James Clark

CLARK CUNNINGHAM

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 21:28:47

Woodbury County History 1984

James and Ellen Clark
By Gertrude Kenny

James Clark and Mike McGivern came to the United States from County Down, Kilkeel Northern Ireland in 1881 during the potato famine. James and Maria Clark were the children of John Clarke and Elizabeth Donan. They had four brothers, John, dick, Patrick and Denis, who remained in Ireland. Their sister, Margaret, came to the United States, was married and lived in California.

Maria Clarke and Ellen Cunningham came to the United States from Ireland in 1882.

Ellen was the daughter of John Cunningham and Mary Toner. She had three brothers, John , Charles, and James and three sisters, Sara Anne, Mary and Elizabeth. They all remained in Ireland.

James Clarke and Ellen Cunningham were married at Watseka, Illinois, in 1887.

Maria Clarke and Mike McGivern were married at the same time.

James Clarke dropped the last letter of his name and went by James Clark.

James and Ellen had seven children. Elizabeth was born April 2, 1888 at Hoopston, Illinois. The family then moved to Rock Springs, Wyoming where John was born August 27, 1889. Patrick was born March 27, 1891, and Denis was born April 17, 1893. James worked in the coal mines.

The James Clark and Mike McGivern families had moved to Rock Springs at the same time. In 1894, both families moved to farms southwest of Sloan, Iowa.

Three more Clark children were born.

Joseph was born March 16, 1895. Ernest was born August 11, 1898, and Richard was born June 14, 1903.

James and Ellen retired from the farm on 1920 and moved to Salix.

James died August 31, 1926. Ellen died June 6, 1939.