Wallace James Kanalley (1902 - 1977)

Born 5 Jan 1902 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Son of James Kanalley and Mary Ann (Wallace) Kanalley

Husband of Mildred Agnes (McQuaid) Kanalley — married 3 Nov 1930 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Dec 1977 at age 75 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Craig Kanalley [send private message]

Biography

Wallace James Kanalley was born on 5 January 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio^[1] to Canadian-born parents James Kanalley and Mary Wallace. He was the eldest of five children, the only one born in the United States. His parents returned to Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, where they lived previously, shortly after he was born.

According to Wallace's sister Marlene, their maternal grandfather Andrew Wallace did not approve of the marriage, so their parents "ran away" to Cleveland to marry anyway. This is documented further in a book by Wallace's great-grandson based on interviews with Marlene, other older relatives and extensive research^[2].

Wallace is recorded with his parents and four sisters on the 1911 Canadian census living in Cobourg, Northumberland Co, Ontario^[3].

He spent a brief time as a young man in Chicago, Illinois, where he had relatives through his maternal grandmother. Her brother James Bulger had settled in Chicago.

After the death of his father in Canada in 1923, he and his siblings moved with their mother to the United States permanently. They ultimately settled in Buffalo, NY. His mother remarried to a man named Nicholas Jacoby of North Java, Wyoming Co, NY.

In November 1930 in Buffalo, NY, Wallace married the former Mildred McQuaid, a native of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They had the following children together:

1. Dolores Marlene b. 1930
2. Kenneth Wallace b. 1932
3. Joseph James b. 1945
4. James Michael b. 1954

Wallace and Mildred appear in the 1940 U.S. Census living at 444 Dearborn St. in Buffalo with two children^[4].

An avid ice hockey fan, Wallace attended Game 4 of the 1947 Stanley Cup Finals at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, a game which the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Syl Apps; he went to the game with his brother-in-law Ray McQuaid and nephew Jim McQuaid, per an article in the Buffalo Courier Express on April 17, 1947^[5]. That gave the Leafs a commanding 3-1 series lead and they did win the Stanley Cup that year in Game 6.

Wallace and Mildred moved their family to Lockport, Niagara Co, NY in the late 1950s. One of their sons says they made the move because they could afford to buy their own home, and previously they had rented^[6]. The address was 39 Park Place.

Wallace was a steeplejack by trade. He was once stuck on a chimney for many hours and it received national news attention, but survived the incident. In the 1960s, he lost his son Joey to an accident while on the job.

He passed away on 26 December 1977 in Buffalo, New York. He was buried at Cold Springs Cemetery in Lockport, Niagara Co, New York.^[7]

DNA

One of Wallace's children and eight of his grandchildren DNA tested. Three of his nieces also DNA tested, each of them through a different sister. These tests provided quick verification on his parents^[8], as well as his paternal grandparents^[9] and maternal grandparents^[10].

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X6MN-HBV : 8 March 2021), James Wallace Canaley, 1902.
2. ↑ Kanalley, Craig. Wallace Wounded. Lulu.com, 2016. ISBN 9781365065736
3. ↑ 1911 Canada Census, "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9Y-MFVF : accessed 4 January 2022.), James Keneley Family, 1911; citing Census, Northumberland West Sub-Districts 20-29, Ontario, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,418,513.

   Canada Census, 1911

   Northumberland West, Ontario, Canada, Coburg

   S. District No. 2, Enumeration District No. 1

   Census Date: June 2-6, 1911 Household Role Birthdate Birthplace Religion Occupation Keneley, James Head Apr 1869 Ontario R.Catholic Painter (for a contractor) Mary Wife Jan 1878 Ontario R.Catholic - Wallace Son Jan 1902 U.S. R.Catholic - Catharine Daughter Nov 1904 Ontario R.Catholic - Margery Daughter Apr 1907 Ontario R.Catholic - Marline Daughter Mar 1909 Ontario R.Catholic - Ann Daughter Feb 1911 Ontario R.Catholic -

4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ35-NMR : accessed 18 December 2021), Wallace Kanalley, Ward 21, Buffalo, Buffalo City, Erie, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 64-460, sheet 8B, line 53, family 188, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2837.

   1940 United States Federal Census

   New York, Erie, Buffalo City, Ward 21

   Address: 444 Dearborn Street, Household #188

   Census Date: April 12, 1940 Household Role Sex Age Birthplace Occupation Kanalley, Wallace Head Male 36 Ohio Wheelsman (Navigation) Mildred Wife Female 27 Canada Eng. - Dolores Daughter Female 9 New York - Kenneth Son Male 7 New York -

5. ↑ Buffalo Courier Express, Thursday, April 17, 1947. Pg. 23. Leger, McKay Thrill Bison Fans at Game. "Among the Buffalonians we noted at the game: Ray McQuaid .. Wally Kanalley, Jim McQuaid..."
6. ↑ Personal recollections of KK, son of Wallace and Mildred, shared with his grandnephew Craig Kanalley in an interview in 2022.
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188211227/wallace-james-kanalley : accessed 18 December 2021), memorial page for Wallace James Kanalley (5 Jan 1902–26 Dec 1977), Find a Grave Memorial ID 188211227, citing Cold Springs Cemetery, Lockport, Niagara County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Jen Niethe (contributor 49186528).
8. ↑ * Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by a GEDmatch test match between his great-grandson Craig Kanalley GEDmatch T733730 and his niece (sister's daughter) AH. Their most-recent common ancestors are Wallace's parents James Kanalley and Mary Wallace. Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 2.5, based on sharing 438.9 cM across 19 shared segments. (Actual relationship: 1C2R)
9. ↑ ↑ * Paternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between his son Jim and Jim's 2nd cousin RP. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great-grandparents, Thomas Kennelly and Rose Flynn, as RP is the grandson of another child, Isabella. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1st - 2nd Cousin, based on sharing 479 cM across 16 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.
10. ↑ * Maternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between his son Jim Kanalley and his 1st cousin BJ (1st cousin, 1x removed to Jim). Their most-recent common ancestors are Andrew Wallace and Catherine Bulger, grandparents of BJ. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: Close Family, based on sharing 351 cM across 18 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.

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