Who do you think is the ‘missing brother’?  The likeliest candidate appears to be Neil McGonigle, who lived in Mercer County.  Mercer County is south and adjacent to Rock Island County, Illinois.  Census information only tells us part of the story.  Neil was born about 1854 in County Donegal, and immigrated to America in 1875.  By 1880 he could be found living in Mercer County with his brother, Peter McGonigle.  Later, Peter moved his family to Colorado.  Neil married a local gal and continued working in Mercer County as a coal miner. 

Here are the facts.  Neil McGonigle was the only Irish-born person found in an eight-county area who was near Francis McGonigle’s age.  Neil’s brother, Peter, married Ann Murrin in Killybegs.  Killybegs is where Francis McGonigle lived before moving to America.  Francis McGonigle’s death certificate shows his father was named Peter McGonigle.  His mother’s name was not listed.  Was Frank’s father named Peter?   

Frank McGonigle's Brothers - Part Deaux

Several years ago we tried piecing together a puzzle regarding our ancestor’s brother.  An old obituary for Frank McGonigle suggested he had an unnamed brother living in Rock Island, Illinois.  After our research we believed Frank’s brother was named Neil McGonigle, a retired miner who lived outside Rock Island in the small town of Mathersville.  Until now we could never find the 'smoking gun' which connected Neil to our ancestor.  In 1880 Neil lived with his brother’s family (Peter McGonigle) in Coal City, Illinois, another small town outside of Rock Island.  Peter McGonigle and his wife, Ann Murrin, were frequent visitors to Belvidere, Illinois, but Neil remained an enigma.  According to Neil’s marriage certificate his parents’ names were Francis McGonigle and Mary O’Donnell.  The death certificate for our ancestor, Frank McGonigle, showed his parents’ name as Peter McGonigle and unknown mother.  Frank’s daughter, Carrie McGonigle, supplied this information for Frank's obituary and death certificate.

Like Sherlock Holmes we found the following ‘evidence’ that connected Neil and Frank together.

The Rock Island Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; September 21, 1911; page 2

Eureka!  From this news article it appears they last saw each other in 1879, or the same time Neil was living with another brother, Peter McGonigle, in Coal City.  We can assume from this news article that Frank and Neil weren’t close.  Interesting enough Frank brought our grandmother, Adelaide McGonigle, with him when he visited his brother, Neil, in Mathersville.  Later, Adelaide would name one of her sons ‘Neal’.  Incidentally, Mathersville is just south of Rock Island, Illinois.

Mathersville

In 1911, Mathersville was a small unincorporated village with less than 500 people.  When Frank visited Neil this town was less than a year old.  There were no schools, roads, churches or other businesses.  This village was built because there were two coal mines nearby, the Alden Coal Company and the Coal Valley Mining company, which employed more than a hundred men each.  Neil McGonigle worked for the Coal Valley Mining Company.

More siblings?

Did Frank, Peter and Neil have more siblings?  Yes.  We knew they had a sister named Hannah who was born at Killybegs in 1858, but we knew of no other siblings.  Then the following clue appeared in a Rock Island newspaper.

The Rock Island Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; Friday, April 19, 1912; page 10


Out of curiosity I wanted to see who Neal visited in St. Joseph, Missouri.  The Missouri State Board of Health and 'findagrave.com' gave us our answer.  Ellen Brady (nee McGonigle) lived in St. Joseph, and according to her death certificate her parents were Frank McGonigle and Mary O'Donnell.  She died on New Years Day 1917.  Her husband, James Brady, was born in Killy Beggs, County Donegal, Ireland.  Ellen immigrated to America circa 1888 and lived in Elwood, Kansas, with her husband and family.  Elwood is a suburb of St. Joseph, Missouri.  Five of her seven children were born in Killybegs, the rest born in Kansas.  The following snippet appears on Ellen’s death certificate.

 

Two members of this family (Neil and Ellen) have death certificates that show the same parents' names - Francis McGonigle  and Mary O’Donnell.

Neil Breaks a Leg

In 1907 Neil McGonigle and family lived in Cable, Mercer County, Illinois.  The following article describes a serious accident where a mine roof collapsed pinning Neil’s leg.  At one point it was thought doctors would amputate his leg.  Obviously not though since the 1920 Illinois Coal Report (Volume 39, page 97, by Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals) showed Neil McGonigle had another mining accident on August 11, 1919, at the age of 63.  He cut his eye after particles shot out from a mining tool.  Although it paid well, mining was and still is dangerous work.

Shades of Frank McGonigle!  The local Rockford newspaper reported Frank's broken leg too.

The Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; Thursday, March 21, 1907; page 2

 

Waneta Tribe of Red Men

This is an interesting club which included as its members Hugh McGonigle and Neil McGonigle.  In fact, it is one of my favorite news articles about the McGonigles. 
The Waneta Tribe of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution.  It was established to promote liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. The rituals and regalia are modeled after those used by Native Americans.  In 1935 there were a half million members, now there are considerably less.  Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Warren G. Harding were all members of this society.  Tammany Hall is a political offshoot of this secret society.  Until 1974 this was a ‘whites only’ club.

Rock Island Argus; Rock island, Illinois; Thursday, December 7, 1911, page 2

Thomas McGonigle Wedding

All the McGonigles gathered for Tom’s wedding.  Tom’s parents and brothers were there as well as his sister, Eva (nee McGonigle) Kennedy.

Rock Island Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; Saturday, January 10, 1914; page 2

John McGonigle Wedding

John McGonigle and Frank Russell opened a pool hall in Mathersville a year earlier, and this was one of the earliest businesses in this community.   That is where John and Ethel McGonigle held their wedding reception.  Later they would move to nearby Rock Island.

The Rock Island Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; Wednesday, June 2, 1913; page 3

Eva McGonigle Nuptials

Eva was Neil and Anna (née Gorman) McGonigle's only daughter.

The Rock Island Argus; Rock Island, Illinois; August 29, 1912; page 2

Hugh McGonigle

Hugh McGonigle worked for the coal company and never married.  In 1912 Thomas and Hugh joined a local single men's club in Mathersville.  This club was formed so single men who saw no marriage prospects in their future could gather for friendship and good fun.  Obviously Tom gave up his membership once he married Martha Johnson.

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