The Foleys of Indiana

As this search for family history has developed, there seem to be many new branches in the family tree to learn about.

Before this search started we knew little about some of our ancestors and nothing about any who had moved to Indiana. This has now changed.

When Michael Foley passed away in 1889, the newspaper account of his passing and funeral indicated that he was survived by a son William in Terre Haute, Indiana. Yesterday I started the process of learning about William.

The 1900 U S Census for Vigo County, Indiana, shows William M Foley living in Terre Haute born in Illinois in January 1865. Both of his parents had been born in Ireland. The item that clinched it for me that this was our William was that his occupation was a switchman for the railroad.
It goes into more detail providing information that his spouse was Annie, who was born in Ireland in May 1868 and came to the US in 1887. Their only son in 1900 was Thomas, who was "at school". All could read and write and owned their home without mortgage. They have a bigger family at this time but the census page ends with Thomas.
The 1910 U S Census provides a better look. Still in Vigo County, William and Annie were now married for 24 years, had children Thomas, age 22, now a clerk in a hardware store; Mary, 22; Florence, age 15; and Carminietta, age 9. Only Carminietta was born in Indiana.
By 1920, all of the children had left the nest. Thomas had married Margaret and moved back to Cook County Illinois, where he had been born.
Another branch in the tree is getting filled with leaves of information. And a new destination for a field trip is in order. The Fort Wayne Public Library has one of the best genealogical collections in the US. The date is set for March 10, 2006 in order to enjoy a hockey game there that weekend. And we hope to pass through other Illlinois locations on the way.