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My Great Grandmother Johanna O'Keefe was born about 1861 in Cappoquinn, Wateford. She came to Queensland, Australia in the early 1880s and married a William Edwin Johnson who was from London and came to Brisbane arriving about July 1882.

I believe that Johanna's parents were John O'Keefe and Ellen Coleman.

Johanna had a sister, Margaret who married William Morrissey and they had a farm in Cappoquinn.  Their sons, William and James Morrissey went to Chicago, USA.

I'd be interested in any information related to O'Keefe and Coleman from Waterford.

Kind regards, Bernard Fitzpatrick

BernFitz

Sunday 10th Feb 2013, 02:50AM

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  • Wondering if this might be James that went to Chicago.    Chicago Tribune (IL) - November 19, 1972MorrisseyDeceased Name: James C. MorrisseyJames C. Morrissey, age 79, recently of Wonder Lake, Ill., formerly of 7133 S. Oakley, beloved husband of Annie G., nee Morrison; fond father of William J. and James C. Morrissey; grandfather of 12; brother of Morris, the late John, Paddy, Denny, William and Annie Morrissey, all in Ireland. Funeral Monday, 9:15 a.m. from McPhee Funeral Home, 7133 S. Western Av., to St. Adrian Church. Mass 9:45 a.m. Interment St. Mary. Veteran of WW I. Native of Co. Waterford, Ireland. PR 6-0777. Please omit flowers.   The siblings in the obituary seem to fit this family in 1901:http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Waterford/Cappoquin/To…   Here is the same family in 1911:http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Waterford/Cappoquin/To… Cathy

    cdanhauer

    Saturday 16th Feb 2013, 05:26AM
  • Thanks Cathy, Much appreciated.

    That James Morrissey is one of the Morrissey brothers who moved to Chicago, and the 1901 and 1911 Census is Johanna's sister Margaret.  I'm in contact with James' brother William's grandson living in California.

    We appear to have hit a brick wall in Ireland with regards the O'Keefe line of the family.  I have a 1942 letter written from James Morrissey (Chicago) to my Grandmother, Mary Helen Johnson (addressed to Gympie, but by 1842 living in Brisbane) daughter of Johanna O'Keefe.  In that letter referring to the O'Keefe, not sure if it is my Grandmother's generation or her aunt and uncle, as Margaret [O'Keefe] Morrissey is not mentioned, James writes:

    "Mary [O'Keefe] is married in the old home Jim [O'Keefe] is living in another part of ireland and John [O'Keefe] in London if the good Lord saved them in the merciless assaults on that city with bombs fire and destruction."

    We believe that Johanna and Margaret's parents John O'Keefe and Ellen Coleman were farmers in the Cappoquinn area.  I have not been able to find anything much as yet, though I found a Denis Keeffe, Knocknafallia (Cappoquin, Waterford) in the 1901 and 1911 Census.  The 1901 has his father John Keeffe aged 80 and mother Ellen Keeffe aged 72 which might fit.  But I am not sure why it would be Keeffe and not O'Keefe if it is a relative.

    Kind regards,

    Bernard

    BernFitz

    Saturday 16th Feb 2013, 12:02PM
  • I wouldn't be concerned with the O'Keefe/Keeffe difference.  That's common.  I looks to me like you found them. My hunch timewise would be  that the Mary in the letter is the 8 year old Mary in the 1901 census.  

      I did look for them in the Griffiths Valuation (1848-1851) and there were many Keeffe families.  There was a Denis in Knocknafallia.  Here's the link:

    www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/waterford/lismoreandmocollop.htm

    You might try posting here and on other forums with all the sibling names.   

    If you use facebook I saw an interesting group called Cappoquin Heritage Group. 

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cappoquin-Heritage-Group/116243098406418

    Cathy

    Chicago

    cdanhauer

    Saturday 16th Feb 2013, 04:20PM

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