Calling all Genea-Musings Fans:
It's Saturday Night again -
time for some more Genealogy Fun!!
Here is our assignment from Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing:
1) Pick a great-grandparent of yours - any one of your eight. Tell us three (or more) things about him or her.
It is likely the family came to Dakota Territory because of the draw of free land through the Homestead Act. Four of the Gleeson family obtained land: her father, John, her brothers, Martin and John James, and Ann herself. She received a patent for 160 acres in Davison County, Dakota Territory. She purchased the land for $200 at $1.25 per acre. Because she was a single woman, she was allowed to petition for the land.
This land was located the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section nine and the north half of the northwest quarter and the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section ten. All were located in township 104, range 60 west in the 5th meridian.
In the spring of 1881, a notice was published in the Weekly Capitol of her intention to make final proof for the homestead, naming James Leslie, P.F. Burns, James Shannon, and J.C. Tatman as witnesses. Burns and Leslie made the final affidavits on her settlement on the property. She settled on it on 7 October 1880 and built a house and broke soil. Her house was a single story, measuring 14 by 16 feet. She broke sixteen acres and had resided on the house.
But instead of finishing out the five required years, she purchased the property under pre-emption, section 2259, on 26 May 1881.
She also filed her intent to become a citizen on 7 October 1880, which was a requirement if not a citizen. I never found the final papers. She married John H. Sullivan sometime in 1882. He also had 160 acres of land nearby. By the time he purchased his land in 1883, he stated he was already married. Anna and John had six children, five who grew to adulthood. In the 1890s, they moved to Anaconda, Montana.
Newspapers give a little hint to her life as there were articles about her activity with the Catholic ladies at the church.
Not much more is known. She died 3 January 1912 in Anaconda of melancholia that lasted seven years and the contributory factor was exhaustion for the past year. She is buried at Mt. Carmel in Anaconda.
I did find something she wrote in her sister, Martha's autograph book:
"Mary Martha"
Some friends have wished thee free from care
Others Joy and wealth
Some have wished thee blessings rare,
Long Life and constant health,
My wish for thee is better far
Than all thy friends have given,
That when thou leavest this world of care
Thy soul may rest in Heaven.
Your sister Mrs. John H. Sullivan
Didn't she have lovely handwriting?
It's very cool that she homesteaded as a single woman. I know they're a minority in the homestead records. You have a lot of great information about her. And yes, she had beautiful handwriting.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought at first I had very little. Glad for this exercise!
DeleteYou have found so much about her - unusual in the time frame before she married. The sentiment she wrote in the autograph book indicates she was probably quite religious. Great mementos.
ReplyDeleteThese old autograph books are interesting. I think in the past people memorized bits of poems or sayings to use in them, similar to what we used to do in our high school yearbooks. What I love about them, is seeing the person's handwriting. That's precious.
Delete