Greenau or Greenan - Smith Family Genealogy
Terence Greenan
In 1850 three young Smith children – Bridget, John and Owen – traveled to America aboard the Centurian. Family lore told us they came over without their parents. They did not travel alone though. Their uncle, Terry Greenan, traveled with them. In the 1850 US Census for Brooklyn, New York, we find the following people all living together: Thomas McCabe, Alice McCabe, Mary Ann McCabe, Catharine Smith, Bridget Smith, John Smith, Owen Smith, and Terry Greenan.
By 1860 Catharine Smith married William Rooney, and they were living in Bear Creek Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Living on one side of the Rooneys lived a Patrick Smyth family. On the other side lived a ‘Terns Greene’ family. We suspected this was Uncle Terry and his family; however, nothing more could be found on this family after 1860.
Catharine Rooney and her son, Owen Smith, are buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Keyesville, Wisconsin. A researcher told us they were buried in what appeared to be a family plot. On one side of Catharine were buried Patrick and Margaret Smyth. Next to Catharine was buried her son. Tearance and Mary Greenau are buried next to Owen. This last name has been spelled German in an old document. Although we were sure they were related, we did not have definitive proof that they were ‘Greenans’.
The Catholic Church gave us the answer. The church records found in the Diocese of LaCrosse spell this last name as ‘Greenen’. This is how ‘Irish’ John Smith spelled the Greenan surname. You see this spelling in his travelogue.
This is what the death record shows.
A. D. 1865
Die 5 Octobris mortua et Die 7 Octobris sepulta est Maria Greenen
W. Bernard
Very roughly, this English translation from Latin reads as follows: Day 5 October died and Day 7 October buried is Mary Greenan. It is signed by the Parish Priest for St. Mary’s Catholic Church. His name was Father Wendelin Bernard.
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| Parish Priest in Wisconsin |
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| Death Notice Entry for Mary Greenan |
