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Surnames: FLANAGAN, GLEASON, RUSSELL, O'MARA, KERN
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/3h.2ADE/305.893
Message Board Post:
I have a write up of Gleason, Flanagan (Flannigan), and Russell families that started in
the New Albany/Louisville area and later (late 1880s) relocated to Chicago. The write up
was done by one of my mothers elderly aunts and has a lot of data that may be of interest
if these are the families of you are looking for; also mentioned are a couple of the other
names you mention – RusselL and O’Mara. Most of my information is on the Chicago group,
but the write up contains some additional information and I have a bunch of documents from
my research.
This Flanagan family was started by Matthias Flanagan (b. about 1815) from County Mayo,
although his death notice (1891, Chicago) says he was from Tullamore, Kings Co. He
married a widow Ann Gleason Russell (b. about 1833) also from County Mayo. They married in
New Albany in 1854 and had 5 children – Joseph E. (b 1858), James G. (b 1863), Catherine
(b 1865), Matthew M. (b 1870), and Margaret (b 1873). Anne also had a son Thomas Russell
(b. 1853).
Catherine Flanagan married Edward Russell (b. 1858 in Indiana, probably New Albany; no
relation to Thomas Russell) in New Albany in 1889. They moved to Chicago in 1893 to join
the rest of the family who had followed Joseph to Chicago. Joseph had started the Art
Glass Company that later became Flanagan & Biedenweg and did a lot of stained glass
work for churches, schools and public buildings.
Anne’s sister (Nora Gleason O’Mara) and her twin brothers Dan and Dennis Gleason lived in
the area.
Mathias also had a brother and 2 cousins who later emigrated and settled in Louisville.
The brother had a son Edward (Eddie) and a daughter Mary Flanagan Kern.
Matthias and Anne were my great-great grandparents. If this is the family group you are
looking for, let me know and I can provide some more information. Would be interested in
what you have also, since you seem to have been at this a while and I just started this
family research this spring.