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Dear Lee,
Thank you so very much for replying to my query. I really appreciate your interest and help. Hearing from you has really made my day.
YES!!! This is the correct family.
As to Thomas: my mother told me that her Uncle Tom (Thomas "Sam" Glennon) was a little boy when his father died in a mining or railroad accident. (I don't remember now which one she said). Thomas' mother, Mary Agnes Hannahan (Hannihan), then married Alfred Higgins. I don't know where they were married, possibly Ohio, possibly Pennsylvania. I have Thomas' memorial card and it states that he was born 30 May 1887 in Wheeling, West Virginia, and died in Greensburg, PA. He was buried on 04 July 1943 in Westmoreland County Memorial Park, near Greensburg, Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA.
Yes, Alfred Higgins (Sr.) was born in 1861 in Mosely Hole, Wolverhampton Borough, Wednesfield Township, Staffordshire, England. He was baptised on 22 Sept 1861 at the Mosely Hole Primitive Methodist Church according to the parish records. The Higgins are by tradition Methodist. But, Mary Agnes Hannahan's family may not have been. According to the 1900 census both of her parents were born in Pennsylvania. The surname Hannahan is most probably Irish. However, I would search the records of the protestant churches in the Leechburg, Armstrong Co., area first then Catholic, ditto for the Wheeling, West Virginia area. [And I would right now, but I live in Missouri and only return to PA once a year for two weeks or so to visit the relatives which leaves precious little time for genealogical research.]
Alfred and Mary A. Higgins' gravestones in Madison Union Cemetery, Madison Borough, Sewickley Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA, state that they were born in 1859 and 1861, respectively; and died in 1915 and 1939, respectively. I have not yet searched for newspaper obituaries. They may have papers from those years, 1915 and 1939 on microfilm at the Greensburg, Hempfield Public Library in Greensburg, PA. It would make those look-ups a whole lot easier if I knew the months and days when they died -- but I don't.
There are two United Methodist churches in Madison Borough. One is called the Hilltop Methodist Church, a red brick church next to the cemetery where the Higgins graves are. But, it is the other Methodist Church on the main street of town that the Higgins were members of. I don't know the name of it or the address or I would write and ask for information from their records. Going there to talk to the church secretary is on the to-do list for this summer's visit.
I have not yet done a land transaction records search or a will and probate search for the Higgins at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg. (Also on the to-do list.) But, I did search for naturalization papers when I was there last summer. I didn't find any which leads me to believe that they probably applied elsewhere in PA, possibly Ohio, or, else they never applied or petitioned at all.
Alfred and Mary A. Higgins also had these children not listed in the 1900 Census of Madison Borough, Hempfield Twp. Westmoreland Co., PA: [1] William Higgins, b. 1899 unk. place d. Madison Borough, Westmoreland Co., PA, as an infant or very young child, bur. Madison Union Cemetery, Madison Borough (gravestone is not entirely readable) [2] Mary A. Higgins, b. 1894 d. 1897 in Madison Borough, bur. Madison Union Cemetery, Madison Borough [3] Pearle Elizabeth Higgins b. 30 Aug 1902 probably Madison Borough, possibly Arona Borough d. 11 Aug 1993 Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., PA. Along with Rebecca, Alfred, Jr., Ellen, and Lula, plus their half-brother Thomas, this accounts for the eight children that were born to Mary Agnes (Hannahan) Glennon Higgins.
Note: Madison Borough was once included in Hempfield Twp. but has since come under Sewickley Twp., ditto for Arona Borough. It was a school tax issue; Sewickley was cheaper.
I have not yet found a 1910 census record for Alfred and Mary Higgins. But Alfred Higgins, Sr. is listed in the 1920 census of Arona Borough, Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA, and in the 1930 census of Arona Borough in my grandparents' household, Ellen and Alfred Harvey. You will also find Thomas Glennon and wf. Lydie (maiden name unk. but, possibly Atcheson) listed in the 1930 Arona Borough census. They were not married in Westmoreland Co., perhaps in Allegheny Co.
I have copies of Lula Grace (Higgins) Hohman's and Pearle (Higgins) Hoffer's marriage licenses. They are on file at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, PA. From those, the maiden name of their mother is given as Hannahan (Hannihan) and her birth place as Leechburg, Armstrong Co., Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to obtain a copy of my grandmother Ellen (Higgins) Harvey's marriage license because I only know for sure that she wasn't married in Westmoreland or Fayette Counties as I have searched those courthouses' marriage records. I have yet to check the courthouse records of Allegheny and Armstrong Counties. (on the to-do list) Nonetheless, I'm sure that it will not include anything about Mary Agnes (Hannahan or Hannihan) Higgins that I don't already know -- which isn't much, and therein lies the problem. I don't know who her parents were, who her first husband was, and so on.
I have in my possession a mumber of old photographs of the Alfred and Mary Higgins family. They belonged to my grandmother. One is identified as "Aunt Meg's girls." There are no Margaret's in the Higgins family nor in the Harvey family that could be an aunt or aunt-in-law to my grandmother. This has me searching for information about a Margaret Hannahan who was possibly Mary Agnes Hannahan's sister. And, I have found a tree at Rootsweb which includes a Margaret Florence Hannihan b. 1865 in PA d. 14 Oct 1955 in West Leechburg, Armstrong Co., PA, who married John Kelly Keefer b. 1861 in Armstrong Co. d. 1914 in Armstrong Co. What is really interesting is that Margaret Florence (Hannihan) and John Keefer had daughters named Lula Grace b. 31 June 1889 and Audrey Agnes b. 13 Nov 1901. I am thinking they are lost relatives. The photograph that I have was taken in the early 1900s and there is a family resemblence. I think looking for siblings may uncover more information about my great grandmother. I did contact the person that composed that Keefer tree at Rootsweb but she could not provide me with any more information. And so, there is another query posted regarding Margaret Florence (Hannihan) Keefer. No one has replied so far.
Please forgive me for writing such a long message. I hope this information helps.
If it would help, I can e-mail you copies of the Higgins documents and photographs that I have, please let me know. My e-mail address follows.
Thank you.
Mary Ellen
needleNhook@yahoo.com
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