Mary (Fitzgerald) Blake (abt. 1823 - 1926)

Born about 1823 in County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Died 17 Aug 1926 at about age 103 in Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: K OBrien [send private message]

Biography

Mary, daughter of William Fitzgerald and Ann Harrigan, between 1823 and 1824 in County Cork, Ireland. The family apparently lost track of some of their birthdates and ages. In a 1925 article of Mary reaching the age of 100 years on 1 January 1926, her brother Michael said: "she is 101 or 102. He declares that he is 100 years old, maintains his sister is older than himself and that she is mistaken as to her own age. Mr. Fitzgerald says his parents came to America in 1830, when he was 5 years old and that makes him a centenarian, his birthday having been observed Nov. 1, 1925. Mrs. Bake, he says, is at least one year older than himself an relatives of the family express the belief that she will be 101, instead of 100, as she and her son and daughter have maintained and announced. Mrs. Blake was born in County Cork, Ireland and said she was 7 years old when her father, Maurice Fitzgerald, came to Canada... "^[1]

Regarding their immigration to American, Mary Blake "recalls that there was a great deal of crying among the women when they left and that the boat was large and that passage took a great deal of time." Mary Blake "came to America when seven years old."^[2][3] "Their first home was in America was in New Brunswick,Can., where she grew to young womanhood."^[1]

In 1855, after her marriage to James Blake, the couple and her parents moved to Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin. "Mr. Blake served as alderman for seven years and later was corner. He died June 22, 1884."^[1]

Mary (Fitzgerald_Blake

Marriage and Children

Married: On 4 February 1846, Mary married James Blake in Northumberland, New Brunswick.^[4] This was inaccurately reported in the "Oshkosh Northwestern" as 5 February 1845. The marriage record, however, reads:

On the fourth day of February eighteen hundred and forty six by ? James Blake and Mary Fitzgerald natives of Ireland were married according to the rites of the Catholic church by me the undersigned missionary.

Children:

1. Ellen Cecelia (1845-1924). Married Joseph P. Kavanaugh.
2. Mary Ellen (1848-1933). Married James Verran.
3. Catherine (1850-1939). Married John C. Fleming.
4. Matilda (1853-1855) Her mother "...would also recall burying her own infant daughter [Matilda] at sea off the coast of Nova Scotia, in 1855, on the first leg of the journey from the port of Newcastle to Wisconsin."^[3]
5. Thomas (1855-1927)
6. Matilda (1858- 1949). Married Harlan Page Hatch.
7. Elizabeth (1857-1892)
8. Margaret (1861-1946). Married Samuel S. Patterson.

Death and Burial

Death: Mary died on 17 October 1926 in Oshkosh.

Obituary: Mary's obituary, in part, reads: "Death took one of the city's oldest pioneers when Mrs. Mary Blake passed away at the home of her son, Thomas Blake, 14 School street, at 5:30 o'clock Tuesday afternoon....Although suffering from rheumatism at times Mrs. Blake was in general good health and was able to be about up to the time of her death....General debility was given as the cause of death. The funeral will be held Friday morning at 9 o'clock from St. Peters church, Rev. M. H. Clifford officiating. Deceased was an active member of the Altar society of St. Peter's church. Interment will be at Riverside cemetery."^[5]

Burial: She was buried on 20 August 1926 next to her husband, James Blake, at Riverside Cemetery in Oshkosh.^[6]

Birth year wrong on tombstone.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "The Oshkosh Northwestern," 26 December 1925, Page 16.
2. ↑ King Joseph A., "The Irish Lumberman-Farmer: Fitzgeralds, Harrigans and Others," Page 50.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} King Joseph A., "The Irish Lumberman-Farmer: Fitzgeralds, Harrigans and Others," Page 60.
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. New Brunswick, Canada, Marriages, 1789-1950 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. Marriage Record.
5. ↑ "The Oshkosh Northwestern, Wednesday, 18 August 1926, Page 4.
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #168722630