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.

Children of Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney- Catharine Part 2- Catherine's daughter- "Maggie" Byrne and her trip to America- Part I

There are many Margaret's- some nicknamed "Maggie" among Allen descendants. This story is about one of them, and dedicated to all the others!

Maggie was Catherine Allen Byrne's only daughter. She was baptized in the church at Dangan, Summerhill Parish, on April 25, 1875. The sponsors at her baptism were Catherine's brother, Edward "Ned" Allen, and Anne Byrne.

Maggie's uncle and godfather, Edward Allen, emigrated to America before 1880 and married Mary Byrne in Jerseyville in 1885. (See blog post on Edward Allen.) Shortly after his marriage, he and his bride traveled across the midwest to Pawnee County Nebraska. Peter Allen, Edward's older brother, who immigrated to America in 1881, also moved to Pawnee, Nebraska. The 1900 census shows Peter living on his own farm next to Edward's family farm. Edward, Peter, and the other Allen brothers surely sent letters home to the family in Ireland about their experiences in America.

According to a family story by one of Maggie's daughters, Owen Byrne told his oldest son and 28 year old Eugene, Maggie's half brothers, that they should emigrate to America because of the conditions and lack of employment in Ireland at the time. Two tickets were purchased, but at the last moment, the oldest son decided that he should stay. 18 year old Maggie decided to take his place. 

We can imagine Catherine's heartbreak at the thought of losing her daughter forever. The family held an "American Wake" knowing that they would likely never see Maggie or Eugene again.

After the grief of leaving their parents, siblings, and home in Ireland, the two young people must have begun their adventure with both excitement and trepidation. They had read the letters from family in America, and knew they would be meeting their Uncles "Ned" and Peter Allen, who owned farms next to each other in Plum Creek, Pawnee County, Nebraska. Eugene's information on the ship's log clearly states their destination as "Pawnee." Their plans for employment were simple; Eugene states he will do "labor" and Maggie lists she will be a "servant."

Maggie and Eugene set sail from Queenstown (Cobh) in County Cork aboard the Cunard Line's ship Lucania, heading for the port of New York. (Two other famous ships would set sail from Queenstown/Cobh- the Titanic and the Lusitania.)

The Lucania was a new ship; built only four years earlier in 1893. It was magnificent; the largest and fastest passenger liner on the ocean. The first class compartments were amazingly opulent. If you have seen the "Titanic" you can picture the level of comfort those passengers enjoyed; as well as the contrast between first class accommodations and those in steerage, where Maggie and Eugene stayed. A steerage ticket cost about $12.

The Lucania arrived in New York on April 3, 1897.

We can only imagine their feelings as they sailed through New York harbor and proceeded through immigration. We don't know how they managed to travel across the country to Nebraska. Did they stop in Illinois to see Maggie's aunt and uncles there? In any case, both Eugene and Maggie were soon on their way westward.

What awaited them there was unexpected.


Sources:

Year: 1880; Census Place: English, Jersey, Illinois; Roll: 216; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 093

Ancestry.com. Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Plum Creek, Pawnee, Nebraska; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 0131; FHL microfilm: 1240935

Year: 1897; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 672; Line: 41; Page Number: 14