Person:Sylvester Barron (2)

Obituary: Souix City Journal 15 Oct 1926; RESIDENT OF IOWA FOR 54 YEARS DIES;

Death claimed a long time resident of Iowa when Sylvester Barron 76 years old died at the residence of his son, Sylvester Barron, jr. 3023 Dodge Avenue Wed morning.

    Born in Ireland, Mr. Barron came to America with his parents at the age of

four years. The family went from New York to Canada and later came to Iowa where the elder Mr Barron died. The sons settled in Monroe county 54 years ago and Mr. Barron resided in the state continously from that time until the time of his death.

    In 1876 he married Margaret Fitzgerald and 11 children were born to this

union, five of whom survive. They are: John 1206 twenty-fourth street; I V (Ignatius V), Leeds; Sylvester jr. 3023 Dodge Avenue; Mrs H F Bruce 2122 Olive Street; and Mrs Clarence Rich, Dean Montana. All of the children were at the bedside when the fathers death occured.

    Funeral services will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church at 9

o'clock Friday morning and the body will remain at the home of the son until that time. Burial will be in Calavary Cemetary. Larkin Funeral Home is directing the arangements for the funeral. (added to the family history disc from photocopy of the obituary by S/P 17 Jul 1997)

NOTE: This is the obit as it apperaed, but there seems to be some things that

don't match with other information........ It's hard to tell where the information for the obituary came from. Sylvester by family records was born in Ireland 9 Mar 1849 Waxford Co, New Ross, Ireland. Parents: Philip Barron and Bridget Murphy Barron, information source; Headstone of Bridget Murphy Barron in St Mary's Cem, Monroe Co, Weller Iowa, the obit of Hannah Barron Fitzgerald, the 1870 census record for Monroe Co, and the death certificate for Sylvester Barron Woodbury Co, Souix City, Iowa.

    Checking newspapers at this time has turned up no obit for Bridget or

Philip or James.

    The first census that the family appears on is for 1870 for Cedar Township

Monroe, Iowa. In the home of James Barron, it shows his mother Bridget Sister Hannah age 19 and brother Nicholas age 17. Sylvester who would have been 21 is apparently on his own and living elsewhere.

    The family stories vary as to when and where Philip died {before finding

Bridget's headstone the family story said she died on board ship during the voyage to America} Philip seems to be just as much a mystery. As of this date no record has been found in either the Irish records or New York records as to the family's leaving or arriving. The family story passed down through Sylvester to Anna Barron Rich was that there were 7 children leaving Ireland. A baby, the youngest, died on board ship and was buried "at sea" during the voyage much to the heartache of Bridget. The voyage was a rough one and very hard on the family. Upon the family's arrival in New York, Philip got a job in a livery stable. About six months later he was kicked in the chest by a horse and died. The children were taken from Bridget. (Laws at that time stated that children were then given by the court to a Male able to take care of them. Until after 1900 the mother had no legal rights to her children and no say as to where they were placed.) The Barron children were placed in some sort of home...... I've checked the New York Foundling Home, Children's Aid Society and what records I could think of in New York State, but have found no trace. I've been told that the Catholic Churches also placed the children. The majority of the children were "shipped" on orphan trains to the west & often forced to change their names. The Orphan Train Society of Nebraska, had no record when I inquired in 1992 but said they are constantly updating their files and to try again. There are several stories of the Barron Family and their eventual settling in Iowa but no records or documents to back them up. I've followed the story from my Aunt Susan Rich Russell as told to her by Anna Barron Rich, her mother, daughter of Sylvester. An interesting note is that my aunt met a man in an airport several years ago with the last name Barron from Nebraska. The name Barron drew her and they started talking he told the same story that Sylvester had passed down about the ship crossing and Philip's death. At that point my aunt wasn't sure about the missing children and didn't know about the orphan trains, only that the children were "taken away" and never reunited with the family, but still didn't think about this man being a "Link". She got his name but somewhere in the trip lost it. While I've had realitives who have led me on wild wild goose chases with their miss-information Aunt Suzie's has always been exact, that's why I chose this record of the family.

    This obit also has no mention of the family's homesteading in Mountain

Home, Idaho. Slyvester sold his land in Iowa and followed his sons who had filed homesteadin claims in Idaho. It was there while watching her brothers play baseball that Anna would meet Clarence Gallatin Rich whom she would eventually marry. Idaho was not kind to the Barron family. It was not their rich familar farmland. The sagebrush was man-tall and was torn out of the ground by a ball and chain strung between two teams and buckboards. The rabbits were awful and they hunted them even at night by lanterns. The last heartbreak.. their son Carl, a lineman was killed in 1911 when another line company undercut his pole and he fell to his death. The left their Idaho holdings and went back to Iowa settling in Souix City. Anna was the only one to stay behind......she married Clarence and they together with his parents and brother bought a homestead at Dean, Montana.

Documents on file in Monroe Co., Iowa: Marriage book IV, Sept 1873- Dec 1877

No Barron listed, but under Fitzgerald: Margaret Fitzgerald, 18 & Sylvester Barron, 26, m 28 Feb 1876 page 340 Marriage witnessed by the bride's father Patrick Fitzgerald.

  Sylvester purchased land 31 Mar 1895 from Jacob Meaddy

{Photocopies in possession of Sharon Pohlman)

  :1878 History and Direct of Monroe Co.  S Barron farmer Sec 21 P O Weller

Cedar Twp

  :No Barron or Fitzgerald listed on the 1850 or 1860 Census for Cedar Twp

Monroe Co.

  :1870 Census Cedar Twp Monroe Co, Iowa shows James Barron head of household,

Living with James; Bridget (his mother) Hannah age 19, (his sister), Nicholas 17, (his brother).

   : "Contact People" for Barron/Fitzgerald and relationship to Sylvester or

Margaret

   1) Olive Mary Rich Hovdey 301 W Front  #903 Missoula, Montana; born Nov 29

1930 First contact 1977; relationship to Sylvester and Margaret; grandaughter, daughter to Anna Barron Rich, aunt to Sharon Pohlman

   2)Susan Rich Russell Nye, Montana born Jan 12, 1926; First Contact 1977;

relationship to Sylvester and Margaret; grandaughter, daughter of Anna Barron Rich, aunt to Sharon Pohlman

   3) Monroe Co Courthouse, Albia Iowa; first contact Aug 1987; Looking for

any "legal" documents for Sylvester or Margaret

   4)Sarah Hindman, Rte 3, Albia, Iowa 52531; first contact 1987; as a

researcher for Monroe Co Gen Soc requested a search on any information from sources in the county and through the library, the society, the courthouse and any other correspondence from other people searching out these lines.

   5)Elmore Co. Courthouse, Mountain Home, Idaho, 83647, first contact 1987,

searching for records on the Sylvester Barron family.

   6)Martina Daker 240 Surrey Lane, Lake Forest, Ill 60045, contact provided

by Sarah Hindman, first contact 1987 age as of first contact 63. daughter of Katherine Shovelain/Shovlain Kilfoy,(Katherine Kilfoy Shovelain/Shovlain daughter of Mary A Fitzgerald

Shovelain/Shovlain; Mary A sister to Margaret Fitzgerald Barron)

   7)Knox Co Courthouse, Galesburg, Ill.  first contact 1987; looking for

legal documents for the Fitzgerald/Barron families.

   8)Knox Co Gen Soc, box 13, Galesburg, Ill 61402-0013; looking for any

record of the Fitzgerald/Barron families through library, courthouse, church, or any other available records

   9)Monroe Co Gen Soc, Weller Iowa; first contact 1987 needing information on

becoming a member.

   10)Woodbury Co Courthouse, Souix City, Iowa, Looking for any informtion on

Sylvester and Margaret; first contact 1988

   11)Woodbury Co. Courthouse, Box 624, Souix City, Iowa 51102, atn Glenna

Ferrone, first contact 1988; looking for any information on Sylvester and Margaret from newspapers, library, courthouse, church and any other available records.

   12) Steve and Mary Kobett 2209 Briarcliff, St. Joseph, Mo. 64503, first

contact 1989 through Sarah Hindman; searching Fitzgerald line, could be connection between Margaret's father Patrick and maybe sister Ann according to church records in St Mary's Church.

   13) Mrs Clarence (Gertrude Luttrell Friest) E. Friest RT 2 Crosslake, Mn

56442; goddaughter to Margaret Fitzgerald Barron (godfather William Fitzgerald, Kansas City, Mo). Gertrude birthdate; 19 Mar 1906; first contact Dec 1989

   14) National Archives; Passenger Ship Records; first contact 1989
   15) St Patrick's Church, 858 S Acadmey Street, Galesburg, Ill:  first

contact Mar 1990 Searching for baptism records for Fitzgeralds; Barrons; Hunters.

   16)Eloise Thomas, 5843 Grant Street, Omaha, NE 68104; reguarding the Orphan

Trains, first contact Apr 1990

   17)Evelyn Tierney Rte 1, Melrose, Iowa, 52369; first contact 10 May 1990;

regarding the baptism records in the church (does not mention which church) in Melrose.

   18)   Children's Aid Society, New York; atn Helen Steinman; first contact

Nov. 1990; Looking for any information on the Barron children.

   19)  Wappello Gen Soc, Ottumwa Ia. atn June Ware; first contact Nov 1990

looking for information on Barron/Fitzgerald line

   20) Seeley Lake LDS Library and computer: First contact Dec 1990; searching

all ancestor lines of Sharon Rich Pohlman

   21) SQS Enterprises 215 Longfellow Dr. Colorado Springs, Co.  80910;  First

contact Mar 1991; Looking for information on marriages and passenger ship lists for Barron/Fitzgerald

   22) P. Cash  Box 653 Lincroft, N.J. 07738 : First contact Mar 1991:

Searching for Barron and Fitzgerald on passenger ship lists.

   23) Names the Same, Computer listings for others searching your surnames:

first contact Mar 1991. Searching for surnames Barron and Fitzgerald, Murphy and Quinlan.

   24) Susan Penrod 418 Trout Ave, Ligonier, PA 15658; first contact Mar 1991;

Searching passenger ship arivals for Barron, Fitzgerald

   25) New York Foundling Hospital 18 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011

First Contact: Jan 1992; Searching for Barron children

   26) JoAnn Jackson 2156 Snyder Ave. Rose Hill, Ia.: First contact Nov 92:

great-great grandaughter of Michael Fitzgerald (brother to Margaret Fitzgerald Barron) and Hannah Barron Fitzgerald (sister to Sylvester Barron) grandaughter of Francis Fitzgerald O"Brien, daughter of Hannah O'Brien. Searching Barron/ Fitzgerald lines

NOTE : St. Mary's, Weller Iowa. Just as St. Patrick's, Georgetown was the

parent church of our parish in Melrose, so also was our own St. Patrick's the parent church for the people in North Cedar (Weller) where, in 1875, they established their own parish of St. Mary's.

    On February 28, 1876, the first parish priest in Melrose, Father

J.J.Cadden, married Sylvester Barron and Margaret Fitzgerald in the first frame building which still stands on the church grounds and functions now as their parish recreation hall.

    As was true with the Irish in Melrose, many of the pioneers who settled in

the Weller area, came to Monroe County in the first place, because so many of their friends and relatives from the old country, had migrated here before them. Both parishes, and the one in Georgetown as well, lists the same family names, a brother here, a brother there.

    By the early 1870's the following names were located in the Weller area;

 James Barron, Sylvester Barron, Mike Fitzgerald, and Patrick Fitzgerald were

all on the list.