Genealogy – 1920s Murdock, Minnesota and now

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By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

I stumbled on an old photo of my great-grandparents Michael John Walsh Jr. and Mary McGinty taken in Murdock in 1924 or 1925.

The photo above, my great-grandparents Mary (McGinty) Walsh and Michael John Walsh Jr. in Murdock in 1924 or 1925. Above: The location on Main in Murdock, Minnesota, at least 86 years after the photo of my great-grandparents was made by Mrs. J. D. Walsh.

Michael John Walsh Jr. was born Oct. 15, 1858, in Canada, and died March 11, 1929 in Swift Co., Minn. Mary McGinty is the daughter of Patrick and Mary (Moran) McGinty. They were married Nov. 22, 1881, at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, De Graff, Minnesota.

The old photo was taken in 1924 or 1925 in Murdock, most likely in front of their home on Main Avenue in Murdock, then the home of their son Henry Walsh, my great uncle. (If you are reading this and have more details, please let me know at jwalsh@wctrib.com.)

I am still in the process of I preparing a video on my Great-Great-Grandparents Patrick “Paddy” McGinty and Mary (Moran) McGinty.

Patrick McGinty and Mary (Moran) McGinty had daughter named Mary McGinty, born June 23, 1859 in Scotland, and died Oct.1, 1952, Swift County, Minnesota. Patrick or Paddy was born Jan. 1, 1829, in Mayo, Ireland and died Dec. 26, 1915, Swift County.

I don’t have a photograph of Patrick and Mary (Moran) McGinty, but I will show you in an upcoming blog post about the treasure they left behind!

Do these names mean anything to you? Do you have photos? Do you think you could be related to me? Tell me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

Click here to follow my genealogy posts on Minnesota Native Daughter.

If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Genealogy – Next up, Patrick McGinty clan

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By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

I plan to post a video shortly on my Great-Great-Grandparents Patrick “Paddy” McGinty and Mary (Moran) McGinty.

Patrick McGinty and Mary (Moran) McGinty had a daughter named Mary McGinty, born June 23, 1859 in Scotland, and died Oct.1, 1952, Swift County, Minnesota. Patrick or Paddy was born Jan. 1, 1829, in Mayo, Ireland and died Dec. 26, 1915, Swift County.

My great-grandfather Michael John Walsh Jr., (born Oct. 15, 1858, in Canada, and died March 11, 1929 in Swift Co., Minn.) married Mary McGinty, daughter of Patrick and Mary (Moran) McGinty, Nov. 22, 1881, at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, DeGraff, Minnesota.

I don’t have a photograph of Patrick and Mary (Moran) McGinty, but I will show you in an upcoming blog post about the treasure they left behind!

Do these names mean anything to you? Do you have photos? Do you think you could be related to me? Tell me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

Click here to follow my genealogy posts on Minnesota Native Daughter.

If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Missed a blog post?

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By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Click on image to see a chart of the blogs from the past two weeks on Minnesota Native Daughter.

If you have missed a blog post, you might consider following my RSS feed, meaning Really Simple Syndication. You can bookmark it on your toolbar.
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If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Genealogy – Identify photos

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By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

My second cousin Kay (Kennedy) Frederickson sent me an old family photo, possibly from 1895 – 1896, as the youngest daughter was born in 1895, appearing to be one or two years old. Kay and I share a set of great-grandparents Stephen Foley and Catherine (Meier) Foley, making us second cousins.

Photo tips
1. Share family photos
2. Try to identify the faces in the photos with the help of family.
3. Tell people you are trying to name the faces, by posting on a blog, Facebook, Twitter or one of the family tree sites, such as ancestry.com
4. Ask for comments from family, as there might be other information they have, that you do not.
5. Have fun! Yes, it’s work, but you are finding information of your past you can share in the future.
Right click to save photos below.

Original photo

Stephen Foley and Catherine (Meier) Foley Family

Notes on photo

If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Genealogy – Digging roots

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By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Martin J. Walsh Jr., possible high school or college photo

Searching for your family’s roots takes a lot of digging.

Since moving back home to Minnesota in August 2010, I have started to scratch only the surface of finding branches on my family’s tree. As an undergraduate student at St. Cloud State University, I took a class on family history, and still have my paper I worked on, but have many missing links, but that’s normal for researching, I’m thinking.

With the help of family, friends and colleagues, I’ve been trying to put a few pieces together with the goal of tracking back information and relatives to the “old countries” in Europe, such as Ireland, Scotland, Luxembourg, Germany or other lands.

Network your root search
What’s that? If you fish with a net, you stand a better chance of catching more fish, than with a single fishing pole. You need to tell people you are searching for family connections, information, data, records and photographs. If no one knows you are searching, don’t expect too much success.

Blog your family search
I have found relatives by just posting and writing about my searching for family. It’s free and easy to do. You can write about what you know, stories, photos and connections you want to make. Start a blog today!

What info is there already?
If you have family that have already started their investigations in the past, see if they will share. As a warning, there could be errors in the reporting, so you will need to watch what you think might be the “gospel” about your family. An obituary listed my late Agnes (Walsh) Shopa as Sister Agnes Shopa, meaning a religious order sister or nun, originating from the funeral home when my father Martin J. Walsh died in 2008. My aunt was a sister and religious, but never a member of a religious order. The funeral home sent the obituary to the newspaper with the error, and can be found online. Please correct if you are following my Walsh family history.

Online search
There are many places you can go online to search. Here’s a link that can help you with 101 ways. Read more. . .

Have fun!
Finding facts and connecting with lost relatives, only you are not lost, is part of the fun! As a child I heard my mother talk about various relatives, now these very same people and their children are emailing as a result of my blog, Minnesota Native Daughter.

If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Robert A. Kennedy, Murdock native – altar boy, Mars researcher, college president. . .

By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Snagged another relative with my blog!

My great-grandfather Stephen Foley, was born in Maine on Sept. 15, 1846, and has a great-grandson that is currently the president of The University of Maine. Do you know his name?

He’s Robert “Bob” A. Kennedy, Murdock, Minnesota native, currently living in Maine, but moving back to Minnesota, has kept a home for years in Minnesota. (Sounds like a possible new blog, maybe call it Minnesota Native Son!)
Read more about Robert A. Kennedy. . .

Robert A. Kennedy, President of The University of Maine
Photo Source

Second Cousins
I received a comment on my blog on Jan. 6, 2011, from Bob writing to tell me about our possible family connections on the Foley side of my family. My grandmother Mary Jannet “Jennie” (Foley) Walsh and Bob’s grandmother, Rose (Foley) Pothen were sisters. After doing a little checking and figuring, it turns out we are second cousins, meaning with have a common set of great-grandparents, Stephen Foley and Catherine (Meier) Foley.

Stephen Foley and Catherine (Meier) Foley Family

Read more about this photo!
(If you have details of the date the photo was taken, and identification, left to right, please email me at jwalsh@wctrib.com)

Few details on Great-Grandparents
Stephen Foley, born Sept.15 1846 and died May 3, 1913, born in Maine
Catherine Meier, born March 14, 1855 and died Jan. 4, 1921, born in Luxembourg, according to 1880 U.S. Census (Listed as Germany in earlier blog, but updated as Luxembourg, which also goes with stories I heard as a child.)
Marriage – about 1876

My parents’ wedding
As a teenager, Bob was an altar boy at my parents wedding, along with Mike Walsh, yet another relative, at the Cathedral of St. Mary in St. Cloud. If you check out his biography you will find a list of accomplishments that are out of this world, including his study of the technological and physiological impediments related to space flight to Mars.

What more could he do?
According to StarTribune.com, my second cousin Bob is a finalist for both an at-large and an Eighth Congressional District seat as a University of Minnesota’s Board of Regent
Read more. . .

Now I just need to meet my newly found relative!

If you have any additional information to add to this blog post, family information, Murdock related history or if you think you are related to me, contact me at jwalsh@wctrib.com.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Arctic chat to Florida with Lucy Tobias

By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Murdock, Minnesota, -17F, Ocala, Florida, 67F
The video was recorded using Skype and a call recorder.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Grandpa Mart’s story from 1987

By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Click here to download PDF story of my grandfather Martin J. Walsh Sr. from 1987 I wrote for the West Central Tribune.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Wind chills 40 below zero possible

By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

RSS feed to Front Door View 2011

A Minnesota Native Daughter poster has just been posted to Flickr. Go to Flickr or click here to download, right click to save.

View slideshow.

Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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Grandparents wedding photo found

By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota

Foley – Walsh

Martin and “Jennie” Walsh of Murdock

Mary Jannet “Jennie” (Foley) Walsh, 29, and Martin J. Walsh Sr., 28, were united in marriage Nov. 4, 1915, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Murdock, Minnesota.

I just uncovered this photo of my grandparent’s wedding that is simply precious. They were married a the first Sacred Heart parish built in 1894, under the direction of the Rev. P. J. O’Connor, of De Graff, for the cost of $5, 137.70. The first public services, unknown if it was a Mass, was Dec. 8, 1894, according to Swift County history. Need to get the church history book that I understand should be available. See below for more details on Swift County.

My grandfather Martin, known to many at “Mart”, was born in Dublin Township, Swift County, on Feb. 19, 1887, in section 32, in a house that was later moved from De Graff. He died at age 101 on Jan. 15, 1998, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar. Understand my father Martin J. Walsh Jr. and my aunt Margaret Walsh were at his bedside when he died. They had apparent spent many nights sleeping at the hospital before my grandfather and grandmother passed away.

My grandmother “Jennie” was born March 23, 1886, in Louriston Township, Chippewa County. She was 100 years when she died at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar on Feb. 26, 1985. Learn more about my grandmother.

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Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jwalsh@wctrib.com Click here to view full biography. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
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