Bart and Ellen (Welch) Mitchell

Bart was the 2nd son and the 8th child of Bartley and Mary. He spent a good portion of his life in Iowa, moving sometime between 1925 and 1930 to San Diego, California.
He married Ellen Regina Welch in Iowa about 1910, together they had 5 children (2 boys, 3 girls) and all were born in Iowa.  Ellen was the 4th child out of 5 born to James Welch and Many Anne Carroll. Ellen died in San Diego County, and Bart died in Sonoma County many years later.
The oldest of the Mitchell children was Mary Helen. She married Harold Beck. Since Harold was also born in Iowa, it is really difficult to say when or where they married since I have not found a marriage record as of this post. However, since their oldest child (out of five children) was born in California, I think it's likely they married there. Mary Helen died in 1987 in San Bernardino County,  while Harold had died prior, in 1963 in Riverside County. Harold had two children from a prior marriage.
Update: Harold's first marriage in 1932 to Thelma Auspaugh produced 2 children - Robert and William. Both boys were born in California.  I think it's safe to assume that Harold and second wife, Mary Helen Mitchell, were married in California.
Bartholomew Carroll was the couple's first son, second child. The 1940 Federal Census has his wife as Mary A, but his grave marker has the name Amy E along with his name. Amy has no dates on the marker. A public records search has Bart and Amy connected,  along with two females and 3 males connected to either or both names. This, essentially still leaves his family up in the air and more research will need to be done for answers.
Updade: Bart C. Mitchell (Bud) had married Mary Aline Chaves in Los Angeles County in 1936. It is unknown if they had any children, as I have been unable to find any for them. It is also unknown when they divorced.  Mary was the daughter of Portugal immigrants, Joseph F and Mary Chaves. She had at least one sibling - a sister, Lillian. Mary died in San Bernardino County in 1990.
Rita Ann Ellen was Bartley and Ellen's second daughter, third child. Her first marriage to Robert Arnold Snyder, in 1937,  ended in divorce. Her second marriage, to Bernard Francis Walther, in 1952, lasted until his death in 1961. Bernard was career military (Navy), retiring as a Lieutenant.  Bernard served on various Navy submarines during World War II, including the USS Cuttlefish, USS Cachalot, and the USS Whale.  Bernard had a previous marriage to Agnes Rita Ybarronda, but neither of his marriages produced any children. Bernard is buried in Fort Rosecrans Cemetery, San Diego. Rita had reserved the right to be buried alongside her husband, but there is no indication that she followed through with that plan. Rita Ann died in 1997 and chose to have her remains donated to science.
Rocky (Welch James) was the second to the last child born to Bartley and Ellen. His first marriage to Ester Bjorkman, 1940, in Iowa produced 4 sons. His second marriage, 1971, in Reno to German born Johanna Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) Hitson produced no children. 
Johanna arrived in the U.S. in 1959 a year after marrying Ken Hitson, a military soldier in the U.S. Army. Johanna had 2 daughters, both born prior to her marriage to Hitson, who carred the Hitson name. Johanna petitioned for naturalization in Tennessee. 
Rocky died in 1987. I have found no death record for Johanna, but since she was born in 1929, it is possible she is still amongst the living. 
Betty Lou was the youngest of Bartley and Ellen's children. Betty Lou had married LeRoy Gilmore and had one child, a daughter named Nancy Ellen. Her second marriage to William Connoley produced no children. Both marriages ended in divorce. It was Betty Lou's obituary that gleaned the most information about Rocky and his siblings. It is re-produced below:

    July 27 
Betty Lou Connoley 

Longtime Irvine resident Betty Lou Connoley died July 

20 after a brief illness. She was 76. 

A memorial mass will be celebrated Friday, July 28, at 10

 a.m. at San Francisco Solano Catholic Church, 22082 

Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita. A gathering 

for family and friends will follow. 

Mrs. Connoley was born Jan. 19, 1924, in Vail, Iowa, to 

Ellen and Bart Mitchell. She was the youngest of five 

children. In her youth the family moved to San Diego. 

Betty Lou married Roy Gilmore in 1948. She worked as 

an interior decorator in San Diego for many years. She 

and Roy had one daughter, Nancy Ellen Gilmore. 

She and Mr. Gilmore divorced and she later married Bill 

Connoley of San Diego. She moved to Orange County in 

the 1970s and lived in Rancho San Joaquin in Irvine for 

about 15 years. She owned an interior decorating shop, 

"Betty Lou Interiors," in Corona Del Mar. 
 
"She loved her work and was so happy with her own 

shop," said her niece Vicky Roberts. 

After selling her business she worked part-time for CPA 

Clifford Wayne until a few years ago. 

Mrs. Connoley was a vivacious woman who loved to 

share her warm smile and laughter with everyone she 

came in contact with. "Her love and laughter made Betty 

Lou the special person that she was," said her niece. 

"She was very outgoing, always the life of the party and 

everyone liked to be around her." 

Also a caring person, she went to San Diego to care for 

her sister, Rita Ann Walther, in her final illness.

She also lost her beloved daughter, Nancy, last year.


"The love of her life was her daughter," commented her

niece. 

She also attended a local Catholic Church. 

Mrs. Connoley was preceded in death by her parents;

her daughter, Nancy Ellen Gilmore Doyle in 1999; her

two sisters Mary Helen Beck and Rita Ann Walther; her 

two brothers Bart Mitchell and Welch Mitchell. 

She is survived by her niece, Vicki Roberts of Fruita,

Colo.; her nephews, Bill Beck of Bandon, Ore., John 

Beck of San Juan Capistrano, and Jerry Beck of Laguna 

Hills, and many great nephews and great nieces

At her request her body was donated to Loma Linda

University Medical Center in Loma Linda for medical

research, as were her two sisters Mary Helen and Rita 

Ann, her brother-in-law, Harold Beck, and her niece, 

Joan Ellen Beck Critzman.

 Above is the marriage license and certificate record for Rita Ann's first marriage to Robert Snyder. To the left is her marriage certificate to Bernard Walther.

 The photograph on the right is of Mary Alina Chaves, first wife of Bud (Bart C. Mitchell). The photograph is from a school yearbook in 1933.

 The two page document to the left is the marriage certificate of Bart C. Mitchell's first marriage to Mary Alina Chaves. Notice that Bud reported his middle name as Charles instead of Carrol.

Isn't it funny how a photograph can reveal information unknowingly? The photograph below was placed in my files under the father of Bud - Bartley. The handwritten description on the photo says "Father, Mary, Bobby, Bud". When I saw that it all clicked into place. Bud and Mary had a son, Robert. The photograph obiviously is of his Christening. This puts into place some of the names in the public records associated with Bud. 

Various Items from the Bartley and Mary Mitchell Family

Transcript of Mary's Obituary:

Denison Review - January 17, 1923

FUNERAL OF MRS. B. MITCHELL

Well Known Lady Laid to Rest Last Thursday Morning

Mrs. Bartley Mitchell, for many years an honored resident of 

Vail and vicinity, whose death was announced in our last 

issue, was laid to her final rest her last Thursday morning.

 The funeral was held at St. Ann's church, Rev. J.W. Ryan 

celebrating a requiem mass and conducting the obsequies,

 following which she was laid to rest beside her beloved 

husband and children in the family lot in St. Ann's cemetery.

Mary Gaffey was a native of Ireland, born in Ballinasloe, 

County Galway, February 27, 1845, and at the time of her 

death on January 2, 1923 her age was seventy seven years, 

ten months, and five days.

In 1863 she emigrated to America and coming west settled 

at Sterling Illinois, where she met and was subsequently 

united in marriage to Bartley Mitchell on February 7, 1869.

 They lived happily together until he was called by death 

March 1, 1921.

They resided in Sterling for about ten years then came to 

Crawford county, locating on a farm near Vail, where they 

resided until a few years ago when they retired and moved 

to Vail, where she has since made her home.

The children also preceded her in death, Mrs. H.E. Clausen, 

Mrs. W. H. Baumer, and Mary who died at the age of 

seventeen. she is survived by four daughters and two sons: 

Mrs. Jennie Krueger of Omaha; Mrs. M.J. Hickey of 

Manning; Mrs. C.C. Paine of Kennebec, S.D.; Mrs. F.A.

 Holland of Vail; Bert of Carroll and Bart of West Side, 

besides many other relatives and a host of friends.

She had enjoyed good health until a month or so ago when

 she fell on the icy sidewalk and sustained a triple fracture to

 the hip which caused her such suffering and finally resulted

 in her death.

She ********************** her pleasant manner and true 

Christian nature made warm friends of all her 

acquaintances 

and endeared her to everybody with whom she associated.

 She was cheerful to the last and bore the pain of her final 

illness with true Christian fortitude till called home by the 

Master to enjoy the reward of a well spent life. - Vail 

Observer 

Herny Clausen and his son, John, and Johns' wife Eunice with daughter, Cherie.

Wedding photograph of Henry Clausen and Margaret Mitchell

Richard Oester, son of Del and Leah Holland Oester.

Bartholomew Mitchell - also known as Bartley

So, now I get to Bartholomew Mitchell, otherwise known as Bartley. 
Bartley, son of Bernard and Jane, is the progenitor of my brothers' lineage. and his birth order lies between being younger than his brother, Michael, but older than his sister, Bridget.
According to the passenger list from New York, Bartley arrived in January of 1864 on the Neptune. He settled in Whiteside County and it was there, in 1869, that he married Mary Gaffey, daughter of Thomas Gaffey and Mary Burke.  Mary arrived in 1863 at the age of 16, according to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census. However, the 1920 Federal Census reports the year as 1864. I have yet to find a passenger list for Mary.
Bartley and Mary made their home in Whiteside County, but as did the other Mitchell siblings, they moved to Crawford County sometime around 1879. 
Bartley and Mary had nine children - Jennie Agnes, Katherine, Mary Ann, Bernard Edward, Margaret, Elizabeth, Winifred, Bartholomew James, and Agnes. 
I will go through each of them, leaving Bartholomew James, my brother's grandfather, for last.
Jennie Agnes was born in Illinois, but was living in Iowa at the time of her marriage to Emil Kruger. Emil was a widower with three children (a fourth child had died in childhood), and his marriage to Jennie produced three more children.
Emil died in 1906 in Crawford County. By the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Jennie had moved to Omaha with the children. 
The Census reports that even Emil's three oldest children from his first marriage to Johanna Sachau moved to Omaha with their step-mother, Jennie, even though Louis and John were in their early 20s, and Ella was seventeen years old. Also included in this census were the three youngest children of Emil and Jennie. They were Bartholomew, Emily and James. 
Emil and Jennie did have a fourth child together, Arnold, but he died at the age of 2 years.
Jennie died in 1952, still residing in Omaha. However, her remains were taken to Crawford County for burial.
I have the death dates for all but two of the children - Etta and James. I am still researching them. 
The second child of Bartley and Mary was Katherine....or Kate, as she was known. Kate married Michael John Hickey and had 6 children, all but one being boys. They were Leo, Frances, Edward, Melvin, Merle, and Joseph. It is reported in Kate's obituary that there was another daughter, Mary Ellen, who died at the age of six months.
Michael and Kate raised their children in Crawford County. In 1939 (per Kate's obit), they moved to Carroll County. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Greene County. It was in that county where Kate passed away. 
After the death of his wife, Michael lived with his sons, Leo and John (Joseph). The three of them moved to Guthrie County in 1952, and it was there that Michael died two years later. Both Michael and Kate are buried in Crawford County.
I am still researching the third child of Bartley and Mary - their daughter, Mary Ann. The 1880 Federal Census and the 1885 Iowa State Census report as her having been born about 1875. Her gravestone, which only reports her nickname of "Mamie" records her birth year as 1873. Those are the only records I could find for her. More than likely, she was born in Whiteside County and died in Crawford County in 1890. Her gravestone, bearing only the name "Mamie" with "1873-1890" is in St. Ann's in Crawford County. 
Bernard Edward was the first son born to Bartley and Mary. He married first to Kathryn Agnes O'Conner, daughter of Anthony and Margaret Anne. The couple's only daughter (and only child of Bernard), Cathryne, was born in Nebraska. Eight days after her birth, Kathryn died in South Dakota. I can only surmise that the cause, or a contributing factor, to her demise was due to traveling too soon after giving birth.
Bernard's second marriage was to Emma Conner. Bernard's daughter, Cathryne, married Jamers Werner and they had one son, Robert. 
Bernard died in Carroll County in 1937.
The fourth daughter of Bartley and Mary was Margaret, also known as Maggie. Maggie married Henry Clausen. They had one son, John Henry. 
Maggie preceded her husband in death in 1921. Henry went on to marry Lulu Webb and removed to Washington State. 
John Henry married and had one daughter. He died in 1945 in Oregon.
Daughter Elizabeth married Claude Paine in 1899. They had a daughter, Viola, and two sons - Cletus and Floyd. 
Sometime prior to 1910, Claude and Elizabeth moved to South Dakota. Claude died in 1935, Elizabeth in 1966. Their daughter, Viola, married Francis Sweeney and had 4 children. Cletus married Joy Aalseth.  It appears they had no children. Floyd married Alpha Walker and they had 4 children.
Daughter Winnifred married William Henry Baumer. They had 8 children - John, William, Joseph, Marion, Regina, Robert, Winnifred and Madeline. I wrote in an earlier post about Winnie and posted the article concerning her death. Husband William died in 1943 and there is no indication that he remarried. 
Skipping over Bartholomew James, who will be covered in the next post, is the youngest child of Bartley and Mary - Agnes. 
Agnes married Francis Holland and they had two daughters - Maxine and Leah.
According to newspaper accounts, Francis and Agnes appeared to have resided in Crawford County their entire married life. Their daughter, Maxine, married John J. Morrissey and had 3 sons. Daughter Leah married Delmar Oester and had 4 children, although one is suspect (name taken from a news article) and could be the middle name of one of the children. 
Both Maxine and Leah resided with their families in Lee County, Illinois. There are a number of news articles that report the families visiting their parents (and vice versa). 
Agnes died in 1971 in Lee County. Her obit states that Francis proceeded her in death, but I have been unable to find a record or news article on his passing. I have narrowed it to after 1858 and before 1971. I am assuming (but have not recorded it in the tree) that Francis died in Crawford County (a grave marker is there with both his and Agnes' name but no dates)  and that Agnes moved to Lee County after the death of her husband to be closer to her children. 
Next post to follow this one are the various news articles found in my research for Bartley and Mary's family (not including son, Bartholomew James. That comes in following posts).

Bernard F Mitchell - The Youngest

I've now arrived at the youngest son (and who I have as the youngest child, too) of Bernard and Jane - Bernard F. Mitchell.
Bernard arrived in the U.S. in 1874, and like most of his siblings, settled in Whiteside County in Illinois.
In 1878, he married Catherine Flynn, daughter of Peter Flynn and Anastasia Maher. It was Catherine's sister, Elizabeth, who married Tommy Giblin, son of Michael Giblin and Margaret Mitchell (thus making Bernard and Tommy not only 1st cousins, but brothers-in-law as well).
At some point after 1880 and before 1885, Bernard and Catherine moved to Crawford County in Illinois.
They had 6 children - William, Bernard, Mabel, Edward, Gertrude and Florence.
Mabel died at the age of two.
William appears to have remained a bachelor during his life. He registered during WWI, but I can find no proof that he served in the military.  The 1920 Census has him living with his parents in Vail, and the 1930 Census living in the home of his sister, Gertrude, and her family. I have yet to find him in the 1940 Census. William died in 1954 and is buried in Vail, Iowa.
Bernard, the second oldest of Bernard and Catherine, married Mayme Harrington in 1914. I do not have any record that they had any children. With the exception of a brief move to Mason City, Bernard and Mayme spent most of their years in Crawford County, including their last years. Both of them are buried in Vail. 
As I mentioned, Bernard and Catherine's daughter, Mabel, died young.


Their son, Edward Earl, married Marcella Byrnes. The couple had six children. They spent most of their lives in Ames, Iowa. In their later years they moved to the Los Angeles area where Marcella passed away in 1962. Edward moved to Arizona, and died there in 1973.




Edward and Marcella's son, Donald.


Daughter Gertrude married John Byrnes, brother of Marcella. The couple had four children. They lived in Crawford County, later moving to Ames in Story County, Iowa. 



The youngest child of Bernard and Catherine, Florence, married Malcolm Harding. I have been unable to find any children for them. Malcolm died in San Pedro, California, but is buried in Ames, Iowa. This is where Florence moved to after her husband's death, and where she herself passed away in 1979. 

Catherine died in 1921, and Bernard in 1923. The couple are buried together in Saint Ann's Cemetery in Vail, as is their sons William and Bernard.

Margaret Mitchell and Michael Giblin

I have Margaret as the youngest daughter of Bernard and Jane. 
Margaret immigrated at some point before her marriage to Michael Giblin in 1867. The 1900 US Federal Census erroneously states 1868, but it was more likely 1866. 
Michael Giblin's obituary states that he arrived in 1866, so I guess it's a possibility that they knew one another in the old country, as both were born in Roscommon, Ireland (a fact stated in both their respective obituaries).
Michael and Margaret married in Sterling, Illinois, and are recorded living there during the 1870 US Federal Census. By 1880, they had removed to Hayes County, Iowa, where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Michael and Margaret had 5 children and, according to Michael's obituary, fostered two more - William Francis, and a grandson, John B.
The children were:
 Thomas Joseph (Tommy), who married Elizabeth Flynn and had 5 children; 
Mary Jane who married Patrick Cody and had 8 children. 
Daughter Annie died at the age of 14 years old.
Their daughter, Margaret, married James Brogan. James and Margaret had 9 children.
Their son, John, became an eye doctor and married twice - his first marriage to Mary McNamara, produced 1 child. His second marriage to Margaret Rueruda produced 2 children.

Technically, John would be their youngest natural child. But according to Michael's obituary, there are two others to consider as having been raised by the couple.
William Francis - According to the earlier US Federal Census', when living with Michael and Margaret, William's birthplace was recorded as Iowa. But later US Census', after having married and raising his own family, he reports New York as his birthplace,  including it being the birthplace of his parents, as well. This leads to a few possibilities - that William knew who his parents were; that he was adopted by Michael and Margaret, acquiring the Giblin surname; that he was born a Giblin, a relation to Michael's family. Research is ongoing for William at the present time.
William married Goldie Sadler and they had 5 children. 

The grandson who was fostered by Michael and Margaret was from their son, John. John Benedict, the grandson, was from John's first marriage to Mary McNamara. I am assuming when Mary died (the same year John B was born), that his father, alone with a baby,  left him to be raised by his parents. His father re-married 3 years later, but no records thus far show his son ever having gone back to live with him. In fact, the US Census for the years preceding and following his father's death report that John was in the home of his grandfather, Michael, and step-grandmother, Ellen.
John, who was known as Jack, married and had 3 children.

Michael Giblin and his second wife, Ellen

Brothers John and Thomas Giblin

Mary Jane Giblin Cody with her daughters

James and Margaret (Mitchell) Brogan and family

John B Giblin, grandson of Michael and Margaret Giblin