Irish Roots
The MCGUIRES(MAGUIRES):
The family has been traced back to William Maguire of
Magherlin & Dromore Parish, County Down, Ireland. He and his wife Ann had
a son, Alexander, born in 1808. Alexander married Jane Hill in 1833. They had eight children each
born in County Down. At some point between 1853 and 1864, one son,Henry (Harry) Maguire emigrated to
Shettleston, Lanark, Scotland. Records show he married Catherine(Katie) McDade at this time in Scotland.
We do not know if the entire Maguire family emigrated but believe at least one brother, Thomas,
emigrated with them In 1870 the Henry Maguire family emigrated to the United States arriving in New York on the Ship Bataniel. One son, John Edward was born on the trip over.
The family settled in Pennsylvania where father and sons worked in the coal mines. My grandfather, at
age 6, was already working in the mines. He said he was so small that his lunch bucket drug on
the ground as he walked to work. By 1879 the family had moved to Illinois. Their son Thomas
F. Maguire was born there. In 1886 they lived in Scranton, Kansas where Alice Maguire was born and
in 1888 the family lived in Krebs, Indian Territory, Oklahoma. In Krebs, John Edward married Alice McGurk in 1891 and Patrick Michael married her sister Sarah McGurk in 1893. Henry(Harry) Maguire is buried in Wilburton, OK.
The family moved on to Butte, Montana. From there, the children of Harry and Katie Maguire
moved to different areas. Patrick and his wife Sarah moved to Washoe, as did Thomas and James, where
they worked in the coal mines. Neither Thomas or James ever married. Katie lived in Washoe
with my grandparents there until she became quite ill. She was then moved to Butte to a daughter's
home where she past away in 1926. Bernard moved to California, as did Alice who had married
John Whalen. John Edward and his wife Alice returned to Oklahoma. Later, Patrick and Sarah
were storekeepers in Roundup, MT, and eventually moving to Missoula, MT, where they owned a
grocery store. Both are buried there.
The MCGURKS:
Records show John McGurk and his wife Margarette Fearns McGurk in Rutherglen,
Lanark, Scotland, on March 1855 when their daughter Rose was born. Between then and 1861 they
emigrated to the United States settling first in Pittsburg, PA, were their daughter Ellen was
born in 1861 and son William born in 1862. By 1873 the family had moved to Braidwood, IL,
where Alice was born in 1873 and Sarah in 1876. In 1879, Ellen was married in Reed, IL.
Between 1879 and 1891 the family moved to Krebs, Indian Territory, OK. There Alice and Sarah
married two of the Maguire sons, John Edward and Patrick Michael (see Maguire History above.)
The McGurks stayed in Oklahoma. S. John McGurk passed away in 1912 and Margarette passed away
in 1926. Both are buried in Wilburton, OK.
See also: FARRAN(FEARNS), KELLY, McDADE, McLAUGHLIN, QUINN
German (Prussian) Roots
The GERHARDTS:
Two Gerhardt brothers arrived in New York on September 13, 1854. Charles and his wife Friederica along
with Johann Gerhardt had set sail from Bremen, Germany on a ship called Beethoven. They immigrated from
Kreis Soldin in northeast Brandenburg, Prussia. An area of Prussia that is now part of Germany.
The brothers eventually settled in Neenah, Wisconsin. Charles became successful as a furrier and John, my ggrandfather became a building contractor. John built many of the buildings in the downtown area of the
city of Neenah.
John married Wilhelmina Gerke. Together they had ten children. My grandfrather Gustaf was a
middle son.
(More information on the Gerhardts and the Garrs will be added later)
