Person:Martha McCullough (1)

Born in Monaghan County, Ireland, in the town of Tallyvanis, 12 miles from Nemey. Died at her daughter's (Helen) home--Martha's old home in Kalamazoo County. Although there is no such place as Tallyvanis, there is a townland T[a]ullaghaloyst in the parish of Currin, Kelleevan, Aghabog, Barony of Dartrey in County Monaghan. These parishes were united in the 20th century. The noted townland would have been in what was Currin in the extreme south bordering County Cavan. Many changes in names in this area over the centuries. Scotstown and Drum are nearby towns that might be on a good map of Ireland. [Source: John Adams]

Deposition of Widow, Martha McCullough Alford Stewart, July 13, 1853

She was the widow of William Alford deceased who was a private in the Company Commanded by Captain Weber and subsequently by Lieutenant Bucklee in the (large blank space here) Regiment of New York Militia Commanded by Col Sherman B. Benedict of Ogdensburg, New York, in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 10th day of June 1812. That her said husband served as a volunteer for the run of six months and that he entered at Frankfort, near Utica in the month of June 1812 and continued in actual service until discharged honorably at Ogdensburgh on or about the 7th day of January 1813. And this deponent further says that her husband William Alford also served as a substitute as she has good reason to believe.

As will appear by the Muster Roll of said Company of New York Militia the Certificate of his discharge being lost.

She further states that she was married to the said William Alford on the 19th day of January 1830 in the Township of Guelph in the County of Waterloo Upper Canada.

Mrs. Martha Alford Stewart Was 93 Years Old When She Passed Away

Mrs. Martha Alford Stewart died April 19th at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. C. C. Gunn, of Mattawan. Mrs. Stewart was born in Ireland, April 16, 1816, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Patrick McCullough. She came to Canada with her parents in 1828. Two years later she was married to William Alford an American soldier and in 1838 with her husband she came west, locating in Alamo where they underwent all the hardships of pioneer life. To them were born fourteen children, seven of whom reached their majority. In 1849 her husband died and three years later she was married to John W. Stewart, a man of strong religious character and well known throughout Kalamazoo county whom she survived twenty-one years.

A daughter living only a few months blessed this union. Mrs. Stewart lived on the farm which was bought from the government until 1860 when she sold it and bought a farm in Oshtemo. She was the last of the old pioneers of Alamo. She began to lose her eyesight as well as her hearing three years ago. And as she had not been able to walk without aid for eight years life was only enjoyed by knowing that she was with her loved ones and tenderly cared for. Her mind was clear and she could repeat many poems, some of which she learned in childhood days. She is survived by four children, Mrs. Abbe Lewis, Fife Lake, Mich.; Mrs. Anna Phillips and William Alford of Texas, and Mrs. C. C. Gunn of Mattawan.

The funeral services were held at West Oshtemo church and were conducted by Rev. I. Bates of Paw Paw and Rev. Henry Boynton of Oshtemo. The pallbearers were six of her grandchildren, William Lewis of Oshtemo; William Gunn of Watervliet; George Gunn of Oshtemo; Wallace Lewis of Grand Rapids; Clyde Alford of Texas, and Irwin Gunn of Mattawan. The interment was in the Northeast Alamo cemetery, beside the husband of her youth and close to all of her children with the exception of one, George Alford, who has slept in a soldier's grave in the sunny south for more than 40 years.

Mrs. Stewart is survived by ninety-six descendants, four children, twenty-two grandchildren, fifty-eight great grandchildren and twelve great-great-grandchildren, making five generations. There were several beautiful floral offerings. The music was by Miss Elsie Abbott, Mrs. Ella Wright and Messrs. Van Auken and Anson.

Obituary

"Martha Alford Stewart was born in Tallenanus, Monahan county, Providence of Ulster, Ireland, April 16, 1816 and died April 19,1909, aged 93 years and 3 days. Deceased had become nearly blind and was very deaf but otherwise retained her faculties to a remarkable degree. Only the evening before she was taken ill she entertained her great-grandson who was spending his vacation at his grandparents with stories of her voyage across the Atlantic in 1828.

When scarcely 14 years of age she was united in marriage to William Alford, a soldier of the war of 1812, and a member of a New York regiment. To them were born fourteen children. In 1838 they came to Michigan and settled in Alamo, where they endured all the privations of pioneer life.

In 1849 her husband died and three years later she was married to John W. Stewart, a man well known to older residents here, and to them was born one child which only lived a few months.

Deceased is survived by one son and three daughter, William Alford, Mrs. Abbie Lewis, Mrs. Annie Phillips, and Mrs. Helen Gunn; 22 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren, a total of 96 living descendants.

Deceased had always lived a strenuous life until about eight years ago and enforced idleness grew monotonous, but being fond of reading, she spent her time in that way until her sight failed; then she lived in the past. Her greatest pleasure was in knowing she was with her children and a hope of soon meeting with loved ones on the other side.

She was a faithful wife and loving mother and will be sadly missed by those she loved.

The family gave a lovely pillow of flowers, and one family of great-grandchildren in Oshtemo sent a bouquet of roses and one of carnations.

Dr. Gunn and Mrs. Gunn of Westvliet sent a beautiful casket piece of roses, while other friends of long ago sent floral offerings."

Death Breaks Five Generations

(A picture of Martha with daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, and great great granddaughter shown here in the article)

At the time of her death, April 19, Mrs. Martha Alford Stewart was one of the oldest pioneers of Kalamazoo county. She was 93 years when she passed away and had lived in Alamo, her old home, for many years. Through she had been failing in health, her mind even at the time of her death was very clear and nothing delighted her more than to recite some of the poems she had learned in childhood.

She was born in Ireland and came to America when she was eight years old. She had lived the greater part of her life in the west. Ninety-six descendants survive her, among which are four children, Mrs. Abbie Lewis, Fife Lake, Mich.; Mrs. Anna Phillips and William Alford of Texas, and Mrs. C. C. Gunn of Mattawan, twenty grandchildren, fifty-eight great grand children, and twelve great great grand grandchildren.

Five generations are shown in the picture, Mrs. Stewart being one.

Martha's grandson, Irwin Simpson Gunn wrote "Putrid sore throat [Diptheria] was responsible for several deaths in Grandmother's family ."

Memorial written by grandson Irwin Simpson Gunn

Castle Land

Told by Martha McCullough to Irwin S. Gunn prior to 1906:
"Another tale of the auld sod I heard as far back as I can remember: It seems a tribe of Gypsies came past their home and an old lady without a sign of an external ear came in the house asking to be allowed to tell some of their fortunes. The McCullough's were not eager to cross the palm with gold, so refused her kind offer. Then, it seems she asks for some tobacco and was told they didn't have any. At this she tapped with her walking stick on the exact location where they kept the household supply of tobacco in a big chest of drawers in the corner of the room. This exhibition of the occult loosened them to the extent that she got to tell some fortunes. My grandmother was less than twelve years of age, for that was her age when she came to North America, and this old gal told her that she'd live to say, "Rise up daughter, for your daughter's daughter has a daughter." And that happened when Martha McCullough Alford Stewart was 84 years old. At my home April 16, 1906 we had a birthday party for her, and there were five generations present. Martha McCullough Alford Stewart, her daughter Sarah Ann Alford Greene Phillips, aged 70, her daughter Minnie Greene Munson, aged 50, her daughter May, aged 30, and last, May's daughter Marvel, aged 6."

My Grandmama of't told me
of a land that's far away,
The land of the Shillalah
the bracken and the brae.

She told me bout the Blarney Stone
and Blarney Castle High,
And how they had the whitest clouds
and brightest clear blue sky.

She told me that the Hawthorne
and yew trees in the spring,
would find their blossoms early,
And how high the lark would wing.

She said her father's vine clad cottage
was on the Shannon's shore,
and she could almost make us see
him standing in the door.

She told of the anxious hounds,
and hunters sweet toned horn,
that sounded down across the vale,
on a tingling autumn's morn.

She told me of the rings she'd seen
Where fairies danced at night,
and paths they took to wooded hills,
With the coming of the light.

And oft I'd hear her singing,
Tura Lura lura la,
and hear the church bells ringing,
On a fair St. Patrick's day.

Sure, all these things I've seen and heard,
a thousand times or more,
And they all seem to beckon me,
to Grannie's homeland shore.

But that land I'd scarce dare visit,
For I know it could not be,
one half as fair and lovely,
as the place she made me see.

Martha, Sarah Alford, Cordelia Green, Anna Munson, and Marion Cora Lee

Martha Ann McCullough

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find A Grave.

   Martha's Tombstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40348012/alford

2.   United States Census, 1860.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW67-GNN), Martha Stuart in entry for John W Stuart, 1860. Oshtemo, Kalamazoo, Michigan

3.   United States Census, 1870.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHHT-1J3), Martha Stuart in household of John W Stuart, Michigan, United States; citing p. 19, family 156, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,179. Oshtemo, Kalamazoo, Michigan

4.   United States Census, 1880.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWSN-P25), Martha A Stewart in household of John W Stewart, Oshtemo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 136, sheet 233A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0586; FHL microfilm 1,254,586.

5.   United States Census, 1900.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSM5-3XL), Martha H Stewart in household of William H Alford, Texas township, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 133, sheet 8B, family 195, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,721.

6. ↑ Tullyvanus on the map today seems not to exist as an inhabited place, but there two joining roads named Tullyvanus where the place was probably located. It is Northeast of Castleblaney, east of the town of Aghnadamph and south of Lurganearly.
7.   For more information see this site at FamilySearch Tree: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/21R5-298