OUR IRISH ANCESTRY

They say that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day in America. If you are a descendant of Gertrude Seehawer Spencer, Mary Ellen Boesen Seehawer, or Alice Gormley Boesen Tappan O'Deal, you are a little Irish all year round. That's because Alice's father and her mothers' parents were from Ireland.

Most of the information I have about our Irish ancestors, John and Mary Gormley, came from my cousin Debbie. John was born in Ireland about 1833, and Mary was born October 31, 1832, in Massachusetts. Her parents were among the many Irish immigrants living in Massachusetts. Mary's maiden name varies in the records Debbie has found, but it probably was "Sheridan." The Gormleys and Sheridans were Catholics and probably immigrated to the United States during the famous Irish potato famine.

In the 1860 U.S. census, John and Mary were in Racine, Wisconsin, where John might have been working on the railroad. By the time of the 1880 census, they had moved to a farm north of Kearney, Nebraska. John died November 7, 1884, and is buried in the Prairie Center Cemetery near Kearney. The picture above probably was taken at that time. Mary died in Nebraska September 29, 1918. For more information about the family, visit the Gormley descendants page.

Apparently, our traditions are more Irish-American than Irish. It's hard to believe now, but Irish immigrants were discriminated against at first.  They responded by forming organizations, holding St. Patrick's Day parades, and starting other traditions to show their pride in being Irish.
 
 

GORMLEY FAMILY HISTORY