year and the ground is so soft that it will be two weeks before
the farmers will have it secured.
October 21, 1902
EMMETT - A CRAZY MAN
On Saturday morning, October 18th, Joseph Quain, who lives four and onehalf miles northwest of Emmett, while out after the cows, found a man
running from tree to trne in the woods. Returning home he told his father,
who wE?nt.outand found the man to be insane. He was dripping wet as it had
rained heavily the night before. He brought him to his house, where he
partook of a light meal. The man insisted that he was at his home on
Washington Avenue, Port Huron, but nb more information could be gained from
him. After leaving Mr. Quain's hau::se, he undertook to remove the line
fence between Mr. McKenzie's and Mrs. Haley's farms. Mr. Quain and Mr.
Kennedy fallowed him and brought him to their homes. They hitched up a
team and took him to Emmett, where they held a consultation with the
village president, 'Mr. Cogley. They finally agreed to give 12 cents each
to pay his fair to Port Huron. Patrick Tearney also gave 25 cents. Mr.
Bailey agreed to see him off on the train.
December 5, 1902
EIDIBTT
The common council has discovered a new way of repairing defective
sidewalks. They fill the holes with sand.
';

January 13, 1903

EMMETT
There is good sleighing in this county. Frank Keough went to Gagetown
Saturday. The ice harvest is about to commence. Wood is getting most
-. :plentiful.
April 14, 1903
EMMETT

Ri.chard Johnson, proprietor of the Dewey Hr:Juse, will give a ball on

April 15.
~.
July 17, 1903
EIDIBTT

John McCabe, Will Donohue, Charles Cogley and Frank Keough went to Port
Huron Wednesday and were initiated into the Knights of Columbus. Farm and
harvest help is scarce .... As high as $3 a day is being paid.

-32-

August 4, 1903
EMMETT

'

. . . 11:

,.

. "

Charles Campbell had his shoulder dislocated and collar bone broken by
being thrown from a buggy in a runaway returning from divine service on
Sunday. Thursday, Edward Mackey wa::i seriously injured by being pierced
with a hayfork. It fell thirty feet, struck him on the hip and entered the
fle::ohy part and came out twelve inches below on the thigh. A son of James
Jackson had his third finger taken off by being caught in a hay pulley.
Friday, a hay derrick fell on John Healy and he was seriously injured. All
the acr:idents. happened in the same 11eighborhood.
September 4, 1963

EMMETT
James O'Grady has removed his tonsorial parlors to the Grashaw block.
marriage of William Mullally and Miss Anna Brennan is announced.

The

November 2'1, 1903

EMMETT
Joseph Bushey is now sexton for Rev. Fr. Loughran. , , . There will be no
school on Thanksgiving Day .... James B. Kavanagh has moved on to the Kinane
farm in Kenockee which he purchased thi.s fall. The marriage of William
Donahue and Miss Bridget Keegan is announced for Wednesday.
December 1 1 i 903

EMMETT
Weddings
The large,:;t wedding ever held in the town of Wales was held at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Chci.rles Dunsmore on Nov. 25, at 8 P. M., the contracting
parties being their eldest daughter, Elvey, to John Cook, also of Wales.
Rev. John Scott of Memphl.s performed the ceremony. The marriage took place
under a. large arch covered with white lillies. The bride WB.s dressed in
blue silk. One hundred and eighty-eight guests partook of a most bountiful
supper. The presents were very handsome.
The village of Emmett never wi tne::ised a prettier church wedding than that
at 8 o'clock on Tuesday morning when Miss :May White, daughter of Mrs. Susan
White, was united in marriage during a nuptial High :Mass to Michael E.
Eaga.n of Ann Arbor. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Fr. Loughran at Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. The bride was attired in a handsome gown of
white satin grenadine over white silk and wore a veil and carried white
a:3ters. Miss Margaret White, sister of the bride, acted as bridesmaid and
was gowned in pink mu:3lin de sole over white silk and wore a pink ribbon
picture hat and carried pink asters. The bridal party entered the church
to the strains of Mendelsohn's wedding march.

-33-

.,.

December 18, 1903

EMMETT
The famine for cars still continues on the Grand Trunk Western. The
assessment roll of the township is now in the hands of the treasurer.
Taxes are higher than last year
January 19, 1904

EMMETT
O'CONNOR SENTENCED
EMMETT MAN GOES TO HOUSE OF CORRECTION FOR ONE YEAR
John O'Connor of Elillllett was sentenced to one year in the Detroit House of
Correction by_Judge Tappan this afternoon. O'Connor was charged with
bringing a Mrs. Cotter from Da_kota to Emmett and illegally living with her.
The woman died a short time ago, and at that time it was thought there was
some mystery connected with her death, but an investigation proved that
there was no foundation for that report. O'Connor, when asked if he had
a.nything to say why sentence should not be passed upon him said that he had
intended to marry the woman but put it off from time ta time for same
rea:3on or .other. He also asked that a fine be imposed in13tead of
imprisonment but this the coud denied.
January 26, 1904

EMMETT
H.P. McCabe is ill. John Crowley, an old resident of the township of
Wales, died Wedne:3day night. The Woodmen initiated a class of 27 members
on Wednesday evening. Oysters were served after initiation. Peter
Kavanagh and :M:i13s Christine 0' Connor were married on Wednesday, Rev. Fr.
Loughran officiating.

SILVER THREADS AND THE LIFE OF FATHER FARRELL AT EMMETT

<Speach at Father Farrell's Jubilee)
It is customary and proper at every event honoring a person to have
. -'

gue:3t speakers give words of praise to the honored guest. This ls no more
than right. But, tonight, I would like to praise Father Farrell in a
different W9.y. I would like to turn back the pages of your memory for the
last twenty-five years,. From July 20, 1923, when John F. Farrell became
pastor of Our Lady of .Mt. Carmel, ta tonight, July 18, 1948.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, in the.summer of 1923, consisted of four

acres of land on which stood a gothic style church and a rectory. Today,
thanks to F.ather Farrell, we have 'a parish free from debt, a school, a
convent, an? many interi?r improvements in the church and rectory.
,-;

The first service Father perfarmedas pastor was to baptize Patrick

E. Potts, son of Robert and Margaret O'Connor Potts. Sponsors were Leo
Quaine arid the late Stella Quaine.
The.church had no Holy Water Fountain then, and. Holy Water was kept
in a large old fashioned washtub. Father used the oils from his own
sickoall set,
The first funernl in the parish after Father came was Clara Hyde.
Father's first sick call in the parish :made a lasting impression on
his memory. He was administering the Last Sacraments to an old Scotsman,
Angus McMullen. He asked Angus to recite the Confiteor. Poor Angus hung
hi::; head in shame and said, "Father, I cannot say it in English, but I can
say it in Gaelic."
Homecoming, Labor Day, 1923, was Father's first big public event in
the parish. The meal was to pe served in a big tent where the school is.
Remember the big storm that came that night before and blew down the tent?
Tho3e of you who had to rewash those dishes will certainly remember .
.. The next day the coll111littee found the tent could not be used, so
dinner was served in the hot, blistering sun without any shade from a tent
or tree. It must have been hot, fbr butter was served with a spoon.

Where Father came from, chicken pie was the main dish. So it is no
wonder he requested the ladies of the parish to ma.ke chicken pie and he
even gave them a specific recipe. But you cannot tell good cooks how to
cook o.nd the ladies of the parish are good cooks. The chicken pie turned
out to be more like chicken stew. For a long time after no husband dared
to mention chicken pie to his wife.
Just before the homecoming, Father and the late Martin Brandon drove
to Detroit in Father'::; old 1919 Maxwell ta pick up some prizes for the
raffle wheels.. They. bought a tru'ck load from some Jews on Michigan Avenue,
The followin~ day, the late John Sheeh~e took his truck and brought the
pdzes home, .That is the first and last time Father ever bought anything
from a Goldberg or a Gold:;tein without first seeing what he was getting.

-35-

The District of Riley always holds its head a bit higher than any of
the districts when Father's first homecoming is mentioned, For the new
pastor ate his chicken dinner at one of the Riley tables. Mrs. Bridget
Molloy begged, borrowed and even chisled the other districts to part with
an apple pie, _the. pastor's favorite dessert, Finally, the district of
Kenockee came through with one of Kcite Boice's famous apple pies.
Despite all difficulties, we cleared $2 1 600 which was ~sedi .as Father
promi:38d 1 for the building of a new school.

. The second homecoming was held in the churc_h basement. Father

appointed his usheTs as the committee to decorate the church b.Cisement,
<An
1n.ter:esting n<;>t~,. about the ushers is that Frank Keough, Ed Gleas01:i and
Eimer. Brogan are the only three of the original ushe.rs left that were here
when Father came.) It seems none of the ushers could help Father that
Sunday before the homecoming, each having jobs that required their
presenc;.e 1 so Father and Ed Gleason started to move those heavy tables.
However, Father could not work very long for he had to write his sermon for
Sunday, Mass. Ed was left alone. He went home that. night, tired in body,
but light in heart, for he knew he was working for a good cause. Sunday
morning again, it rained. Once more Father and Ed started to work in the
basP,rnent. Luck again, was against Ed. It seems this one and that one was
rurinir1g in to have Father ok this and that. In the end, it was Ed who
filled JJP the holes with sawdust and carried out pails of water. Labor
Day, 1924, when the rest of the parish was enjoying a hot chicken dinner,
Ed GlEiason was home in bed with lumbago.
Just before Father Hackett, now Msgr. Hackett of Kalamazoo left, he
started a subscription for the new school. Father Farrell completed it in
1925 with a grand total of $12 1 000.00
A tenth grade school was opened in 1924. Parents were afraid as
September of 1924 rolled by that the school would not open and the children
were afraid that it would. The village school on Prospect street was
closed~
However, on October 6, 1924 1 with carpenters still f~~sing, the
school opened with ll.11 enrollment of 1!54 pupils,
Al tar Society
President
Secretary
Treasurer

officers for January of 1924 were:

- the late Mr:;:;, Patty Ryan
- Mrs. Norbert Sweeney
- Mrs. Claro. Cogley.

At that time a Young Ladies Sodality was very active:

Pref.iact - Mary Dunnigan
Vice-Prefect - Emily Hefferon
Secretary - Eva Murphy
Treasurer - the late Molly Gleason
The church was wired in 1926. It must have been difficult to read
your missai by the flickering gas light, The church was lit by a gas plant
in the basement. The rectory was wired before Father came, It was
serviced by a Delco plant.

-36i

How many of you remember the Box Social that Father gave at the
rectory in November of 19237 The whole town turned out it seems. In fact,
they even had to set up card tables in the bathroom, Jenny Sweeny must
have did her box up extra special because that is the one Father bid on.
That was the last night the Delco furnished light for the rectory. The
next day Fa.ther went to Port Huron and bought two kerosene lamps. One for
him::;elf and one for the housekeeper, the late Mrs. Patty Ryan. Until
electricity became prevalent in Emmett, the two kerosene lamps were all
that lit the huge house,
Speaking of the rectory, some people say it is so large that Father
doesn't know half of what it contains. Not too long ago the man who was
repairing the organ came to Father and asked if he knew any place in town
where he could get a :3pecial kind of paper. If he could not get it in
Emmett, he would have to go to Port Huron and that mea.nt a delay of another
day. Father sugge:;:;ted he try the stores in Emmett. He went to the
hardware, Scheibles, Butlers, Brogans, Weirs, and finally, in desperation,
he went to the elevator. There Julia Kissane told the man to try Fathers
attic. She remarked, "Father doesn't know half of what is up there. You
may find anything," Sure enough, in the attic was the paper. In fact,
there was enough for Father to sell the man some wholesale.
First Communion after Father came was Thursday, May 21, 1925. Among
the fi r::;t communicants were; Leo Scheible, Pat Burns, Rita Purtell Brennan,
and Thoma:;; Haley.
On August 26, 1925, the Right Reverend Bishop Plagens administered
confi rma.tion,
February, 1924, Father Farrell staged his first play in the old
Kinney Hotel. Mrs. Walter McCabe was director. Father and the cast put up
the stage. The crowd that turned out was so large that Father had to turn
away people and give the play three nights. "Clubbing a Husband", was the
fir::;t production. Mabel Sweeney Needham, Nellie Crowley and Mrs. John
Maher were the stars. The last play they staged was "Blarney Street",
starring Jenny Sweeney, Manlie Neaton, Ed Gleason and Julia Kissane.
The 10th. Sunday after Pentecost was Father's first Sunday here.
Announcements read: Funeral services for Clara Hyde, Monday. Sacristans
for the month of August are Mrs. Frank Foley and Mrs. Roy Fuller. The
first collection amounted to $25.00.
The first three weddings were William Tesak and Sophie Safian, August
18, 1923: Myler J, Gregor and Agnes Brennan, September 20 1 1923; Thomas
Reid and Molly Crowley, October 15, 1923. Mike Reid and Charlotte Reid
were witnesses.
The first three baptisms were Patrick E. Potts, July 20, 1923, as we
mentioned before; July 29 1 1923 1 John Thomas Kinney, son of the late
Sylvester Kinney and Catherine Brennan Kinney, sponsors were Richard and
Lorntta Brennan; August 4 1 1923, Elizabeth "Betty" Murphy, daughter of
Williaru Murphy and Marie Brennan Murphy.

-37-

These are just a few of the silver threads of Father Farrell in

Emmett. Just enough to unwind the threads of your memory. Just enough to
make you realize how much Father Farrell does for us and haw little he asks
fra:m u:3 in return.
I am sure most of us do and for that reason we are glad
that on July 20, 1923, John F. Farrell became pastor of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, Emmett, Michigan.

THE END
'"Sources for "Silver Threads and the Life of Father Farrell at Emmett,":
Baptis:roal and Marriage Records of the parish, interviews with Father
F~rrell and Father Kaznciw::iki 1 Mrs. Frank Keough, Mrs. Norbert Sweeny and Ed
Gleason,
{Someone read this at Father's .Jubilee but we don't know who it was. The
.copy came from Ann Donnellon, Mrs. Frank Keough's daughter.)

~38-

,.\.
":""<.

'

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA
. _ The National Circle of the Daughters of Isabella was formed as an auxilliary of

tli~.'Knights of Columbus, .May 14, 1897,

It was established ta unite all Catholic women
i~to,.A fraternal tirder for spiritual benefits and for preserving high ideals in

sqqiety .
Our own Circle was formed in 1928, It began with forty-four members and the
.Regent was Mrs~ Mary McCabej Vice Regent, Catherine Molan and the Banner Bearer,
Frances Culhane who were all here to help us celebrate this past year, our 50th
anniversary. Our Circle has enjoyed a good spirit of charity to the people of the
parish and so many charities too numerous to mention across the state and nation.
Whether it be a holy hour before the Blessed.Sacrament, a rosary in front of a
passing friend or a material gift of charity to the sick, the poor or anyone in need of
our aid; you can be proud of your association with the Daughters of Isabella and the
striving for a .better world that they begin with any simple act of kindness and
obedience to the commandment, "Love thy neighbor as thyself".
CS~bmitted

.1:

by Geri Zwiernik)

.. ;;

HALLOWEEN PARTY OF EMMETT GROUP DRAWS 200 GUESTS

EIDlllett, Nov.6 - Some 200 guests attended a Halloween costume party Saturday night in
the school hall, sponsored by the Daughters of Isabella.
Prizes were awarded Geraldine Schemansky, best dressed; Ann Keough, Mary Ann Fuller
and Mary Margaret Pierce, funniest costumes, and Mrs. Theresa Weir and Marilyn Bready,
hard time couple.
Prizes in cards were won by Krs. Clem Quain and Mrs. Earl O'Brien.
series of parties before Advent will be Nov. 15.
<This is the !3tory, anybody know the year?)

-39-

The last in the

1924 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
On the evening of their arrival in Emmett, the Sisters were received in the
spacious.rectory dining room by the good ladies of the parish who had
prepared for the Sisters a delicious dinner accompanied by. all the
formalities of etiquette.
On October 6 1 school opened with an enrollment of 125 children. Since the
term would necessarily be short, the children, eager to make up for lost
time, displayed great earnestness in the classroom. However, on November
25, owing to a scarlet fever epidemic in the vacinity, the school closed
until December 9, y>utting everyone even further behind. From December 9 to
23 the school operated with a somewhat decreased attendance and then closed
for the Christmas holidays. That day the school children honored Father
Farrell., with a program. He was very agreeably surprised by an address
deli veri;id by one of the high school boys, the rendition of a beautiful
chorus, and a series of Christmas hymns. The program was concluded by the
presentation of a beautiful burse, the gift of the Sisters to their Pastor.
On Christmas morning the children's choir, for the first ti~e, filled the
church with sweet hymns of joy and peace, Needless to say, great
appreciation was felt and expressed by the good people. Among those who
called during the holidays were Right Reverend Monsignor Dunnigan, Reverend
Father Cogley, S.J., Reverend Fathers Mackey and Brennan.
On Ascension Thursday, fifty-six little children received our Blessed Lord
for the first time.
On June. 10, school was closed after a happy and fruitful year. On June 20,
the Sisters traveled by automobile to Monroe. The trip took four hours.
Submitted by Maggie Kinney

"St. Clair County's Largest Weekly Newspaper"

A Michigan Ce.ntennial Business

CITY OF YALE, ST. CLAIR COUNTY. MICHIGAN

TEN PAGESONE SECTION

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1988

Eminett-Where The Irish

Gather:On St. Patrick's ay
If you love smlllng,
Ann Donnellon, Regent
faces and green Is your of the D. of I. and Michael
color, there was only one Scheible, Jr., Grand
place to be on Sunday Knight of the K of C, were
evening. It was the annual general chairpersons for
St. Patrick's Day Banquet the banquet. Their com
held In the church hall at mlttee members were Jim
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel In Keegan, Biii Brandon,
Emmett.
Harold DurocherL Mary
Carrying
on
the Ellen. Connell, Margie
tradition Is lmftortant In Quain, Mary Ann Quain
Emmett and hat Is a and Jim Haley. Now I ask
wonderful thing for the you ... where could you
more than 350 people that gather a finer group of
came to the event spon Irish folk with an all Irish
sored by the Knights of sounding cast like that?
Father Rene Desmarais
Columbus and Daughters
of the Neuman Center In
of Isabella.
Irish Eyes were really Port
Huron became
smiting as they donned Father O'Rene for the
their green dresses, night as the main speaker
jackets, ties, coats, at the banquet. A delight
sweaters, blouses, rib ful storyteller, he related
bons,
skirts,
vests, the tale of his trip to
flowers, slacks and Ireland last year and tolj
trousers to take part In the audlence1 "There are
observing St. Patrick's only two klnos of people,
Day with a bountiful buf the Irish, and those who
fat dinner served by that wish they were."
famous Emmett Irish
Mary Ann Sweeney
chef, Jack Keegan and be Quain was the enter
entertained by some of talning toastmistress of
the finest entertainment the banquet. She Is a
around.
recent communlcat.lons

graduate at . St. Clair

County Community
College, an extra activity
she took on when het .
family was grown.
Bob Sturza, the Emmett
tenor wellknqwn for his
musical talent, joined
with Paula Down ng to
sing a number of selec
lions from musical shows
and pleased the crowd .
with his solo of "Danny
Boy." No Irish gathering
would
be
complete
without It.
There was a great deal
of musical talent on hand
Including the Heritage
String Band, Irish enter
talners Jack and Ann
Kelly from North Street
and Irish dancers, Joan
and Janet Gaffney from
Ontario. Johnny l'jeedham
closed the entertainment
playing Irish melodies
as the crowd joined In
singing.
When that many people
Join together singing
songs like the Irish
Lullaby (foo ra loo ra loo
ra) and "When lr.lsh Eyes

Bill ls Back In Emmett

Florence Keegan Thinks Irish

''
Is Just Fine

1947. You kn.ow In those

days, a high school
diploma was the key that
opened the door and I
wanted that to happen for
me."
Bill Brandon left Em
melt and pursued a career
In the Flint Fire Depar
tment. "You know It
seemed then that the Irish
boys from Emmett were
either going Into police
work or firefighting and I
chose the fire depar
tment."
When he retired from
the Flint Department after
27 years, "My dream
came true and we moved
back to Emmett. My
nephew and I built our
home on Rynn Road
across from Keegan's
BILL BRANDON
Restaurant. It was what I
Biii Brandon left high had always wanted to do.
school when he was still a I love Emmett and I'm
teenager and went Into proud to be Irish."
He and his wife,
the service during World
War II. An Emmett native, the former Marilyn Irwin
he said, "I realized that of Yale, have four children
there was no future for me who are grown. A third
without that high school generation Emmett Irish
diploma, so I went back to man, he is active In his
school and graduated community. He serves on
Continued on page 3
from Yale Hlr.ih School In

,\

MARY ANN QUAIN

"Sapphire"

Are Smiling" you know

that you are Joining In
song with those who are
truly Irish ... or wish they
were! Happy St. Patrick's
Day!!

Bonnie Brown

Florence Kennedy
Keegan Is a 'thlrCI
generation lrlsh lady who
flas lived all her Ille In
Emmett. At 72 years, she
Is a perky, Jovely woman
who says, "I've never
been anything else other
than Irish and I think It's
ve1y nice. I have lots of
friends, a wonderful
family and I love a good
laugh . ; . and look forwar.d
to a lot more of them."
Her mother was a
Brandon, another well
known Irish name, and her
grandparents came to the
Emmett area from Ireland.
She has two slsters 1
Eiieen Johnson ano
Madeline Keegan and her
FLORENCE KEEGAN
brother, Leo has been
"I love these St.
deceased for a number of
years. She and her sister Patrick's Day banquets, I
Madeline married the am so glad they are
Keegan Brothers, Joe and having them once again
James and they have and I look forward to
raised their families In being at many more In the
Emmett. Florence's coming years," Florence
husband, James died a Keegan. said Sunday
number of years ago. She night.
has 28 grandchildren and
More on Emmett's lrlsh
onpage3
six children.