Mary Josephine (Collins) Kiely (1870 - 1926)

Born 27 Oct 1870 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Ancestors

Wife of John Henry Kiely — married 19 Aug 1889 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Descendants

Died 5 Nov 1926 at age 56 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Kozeny [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Collins) Kiely Ghost Story

This story came from Esther (Piel) Kozeny, who got the story from her mother, Anastasia (Kiely) Piel.

Esther V. (Kiely) Payne delivered her son Paul Payne at the hospital by Cesarean. According to family tradition, the hospital window was left open while it rained. Esther was heavily sedated and got wet from the rain, later dying from pneumonia contracted from exposure to the rain. According to the death certificate, she died from complications related to childbirth.

Paul was a sickly baby, suffering from gastrointestinal difficulty. Esther's mother, Mary (Collins) Kiely, took care of the baby after Esther died. One night, Paul was worse than normal, so Mary stayed up that night to care for him. She fell asleep in her rocking chair. Mary heard the door open and saw Esther walk into the room. Esther said "Mom, he's just too much trouble for you, so I came to get him!" Esther picked up the baby blanket hanging on the end of the bed, wrapped Paul in the blanket, and left. Mary heard Paul choke and woke up. She grabbed the baby just in time for him to die in her arms.

The family never found the baby blanket.

Richard Kozeny

Sources

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6N3-78B : 16 August 2017), Mary Collins in household of John G Collins, St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district ED 190, sheet 167D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0730; FHL microfilm 1,254,730.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3DS-W5H : accessed 10 September 2018), Mary Kiely in household of John H Kiely, Precinct 12 St. Louis city Ward 12, St. Louis, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 249, sheet 11A, family 224, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,896.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M21P-MYS : accessed 10 September 2018), Mary J Kiely in household of John H Kiely, St Louis Ward 18, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 280, sheet 1B, family 21, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 820; FHL microfilm 1,374,833.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8ZV-BBQ : accessed 10 September 2018), Mary J Kiely in household of John H Kiely, St Louis Ward 28, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri, United States; citing ED 577, sheet 5B, line 74, family 125, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 953; FHL microfilm 1,820,953.

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 10 September 2018), memorial page for Mary Collins Kiely (27 Oct 1870–5 Nov 1926), Find A Grave Memorial no. 48091387, citing Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA ; Maintained by T.V.F.T.H. (contributor 46496806) .