Mary Bridget McGroary : Short Biography

My great grandmother, Mary Bridget McGroary (McGrorey), was born 6 Jan 1864, six days into the new year that required civil registrations. I feel lucky in the extreme to have her civil birth registration, but have no more records for her family in Ireland. She was born in Tullygallan Tullywee Oughtnadrin Barr in Drumhome Parish to Bernard and Susan Hegarty McGroary (McGrorey). I believe Susan was from Inver Parish. By 1868, they had emigrated to Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania where Bernard (Barney) worked on the railroad for the coal mine. They had four more children - Michael, Denis, Margaret and Anna Cecelia. Susan died in 1895 in Freeland, PA. I have not found what happened to Bernard, but presumably he died prior to Susan, since no surviving husband was shown in her obituary. Denis and Margaret died young. I do not know what happened to Michael, but have no record of a marriage, or his death. Mary Bridget had three children that survived to adulthoood, and only my grand had children, my father and aunt. Anna Cecelia married John Welsh and went on to have seven children.

Mary Bridget died on 19 Sept 1937 in Waukegan, Illinois. Note: Her death certificate incorrectly lists her mother as Mary Cunnigham and her father as 'Mr. McGroarty'.. Her birth cert and marriage cert both list her mother as Susan Hegarty, as does my father's baby book.