Mary Boylan (Rowan) McGraw (1882 - 1939)

Born 25 Feb 1882 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Henry Joseph (Horner) McGraw — married 25 Oct 1905 in Delaware, Delaware Co., Ohio, USA

Descendants

Died 28 Jan 1939 at age 56 in Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, USA

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Mary (Rowan) McGraw was born in Scotland.

Biography

Mary Boylan Rowan was born 25 February 1882 in Hamilton, Scotland. She was the daughter of Michael Rowan and Margaret Gibbons. ^[1]

She arrived from Liverpool, with her mother and siblings, Ellen and Dennis, in New York in July 1883 on the SS Spain.^[2] The 1900 census record had indicated they arrived in May 1882 -- this corresponds to a family story handed down that Mary was only 6 weeks old during the journey and had stopped moving and was almost thrown overboard. Having only seen the extract of her birth record, perhaps the original birth record reflects 1883 or the family story is off and Mary was 15 months old not six weeks.

The Rowans settled in Delaware, Ohio by 1884. Mary's father worked on the railroad. In her teenage years, Mary worked as a cigar maker (per 1900 census). The Rowans lived on Reid St not far from the railroad station and St Mary's Church.

1900 census -- Delaware, Delaware Co., Ohio, USA

Michael Rowan, head, white, male, born Dec 1856, age 43, married, 23 years, born in Ireland, father born in Ireland, mother born in Ireland, immigrated 1882, 17 years in US, naturalized, day laborer, can read write and speak English, own mortgaged house; Margaret Rowan, wife, white, female, born Nov 1859, age 40, married, 23 years, 8 children/5 living, born in Scotland, father born in Scotland, mother born in Scotland, immigrated 1882, 17 years in US, can read write and speak English, no occupation; Nellie Rowan, daughter, white, female, born Aug 1878, age 21, single, born in Scotland, father born in Ireland, mother born in Scotland, immigrated 1882, 17 years in US, cigar maker, can read write and speak English; Dennis Rowan, son, white, male, born in August 1879, age 20, single, born in Scotland, father born in Ireland, mother born in Scotland, immigrated 1882, 17 years in US, naturalized, can read write and speak English, RR Switch Tender; Mary Rowan, daughter, white, female, born Feb 1882, age 18, single, born in Scotland, father born in Ireland, mother born in Scotland, immigrated 1882, 17 years in US, cigar maker, can read write and speak English; Agness Rowan, daughter, white, female, born July 1884, age 15, single, born in Ohio, father born in Ireland, mother born in Scotland, in school, can read write and speak English; Ruth Rowan, daughter, white, female, born Apr 1891, age 9, single, born Ohio, father born in Ireland, mother born in Scotland, in school, can read write and speak English.^[3]

She married Henry McGraw 25 Oct 1905 in Delaware, Ohio.^[4]Another story passed down was that Mary would borrow a friend's yellow dress and wear it to meet her future husband, Henry. Henry worked the Cleveland - Cincinnati line. After they married, they settled one street over (Chamberlain) from Mary's parents. Mary's uncle, Anthony Rowan, lived with the family until his death in the late 1930s.

1910 census - Delaware, Delaware Co., Ohio, USA

Henry McGraw, head, male, white, age 27, married once for 4 years, born in Ohio, father Irish, mother Irish, speaks English, Conductor at Railroad Station, able to read and write, owns mortgaged house; Mary McGraw, wife, female, white, age 26, married once for 4 years, 2 children/2 living, born Scot English, father Irish, mother Scot Irish, emigrated 1884, speaks English, no occupation, can read and write; George McGraw, son, male, white, age 3, single, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother Scot English; Elnor McGraw, daughter, female, white, age 2, single, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother Scot English; Anthony Rowan, uncle, male, white, age 46, single, Irish, father Irish, mother Irish, emigrated 1889, naturalized, speaks English, laborer section railroad, can read and write.^[5]

Sometime after 1910, the Rowans moved to Columbus. They initially lived in Flytown on Marshall Avenue (now Hubbard), then Drexel Avenue (East side), and finally Northridge Rd in Clintonville.

1920 census - Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, USA

Henry McGraw, head, rent, male, white, age 38, married, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, Conductor Steam Railway; Mary McGraw, wife, female, white, age 34, married, emigrated 1887, naturalized 1904, can read and write, born in Scotland (Scotch), father born in Ireland (English), mother born In Scotland (Scotch), no occupation; George McGraw, son, male, white, age 13, single, attended school, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Scotland (Scotch); Elinor McGraw, daughter, female, white, age 11, single, attended school, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Scotland (Scotch); Anthony Rowan, lodger, male, white, age 54, single, emigrated 1891, naturalized 1900, can read and write, born in Ireland (English), father born in Ireland (English), mother born in Ireland (English), Laborer Steel Works^[6]

1930 census - Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, USA

Henry J McGraw, head, rent $45, male, white, age 49, first married at age 26, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Northern Ireland, mother born in Northern Ireland, conductor railroad; Mary McGraw, wife, male, white, age 45, first married at age 22, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Scotland, mother born in Scotland, no occupation; Elanor R McGraw, daughter, female, white, age 21, single, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, Stenographer @Telephone Co.; Anthony Rowan, uncle, male, white, age 63, single, can read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Northern Ireland, mother born in Northern Ireland, Laborer Railroad^[7]

In late 1938, Mary was diagnosed with uterine cancer and scheduled a hysterectomy for late January 1939. Mary suffered a cerebral embolism just after the surgery and died 27 January 1939. ^[8] Sadly, this happened one day before her grandson, Charles' first birthday. She is buried in St Mary Cemetery (Oak Grove) in Delaware, Ohio.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Scotland General Register Office, New Register Office, Edinburgh, extract of am entry in a Register of Births, 1446999 (1882), Mary Rowan; n/a; ordered and received from the General Record Officce 10 May 1996
2. ↑ "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVSJ-KVY9 : 12 March 2018), Mary Rowan, 1883; citing NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMZ7-W9M : accessed 12 July 2015), Mary L Rowan in household of Michael Rowan, Delaware Township Delaware City Ward 5, Delaware, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 10A, family 227, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,263.
4. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZ5F-TJC : accessed 12 July 2015), Henry J. Mcgraw and Mary Rowan, 25 Oct 1905; citing Delaware, Ohio, United States, reference p 220 c 433; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 391,400.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLXY-7LS : accessed 12 July 2015), Mary Mc Graw in household of Henry Mc Graw, Delaware Ward 4, Delaware, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 40, sheet 2B, family 52, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,190.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MD5C-MZP : accessed 12 July 2015), Mary Mcgraw in household of Henry Mcgraw, Columbus Ward 14, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 6A, family 106, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,384.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4QT-Q1F : accessed 12 July 2015), Mary Mcgraw in household of Henry J Mc Graw, Mifflin, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0199, sheet 2B, family 29, line 51, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1793; FHL microfilm 2,341,527.
8. ↑ "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZG8-DGW : accessed 12 July 2015), Mary Mcgraw, 27 Jan 1939; citing Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, reference fn 2488; FHL microfilm 2,023,674.
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16877549/mary-boylan-mcgraw: accessed 19 August 2023), memorial page for Mary Boylan Rowan McGraw (25 Feb 1882–29 Jan 1939), Find A Grave: Memorial #16877549, citing Saint Mary Cemetery, Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Meghan Conroy gedmatch #A794565 (contributor 46861492).