Mary Margaret2 Moroney (Thomas1) was born in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare 1 April 1879. Mary died 23 December 1942 in Mercy Hospital, Erie County, Buffalo, NY, at 63 years of age. Her body was interred circa 1942 in Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna, Erie County, NY.
She married John J. O'Brien in Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Erie County, Buffalo, NY, 12 August 1908. John J. O'Brien and Mary Maroney received their marriage license on July 30, 1908 in Buffalo, NY. John was living at 106 Orlando Street and worked as a Fireman and Mary Maroney was living at 16 Gorham Street and did Housework. The witnesses were Thomas J. Macky and Anna M. Maroney.
John was born in Killernan, Mullagh, Co. Clare circa 1875. John was the son of Stephen O'Brien and Margaret O'Halloran. John died 10 May 1959 at 83 years of age. His body was interred May 1959 in Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna, Erie County, NY. The first census record for John living in Buffalo, is the :1 Jun 1905, New York State Census. He was living at 197 Front Street, Buffalo, NY with his brother Stephen O'Brien. He immigration: 23 May 1900, through NYC, NY USA on the SS Ivernia. sailing from Cobh or Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland. On the ships manifest John is listed as having twenty dollars and he was going to stay with his sister Bridget O'Brien in Elmira, NY (Order Admitting to Citizen ship County Court of Erie Co. 7 July 1907). Occupation: Stationary-engineer. On April 7, 1904 John O'Brien solemnly swore that it was his bona fide intention to become a Citizen of the United States of America. John filed his Declaration of Intention with the State of New York, County Court, County of Erie. At this time he was residing at 197 Front Avenue, Buffalo, NY. He stated on his petition that he emigrated to this country, and on or about the 23rd of May 1900 at the port of New York. James P. Kane of 234 Trenton Street and John J. Sullivan of 227 Niagara Street submitted affidavits in the matter of John O'Brien to be admitted to become a citizen of the United States of America. Citizenship was granted July 7, 1906 by Hon. Edward K. Emery, County Judge. John lived in Elmira, NY with his sister, Bridget and brother, Stephen before he moved to Buffalo, NY. Delia and Stephen had emigrated to the United States five years earlier. The O'Brien's were living in Elmira, NY because the Cahill's, were their cousins living there. There were railroad jobs for John and Stephen and Delia worked as a domestic. The Cahill's were first cousins of theirs on their mother's side. Her sister Mary O'Halloren married Martin Cahill of the same parish. John was only in Elmira a few years before he moved to Buffalo. Buffalo was a big "Clare Town" and there were many families from the parish and towns in West Clare where the O'Briens were from. John's first job was working on the new Bethlehem Steel Plant in Lackawanna, NY. After this and the time of his citizenship he was working as a fireman. There is a story that was told about John's first trip to Buffalo. John was working on the railroad as a fireman. At this time they still used steam locomotives and the engine's boilers had to be feed by shovel. This was John's and a friend of his job. On this particular trip John and his friend were having too much fun and drink and somehow they broke the shovels, lost them, or burned them up and the train came to a halt on the route to Buffalo from Elmira. John and his friend were dismissed on the spot from their duties. John was too embarrassed to return to Elmira so he stayed in Buffalo and worked at the steel plant being built on the waterfront.
He married Mary Margaret Moroney, daughter of Thomas Moroney and Catherine Conole, on 12 Aug 1908, in Blessed Sacrament, Buffalo NY USA. Born, 1 Apr 1879, in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare EIRE. Died, 23 Dec 1942, in Mercy Hospital, Buffalo NY USA. Christened, 3 Apr 1879, in Kilfarboy, Co. Clare. Mary Margaret Moroney had a twin sister Bridget; they were the second and third children of 10 children. Their birth was never recorded with the vital statistics office and the information on their birth is from St. Joseph's R. C. church in Miltown Malbay. Her father was a farm laborer on her grandparent's, Michael Conole's and Bridget Gorman's farm in Islandbawn, a few miles North East of Miltown Malbay. This is how her mother Catherine Conole met her father. Her parents lived in Miltown Malbay and her father worked as a laborer and a jarvy car driver for the West Clare Railroad. Margaret spent most of her youth on the Conole farm with her grandparents. When she was old enough to work she got a position as a domestic servant with the Matthews family. The Matthews were the rent collectors and had a large estate in the townland of Kildimo. Her older brother, Thomas also worked on this farm as a farm hand. He was very capable and had a reputation as the best horse and dog trainer in the parish. Martin Cahill of Kildimo told me everything he knew about farm machinery he learned from Thomas Moroney. Margaret was the first of the Moroney family to immigrate to America. Her uncle Paddy Conole was living in Buffalo, NY and she made the trip in 1900. Paddy Conole was here because his mother, Bridget Gorman had family living in Buffalo and Buffalo was a "Boom Town" at the turn of the century. In fact the Pan American Exposition was held here shortly after Margaret arrived. It was a this exposition that President McKinley was assassinated. In Buffalo she worked as a domestic on Buffalo's Delaware Avenue the prominent area with the large homes. As I said Mary Margaret was the first but not the last in her family. Paddy, Elizabeth, Catherine, Michael, Bridget, Anne, and Ellen Moroney followed her to America. John and Molly as most people called her first lived on Elk Street and attended St. Stephens Church also on Elk Street. John signed up for social security sometime after 1937 after only paying into it for a short time. He collected for the next twenty years. He was only retired a few years before Molly died from cancer in December 1942. John and his son lived as bachelors for a few years and John thought about going back to Ireland and living on his American pension but decided he couldn't go back. John was getting use to the comfortable American life with indoor plumbing and central heating. When his son, John S. got married in May 1945, John was 70years old. At this time he decided to give his house to his youngest son Edward and his wife Dorothy and live with them. Not long after this the house was moved for industrial expansion to another location in the neighborhood. Here John had a full basement with central heating. One of the first in the neighborhood. This was John's home for the next few years until another expansion of the company and then the family moved out to a three acre country setting in West Seneca in September 1951. Here John lived there until may of 1959 when he died
Mary's was christened in St. Joseph's RCC, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Ireland, 3 April 1879.
Mary Margaret was better known as Molly to her family. As the Moroney family grew and living space was precious Molly moved in with her maternal grandmother, Biddy Conole and her uncles Ned and Mike Conole, there she helped with the farm work. When Molly was older she found a job as a charwoman on the Matthew's farm in the Kildimo townland. Her older brother, Thomas was already working there as a farm hand and skilled horse and dog handler. This was the farm where the land agent lived. Here Molly learned the domestic skills that would secure her employment in America. She was the first child of Thomas and Catherine Moroney to emigrate from Ireland to America. Molly arrived at Ellis Island, New York on the S.S. Teutonic which sailed from Queenstown, Co. Cork, Ireland. on October 13, 1898. On Page 162, Line 18,. Mary Moroney, 18 years, Female, Servant, from Parnave, Destination of NY, Passage paid by sister, Having $30.00 on person, Stay with Sister, B. Moroney, 142 W. 33 St. NYC. I believe she stay in New York City for
Figure 2 O'Brien Family 1924
Kate, Molly, John, JohnJr., Tom & Edward O'Brien
a while before she boarded a New York Central Train for Buffalo, New York. There her uncle, Patrick Conole, met her. He had emigrated from Ireland five years earlier with the help of his mother's family, the Gormans'. Her son, John S. O'Brien tells a story that upon meeting her uncle Patrick at the train station she spotted a fruit dealer selling the brightest red apples she had ever seen. Her uncle purchased one of these apples for her and Molly took a bite of the apple and it spilled over the front of her. Molly's apple turned out to be the first tomato she had ever seen or eaten. Molly worked as a domestic servant on the prestigious Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. There she worked and saved her money to send for the next Moroney sibling. Molly met John J. O'Brien the son of Stephen O'Brien and Margaret O'Halloran of Killernan, Co. Clare, Ireland at a dance in Buffalo one evening. She was seeing John O'Brien for quiet some time when one of her cousins asked when she was going to get married to John. She told her cousin named Maddigan as soon as he gets a good steady job. Some time after this John was offered a job at the Atlas Refinery and they soon married. John started work as soon as possible and set a date for the wedding. The plans were delayed for awhile because one day after being paid, John stopped to cash his check and have a drink at Gorman’s Bar on Elk Street. John happy with his job and engagement to Molly started to dance an Irish Set. He became so involved his foot went through the floor while dancing and he seriously broke his ankle. John spent a few weeks in the hospital and Molly visited him everyday and nursed him back to health. Molly said this was the time that she and John became very close. They were married 8 August 1908 at the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. Molly's sister, Anna M. Moroney was the Maid of Honor and John's friend, Thomas J. Mackey was the best man. In the 1910 federal census Molly was living at 132 Elk Street, Buffalo, NY. John and Molly were living with their 10 month old baby, Mary Margaret and Anne M. Moroney, listed as the sister-in-law. The O'Brien family attended St. Stephen's R.C.. Church of Elk Street until St. Monica's was built a few years later. Their first three children were baptized there. On January 2, 1920 the O'Brien family was living at 30 Peabody Street, Buffalo, NY when the Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920 was taken. John was working as foreman at the Oil Works living with Molly and their five children.
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