John and Mary (Cahill) Garvey
Great-great grandparents John Garvey (1820-1890) and Mary Cahill Garvey (1830-1916) were born and married in Listowel Parish in County Kerry, Ireland. They immigrated to America, and it appears directly to Erin Township in Washington County, Wisconsin, by the mid-1840s. At some later point, Mary's parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cahill", followed the couple to Erin, and thus became one of only two of our great-great-great grandparents who lived in the United States and whose identity is known or mentioned in this family history.
Over the next forty years, John and Mary Garvey were engaged in farming, neighboring other farms owned by Tim and Thomas Garvey (presumably brothers, cousins, or sons), in the northeastern part of Erin near the village of Thompson.
During their long tenure in Erin, it is clear that John and Mary Garvey produced many children from 1849 to roughly 1870. However, when comparing the names in the Garvey Family History, and in each of US Census records from 1850-1880, the Garvey children's names change faster than the roster of a modern major league baseball team. The Garvey Family History reports John and Ellen's nine children as Mary, Ellen, Margaret, Elizabeth, Timothy, Thomas, Bridget, Hannah, and James. All records agree that daughter Ellen Garvey was born in 1849, and she would later become our great grandmother.
John Garvey died April 25, 1890 and is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Thompson in the Town of Erin. After his death, Mary Garvey continued to live with her unmarried son, James, until her death years later on March 11, 1916. She, too, is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery.