Shirley Jane (Kagan) McCollough (1926 - 2023)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Shirley Jane Kagan was born in 1926 in Morristown, NJ to Whitfield Clouse Kagan (1886-1973) and Ella Gertrude Taylor (1891-1958) ^[1]. She was the tenth of eleven children, and the youngest surviving child. She was the only child in her family to be born in a hospital - the first Morristown Memorial Hospital on Morris St. in Morristown. She was baptised 12 Jun 1927, at the First Presbyterian Congregation, Mendham, Morris, New Jersey. ^[2]

Shirley was raised in Mendham, NJ, ^[3] until the family lost their home during in the depression, and they relocated from Mendham to Morristown in 1933 , then Cedar Knolls/Hanover in 1936, ^[4]and then returned to Morristown in 1943. Shirley graduated from Essex County Vocational-Technical School in 1944 and worked as a hairdresser until she left work to raise her children.

She was introduced to Joseph Walter McCollough (1921-2000) by her sister, Helen who was dating his friend. Shirley and Joe married on 17 Feb 1946, ^[5] nine days after his discharge from the United States Navy. They were married in the rectory of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Morristown. Shirley converted to Catholicism when she married Joe and the family were members of St Margaret of Scotland parish in Moirristown. They stayed with her parents on Market Street in Morristown after their marriage prior to renting their own apartment on Speedwell Ave. ^[6]

They had four children and raised their family in Morristown, NJ. They had a stormy relationship and divorced in 1968. Shirley obtained a church annulment and she never remarried.

A single mother, Shirley had to return to work. She worked first at Sears-Roebuck in Morristown, in the credit department. She then went to work for American National Bank as credit invvestigations supervisor. She worked a second job as a switchboard operator at B. Altman in Short HIlls and All Souls Hospital in Morristown. Shirley obtained a position at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company's Credit union as a branch manager. She remembered her time in San Franciso training for the position happily. Shirley excelled at the work and she loved it, remaining in that position unitil her retirement in about 1990. IN later eyars, she worked part time in area nursing homes until sh0 finally retired at the age of 80 in 2006.

She died at age 96, on 13 Jun 2023 in Richmond, IN after a short illness. She moved to Indiana to live with her daughter only six weeks before her death. Shirley was predeceased by her ten siblings; her children, Joseph Jr., Stephen, and Jeanne Alston Roberto; and her grandson, Joseph III. She is survived by one daughter Kathryn (Kevin Bastian) of Connersville, IN; five grandchildren, Martina Caldwell, Mark & Jermaine “Jay” McCollough, and Melvin & Meghan Alston; 19 great grandchildren; and seven (soon to be eight!) 2nd great grandchildren.

She is interred in the Kagan family plot at Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham, NJ, behind the church in which she was baptized.^[7]

She is among the longest-living individual in her ancestry (with the notable exception of her 5th Great Grand Uncle, "Old Henry" Francisco (1686-1820) who claimed to be 134 years old when he died!) ^[8]

DNA

• Paternal and Maternal relationships are both confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Kate McCollough and TMG, her 1st cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Whitfield Kagan and Ella Taylor, the grandparents of Kate McCollough and great grandparents of TMG. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1st cousin 1x removed, based on sharing 330 cM across 15 segments.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Shirley (Kagan) McCollough and CHH, her 3rd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Peter Vanderhoof and Elizabeth Dickerman, the great great grandparents of both Shirley (Kagan) McCollough and CHH. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 3rd Cousin, based on sharing 71 cM across 6 segments.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Kate McCollough and JC, her 3rd cousin . Their most-recent common ancestors are Adam Kagan and Elizabeth Hill, the great great grandparents of both Kate McCollough and JC. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 3rd Cousin, based on sharing 35 cM across 3 segments.

Sources

1. ↑ * Birth certificate
2. ↑ Baptism: "The First Presbyterian Congregation, Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, history and records, 1738-1938"
   Ancestry Record 15564 #297 (accessed 12 March 2022)
   baptism.
3. ↑ 1930 Census: "United States Census, 1930"
   Citing enumeration district (ED) ED 34, sheet 7B, line 64, family 176, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1373; FHL microfilm 2,341,108.
   FamilySearch (accessed 12 March 2022) Shirley J Kagan (3), single daughter, in household of Whitfield C Kagan (44) in Mendham, Morris, New Jersey, United States. Born in New Jersey.
4. ↑ 1940 Census: "1940 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1940; Census Place: Hanover, Morris, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02371; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 14-39
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2442 #135046786 (accessed 12 March 2022)
   Shirley Kagan (13), single daughter, in household of Whitfield Kagan (54) in Hanover, Morris, New Jersey. Born in New Jersey.
5. ↑ Source: S1018453412 New Jersey State Archives; Trenton, New Jersey; Marriage Indexes; Index Type: Bride; Year Range: 1946; Surname Range: A - K Note: https://vitalrecords.egov.com/CDC.VitalRecordsMVC.Web/Wizard/NJ/Municipality/SelectMunicipality Ancestry Record 61253 #991445431
6. ↑ 1949 Directory: "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #586690992 (accessed 12 March 2022)
   Name: Shirley McCollough; Gender: Female; Residence Year: 1949; Street Address: 189 Speedway av apt 2C; Residence Place: Morristown, New Jersey, USA; Spouse: Joseph McCollough; Publication Title: Morristown, New Jersey, City Directory, 1949.
7. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (no image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #255457015 (accessed 24 July 2023)
   Memorial page for Shirley Jane (Kagan) McCollough (26 Nov 1926-13 Jun 2023), citing Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey, USA; Maintained by Kathryn McCollough (contributor 51120037).
8. ↑ First-hand knowledge of her daughter, Kate McCollough