Person:Marie Sweeney (1)

Marie Gansen was a neice of Grandma Newk. They had a falling out and no one in our family would have anything to do with her. She, on way to Church, would walk by folk's home on Halsted Street in Steger. During the summer months my folks were very busy reading the newspaper when ever she walked by. Pete Gansen was of Jewish faith. His family had a hardware store in the Heights. I do not remember ever seeing him. Perhaps his faith was the problem. (Bud 9/03)

A quick check of the 1910 & 1920 Steger Census and IL marriage records has John (b. 1867 Germany) and Margrethe (Berchen) Gansen (b. 1867 Luxemborg) and their family living on 34th St. He came to the US in 1878 and was naturalized in 1885. They were married in 1889. Their daughter, Laura (b. 1894) and her husband were living with them in 1920. He and his three sons were employed at Steger & Sons Piano Company.

A son, Peter (b. 19 JUL 1890 in IL) and his wife, Marie (b. 7 Nov 1891 in IA) were living on McKinley Avenue. They were married in 1912. We don't have her maiden name, but the census lists her mother's birthplace as IA and her father's birthplace as MA. I believe Marie Sweeney was Jennie's niece who came to Steger and married into the Gansen family. Her presence could be one of the reasons Genevieve was widely known as "Aunt Jennie" in the Steger community. The 1930 Steger Census lists a son, Joseph (Joey) born in 1921. At this time, Peter is a cabinet maker in a radio factory.

Peter died in Steger in September, 1977. Marie died in April 1987 in Park Forest, IL. In 2003, Gansen residents of Park Forest are: JOSEPH D, (no age recorded), KATHLEEN M (46yrs), and MARIE E (No age), This could be "Joey", ( age 82) or his son and wife, and a daughter named after her grandmother. Contact with them may reveal his mother's maiden name. There is a Joseph D. and Marie E. (79 yrs) Gansen living in CA.

In the 1920 Census, the other sons, John (b. 1891 in IL) and his wife, Nellie (b. 1893 in IL) lived on Emerald? near 32nd St. They had two daughters, Juanita and Nellie. The youngest son, Jacob (b. 1896 in IL) and his wife, Elizabeth (b. 1896 in IL, d. 1975 in Steger) lived on Euclid Avenue. This is the only Gansen family in Steger.