Posted my initial search on another sight back in February...some very gracious folks responded and gave me some leads. The last letter my grandmother received from Ireland was back in 1962. She did not want to give up her home in
Arizona and move in with us (her daughter and 7 grandkids). She wrote home, to what address we don't know. She was trying to see if anyone wanted to come to
America and live with her...evidently, no one took her up on her offer. She did receive a response from a John
Brennan (still have letter) with this address, Knooksehan Lecarrow P.O., Knockcroghery County
Roscommon, Eire...we think he was the grandson or nephew of one of my grandmother's siblings. This is what I know about my family. My grandmother, Elizabeth Mary
Brennan (aka
Lizzie), was born December 25, 1880. She was the youngest daughter of
Luke and Mary Kelly
Brennan. Elizabeth was the youngest of 10 children. Her siblings are: Mary (b.1863),
Bridget (b. 1864), Kathleen (b. 1873), Willie (b. 1869), John (b. 1867),
Luke (b. 1871), James (b. 1876), and Ellen (b. 1878). Depending on the records, I find differing dates of birth and as you can see I am still missing the tenth sibling’s name.
The Brennans lived on a farm in or near Athlone. Birth records indicate some of the children were born in Kiltoom and Killmain. My great-grandfather
Luke Brennan was a farmer and raised horses for the British
Army. Two of my great aunts (
Bridget and Kathleen) became Sisters of
Mercy. They lived at a Mother House in Auburn
California until their passing. Sister
Bridget died in 1945 and Sister
Imelda (Kathleen) passed in 1959. My grandmother Elizabeth came to San Francisco in 1902 to live with her sister Mary. James
Brennan evidently went to
Alaska to seek his fortune in gold. He became ill and contracted TB. He came back to Sacramento
California to a Sisters of
Mercy Hospital for treatment. He was sent to
Prescott Arizona for further treatment in 1905. My grandmother accompanied him. Evidently it was too cold in
Prescott, so he returned to Sacramento, where he remained until he died (do not know the year). My grandmother remained in
Prescott where she met my grandfather got married, and had two daughters, Mary Louise and Barbara Elizabeth. My mother still has the death cards for my great-grandfather
Luke Brennan 1902, and great-grandmother Mary Kelly 1915 and my great-uncle
Luke 1909. I did recieve an e-mail from a Seamus
Brennan who is a student at Berkley...he just went home to Ireland for a year. He sent me a picture of his gggrandfather John
Brennan. His
Brennan clan had distinct features. He asked if anyone in my family had redhair, tilt of head in pictures, one ear back, the other sticks out a bit...we had everyone of those characteristics...think his gggrandfather may be my ggrandfather brother or cousin...Seamus' e-mail address is
Seamusobraonain@yahoo.com. You may want to see what he has on your family. He's been studying the Brennans since 1993. I was able to send him a picture of my great grandfather and of my grandmother and 4 siblings. I am really curious as to what happened to the rest or if anyone of their descendants are still there.
