Katherine Lavelle (abt. 1873 - 1914)

Born about 1873 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Died 29 May 1914 at about age 41 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Biography for Katherine Lavelle

When Katherine Lavelle was born about 1873 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, her father, Bryan, was 29 and her mother, Mary Kennedy Lavelle, was 25. Her parents were Irish immigrants, but immigrated in 1862. Katherine was the third child born to Bryan and Mary Lavelle. She had four brothers and three sisters.

According to the 1880 Census, Katie Lavelle was 7 years old and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her father, mother, 3 brothers, and 2 sisters.

In 1910, Catherine Lavelle was 35 years old and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her sister, Agnes Gertrude Lavelle and brother-in-law, John James Lavelle (no relation), and their two daughters Mercedes Mary and Genevieve. The census taker recorded her as being either a child in the family or the sister of John Lavelle. Since she is 35, she could not possibly be a child in the family, since Agnes was the younger of the two. It is more reasonable that the census taker thought she was John's sister since they both had the same last name. However, Agnes Lavelle married John Lavelle, two totally different Lavelle families.

After a five-year illness of tuberculosis, Katie died on May 29, 1914, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of 41. According to her death certificate, Katie had been suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis for the last five years. This may explain why she was living with her sister and brother-in-law.

Another confusing item on her death certificate is the name of the informant, Mrs. Mary Kennedy of 13 Hodge Street, Pittsburgh. I am fairly certain that this should actually be Mrs. Mary Lavelle. Kennedy was Mary's maiden name, which was given as the name of her mother. So maybe whoever recorded it, just rewrote her name as Kennedy.

Sources

• Notes of Ruth Fagan Barr

• Family tree for Bryan Lavelle by Barbara Bollman June 2, 2003

• 1880 US Census--1880; (Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1093; Family History Film: 1255093; Page: 93D; Enumeration District: 130; Image: 0192)

• 1910 US Census-- 1910; (Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 15, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1304; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0479; FHL microfilm: 1375317)

• Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.