Merry Christmas

Wordless Wednesday Mount Moriah

Kansas City MO

Have Irishman...Need family

Martin John Conlin walked the earth for 68 years, 46 of those were in the United States. The first 22 years were in Roscommon Ireland and it is information from those years that I seek.

I have a Declaration of Naturalization and a marriage record that places Martin in Cuyahoga County Ohio from about 1852 to 1856. I have census records that place Martin in Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri in 1860. The remainder of Martins life is spent in Linn County Missouri where he rests today in St. Michael's Cemetery in Brookfield.

The Last Will & Testament of Martin gives little information, everything is left to his wife, Ellen McGowan, whom he married in 1856 in Cleveland, Ohio. Martin's obituary states that he was one of the oldest residents of Brookfield and that he worked for the railroad. In all the accumulated documents and family stories passed down, there is no mention of Martin's family in Roscommon. There is no mention of parents, brothers or sisters. Without a family to tie him to how do I find the right Martin Conlin born in December 1828 in Roscommon Ireland?

My first step will be to search for other possible records that may have been created during Martin's life in the United States. Church records, land records and his Declaration of Intent to become a US citizen are first on my list to search. The next items that may shed some light are documents of Martin's descendants. Martin had three sons and one daughter, John, Thomas, Michael and Mary Ellen. While I have some information on each, there is still more to be found.

I have an Irishman and I would like to reconnect him to his family.

Blog Caroling - Celebrate Me Home

Following footnoteMaven's lead, here is my blog caroling post.

Merry Christmas!


Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins

Home for the holidays
I believe I've missed each and every face
Come on and play my music
Let's turn on every love light in the place

It's time I found myself
Totally surrounded in your circles
Whoa, my friends

Please, celebrate me home
Give me a number,
Please, celebrate me home
Play me one more song
That I'll always remember
And I can recall
Whenever I find myself all alone
I can sing me home

Uneasy highway
Travelin where the Westerly winds can fly
Somebody tried to tell me
But the men forgot to tell me why

I gotta count on being gone
Come on woman, come on daddy
Be what you want from me
I'm this strong I'll be weak

Please, celebrate me home
Give me a number
Please, celebrate me home
Play me one more song
That I'll always remember
I can recall
Whenever I find myself too all alone
I can make believe I've never gone
I never know where I belong
Sing me home

Please, celebrate me home
Give me a number
Please, celebrate me home
Play me one more song

Celebrate, Celebrate
Celebrate, Celebrate
Celebrate, Celebrate
Celebrate me home

Please, celebrate me home
Please, celebrate me home
Well I'm finally here
But I'm bound to roam
Come on celebrate me home
Well I'm finally here
But I'm bound to roam
Come on celebrate me home
Well I'm finally here
But I'm bound to roam
Come on celebrate me home
Please, celebrate me home
Please, celebrate me home
Please, celebrate me home
Please, celebrate me home

Tombstone Tuesday Willis

Calvin M Willis husband to Sarah L. Merys
B: Nov 16, 1875
D: June 2, 1956
Mount Mariah, Kansas City, MO

At the center of the stone the image appears to be a hand holding a brick. Surrounding that image are the words Branch No. 30 Kansas City MO.

Wordless Wednesday Seattle