rooneys-minnesota.com
man‎Thomas Rooney‏‎, son of Michael ""Daddy Mick"" Rooney and Catherine ""Mammy Kitty"; Catharine on gravestone" Caulfield‏.
Born ‎17 Mar 1817 County Roscommon, Ireland, died ‎23 Apr 1897 Bangor Township, Pope County, Minnesota Event Description: St. Anthony of Padua Cemetery, Padua, Stearns, MN‎, age 80 years, buried Padua, Stearns County, Minnesota
Thomas Rooney

Died, at his home in Bangor Friday evening April 23rd, Thomas Rooney, aged 83 years. Deceased was born near Athlone, County Roscommon, Ireland in 1814 [his gravestone says he was born in 1817]. In 1847 he emigrated to Canada, settling near the Gatineau river, where he remained until 1867 when he removed to Raymond township, Stearns county, Minn. in which place and in Bangor, Pope county he resided until his death. His death was caused by cancer of the throat which the best available medical skill sought to overcome in vain. The last six months of his life were months of intense suffering which death alone had the power to allay. The funeral services were held from the Raymond Church on Sunday and the large procession which followed his remains thither was an indication of the high esteem in which he was held. Whole souled kindness and benevolent affection made him an ever welcome gue t where-ever he went and those who knew him best will be saddest for his departure from this world. A wife, three sons, Michael, John, and Thomas and two daughters, Winifred and Mary, are left to mourn his death, and scores of relatives and friends will cherish his memory through life.

Glenwood Herald, April 30, 1897.

Geraldine says, "The 26 hour shoeless walk in 1844 from Parish Moore to Sligo for my great grandfather Thomas, his sister Catherine and the two wee boys must have been a nightmare."

Geraldine writes: "Thomas Rooney, Jr obit says he came from Canada with his family to Getty Grove in 1871. So Thomas and Bridget could have been in Minneapolis from 1867 to 1871. [I cannot for the life of me find them in this period, after spending quite a few hours doing lots of searches - David.]
"I'm wondering is it possible to check church/government death records in both Canada and Minnesota to see if another child was born to Thomas and Bridget between 1867 and 1871 but did not survive.
If we located a child, we can maybe get a better date for when they came to Minnesota.
"We know definitely Thomas & Bridget were in MN in 1871 as their last living child, Mary Ann, is born in Raymond Township on Sept 1, 1871."

The family is listed in the 1875 Minnesota state census in Raymond Township, Stearns County with all the other Rooney's and relatives.

Emigration ... Parish Moore to Sligo to Liverpool to Grosse Isle to Ottawa
Thomas Rooney, his sons Michael & John and his sister, Catherine Rooney
Departed Liverpool (via Sligo) 9/13/1847
Arrived Ottawa 11/01/1847
Thomas Rooney's younger son, Baby John, died on the voyage. Deplorable ship conditions.
Ship: the Lord Ashburton

Married ‎between 1842 and 1843 County Roscommon, Ireland, age 25 or 26 years to:

womanEllen "Elenor (per Kilbegley Cemetery gravestone)" Ward‏, age by marriage 21 or 22 years
Born ‎1821 County Roscommon, Ireland, died ‎Jun 1846 Ballydangan, County Roscommon, Ireland Event Description: Kilbegley Cemetery, Ballinasloe, Galway, Ireland‎, age 24 or 25 years
Initial dates for her were about 1814 to about 1827 and that she was born and died in County Cork. However, as of about 2016, locals were able to read a gravestone in the Kilbegley Cemetery which is probably hers, and send that information and photos to Randy Rooney. The vital information has been changed to match that stone.

This cemetery is in the Parish of Clonfert, Parish More, where the records burned in the late 1800's.

Geraldine says: "My grandmother, Margaret Murphy Rooney, wrote on a small piece of paper: Ellen Rooney, Kilbegley Cemetery, Parish Moore, Pat and Stephen Ward. My Mother never knew how Pat and Stephen Ward were related to Ellen."

[In about 1975, Helen Rooney Felling's mother, Margaret Murphy Rooney, wrote a note on possible brothers or parent of Ellen Ward Rooney: "Pat and Stephen Ward last known address in 1847: Parish of Clonfert - County Galway, Parish More - Kilbegley Cemetery."]

Geraldine says, "The 26 hour shoeless walk in 1844 from Parish Moore to Sligo for my great grandfather Thomas, his sister Catherine and the two wee boys must have been a nightmare."

June 23, 2016:

"Hi everyone,
I heard from Mary Dolan again and Ellen Ward Rooney's tombstone has been added to the historicgraves.com website: http://historicgraves.com/ kilbegly/ro-klbg-0248/grave. They are still working to get photogrammetry done on it, but had to wait for the weather to improve. Hopefully it will be available soon.
Mary sent the following as well. I'm trying to confirm with Mary how the sibling relationship was established, but thought you would be interested...
With regard to details on Eleanor Ward Rooney, she appears to be a sister of Stephen and Patt Ward. Stephen Ward lived in Kidlawn, Ballinasloe. He was born in 1808 and died on the 5 May 1883. He married Bridget Caulfield in 1844. Their daughter Eleanor was born in 1847 a year after Eleanor Rooney died, so she may have been named after her. This Eleanor was Mary Ward Dolan's husband's great grandmother. Patt Ward died on 1st Aug 1890 aged 80 years.
So, Mary said it looks as if Eleanor Ward is related to her husband and not to her, even though her maiden name is Ward and her ancestors also came from the Townland of Kidlawn. (If you are looking up Kidlawn it was also known by its Irish version, Curraghnagower, pronounced curr a na gower, which means "goats field" hence Kidlawn.)
I'll let you know when/if I hear more that may be of interest.
Best regards,
Randy [Rooney]"

Children:

1.
manMichael Ward Rooney‏
Born ‎25 Jan 1844 Ireland, died ‎12 Dec 1918 Padua, Stearns County, Minnesota‎, age 74 years
Most of this narrative was from a June 7, 1937 interview of Margaret Murphy Rooney by Dorothy Hansmann:

Michael Rooney was born in Ireland. His mother died in Ireland while Michael was an infant. When he was three years of age his father, Thomas Rooney, and an Aunt, Katherine Rooney, brought him to Wakefield Township, Quebec, Canada. His father was employed in the woods near Ottawa, Canada for about seventeen years. He decided to take up farming and heard there was much land being given away in the United States and in 1855 he removed to New York City and a few years later to St. Anthony, MN where he was employed until about 1863 when they came to Stearns county and settled on a homestead in Raymond township.

[The 1900 and 1905 census say Michael arrived in the U.S. in 1867. This would be about the same time as the other Rooney's in Minnesota. The 1910 census says it was 1847, which makes no sense.]

Thomas Rooney and his son Michael Rooney took adjoining claims and during the winter Thomas Rooney went to live at the home of his son. A claim jumper came through the country and finding the log cabin unoccup ied moved his family in and laid claim to the property.

In 1872, the grasshoppers came and destroyed all the crops and Michael Rooney left his father on his homestead and went to Montana to hunt buffalo. The hides were worth $30 each and the government granted them permission to shoot a certain number.

In 1896, Michael Rooney and Margaret Murphy were united in marriage at the Assumption Church in Eden Valley. Margaret was born in Ottawa, Canada of a family of eight children. To Michael and Margaret were born four children that eventually lived on their own farms in Raymond township near Padua, MN.

The Rooney families were the first to settle in Raymond township. They erected a church and a school building in Padua. The original church structure was sold to Michael Rooney and a new church was erected in 1886. (This church burned down in 1943 and the present church was then built).

Michael Rooney served on the school board and as assessor for several years. He died in 1918, at age 74 years, and is buried in St. Anthony's cemetery at Padua.

Cause of death: Dyspepsia.

Geraldine, 4/29/2015:

When my Mom was doing Rooney family history in the '70s and 80s, she and I would go to the Pope Co Historical Museum in Glenwood and look for family obituaries. Hugh M. Rooney was one of those obits she sought out and took great delight in reading, especially about his time in Montana. She seemed to agree with everything in the obit ... she told me that Hugh and her Dad were such good friends, went to Montana together, etc. I'm not certain of the year but my grandfather did purchase various Lots of land in downtown Billings so I could probably trace it that way. My Mother was not certain how many times her Dad went to Montana ... there might have been several expeditions. There was one tintype of my grandfather, Michael Rooney (sitting), and Hugh M Rooney (standing). The tintype itself has gone missing but we have a print made from it [included in her email]. My Mother thought it was made during their Montana travels or could it have been just before they left?

Further notes I have, possibly from my visit with Ambrose Rooney in June 1975, shortly before he died: Michael arrived in the U.S. November 9, 1865, age 21. He was granted citizenship December 16, 1872. He purchased Montana land (near Billings, I believe) October 8, 1883 and had his Montana tax bills mailed to Minnesota in 1887. He got married on April 14, 1896 at the age of 52. Ambrose Rooney said his father used to return to Montana to shoot Buffalo to live on.

2.
man‎John Rooney‏‎
Born ‎± 1845 Ireland, died ‎1847 At Sea Event Description: buried at Grosse-Île, Quebec, Canada‎, buried Atlantic Ocean Or Grosse Isle, Canada
John died on the ship from Ireland. The dead are customarily buried at sea, but the story is that Thomas, his father, had become friends with the captain and convinced him to let them land before they buried John. He's buried at Grosse-Île, Canada, a small island in the St. Lawrence River just downstream from Quebec City. Today it appears to be a largely unoccupied island with a few hotels and is the Irish Memorial National Historic site of Canada.

"Death put a period to her existence," writes Robert Whyte in his "1847 Famine Ship Diary," book. It's the diary of a six-week trip from Dublin to Canada by 110 desperate and wretched Irish immigrants, many of whom may have been sick at the start of journey, though they were supposedly first examined by a doctor. So many died on board, and their sickness was often and simply due to bad water and provisions, resulting cholera and other diseases, and were buried at sea.

However, once they entered the St. Lawrence seaway, they did not dump the bodies overboard because the many islands there and the tide coming in would have resulted in them washing up on shore. So they saved them to bury on Grosse Îsle, the quarantine island just below Ottawa. And one of the Rooney children was buried there – John Rooney, about two years old and the son of Thomas Rooney and Ellen Ward and grandson of Daddy Mick and Mammy Kitty, was buried there in 1847, perhaps the most difficult year of the Irish immigration.


rooneys-minnesota.com
2nd marriage
man‎Thomas Rooney‏‎, son of Michael ""Daddy Mick"" Rooney and Catherine ""Mammy Kitty"; Catharine on gravestone" Caulfield‏.

Married ‎11 Oct 1856 Farrellton, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, age 39 years St. Camillus Church (married 40 years) to:

womanBridget "Biddie" Brown‏, age by marriage 33 years
Born ‎6 Jun 1823 County Mayo, Ireland Event Description: Kigarvan Parish, died ‎22 Aug 1922 Bangor, Pope, Minnesota, USA Event Description: Sedan Cemetery‎, age 99 years, buried ‎24 Aug 1922 Sedan, Pope Co, MN
Bridget was born in Ireland in 1823, came to Canada in 1838, married Thomas Rooney in 1854, and settled in Stearns County in 1867 - BUT, the 1900 census says she came to the U.S. in 1871. That census also says she had 6 kids of which 4 are still alive, and that matches our records.

She died of chronic myocarditis with contributory causes of embolism of right knee at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank Landwehr, at the age 99. (She's listed with that family in the 1920 census.) She suffered a paralytic stroke about 3 1/2 months before her death.

Mrs. Thomas Rooney

Mrs. Thomas Rooney, or Grandma Rooney as she was affectionately known by those who knew her, passed away on Tuesday, August 22, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Frank Landwehr, residing two miles south of Sedan. She was at the time of her death more than 99 yrs. old. She had been well until about three and a half months ago when she suffered a paralytic stroke after which she was confined to her bed. Until about four years ago she kept house for her son Thomas. She had been a resident of the community in which she lived for 55 years. She and her husband were some of the very first settlers in this part of Minnesota.
Deceased was born in County Mayo Ireland on June 6, 1823. She came to America in 1838 and settled first in Ottawa, Canada. In 1854 she was married to Thomas Rooney, and in 1867 they came to the United States and settled first in the western part of Stearns county. About 32 yrs. ago they removed to Pope county and settled near Sedan. Mr. Rooney died 28 yrs. ago.
Following are the surviving children of the deceased: J. P. Rooney, of Glenwood, county commissioner of Pope County, Hugh Rooney and Mrs. Frank Landwehr of Bangor township, and Thomas Rooney, hardware merchant in Sedan.
Funeral services were conducted last Thursday at the Catholic Church with interment in Sedan Catholic cemetery.
There was a very large attendance at the funeral services and the large number of floral offerings showed how much she was loved and esteemed by those who knew her. A very large delegation from Glenwood attended the obsequies.
The Herald joins in expressing sincere sympathy to the bereaved family .

WPA Project sponsored by "The Pope County Historical Society." Copied from the August 31, 1922 "Glenwood Herald" on May 16, 1939.

Children:

1.
woman‎Mary Ann Rooney‏‎
Born ‎4 Apr 1858 Wakefield Township, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, died ‎21 Aug 1870 Event Description: where did she die?!!‎, age 12 years

2.
manJohn Patrick "J. P." Rooney‏
Born ‎11 Feb 1860 Wakefield Township, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, died ‎25 Sep 1942 Brooten, Stearns County, Minnesota Event Description: St. Donatus Catholic Cemetery, Brooten‎, age 82 years
John P. Rooney's naturalization record is at the Pope County courthouse, 29 march 1897. He was at one time a Pope County commissioner and, according to Ambrose Gaffaney, had a wry sense of humor.

The Minnesota death record on Family Search has his birth year as 1858.

They were farming in Grove Lake in 1910.

3.
man‎Peter Rooney‏‎
Born ‎13 Jan 1862 Wakefield Township, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, died ‎± 1885‎, age approximately 23 years

4.
womanWinifred Sophia "Winnie" Rooney‏
Born ‎3 Aug 1864 Wakefield Township, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, died ‎16 May 1942 Bangor Township, Pope County, Minnesota Event Description: St. Donatus Catholic Cemetery, Brooten‎, age 77 years, buried Brooten, Stearns County, Minnesota
Cause of death: Pulmonary edema due to hypertension and encephalitis (transmitted from horses to humans).

Hugh and Winifred were first cousins.

Mrs. Hugh Rooney

The Hugh Rooney home at Brooten was saddened last Saturday, May 16, when the mother of the home passed away at 11 A.M., following an illness of a few minutes.
Winifred Rooney was born at Ottawa, Canada on August 3, 1864, and was therefore 77 years, 9 months and 13 days old at the time of her death. Her parents were Thomas and Bridget Rooney. She came with her family to Padua and was there united in marriage to Hugh Rooney in 1889. Their union was blessed with five sons and two daughters. A son, Harry, preceded his mother to the grave. The surviving sons and daughters are: Rupert and Arthur of Brooten, Peter and John of Milwaukee, Wis., and Mabel and Emily at home. A grandson, Roland Rooney, made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Rooney, since his mother died when he was an infant. He is now in the U.S. Navy and had been home on a week's furlough and had left eight days before for Panama and so was unable to be present at the funeral. Besides her husband and children, Mrs. Rooney leaves a sister, Mr. J. F. Landwehr and a brother John P. Rooney, both of Sedan.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, May 19th at 10 A.M. from the Church of Immaculate Conception of Sedan, of which she had been a faithful member. The services were conducted by Rev. Adolph Schmidt. Burial was made in the Brooten cemetery. Pallbearers were: Steve Mitchell, John Redmond, James and Edmund Rooney, Jack Casey and Joe Egan.
Mrs. Rooney was a kind and loving wife and mother, always willing to do things for her family and friends. She will be sadly missed by all who know her.
Those from a distance attending the funeral were: Miss Anne Mitchell, Miss Donna Syverson, Minneapolis, Mr. and Mrs. James Martin, Eden Valley, Mrs. Sam Stauffer, Mr. Mike and Mr. Owen Batterbury of New London.

Taken from the Pope County Tribune of May 21, 1942.
Typed for the Pope County Historical Society September 18, 1972 by Muriel Mattson.

5.
man‎Thomas James ""T. J."" Rooney‏‎
Born ‎3 Jul 1866 Wakefield Township, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada, died ‎24 Jul 1934 Sedan, Pope County, Minnesota‎, age 68 years
When he was five years old Thomas moved with his parents to Gettys Grove in Stearns Co, MN (the 1900 census says he and his mother, who is living with him at the time, came to the U.S. in 1871, so that matches). From there he went to Sedan, MN where he was in the hardware and general store business for forty-five years. (The 1900 census says he's a hotel keeper.) He died of heat exhaustion and acute myocarditis. He never married.

Thomas J. Rooney's naturalization record is at the Pope County courthouse, dated 29 March 1897.

Thomas J. Rooney

Thomas J. Rooney, old and respected resident of Sedan passed away after a short illness last Tuesday at the age of 68 years. The cause of his death was heart failure.

Deceased who was born in Wakefield, Canada was the son of Tom and Bridget Rooney who were natives of Ireland. The deceased came to the United States as a young child and settled with his parents at first at Gettys Grove, Stearns County, Minn. Later he removed to Pope county and he has been a resident of Sedan for the last 45 years. He conducted a hardware store in Sedan and has been engaged also in other business. He was a member of the Catholic church.

He leaves to mourn his passing brothers and sisters, namely John P. of Sedan, Winnie Rooney of Bangor and Mrs. J. T. Landwehr of Sedan, Minn.

Funeral services were conducted in Sedan this morning by the Rev. Vincent Fettgather and the remains were laid to rest in the Sedan Catholic cemetery. The pallbearers were Johnny Rooney, Francis Rooney, Constant Rooney, Art Rooney, Lewis Rooney and Bert Rooney. The deceased was a man of many friends and one who commanded the respect of all with whom he came in contact. The Herald joins in the sympathy to the bereaved relatives.

Glenwood Herald of July 26, 1934, page five col. four
Pope County Historical Society
copied by James Whittemore
typed Oct. 7, 1940


Thomas J. Rooney of Sedan passed away early Tuesday morning at his home in Sedan after a short illness of several days. Mr. Rooney was one of the pioneer business men on Sedan. He was in the Hardware and General Store business in the village for some forty-five years. He is a brother of John P. Rooney also of Sedan who was a candidate for the State Legislature in the last primary.

In the many years that he was in business, Mr. Rooney made many friends who were saddened to hear of his death. He was a community builder, always true and loyal to his home town, a kind and true friend at all times. The cause of his death was heart failure. Mr. Rooney had never married, remaining single all his life.

Thomas J. Rooney was born on August 12, 1866, at Wakefield, Canada and was nearly 68 years old at time of his death. His parents were Thomas Rooney and Bridget (Brown) Rooney. When he was five years old he moved with his parents to Gettys Grove in Stearns County, Minnesota. From there he went to Sedan where he was engaged in business for the past forty-five years. He was a member of the Catholic Church of Sedan. He is survived by the following brothers and sisters: John P. Rooney of Sedan, Mrs. J. F. Landwehr of Sedan and Winnie Rooney of Bangor Township.

Funeral services were held Thursday morning, July 26th in the Catholic Church at Sedan. Rev. Father Vincent Fettgatherer officiated. The burial took place in the Catholic Cemetery of Sedan. The pallbearers were John Rooney, Francis Rooney, Constant Rooney, Arthur Rooney, Lewis Kloster and Bert Rooney.

Friends from out of town who attended his funeral are Ruth Swenson, Carpio, N. D., Clair Stremlow, Minneapolis and Mrs. Madona Erickson, of Minneapolis.

Pope County Tribune, Aug. 26, 1934

6.
womanMary Ann Rooney‏
Born ‎1 Sep 1871 Raymond Township, Stearns County, Minnesota, died ‎25 Jun 1963 Glenwood, Pope County, Minnesota‎, age 91 years, buried Sedan, Pope County, Minnesota
Mary Ann is named after an older sister who did not survive. This Mary Ann died at the age of 91 at the Glenwood hospital after being hospitalized for one month with a broken arm.