Fennessey, James, 1839-1917

FENNESSEY, FENNESSY, MCILVENNA

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

From the Hawarden Independent, April 26, 1917:

James Fennessy, one of the pioneer settlers of Union county, died at his home at Beresford last Saturday, after a brief illness. He had been in poor health for the past two years, but had been able to be about most of the time until recently. He was about 78 years of age. Funeral services were held at Beresford Tuesday morning. He was a devout Catholic and interment was made in the Catholic cemetery near his old church at Emmet, S.D.

The deceased located on a homestead south of Alcester over forty years ago. He continued to reside there until a few years ago when he came to Hawarden and made his home on the north side. He was a man of very retiring disposition and lived much to himself while a resident here. Late last fall he joined his family at Beresford. He leaves a wife, three sons and four daughters to mourn his death.

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RESEARCH NOTES

The South Dakota Death Index on Ancestry.com has James Fennessey, died 21 April 1917 in Union County, S.D.

FindaGrave.com has James Fennessey, 1839-1917, buried in Saint Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery, Emmet, Union County, South Dakota, with a photo of his headstone and the inscription “Father.” No other information.

The 1900 U.S. census for Big Springs, Union County, South Dakota shows James Fennessey [surname spelled variously for various family members], age 56, born May 1844 in Ireland, immigrated 1868, naturalized, a farmer, married 29 years; wife Elizabeth, age 47, born Feb. 1853 in Iowa of Irish parents, mother of 9 children, 7 living; daughter Elizabeth A., age 18, born June 1881; daughter Alice, age 16, born March 1884; son Albert, age 11, born Sept. 1888; daughter Lucy, age 8, born March 1892; daughter Mary R., age 4, born Feb. 1896; brother Edward, age 67, born Dec. 1832.

In the 1910 census, age 70, he is living in Hawarden, boarding with widow Louise P. Powell along with three other men, married 40 years but no family members listed, has his own income. Subsequent news notes in the Hawarden Independent suggest that at least some of his family joined him and lived for a time on the north side of Hawarden.

Marriage indexes for his children on Ancestry.com show him with wife Elizabeth McIlvenna, daughter Lucy Ann, and daughter Alice Luverna (married Matthew Burg in Hawarden in 1912)