Samuel McGrath
b. 1786, Co. Tyrone, Ireland
d. ~1879
m. Jane Denning, March 16, 1813
From an article in the Galena, Illinois Weekly Gazette, 1878 or 1879. Born 1786, County Tyronne (20 miles from Londonderry), Ireland; emigrated to the United States at the age of 18 (~1804), landing in Philadelphia. He settled for three years in a little town called Strasburgh, several miles from the city of Lancaster. Here he was a shoemaker, a trade he had partially learned before leaving Ireland. He worked as a journeyman shoemaker in the town of Little York, York County with his brother until the time of his marriage to Jane Denning on March 16, 1813. He subsequently moved to Hanover (York County) and then Beaver County (near Pittsburg) where he farmed (merino sheep and selling the wool). He finally purchased a farm and labored there until moving to Galena, Illinois (near Debuque, close to the Mississippi river, in the NW corner of the state) in 1836, staying there through the summer and moving in autumn to Derinda. He had 11 children, 8 boys and 3 girls:
Thomas dead as of 1878 or 1879
John dead as of 1878 or 1879
David dead as of 1878 or 1879
William
Eliza died at 18 years
Robert born June 30, 1831
James
Joseph Hamline
Samuel
Mary m. Shipton; lived in Derinda
Jane m. Gillogly; lived in Carroll Counth
He became a local preacher several years before his marriage, and was ordained in Galena in 1836 by Bishop Hamline. He lived until at least 93, and lived with son Hamline when old.
Robert McGrath
b. June 30, 1831, in Pennsylvania
d. June 18, 1903
m. Esther Weir, July 2, 1857
Had seven children:
Charles Marvin b. February 23, 1863 d. November 6, 1953 James Ed (Ed) b. April 28, 1858 d. April 29, 1932 Ed was a physician in Illinois Wilmer Weir ("Will") b. January 5, 1870 d. ? David the family bible that we
have belonged to himEda Sadie Benjamin Robert ("BR") b. May 17, 1873 d. ? He practiced medicine in
Grant, Ne before going
to Grand Island.
Bill McGrath, also a
doctor in Grand Island,
is his son.
Charles Marvin McGrath
b. February 23, 1863
d. November 6, 1953
m. Ida May DeLaVergne, March 6, 1889
Born February 23, 1863. Ran a freight wagon from Kearney to Broken Bow (?- somewhere in there), and then he homesteaded in Perkins County, western Nebraska (near Elsie). He was a legislator in Lincoln for a while later in his life, and then went back to Wauneta (to retire?). (The old chair we used to have in the barn belonged to him from his days as a legislator.)
Married Ida May DeLaVergne, of Savannah, IL on March 6, 1889. Ida May was short and fat, and died when she caught herself on fire while smoking meat. They were both buried in Wauneta, NE.
Died November 6, 1953. Some story about coming back from Eda and Sadie's funeral in Illinois with Grandpa and Uncle Glen, and they had a wreck. Uncle Glen was pretty badly hurt.
They had five children:
Wilmer DeLaVergne ("WD") b. December 4, 1889 d. January 19, 1973 Ruby Mary b. September 2(5?), 1891 d. February 8, 1973 m. Smith m. Larry Collins; lived in Wauneta Glen Ralph b. July 22, 1893 d. December 24, 1972 m. Margaret McDonald Eva Esther b. November 24, 1896 m. Robert Terry lives in Wauneta Susie May b. January 1, 1907 son Jimmy
Wilmer DeLaVergne McGrath
b. December 4, 1889
d. January 29, 1973
m. Gladys Diller, June 3, 1920
m. Martha Zeleski, April 10, 1939
Grandpa came to Grand Island and lived with Uncle Ben when he went to high school. He graduated third in his high school class. He went to college at the University of Nebraska, and then to Rush Medical School in Chicago. He interned for two years with a famous surgeon, Dean Lewis, who was the Surgeon General of the hospital. Dr. Lewis went to France during World War I in charge of Base Hospital #13, and Grandpa served in this hospital. He was in France during the war from 1916-1918. After the war, Dean Lewis wanted Grandpa to go into practice with him in Chicago, but Grandpa wanted to go back to Grand Island and practice with Uncle Ben, and so he did. Dad says Grandpa "thought Dean Lewis was God", and this is who Dad is named after. Dad says he remembers Dean Lewis getting off the train in Grand Island for a visit.
Grandpa married Gladys Diller, June 3, 1920 at Central City, Nebraska. Gladys was a pianist at the conservatory in Grand Island with Miss Pinder. She died of an infection (miscarriage?) before the time when there were antibiotics.
They had three children:
Margaret Jean (Jean)
b. January 4, 1922, 1404 W. John, Grand Island, NE
m. Victor Frost, September 3, 1949, St. Philomena's Catholic Church, Denver, CO
d. December 8, 1990, Grand Island, NECharles Dean (Dean)
b. February 29, 1924, 1404 W. John, Grand Island, NE
m. Margaret Guy Bambrick, July 14, 1951, Chicago, ILBetty Ann
b. January 18, 1927, Grand Island, NE
m. Charles Lloyal Huffman, March 27, 1948, Grand Island Trinity Methodist Church (the day before Easter)
d. February 4, 1965, Grand Island, NE (actually Chicago, but lived in GI)
Grandpa re-married, Martha Zeleski, April 10, 1939 in Kearney, NE (at the rectory). Martha (Grandma McGrath) was a nurse.
Grandpa died at St. Francis hospital, Grand Island, January 29, 1973.
Charles Dean McGrath
b. February 29, 1924
m. Margaret Guy Bambrick, July 14, 1951
Went to Barr Jr. High, and Grand Island Senior High School (which at the time was the old Walnut Jr. High that we later attended). College at Stanford University (and one year at UCLA). Medical school at Stanford University. Residency at Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago. Married Margaret Guy Bambrick, in Chicago, Illinois, July 14, 1951. They have four children:
Charles Dean, Jr. (Dean)
b. May 27, 1953
m. Patricia Bryan
They have a son, Thomas Dean McGrath, born May 29, 1990Melissa Ann ("Lisa")
b. June 1, 1955
m. James J. Kinnally, April 18, 1981, Charlottesville, VA (UVa Chapel)Kerry Wilmer
b. June 25, 1956
m. Renee Meister, December 19, 1982, Grand Island, NE (St. Mary's)Martha Jean ("Marcy")
b. June 6, 1957
m. Jeffrey Alan Kovar, July 12, 1980
b. January 4, 1926
m.
Victor Paul Frost, September 3, 1949, St. Philomena's Catholic
Church, Denver, CO
d. December 8, 1990, Grand Island NE. Buried in the family plot at Grand
Island cemetery.
Click here or above on her name to go to Jean's full history page
They have three children:
Richard Dean Frost
b. May 24, 1952, Glendale, CA
m. Susan
They have two sons, Eric and DavidDavid Paul Frost
b. July 12, 1954, Babylon, NY
m. Kelly Kathleen Fellingham, October 15, 1977, Infant Jesus Catholic Church, Port Jefferson, New York
They have two daughters, Heidi Kathryn and Heather KellyMichael John Frost
b. November 29, 1957, West Islip, NY
Betty Ann McGrath
b. January 18, 1927
m. Charles Loyal Huffman, Jr., March 27, 1948 (day before Easter), Grand Island
Trinity Methodist Church
d. February 4, 1965, Grand Island NE. Buried in the family plot at Grand
Island cemetery.
Charles Loyal Huffman, Jr.
b. September 5, 1926, Grand Island, NE
d. March 27, 1997, Grand Island, NE (note, on his and Bet's wedding anniversary)
They have three children:
Anne Huffman
b. October 21, 1952, Grand Island, NE
m. Brian Ward Keefe, October 3, 1982, Lincoln, NECharles (Chip) Loyal Huffman, III
b. July 2, 1956, Grand Island, NE
d. July 26, 1976, Grand Island, NEMichael David Huffman
b. July 2, 1959, Grand Island, NE
m. Laura Russell, 1986?, Lincoln, NE
One daughter, Mallory Anne Huffman, born August 9, 1988, Lincoln, NE
Editors note:
Please note that the later parts of this are told from the perspective of one of
Charles Dean McGrath Sr.'s children - the "we" would be Dean, Lisa, Kerry, and Marcy.
"Grandpa" is Wilmer DeLaVergne McGrath.
It should also be noted that none of Wilmer's grandchildren knew their
biological Grandmother, and Martha was always Grandma McGrath to us. This is a matter
of respect and love (well earned I might add!) for Martha, not a lack of respect for
our parents' mother. My mother (Jean) clearly loved her mother, and had a hard time
accepting Martha at first. I don't really know, but I suspect that it wasn't until
she was an adult that she really learned to love Martha.
Last revised January 2, 1999.