Julia Donley, my great-grandmother's sister, is one of those collaterals that stymies me. The daughter of John P. Donley and Katherine/Catherine nee Kelley, she was born 22 Dec 1865 (according to the GRO record dated 31 Jan. 1866). More likely it was 13 Dec 1865 (according to a 15 Dec. baptismal record at St. Cuthbert Church in South Shields, Durham, England). Possibly she was named for Katherine's mother, presumed to be Juliana Kelley nee Neagle. For several years I've been searching for as many data points as possible to prove that "my" Julia is the same woman who married George Flockhart in Excelsior, Mahaska, Iowa in 1887, and later, Garfield Higdon in Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa in 1908.
Given the above, and reading the following, tell me what you think. Is the circumstantial evidence strong enough to say "Yes, this is "my" Julia"?
The Donley family (they also used the surname Donlon) left England sometime after the birth of the youngest child, Mary Elizabeth, circa 1882. How they arrived in the U.S., whether as a family unit or if some arrived individually, is still in question. John, Katherine and family appear in the 1885 Iowa State Census in Mahaska County. Julia, however, is not with them. Is she the Julia Donnelly who traveled from Liverpool to Baltimore, arriving 16 Oct. 1885 aboard the Nova Scotian? Did she marry, and come to the U.S. under another surname?
Much later, I would learn of the existence of the eldest Donley son, Robert, who arrived about 1882. Was he named for Katherine's father, Robert Kelley? If John and Katherine used the traditional naming pattern, the eldest son would have been named after John's father. Robert and his wife, Mary nee Atkinson, had two children born in West Virginia before they showed up in the 1885 Iowa Census in Mahaska County (but not living in Oskaloosa with John and Katherine Donley.)
1887: George Flockhart marries Julia Donnelly in Excelsior, Mahaska, Iowa, on July 4. He is age 22, a miner, born in Illinois. Julia's age is given as 19 (this is consistent with a birthdate of Dec. 1865); birthplace as Wales; parents as John Donnelly and Catherine Cain.
1888: Transcription of a delayed birth record for Margaret Flockhart shows her born 10 April to George Flockhart and Julia Donnelly in Excelsior, Mahaska, Iowa.
1889: A Return of Births shows Mamie Elizabeth Flockhart born Sept. 13 in Excelsior, Mahaska, Iowa to George Flockhart (miner; age 22, born in the U.S.) and Julia Donnelly (age 23, born in England).
1895: Iowa State Census shows George, Julia, Maggie, and Mamie living in Yell Township, Boone County, Iowa. George is 28, born in Illinois, and a miner. Julia is 29, born in England, and a Catholic. Again, her age is consistent with a Dec. 1865 birthdate — but her place of birth is not. Did the Donley family live in Illinois before coming to Iowa, and therefore the informant presumed that to be her place of birth? Did Julia deliberately mislead the informant?
1900: US Federal Census show George, Julia, Margaret and Mamie in Harrison Township, Mahaska Co., Iowa. George is 35, born in Scotland (?), and a coal miner. Julia's age is 35; birthplace is England.
1901: The Aug. 15 Oskaloosa Herald reports that Miss Mary Curtis of Des Moines is visiting at the J. Flockhart home. Is this is Julia's sister, Mary E. Donley, who married Edward Curtis, and lived in Des Moines? Is J. Flockhart an error, and should it be G. Flockhart?
1904: on 14 April, Julia receives a divorce from George Flockhart, and receives custody of Margaret and Mamie.
1905: On the Iowa State Census, Julia and her daughters are living at 416 B Ave. West in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County. She has reclaimed her maiden name of Donley; her age is 37, and has been in the U.S. for 22 years. (Here is the first record I've found where she has fudged her age; she would actually be 39 or 40.)
The July 13 Oskaloosa Herald states that "Papers committing Mamie Flockhart to the industrial school at Mitchellville were issued, but will not be served unless the little girl breaks her promises to the court. She will be given one more chance and will be sent to an aunt at Adel, where she will make her home."
Mamie was 16. What was she doing that landed her in trouble? We may never know, but the Dec. 26 issue of the Oskaloosa Daily Herald indicates that Julia was arrested on a charge of maintaining a disorderly house.
1908: On Feb. 8, in Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa, Julia marries Garfield Higdon. He is 26, and this is his first marriage. Julia's age is given as 32; she is English; her birthplace is given as Illinois; her parents are John Donnelly and (blank) Kelley. (In this record, the informant has fudged a full decade off her year of birth, and her place of birth again says Illinois.)
1910: US Federal Census shows Garfield and Julia Higdon in Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa. She is listed as age 37 (year of birth would then be 1873), born in England; immigrated in 1873 (about a decade too early); and is a cook at a hotel. Maggie and Mamie are not listed with them.
1915: Iowa State Census shows Julia A. Higdon in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa; married; age 40 (again, a decade younger than she would actually be); born in England; father born in Ireland and mother in England; and has lived in the U.S. for 24 years (actually, closer to 30).
1920: US Federal Census shows Arthur J. Higdon and wife Julia in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa. He is 39; she is 42; born in Ireland; father born in Ireland and mother in England. (This record pushes her date of birth up to 1878 - thirteen years from its actual date).
Meanwhile, let's catch up with Maggie and Mamie. Mamie marries E. V. Ives in 1911; Hal Brooks in 1915; and J. W. "Walter" Kerr in 1927. Maggie marries Gilbert Moore in 1906; Fred A. Brown in 1915; and Frank Zondervan (date unknown).
1925: Iowa State Census shows Garfield and 51-year-old Julia Higdon in Polk Co., Iowa, along with 10-year-old Josephine McChurch, listed as "adopted daughter." Julia's age would put her birth year as 1874 - nine years off her true age. Her parents are listed as John McDonald (not John Donley) and Katherine Kelley. Here is a prime example of making sure you have ALL the censuses on your collaterals - I'd missed downloading this one. And who is Josephine, and why did they adopt her? Josephine's parents are listed as Frank McChurch and Elma Greenleaf.
On Nov. 7, 1925, Julia dies. Her date of birth is given as Dec. 13, 1872. Birthplace is England; father's name is unknown and mother's maiden name is listed as Julia Donnelly. (As the informant was Julia's daughter, Margaret Zondervan, then yes, Julia Donnelly would be HER mother's maiden name ... but that would not be JULIA's mother's maiden name.) I think a strong case can be made for this Julia being "my" Julia as the day and month of birth — but not the year, obviously — exactly match that of Julia Donley according to the baptismal certificate in England.
Julia was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Des Moines, in the same block and lot as her daughter, Margaret Zondervan, as well as her first husband George Flockhart (Margaret's father) and her current husband, Garfield Higdon. She has two stones: a smaller stone with her name and dates of birth and death, and a larger one with the name, years of birth and death, and two things I totally overlooked until just now: an inscription,
Following up on this new lead, Josephine's 1926 death certificate gave place of death as the Iowa Institution for Feeble Minded Children in Glenwood, Mills County. Josephine's parents are listed as Frank McChurch and Alma (maiden name not given). She was 11 years old, and died of lobar pneumonia. Did she truly have a mental impairment, or was Garfield unable to care for her following Julia's death? And why did her parents not keep her? Further searching reveals that Alma McChurch is divorced in the 1920 census, and living with her brother.
Could Josephine be Tootsie?? SHE COULD! The Des Moines Register of 17 June 1926 lists two adjacent notices: one for the funeral of Josephine McChurch, and directly above that, one for the funeral of Tootsie McChurch Higdon (in which it names her as the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Higdon, not Mr. & Mrs. Garfield Higdon.)
Now to follow up on another tantalizing lead: FamilySearch's Full Text search has uncovered Julia's probate file, which seems pretty large. Sounds like Garf Higdon wanted some money that came to Margaret and Mamie? That's all for now, as I head down the rabbit hole again.
