Children of Richard Allen and Margaret Durney of County Meath- Catherine Part 3- Catherine's daughter- Maggie Byrne and her trip to America Part 2

When Maggie and Eugene arrived at Ellis Island in New York on April 3, 1897, Maggie was 16 years old.

By this time, trains were the main form of transportation across the United States. Did Maggie and Eugene stop at St. Louis to see the family in Jerseyville? Or did they head straight to meet her uncles in Nebraska? We don't know, but we do know what happened after they arrived in Nebraska.

Edward "Ned" Allen

Maggie had surely hoped to stay with her beloved uncle "Ned," her baptismal sponsor, who lived with his family in Burchard, Pawnee County Nebraska. But in May, Ned suffered a ruptured appendix. There was no relief from the pain, and the country doctor did not know how to treat him. Finally, realizing the appendix had to come out, the doctor attempted surgery- with no available anesthesia. The family story says that it took five men to hold Ned down as they cut into him. But the effort came too late; the infection had spread. 

He died on May 27, 1897. He was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Burchard, Pawnee County. The inscription on his grave noted that he was "Born in Summerhill Parish, Meath Co., Ireland."

His wife, Mary Bryan Allen, was left with six children. The eldest, Richard, was ten. The youngest, named Edward after his father, was only three weeks old at his death. Maggie's help was surely needed by the young widow. Peter Allen was likely living next door by then; he is shown there on the 1900 census three years later. Patrick Allen and his family were not far away.

Maggie's half brother, Eugene Byrne, found a job working on the railroads. In 1900 he was living in Fillmore, Nebraska.

Maggie, meanwhile, met a handsome young man. John Patrick Carmichael had been born in Illinois, but his family had also moved to Nebraska. In 1900, he was 28 years old, living with his family on a farm in Sherman, Gage County, Nebraska.

John Patrick Carmichael

The two were married and in 1910 were living in Lincoln, Gage County, Nebraska. Their first child, "Jane" was born in 1910.

By 1920 they moved to Omaha, where they raised their family.

Maggie Byrne Carmichael seated on right

The 1940 census shows the family at 1725 S. 28th St. Omaha. John was 68, Maggie 61. Two children were still living at home; Robert 21 and Virginia 13.

This census shows us that Maggie completed the 7th grade in school

Year: 1940; Census Place: Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; Roll: m-t0627-02272; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 94-114

John Carmichael died in 1945. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska.

Maggie Byrne Carmichael died in 1951 and was buried next to her husband.

Their children were:

Genieve "Jane" b July 16, 1910 Nebraska died July 1975 Omaha Nebraska.

Eugene J. b 1912 Beatrice Nebraska died July 19, 1916 Marshall Co., Kansas buried St. Bridget Cemetery, Axtell, Marshall Co., Kansas. (about 3-4 yrs old)

Catherine b Aug 13, 1915 Kansas,  married Clifford Kizzier in 1938 in  Omaha,  died Feb 23, 1998, Rapid City, South Dakota

Robert b Oct 28, 1917 Axtel, Kansas. Served in the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment in WWII, serving in France.  Robert married Julia Mae DeVaughn in 1948 in Omaha. He died Aug 31, 2000, Omaha, Nebraska and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Omaha.

Virginia b Aug 26, 1926 Omaha, Neb. married Lumir Pinker. Died Feb 21, 2020.