Judith Barkey

  Noted events in her life were:

• faith: Mennonite.

• Living, until 1886, Kankakee, Illinois.

• Moved, 1886, Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska.

Judith married Francis Marion McGirr on 29 Oct 1865 in Grundy, Illinois. (Francis Marion McGirr was born on 1 Apr 1833 in Ireland, died on 1 Jul 1905 in Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska and was buried in Evergreen Home Cemetery, Gage County, Nebraska.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Met. ⁴² She met Francis McGirr when her brother Ziegler brought him home following the civil war. Ziegler and Francis served together in the New Battery K. 1st Illinois Light Artillery.

New Battery K 1st Illinois Light Artillery

McEWEN, Franklin Recruit Mazon Jan 4, 1864 Died at Camp Yates, Ill., Apr 10, 1864
McGILL, John Recruit Chicago Feb 14, 1865 Mustered out May 29, 1865

McGIRR, Francis M Recruit Morris Jan 18, 1864 Mustered out July 15, 1865
McGOWAN, Parker S Private Clinton May 20, 1863 Deserted Oct 1864. Arrested, confined. Escaped Apr 15, 1865
McKINLEY, Joseph Private Santa Anna Sep 5, 1862 Mustered out Jun 19, 1865, as QM

• Opinion. Eve and Ziegler were deeply concerned about the blossoming relationship between Judith and Francis because he was Catholic and their family was Mennonite. Judith and Francis married despite their concerns on October 29, 1865 in Grundy County, Illinois.

  Marriage Notes:

Francis McGirr died July t, 1905 in Beatrice, Nebraska. He is buried at Evergreen Home Cemetery in Gage County, Nebraska.

McGIRR, JOHN IRWIN: Physician & Surgeon; b Reddick, Ill Mar 23, 1873; s of Francis M McGirr-Judith Barkey; ed Pickrell HS; Bus Coll, Beatrice 1892; Western Normal, Lincoln 1893; Omaha Med Coll, MD 1897; 1900-01 grad work in eye, ear, nose & throat NY Sch of Med; 1901 grad work Vienna Austria; m Myrtle Everlyn Gue June 22, 1915 Denver (dec Oct 18, 1923); s John Irwin Jr, Frederick Hayes; d Marguerite; 1897-1900 prac at Ellis; 1901- specialist in eye, ear, nose & throat treatments Beatrice; Gage Co Med Soc; Neb St & AMA; BPOE; IOOF; Dem; off Beatrice Natl Bank Bldg; res 122 N 8th, Beatrice.


New Battery K 1st Illinois Light Artillery

McEWEN, Franklin Recruit Mazon Jan 4, 1864 Died at Camp Yates, Ill., Apr 10, 1864 McGILL, John Recruit Chicago Feb 14, 1865 Mustered out May 29, 1865 McGIRR, Francis M Recruit Morris Jan 18, 1864 Mustered out July 15, 1865 McGOWAN, Parker S Private Clinton May 20, 1863 Deserted Oct 1864. Arrested, confined. Escaped Apr 15, 1865 McKINLEY, Joseph Private Santa Anna Sep 5, 1862 Mustered out Jun 19, 1865, as QM

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilcivilw/acm/art-1newk.htm

Virgil E. McGirr

The city of Beatrice proves a most attractive residence place for those who have been successful in farm enterprise in the county and who have achieved the independence that justified their retirement from active labors. Among the many poular citizens who are thus enjoying the attractions and privileges of the judicial center of the county is Mr. Virgil Mc Girr, who has been active not only as a representative of farm industry but also has been a successful exponent of the real-estate business. he was born in Kankakee County, illinois, January 31, 1875, and thus is in the very prime of life. He is a son of Francis M. and Judith (Barkey) McGirr.

Virgil E. McGirr was eleven years of age at the time of the family removal from Illinois to Gage county, and in the public schools he here continued his studies until his graduation in the Beatrice high school, as a member of the class of 1894. He continued his active association with farm enterpirse until he had attained to the age of twenty-seven years, and he then established his residence at Beatrice, where he served three years as deputy sheriff of the county. for several years therafter he was successfully engaged in the real-estate business, and his operations included the selling of land not only in Nebraska but also in other states of the Union. he built up a substantial and prosperous business and since his withdrawal fro this line of enterprise he has lived virtually retired. He is the owner of a well improved farm of two hundred and sixty five acres, in Holt Township.

In politics Mr. Mc Girr is found aligned as a stalwart in the camp of the Democratic party and he has been influential in its local campaign activities. he has twice been his party's candidate for sheriff of Gage county, and on one occasion reduced materially the large Republican majority, his defeat being compassed by only twenty-seven votes. He served six years as chief of police at Beatrice, and gave a most efficient and satisfactory administration. In their home city both he and his wife became members of the Centenary methodist Episcopal church, with which he is still actively identified.

Dobbs, Hugh J. [View Citation] [Table of Contents] History of Gage County, Nebraska : a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time Lincoln, Neb.: Western Pub. and Engraving Co., 1918 pg 482-483

John I. McGirr, MD.

In promoting general efficiency along all lines of human endeavor there has come in these later years a distinct recognition of the supreme value of concentration of effort and this is specially true in the medical profession, in which exponents find the maximum success and areable to give the most beignant service through devoting their attention to perfecting themselves and exploiting special departments of practice. In Gage county Dr. mcGirr has gained exceptional prestige by such concentration and he gives his time and attention primarily to the diagnoisis and treatment of diseases of the ye, ear, nose and throat. He maintains his residence and professional headquarters in the city of Beatrice and is known through his character and high professional attainments, as one of the representative physicians and surgeions of this part of the state.

Dr. McGirr was born at REddick, Kankakee County, Illinois, on the 23rd of March, 1873, and in his native commonwealth he recieved his rudimentary education, his age at the time of the family removal to Nebraska having been twelve years. The Doctor is a son of Francis M. and Judith (Barkey) McGirr, the former of whom was born in the fair Old Emerald Isle, a scion of a family of patrician antecedents and superior educational status, and the latter of whom was born in the state of Pennsylvania, their marriage having been slemnized in the state of Illinois. Francis M. McGirr was reared and educated in his native land, where he received excellent advantages, his father, Joseph McGirr, who continued to maintain his home in Ireland until his death, at the verable age of eighty-five years, having been a man of fine intellectuality and having served many years as a school-master, in which connection it may be noted that he spoke and taught eight different languages. Francis M. McGirr was a young man when he came to the United States and that his loyalty to the land of his adoption was of perfervid order needs no further voucher than the statement that he went forth as a valiant soldier of the Union in the Civil war in which conflict he served three years, as a member of Battery K, First Illinois Light Artifllery. During his later years of residence in Nebraska he perpetuated the more gracious memories of his military career through affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic, and in all of the relations of life he exemplified the same instinctive loyalty and high sense of personal stewardship that prompted him thus to defend in his young manhood the righteous cause through which was perpetuated our nation integrity. His wife was a girl at the time of her parents removal from the old Keystone state to Illinois, where she was reared and educated, her father, the late Enos Barkey, having finally removed with his family to Nebraska and become one of the early settlers of Gage county, where he was a prosperous farmer and where he and his wife passed the residue of their lives.

After the close of the Civil War Francis m. McGirr engaged in farming in Kankakee County, illinois, and in that state he remained until 1885, when he came with his family to Nebraska and purchased land in Gage county. Here hedeveloped on of the valuable farms of the county and he continued to reside upon his old homestead until 1901, when he removed to the city of Beatrice, his death having here occured in 1905, and his widow having passed to eternal rest in 1913. Mr. McGirr was one of the honored and influential citizens of Gage county, a man of broad mental ken and well fortified convictions, and he commanded the unequivocal respect of his fellow men. He was reared in an ever held to the faith of the Catholic church, and his wife was a member of the mennonite church. they are survived by four children: Edward B. is successsfully engaged in the real-estate business at Beatrice; Frederick O. is engaged in the practice of his profession at Beatrice, as a prepresentative member of the Gage county bar, and is serving, 1917-1918, in the office of supreme court commissioner; Dr. McGirr, of this review, was the next in order of birth. He gives liberal support to the Baptist church of Beatrice of which his wife is an active member.

Dobbs, Hugh J. [View Citation] [Table of Contents] History of Gage County, Nebraska : a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time Lincoln, Neb.: Western Pub. and Engraving Co., 1918 pg 509-510

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

The first Catholic church in Somerset county was that at New Baltimore, which dates back to 1824, and is known as St. John's. In that year Rev. Th. Hayden visited and continued to supply the congregation several years. There was no resident priest until about 1850, when Rev. Joseph Theresia Gezowsky became stated pastor. One section of the church was erected in 1825; in 1870 it was greatly enlarged and in 1880 a spire eighty feet high was added. Among the original members of this congregation were Anthony Luken, Francis McGirr, Jacob Riffle, Michael Hughes, Patrick Rice and their families.

Somerset County Pennsylvania Genealogy History of Bedford and Somerset Counties