Shanahan, John - Macoupin County Illinois
submitted by Maureen White Pierce
A first Family of Macoupin County Illinois
Descendants of
John & Ann Duncan Shanahan
1853 Families of the first 25 years 1878 (undated newspaper article)
John and Ann SHANAHAN settled in the Gillespie area in
1856. John SHANAHAN was born in 1832 in Roscrae,
Ireland and Ann (DUNCAN) SHANAHAN was born in 1833 in Ennis,
Ireland. She was 13 years old when she came to
America. They were married in 1856 in Alton, Illinois, and
moved to Gillespie that year. There were only 6 or 7 houses in Gillespie at
that time, and they made their first home at the corner of Oak and
Adams.
They had 12 children: 3 sons, John, Patrick and George, 5 daughters,
Rose (CARROLL), Margaret (BARTLETT), Elizabeth (McEVOY), Anna
(FIREHAMMER), and Johanna (MORRISEY). Four children died in
infancy. There are 28 grandchildren, and 46 great
grandchildren. Mr. SHANAHAN was a foreman for
the New York Central Railroad until 1870, when he purchased a farm
of 80 acres for $500.00 from John & Julia JONES. This farm is
located in Section 5, twp. 8, Range 6. The farm was sold in
1919 to the RELEFORD family, and is now owned and operated by
Floyd RELEFORD. Mr. RELEFORD has the original abstract of
title, showing it was a homestead grant on Oct. 30, 1850 from the
United States of American to Wiad R. RHOADS.
John SHANAHAN died on May 29, 1895, and was buried in the old Catholic
Cemetery out by the City Lakes, but was later moved to Holy Cross
Cemetery. Mrs. SHANAHAN moved back to town in 1900, and resided in
the house at the corner of Jersey and Pine. She died on
October 28, 1923, and was the oldest resident of Gillespie when
she died. She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Descendants living in Gillespie are Mrs. Lydia SHANAHAN (George),
daughter-in-law; 3 grandchildren, Marie CARROLL KEUPPER, Kathryn
SHANAHAN SKOSEY, Anna M. SHANAHAN LIPSEY; 2 great grandchildren,
Lillian M. KEUPPER and Margaret M. BARTLETT NOVAK; 1 great-great
grandson, Joseph BARTLETT NOVAK; and 2 great-great-great grandchildren,
Joseph BARTLETT NOVAK II and Ann Marie NOVAK.
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