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Information on my great great grandparents. Mary Galligan born 1827 in county cavan and Terrence Commerford born 1817 in county kildare. Mary's father was Farrell Galligan born 1785 in county cavan. Both Mary and Farrell emigrated to Reilly Ridge Iowa and are buried there.

I am wondering what year Mary and her father emigrated and if Mary married Terrence while in Ireland on later in Iowa.

Tuesday 29th Apr 2014, 11:24PM

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  • Wednesday 30th Apr 2014, 12:49AM
  • Thank you. That probably is Farrell, but Mary the daughter was not born until 1827. I found this article about Chickasaw County Iowa, which indicates Terrence and Mary were married in Wisconsin between 1850-1854.

    Source: History of Chickasaw and Howard Co (1919), Vol II, pages 368 - 373

    P. J. COMMERFORD
    Parents - Terrence and Mary (Galligan) Commerford

    P. J. Commerford, who is engaged in general merchandising at Jerico, Chickasaw County, has for the past fifteen years served as treasurer of the Jerico Creamery Association and throughout his life has been active and influential factor in the business development of his section of the state.

    He was born in Chickasaw County, March 24, 1859, and is a son of Terrence and Mary ( Galligan) Commerford, who were natives of Ireland. They were married, however, in Wisconsin, both having come with their respective families to the new world in early life, the father arriving in 1849 and the mother in 1850. They continued their residence in Wisconsin until 1854 and then removed to Iowa, settling in Utica Township, Chickasaw Co., at which period the homes in the township were widely scattered, the inhabitants being very few in number. Terrence Commerford homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, whereon he built a log cabin and this continued to be the family residence for a number of years. He did his marketing in and hauled his grain to McGregor by ox team. It required a week to make the trip. The family shared in all the hardships and privations incident to settlement upon the frontier and the father performed the arduous task of developing the wild land and converting it into a good farm. As the years passed he prospered and after some time be built a modern home and became owner of one of the well improved farm properties of his township. He also extended the boundaries of his place by additional purchase until he had two hundred and forty acres of land, of which he afterward donated fifteen acres to the Catholic church, and upon that tract has been erected the present handsome church edifice that now stands at Riley Ridge. Mr. Terrence Commerford died at the comparative early age of fifty-four years, while his wife reached the very advanced age of eighty-five years.

    Wednesday 30th Apr 2014, 11:36PM
  • I wasn't suggesting that the 30 year old Mary was the person you were searching but merely that this Mary might have been her mother. The census was 1821 so Mary was not yet born. I was more interested to see if you thought the first names ran in your family which might give you a lead..

    Happy researching.

    Thursday 1st May 2014, 02:58AM

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