Mary (Burns) Leonard (1844 - 1919)

Born May 1844 in Ireland

Descendants

Died 24 Dec 1919 at age 75 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ryan Dvorak [send private message]

Biography

Born in Ireland May 1844. Immigrated to US in 1861. Married in 1864. Died 1920 in Niles, MI.

A 17 year-old Mary Byrne is listed a passenger arriving on the ship "Constellation" in the Port of New York from Liverpool on September 16, 1861. She is listed as a servant and travelled in a second class cabin (not steerage).

The 1880 Census shows Mary and her husband Michael living at 144 Cedar St., in Niles, MI. He was employed as a "laborer." Both Michael and Mary are listed as having been born in Ireland, along with both of Mary's parents and Michael's mother. Michael's father is listed as having been born in England. Their children at home were Nellie (14), Maggie (12), Mary (10), Annie (8), Thomas J. (6), Edward (4), and Katie (1). The eldest child is listed as being born in New York, the rest are all shown to have been born in Michigan.

The 1900 Census has Michael and Mary's family living across town at 1199 Broadway, Niles, MI - a house which he owns free of a mortgage. Michael is listed as a brick mason, and the children at home are Thomas (25 b. 8/1874), Edward J. (23 b.2/1877), and James P. (18 b.9/1881). Michael's birth date of November 1844 is given along with a date of May 1844 for Mary. Michael is listed as having immigrated in 1862, and having filed papers for naturalization. Mary is listed as immigrating in 1861. They have been married for 36 years. All of Michael's and Mary's parents are said to have been born in Ireland.

By the 1910 Census, Michael and Mary are 64 and 65, and both will be dead within two years. Their sons Thomas (35), Ned (33), and James (28) are still living with them. Michael is still a brick mason, and the two oldest boys are working as butchers in a market. James, the youngest, is employed as a "general soliciting agent." On this census, both Michael and Mary's birthplaces, as well as all their parents are listed as "Ire-English." (meaning, on this census, place of birth: Ireland, mother tongue: English). Mary still claims 1861 as her immigration date, but Michael's has changed from 1862 to 1863. But he is now listed as a Naturalized US citizen.

At the time of his death in 1912, Michael's occupation was listed as "mason," and he was widowed. However, Mary's gravestone says she died in 1920.

Years later, in the death records of their daughters Catherine and Anastasia, Michael was said to have been born in Manchester England, and their mother in Dublin, Ireland. Mary was also said to have been an interior decorator in Niles. Her name was also spelled differently, as "Burne," and "Byrne."

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Niles Daily Star-Sun, 26 December 1919

Death Claims Mrs. Leonard

Mrs. Mary Leonard, aged 76 years, died in Chicago Wednesday morning. Mrs. Leonard had been failing for a few months, but recently suffered a collapse which was the immediate cause of her death.

She is survived by three sons, Tom and Edward Leonard of Niles, James of Grand Rapids, and four daughters, Misses Anna and Miss Catherine Leonard of Chicago, Mrs. John Ponfret, Potiac Mich., and Mrs. J. E. Conley, Marshall, Mich.

The body was brought to Niles and is at the home of her son, Thomas Leonard, 905 north Sixth Street.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock from St. Mary’s church. Burial will occur at Calvary cemetery.^[1]

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(have also seen references in other trees to Mary being born to John Kenny and Nellie Burns of Ireland - needs more research)

Sources

1. ↑ "Death Claims Mrs. Leonard," Niles Daily Star-Sun, 26 December 1919.

• "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV33-C9K7 : 15 April 2015), Mary Byrne, 1861; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm .

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW9T-H9D : accessed 24 March 2016), Michael Leonard, Niles, Berrien, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 14, sheet 278B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0572; FHL microfilm 1,254,572.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M91L-7ZT : accessed 23 March 2016), Michael Leonard, Niles city Ward 1-2, Berrien, Michigan, United States; citing sheet 1B, family 402, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,703.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLPN-VPV : accessed 23 March 2016), Michael Leonard, Niles Ward 2, Berrien, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 80, sheet 7B, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,651.

• "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHZV-HJ9 : accessed 23 March 2016), Michael Leonard, 02 Apr 1912; citing Niles City, Berrien, Michigan, reference v C p 309; FHL microfilm 945,407.

• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ8G-5SR : accessed 24 March 2016), Michael Leonard in entry for Catherine Leonard, 27 Apr 1931; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,892,959.

• "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHCV-2P2 : accessed 24 March 2016), Michael Leonard in entry for Anastasia Leonard, 03 Apr 1947; citing Niles, Berrien, Michigan, reference 10; FHL microfilm 1,954,926.

• Margaret Braunsdorf obituary: accessed 03/22/2016

• "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ32-T4K : accessed 16 March 2016), Walter Braursdorf and Margaret Leonard, 08 Sep 1897; citing Niles, Berrien, Michigan, v 1 p 255 rn 275, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,506.

• "Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNKR-26R : accessed 16 March 2016), Walter Bramusdorf and Margaret Leonard, 08 Sep 1897; citing Berrien, Michigan, various archives, Michigan; FHL microfilm 2,240,533.

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVL9-4S88 : 13 December 2015), Mary Leonard, ; Burial, Niles, Berrien, Michigan, United States of America, Calvary Cemetery; citing record ID 86277491, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.