Sweeney Family(s) in Cerro Gordo County
SWEENEY, BERRY
Posted By: Bill Anderson (email)
Date: 4/6/2010 at 18:59:29
Good Day,
I am researching the ancestors of my Great-grandmother Eunice Berry (Sweeney). According to her head-stone, she was born on 25 March 1888. I have located her in the 1895 Iowa State Census as one of the daughters of Daniel and Maggie Sweeney of Mason City. According to un-written family accounts, her mother died and the father lost or gave up custody of their children (listed in 1895 as Joseph (b1885), Barney (b1887), Eunice (b1888), James (b1890), Annie (b1893) and Maggie (b1895)), with Eunice and a sister being sent to an orphanage in Dubuque. I have located them both (Eunice and Anna Sweeney) in an orphanage in Dubuque in the 1900 census. Eunice lived in Dubuque (confirmed by 1905 census and 1909 DBQ city directory) and went to nursing school, eventually marrying my Great-grandfather Frank P. Berry in late 1909.
At least two of the other kids seem to have been scattered about the area between 1895 and 1900. James looks to be living with another family (McNamara) in Worth County in 1900 and in 1910, Barney is living with another family (Valentine) as well in Mason City.
Now, also in the 1910 Federal census, there is a Dan and Maggie Sweeney household. They have two children James and Marie. The age of James matches the age Eunice's brother James who was with the family in 1895 and in Worth County in 1900. Also, Maggie is listed as having 7 total children. If one adds the number of children in the 1895 and Marie (born in 1896), this adds up to seven. The age of Dan on the 1910 is spot-on 15 years older than the Daniel Sweeney in the 1895. Maggie is a few years off. The birth countries for everying in the 1910 line up perfectly. If this is in fact the same couple I found in the 1895, it pretty much blows the whole "Maggie Died" account out of the water.
Whew . . . And that's not even everything I have. I have scatterings of Dan, Maggie/Margaret and James Sweeneys in other census records from 1900, 1915, 1920 and 1925. Is anyone else researching this family in Cerro Gordo County? If so, I would love to compare notes. If anyone else can help my shedding any light on this family, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Bill Anderson
Dubuque, Iowa
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