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MARY HANNAGAN (our direct ancestor) was James and Bridget Hannagan's first child. She was born in December, 1838 in Ireland. In 1840 the family emigrated to Canada and by 1843 were in upstate New York. By 1849 (when Mary was about eleven years old) the family had moved to Ottawa in La Salle County, in northeastern Illinois. There is more about Mary Hannagan's parents and brothers and sisters on this page. MARY HANNAGAN married THOMAS GILCHRIST on November 30, 1855 at St. Columba's Catholic Church in Ottawa, in La Salle County, Illinois when she was almost seventeen years old (Thomas was about 27 years old). The first St. Columba's church in Ottawa was built in 1838, but the present St. Columba's was not built until 1882. We have very little information on THOMAS GILCHRIST. He was born in 1827 or 28 in Ireland, supposedly in County Roscommon. It is an interesting fact that one of Mary Hannagan's sisters, Margaret Elizabeth Hannagan, married Thomas Gilchrist's brother JAMES AMBROSE GILCHRIST (who was born 15 August 1839 in County Roscommon, Ireland -- He is not a direct ancestor, but is a blood relation - an uncle). James Gilchrist and his wife later moved to Nebraska. Thomas and Mary Gilchrist didn't move from Illinois to Iowa until the early 1870s. There they settled in Leland, Iowa, in Winnebago County.
CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARY (HANNAGAN) GILCHRIST -- ELLEN J. (possibly "Josephine") GILCHRIST (called "Nellie") was born on January 29, 1859 in La Salle, Illinois. She married Patrick Mahar on November 28, 1888 in Garner, Iowa. They lived in Lake Mills (Winnebago County) Iowa and apparently later in Bristol (Worth County). She died September 13, 1940 in Mason City, Iowa. -- MARGARET J. GILCHRIST (called "Jennie") was born on August 6, 1862 in Illinois. She was married to John L. Broderick (do not have a date; coincidentally, he was born in La Salle, Illinois, in 1861). Margaret died a widow on November 18, 1928 while residing in Fort Dodge. -- MARY A. GILCHRIST was born in 1861 or 62, probably in Illinois. She married Thomas Carney in February 1885, in Iowa. She was still alive in 1923, a widow living with some of her children in Mason City, Iowa (or they were living with her). -- AGNES GILCHRIST was born in 1865, probably in Illinois. She married Peter Mitchell. Agnes died after 1933, before 1940. As she had been "of Clear Lake, South Dakota" in 1913 and also in 1926, possibly that is where she died, though it seems many older women who became widowed back then moved to be near family, so possibly she came back to Iowa. -- ALICE MARY or MARY ALICE GILCHRIST (called "Alice") is our direct ancestor. She was born on March 13, 1868 in La Salle, Illinois. There is much more about her family on the Charles and Alice Reagan Family pages. -- JOHN BAPTIST GILCHRIST was born on August 1, 1870 in La Salle County, Illinois. He died on December 19, 1892 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was buried in St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery in Bristol Township, Worth County, Iowa near his parents. -- ROBERT JOHN GILCHRIST was born on October 7, 1873 in either Illinois or in Leland, Iowa. In about 1901 he married Lidia "Daisy" McLuen. In the 1900s he lived in Fort Dodge, Iowa, as did his sister Alice Gilchrist Reagan. He died on October 20, 1938 in Fort Dodge.
One of the men is Robert Gilchrist. Take your pick. |
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A farm in Bristol Township
Here is the notice that was in the local newspaper about THOMAS GILCHRIST'S death:
The death of Thos. Gilchrist occurred on Friday last. Mr. Gilchrist had been sick only a short time, and his sudden death was a shock to the entire community. Mr. Gilchrist has been a resident of this section for several years past and was an examplary citizen, a good neighbor, and a kind friend, and will be greatly missed. The funeral took place on Sunday, and the remains were interred at Bristol.
James Gilchrist of Hastings, Nebraska, arrived here on Monday. He came to attend his brother's funeral, but was too late.
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Here is what was in the newspaper article on MARY (HANNAGAN) GILCHRIST'S death:
Word has been received of the death of Mrs. Mary Gilchrist, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Nellie Mahar in Lake Mills on Tuesday. For more than thirty years Mrs. Gilchrist has been a resident of Leland, and only last September, on account of her advanced age, she disposed of most of her property and went to spend her remaining life with her daughter. She was a gentlewoman of culture and refinement and her kindness of heart made her greatly beloved by a host of friends, who will be pained to learn of her death.