Patrick Joseph Breen (1850 - 1932)

Born 10 May 1850 in Port Henry, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Jane (Mullen) Breen — married 1 Jun 1880 in Green Isle, Minnesota

Died 15 Feb 1932 at age 81 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Patrick Breen has Irish ancestors.

Biography

Patrick Joseph was born in Port Henry, New York, two years to the day after his older sister Bridget.^[1] The family moved to Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin, when he was a child. ^[2]When he was 20, he was working on the family farm.^[3]. He was 24 years old when his father died, and was administrator of his father's estate.

In 1877, he moved with his mother and brother and sisters to Freeborn County, Minnesota,^[4] to teach, and two years later to Stevens County in West Central Minnesota. (The obituary of his sister has a different chronology indicating the family lived in Minneapolis before moving to Stevens County.^[5]). By 1880, he was living with his mother and three younger siblings farming in Moore Township, in Stevens County.^[6] He served as clerk of School District 31, which was organized June 15, 1880. The school was located at the southeast corner of section 9 in Moore Township.^[7]

Watertown, Minnesota

By 1882, P. J. had moved to Watertown, in Carver County, Minnesota where he was principal of the school. (He may have taught in Sibley County before taking the post in Carver County.^[8]) He organized a teacher's meeting in the area, and both he and his sister Mary Agnes were to give presentations at the next meeting of the group^[9] P. J. had married Mary Jane Mullen^[10][11] of Sibley County, Minnesota, and he and his wife Mary had daughter also named Mary.^[12]In 1883, at the county Democratic Party convention, P. J. was nominated for endorsement as the Democratic candidate for county Superintendent of Schools, but was defeated by the incumbent superintendent.^[13]Also, that year, P. J. had begun construction of a new house in the northeast section of town, near Winsted Road.^[14] P. J. and his wife and sister were all involved in the Watertown Literary Society that was organized in November 1885, with plans to meet every Saturday night. P.J.'s role in the first meeting was as one of three men arguing in the negative that "the printing press has done more for mankind than steam power."^[15]

The Breens second child, a son, was born in February 1886.^[16] Two years later, the family dealt with the death of their oldest child, daughter Mary.^[17]

Minneapolis

The family moved to Minneapolis about 1888, where Patrick took a teaching position and the family lived at 2126 Willow Ave. North.^[18] The Minneapolis City Directory next two years, he is listed as a contractor, and in 1891, he is again listed as a teacher, but at 2115 Willow Ave. Then in 1892, he is listed incorrectly as Peter J. Breen, in the insurance business, living at 2205 Queen Ave. No. By 1895, the state census confirms he has gone into the insurance business, and lists his growing family including Joseph, 9, J.R. (Genevieve Rose) 5, and Emma 2.^[19]

P.J. got involved in Hennepin County politics. In 1892, he was named to the Hennepin Co. Third Ward district committee, and two years later, was nominated as the Democratic candidate for county Superintendent of Schools. In a September 25, 1894 Political Gossip column in the St. Paul Global Daily newspaper, P. J. Breen is reported as saying he is not withdrawing from the Superintendent’s race in favor of the Populist candidate.^[20] It appears his candidacy was unsuccessful.

In 1897, the Minneapolis City directory has P.J.’s insurance business at 515 Temple Court, and his residence at 2509 Thomas Ave. In 1900, the family moved to 2223 Russell Ave. North where they lived for many years. In the 1900 census, the three children, are listed as Joseph, age 14, Genevieve (Rose) 10, and Josephine, 7.^[21][22] He continued to be listed in the insurance business at 525 Temple Court, in Minneapolis for a number of years.

Death

P. J. died in Minneapolis when he was nearly 82 years old^[23] A short obituary appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune, noting he was survived by his wife, one daughter Genevieve, and his sister, Sarah McGowan of Appleton, Minn.^[24] He is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery, in Minneapolis.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZ9R-4WS : accessed 08 May 2014), Joseph Breen in household of Sarah Breen, Moore, Stevens, Minnesota, United States; citing sheet 193B, NARA microfilm publication T9.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWMP-58N : accessed 7 May 2015), Patrick Braine in household of Daniel Braine, Fort Winnebago, Columbia, Wisconsin, United States; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing p. 90, household ID 628, NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 805,401.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11607-109718-62?cc=1438024 : accessed 7 May 2015), Wisconsin > Columbia > Fort Winnebago > image 1 of 18; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ "Patrick J. Breen," Minneapolis Tribune, Wednesday, February 17, 1932, p. 8, col. 2.
5. ↑ From "Mother and Her Wealth of friendships, memorial booklet published at the time of Sarah Breen McGowan's death, Dec. 1934
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZ9R-4WS : accessed 08 May 2014), Joseph Breen in household of Sarah Breen, Moore, Stevens, Minnesota, United States; citing sheet 193B, NARA microfilm publication T9.
7. ↑ Edna Mae Busch, History of Stevens County, 1976.
8. ↑ Death notice in his wife's local newspaper, "Assumption," Weekly Valley Herald, Mar 3, 1932, p 11, col 6.
9. ↑ "Teachers Meeting," Weekly Valley Herald, Chaska, Minnesota, December 28, 1882, p. 1.
10. ↑ "Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2M5-YNHY : 13 June 2016), Patrick Joseph Breen and Mary Jane Mullen, 1880.
11. ↑ "Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MR-MQVS : 13 June 2016), Patrick Joseph Breen and Mary Jane Mullen, 1884.
12. ↑ "Minnesota, State Census, 1885," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11565-27122-12?cc=1503044 : accessed 08 May 2014), Carver > Watertown > image 17 of 20; citing State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
13. ↑ "Democratic County Convention," Weekly Valley Herald, Chaska, Minnesota September 27, 1883, p. 1.
14. ↑ "Watertown Items," Weekly Valley Standard, Chaska, Minnesota, May 17, 1883, p. 4.
15. ↑ "Watertown," Weekly Valley Herald, Chaska, Minnesota, November 12, 1885, p. 4.
16. ↑ "Watertown," Weekly Valley Herald, Chaska, Minnesota, February 11, 1886, p. 4.
17. ↑ "Minnesota Death Records, 1866-1916," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP69-3VB : accessed 16 October 2015), Mary Agnes Breen, 16 Sep 1888; citing Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, , Public Health Center, St. Paul; FHL microfilm 1,499,009.
18. ↑ Minneapolis, Minnesota, City Directory, 1888, p. 316.
19. ↑ "Minnesota, State Census, 1895," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12142-122984-23?cc=1503031 : accessed 08 May 2014), Hennepin County > Minneapolis city, Ward 03 > image 194 of 856; citing State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
20. ↑ "Minneapolis Political Gossip," St. Paul Daily Globe, September 25, 1894, p. 3.
21. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9S6-MBT : accessed 16 October 2015), Joseph Breece in household of Joseph Breece, Election Districts 6-7 Minneapolis city Ward 3, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States; citing sheet 5A, family 87, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,766.
22. ↑ "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPSY-B3C : accessed 16 October 2015), Patrick Joseph Breen, Minneapolis, Ward Number: 03, Hennepin, Minnesota; citing p. 309, line 19, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 928,781.
23. ↑ "Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V4CG-F9P : accessed 08 May 2014), Patrick J. Breen, 15 Feb 1932; citing "Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002," Ancestry.com; Hennepin, Minnesota, record 610184, certificate number 017808, Department of Health, Minneapolis.
24. ↑ Minneapolis Tribune, Wednesday, February 17, 1932, p. 8, col. 2.