Frank Allen Part 3- The interesting 1912 will of Mary Durney Allen Fahey (3rd and last wife of Frank Allen)

In 1912, Mary Durney Allen Fahey wrote her will. She named her nephew, Hugh Allen, (my great grandfather) as her executor.

Probate Records; Author: Illinois. County Court (Jersey County); Probate Place: Jersey, Illinois

 Probate Records, Vol D-G, 1901-1922

This will is significant for our Durney genealogy. We very limited Parish baptismal records for this family from Ireland to prove relationships. But here Mary notes her relationship with nieces and nephews in the community. They are listed as:

John Powers- nephew, East St. Louis (son of Bridget Durney Powers who died in 1905)

Laurence Powers

Katie Powers

Priscilla Powers

Anthony Powers

Josephine Powers

Cora Powers

grandnephews and nieces, Jerseyville, Illinois (children of James "Shug" Powers who died in 1907/grandchildren of Bridget Durney)

John Durney

William Durney

Richard Durney

Annie Durney

Michael Durney

Nephews and nieces, address unknown (children of Thomas Durney)

Bird Powers

Mary Powers

grandnieces address unknown

Thomas Durney

John Durney

James Durney

Mary A. Herget

Anna Schlagel

grandnephews and nieces address unknown (children of Michael Durney)

and Bridget Fitzgerald - Jerseyville Illinois (daughter Michael Durney)

Richard Allen

Margaret Allen

Rose Allen

Thomas Allen

Hugh Allen

nephews and nieces- Jerseyville Illinois (children of Margaret Durney Allen who died in 1884)

So- despite the lack of baptismal records, here we have a document connecting Mary Durney, Bridget Durney, Thomas Durney, Michael Durney, and Margaret Durney as siblings.

Here is another interesting thing about the will. Despite naming 24 heirs to her estate, including those she had no idea of where they might live, Mary left out one very important person.

She left out her stepdaughter, Delia Allen Aylward, who she raised from the age of seven. Family histories note that Delia's children visited Mary, and referred to her as grandma. Delia received nothing from her father's estate. But she sat with her step-mother as she lay dying. Here is a note she wrote to her eldest son, Frank.

From the book of Jody Allen

Next Post- The remarkable story of Delia Allen Aylward.