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MIKE B. GENEALOGY- FAMILY SURNAMES: Brennan, Ryan, Phelan, Fanning, O'Malley, McClurg, McTaggert, Guthrie, Butler, Howard, Mitchell.

My relatives came from Webster County back in the 1860's, maybe as late as the 1870's.

Thomas B. Brennan b. 1828 in Ireland came to Bangor, Maine, married and had 4 children born in Maine before 1860. Then he and family left for parts WEST, and had their 5th child b. 1862 just northwest of Debuque, Iowa. Then by the later 1860's he was in Webster County, with wife and 4 kids (Thomas Franklin b. 1856, Andrew b. 1858, Ellen b. 1862 in Dubuque, and Mary Ann b. 1855.

John Ryan b. Ireland about 1828 came to New York, met and married Mary Phelan (b. 1834) about 1852 in N.Y.  Then John Ryan & Mary Phelan had some children (at least 2, maybe 3) and the 4th child - Catherine Agnes Ryan was born in ILL. While family was coming to Webster County. John Ryan & Mary Phelan had at least 5 more children, many born Webster County, Iowa - last one b. 1864.

Thomas F. Brennan m. Catherine A. Ryan 1882 in Webster County. They had seven (7) children as follows: 1)Mary Cleo b. 1885 - taught school in Ft. Dodge until she retired in 1951 and moved to Madison, WI to live with her sister. 2) Ursula Ann b. 1886, m. Robt. C. O'Malley in Ft. Dodge in 1912; 3) Agnes b. 1888, m. John Fanning; 4)James b.1890, m. (after 1944 when Catherine Agnes died) - was a mailman in Ft. Dodge. 5)Robert M. b. 1892, m. Naomi McClurg, was in the appliance business in Ft. Dodge, had daughters Nan and Sue -[Nan m. Robt. McTaggert in Ft. Dodge]; 6)Frank - died very young 7) I've forgotten the youngest - he also died very young - in Ft. Dodge.

Andrew Brennan m. in Webster County also. Then he migrated north to the Dakotas.

Ellen Brennan m. Mr. Murphy up in Humboldt County.

John Ryan & Mary Phelan had 1)Ann 2)Mary 3)Margaret b. 1855 in ILL., m. in Ft. Dodge, d. 1908 in fire 4)Catherine Agnes 5)Bridget M. b. 1857 in ILL, m. Ernest V. Wright in Ft. Dodge 6)James J. b. Webster County 7)Michael b. Webster County, m. in Ft. Dodge 8)Elizabeth b. 1862 Webster County, d. 1945 in Webster County - was blind, taught piano, never married; 9)Edward b. 1863 Webster County, never married, d. 1945 in Webster County. Both James J. Ryan and Michael Ryan raised their families in Ft. Dodge. Last I knew there was a widow still living in Ft. Dodge who was married to a son of Michael Ryan.

Thomas Brennan (Sr.) remarried in 1880, had 7 kids all b. 1881 0 1895 in Webster County. These were step-brothers & sisters to my g-gfather Thomas Franklin Brennan. Some kids names: Loretta; Agnes; William H. (never married); Joseph - also apparently never married.

I wrote last week about my gg-grandfather Thomas "Judge" Brennan. Thomas was b. 1828 in Ireland, came to Bangor, Maine and married Mary Guthrie on 8/13/1853. They had 4 kids in Maine - 1) John b. 1854, d, 1860; 2) Mary Ann b. 8/9/1855; 3)Thomas Franklin b. 11/29/1856; 4)Andrew Joseph b. 1/8/1859;  and #5 Ellen b. 11/22/1862 in Dubuque, Iowa.

By 1880 Mary Guthrie had died, and Thomas remarried to a Mary Butler b. 1851. Mary is the daughter of Henry Butler and Margaret Gorman, both b. Ireland. Mary herself had been married to Thomas Howard back in about 1868. Mary and Thomas Howard had 5 kids: A)Patrick Howard B)Nell Howard b. 11/2/1868;  m. John Ford in Ft. Dodge; C)Elizabeth Howard b. 3/28/1870 in Iowa, m. William Vincent Mulroney Sr. in Ft. Dodge; D)Mary "Minnie" Howard b. 5/20/1871 in Iowa, m. Michael Mitchell in Ft. Dodge; E)Theresa Howard b. 3/3/1877.

Then Thomas Brennan Sr. & Mary (Butler) Howard married about 1880, and they had seven (7) children:

1)Margaret Agnes Brennan b. 11/2/1881, m. Daniel Rhodes in Ft. Dodge, had 3 kids - Daniel, Thomas, Rachel

2)William Henry Brennan b. 11/24/1882 - never married

3)Lucy Brennan b. 5/2/1884

4)Alice Brennan b. 4/2/1886, m. John Welch in Ft. Dodge, had 3 kids - Mitchell, Joseph, Linda

5)Joseph Brennan b. 7/8/1887 - is listed in "Boys of Ft. Dodge" in WWI.

6)John Brennan b. 8/7/1889

7)Loretta Brennan b. 2/2/1895 - never married


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