Flaherty, Thomas, died 1881

FLAHERTY

Posted By: Ken Johnson (email)
Date: 8/23/2015 at 14:02:44

Fri., 18 Mar. 1881 Elkader Register, Elkport Locals, page 3, column 6:

Thomas Flaherty, aged 46 years, died at his home in this township [Volga], Thursday, March 10th, 1881. Mr. Flaherty, generally known as “Buffer Tom,” was an old and highly respected citizen of this township. He leaves a wife and ten children to mourn the loss of a kind husband and an affectionate father, and who have the sympathy of all in their sad affliction. The funeral took place Friday, Rev. Coyle officiating, his remains being followed to their final home by a large number of relatives and friends.

[NOTE: This man, "Buffer Tom," married Mary (or Mahala Mary) Costley on 23 Dec. 1856 in Clayton County. She and most of her children moved to Ottawa Co., Kansas. Three other Thomas Flahertys were living in Clayton County at this time, so a process of elimination is used to determine which one is this Thomas Flaherty. They are all probably related to each other. A father and son were both named Thomas Flaherty and both died in 1884; the father, born in 1808, was probably an uncle of "Buffer Tom" Flaherty, and the son, born about 1845 and called "Yankee Tom," was married to Catharine Costley, sister of "Buffer Tom" Flaherty's wife (in other words, two Thomas Flahertys were brothers-in-law as well as most likely first cousins). The third Thomas Flaherty was also most likely a cousin of "Buffer Tom." This third Thomas Flaherty was born about 1838, living in Volga Twp., Clayton Co., in 1880, but in Hanson Co., SD, in 1885, and died in Chicago in 1900, the son of Edward Flaherty and brother of long-time Garber resident Peter Flaherty.