from Eileen Steele Branch of Malloy Family

Davenport Democrat
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
July 13, 1871

Probable Suicide

Just before dark last evening, the dead body of Michael McNerney, a man well
known in this city for many years, was found floating in the Mississippi at
the lower end of Rock Island. He was known to be at home in this city on Tuesday
morning, and was seen in Rock Island about noon of that day. As there were no
signs of violence upon his person, and it being a fact that he was somewhat
involved in difficulties, it is presumed that he took his own life. The deceased
was about 45 years old; has been known in Davenport as a hard working mechanic-a
blacksmith-for many years. Unfortunately he was addicted to the free and constant
use of intoxication drink, which undoubtedly laid the foundation of his troubles,
and led him into the difficulties which terminated his existence. He leaves
a wife and family of children, who are entitled to deep sympathy. The funeral
took place at 2 o'clock this afternoon.

Eileen Steele Branch of Malloy Family

Big news on the Genealogy front; Found a new branch on the family tree. I have
been sending some copies of the stuff I find to other members of the distant
family (Did I tell you I have been corresponding with John Conway from Illinois?
he is a descendent of Jeanie Malloy Conway who went to Montana around 1900)

At any rate this is a different branch, it comes from Eileen Steele, she is
the granddaughter of Michael (Mack) McNerney, Grandma’s older brother.
Are you confused yet? She and I have been sharing information and when I sent
the article about Michael McNerney [the elder] apparent suicide in Iowa she
passed that out to a brother and something clicked in his brain. He found an
old Family Bible he had for years but hadn’t mad the connection. It had
all kinds of information about Michael’s wife’s family; the mysterious
Catherine McNerney Murphy. Are you still with me? Well we now know she is Catherine
Nolan McNerney Murphy. Catherine is our great- great- grandmother. The bible
has her parents and where they came from in Ireland and all her brothers and
sisters. I know you like the Tree format so here is the perspective from Grandma.

And here is the tree from the oldest new ancestor down.

So we have a new branch; actually two the Nolan’s and Finnen’s.
They came from near Dublin in Queen’s county {which naturally doesn’t
exist any more} Does the family Name Nolan ring any bells? They were from Centre
County Snow Shoe and Bellefonte area and for a time there seems to have been
a hotel in the family. I don’t thing it was a large hotel it may have
been more like a boarding house. Various members of the family were living there
or listed in the census as hotel keepers from 1870 through 1910; Including John
McNerney’s step-father and brother-in-law Michael and Patrick Murphy.
Another bit of information is we may have misidentified the old family picture
of the Malloy’s; the old posed picture taken by a photographer we thought
was Rose and James Malloy? There was a copy of that picture in the bible and
they have no relation to the Malloy side of the family this was all Nolan and
McNerney information. They had no idea who the people in the picture were and
hoped we might know. My guess it would be of Catherine Nolan and either Michael
McNerney or Michael Murphy. But I don’t know for sure. It is way too early
to be of John McNerney. I did some research to date the clothes and best guess
is the 1870’s any ideas?

I am trying to enter and organize the information I will send you what I have
as I get it put together. I am going to send you small files of the scanned
images of the bible if you cannot read them I can send bigger files but they
may take a while to download if you have a dialup connection. Let me know.

We are all happy and healthy completely recovered from the flu. We had a very
good holiday, it seems like we always sort of have a theme to each year something
that dominates this year we had a very Lord of the Rings season. This followed
a Lord of the rings Halloween. The kids get a bit obsessive with their interest
(I have no idea where they get that trait!) so we had the DVD’s the Movie,
the action figures and even built a scale model of helms deep in the back yard.
David headed the design and idea department with Hallie and me actually doing
all the work. Then of course I had to take pictures as he set up various scenes
with his 25 or so figures. He has discovered the word “venue” and
it rolled of his tongue constantly, “now in this venue we need more rocks..
in this venue it needs to rain do you think we could use the hose mom?”
I called up the Malloy Mom “we are not even going to discuss that one”
stare for that idea, it still works.

The kids go back to school from track out on Monday Yeah!! No more juggling
kids and work for a while. Hallie is at that awkward age she is too old for
any type of Day Care and not old enough to watch herself and a little brother.
Especially when work is 25 miles from home but she keeps trying. I will be better
prepared next track out (I say that every single track out.)

Mom seems to be doing ok I think a bit tired of being tired but just looking
forward to the end of the treatment series. Good that it will come as spring
comes she always gets energized with spring and I would hate to see her dragging
when It comes time to garden and try out new plants etc.

Hope you are well and not taking on too much.

I have to get to work I have promised to send all the organized stuff to the
McNerney side of the family plus I still have Conway information to send, I
have got to either get more organized or stop making promises. I am still trying
to master the photo software I got for Christmas so think summer for the edited
pictures.

I think I will be lazy and forward a copy of this email to Kevin for Aunt Jeanne
and anyone interested in the information as I am running out of being left alone
time. David is calling me no doubt I need to affix some elf ears or restring
a bow.

Betsy