Anastasia Brigid Curran Obituary

From the Billings Gazette, dated in pen May 16, 1997

PLENTYWOOD -- The funeral liturgy for Anastasia Brigid Curran will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday. Father Jerry Connolly will celebrate the Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Plentywood; a vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Fulkerson's in Plentywood. Interment rites will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery at Minto, N.D. at 10 a.m. (CDT) Monday, May 19.

'Stasia died early Wednesday morning at Billings Deaconess Medical Center in Billings.

Anastasia Brigid Curran was born in Walsh County, near Minto, June 16, 1906, the youngest of five children of Timothy and Anna (McHugh) Curran. She grew up on the family farm and attended rural elementary schools near the family farm. She entered high school at Minto when she was 12 and completed a high school program that earned her a second-grade certificate to teach in rural schools. She stayed home for a year, then moved to Montana, where she taught in a McCone County school near Vida. Her father became ill, and she returned to North Dakota's Walsh County, where she taught for four years. She then took two quarters of college at Minot, qualified for Montana Teacher's Examinations, and taught in two rural Montana Schools before she returned to college for a year, now earning a "Standard" certificate. She then taught at Munson school, south of Plentywood, for two years; for five years at Redstone; a year in Augusta; and 27 years at Miles City, where she retired in 1970. Summer school sessions at Missoula, UCLA, and Greeley, Colo., earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Montana at Missoula.

'Stasia was an educator: even though her summers were usually spent traveling, she always took along her nephews or nieces on her journeys ("they had to be taught, you know!") and her example of penmanship, correct English, and accurate spelling and proofreading made lifelong impressions on all of her family. She traveled extensively, and retirement from teaching gave her time to revisit favorite places in the United States and Canada, ant to take a "Circle Pacific Tour" with stops in New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Manila.

Since 1950 she had been a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, first as a charter member of Nu chapter, and since 1971 as a member of Chi chapter. Society activities helped her to follow trends in education during her retirement years, and to enjoy the association with other members. Her family remembers that she always made the pies -- especially apple -- for every family gathering, pies that no one else could equal.

After retirement, 'Stasia resided in Plentywood with her sister, Gertrude Heisler, until Gertrude's death in 1982. Since, she had spent her summers in Minto and winters in Plentywood.

Anastasia was baptized July 3, 1906, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Minto and was a member there and at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Plentywood, where she was a member of St. Raymond's Guild.

The last survivor of her family of three brothers and two sisters, Anastasia never married; she is survived by numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

Maria Curran Obituary

"1936" dated in pen. Newspaper not named; probably Grand Forks, ND

"Maria Curran, 62, Dies in Grafton"

Former Minto, Auburn Resident Since 1898 Succumbs Unexpectedly In Her Home.

Resident of Walsh County since 1898 and Grafton since 1931, Miss Marie Curran, 62, died unexpectedly last Friday in her home, near the armory, in which she lived alone.

Death was of natural causes, Dr. G.L. Countryman, county coroner who investigated the death, said.

Funeral services where conducted Monday morning in St. John's church with Rev. W.T. Mulloy in charge. Pallbearers were Theodore Larson, McCann Archer, Frank Tufft, Dan J. Callahan, Pete Keeley and Pat Burns. Burial was in the Catholic cemetery.

Relatives in attendance were Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Sefert, Greenbush, Minn.; John J. Curran, St. Paul; Anastasia Curran, Redstone, Mont., and Mary Curran, Argusville, N.D.

Miss Curran was born in Shelburne, Ont. in 1874 and came to Minto in 1898. She moved to a farm near Auburn in 1902 and in 1931 came to Grafton. She was unmarried. Her parents and five brothers, who lived in North Dakota, are deceased.

Jeremiah Curran Obituary

From the Grand Forks, ND newspaper, April 13, 1927:

"Local Farmer Passes Away"
On Monday evening occurred the death of Jeremiah Curran at his home four miles northeast of Grafton. Mr. Curren [sic] suffered a stroke about fivc weeks ago and his strength gradually failed until the end.

Mr. Curran was born in Dufferin County, Ontario, sixty two years ago. He received a common school education and followed farming there until 1898 when he came to Walsh County, buying a farm northeast of Minto. He farmed there for four years and then moved to a farm north of Auburn. In 1908 he acquired the farm that has been his home until his death.

Mr. Curren [sic] never married and and only sister, Mary, who survives him, supervised his household. There are also three brothers, Timothy of Minto, and John and Dan at the home of the deceased.

The funeral took place Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock from St. John's Catholic church. Father Corry officiating. The remains were buried in the local Catholic cemetery.

Ontario Marriages

A compilation of marriages from Ontario, with the following information:

2666-89 Timothy CURREN, 32, farmer, Canada, Melancthon, s/o Jeremiah & Bridget, married Annie McCUE, 21, Canada, Melancthon, d/o James & Sabina, witn: Francis DAVIS of Gartand Forks & Barbara McCUE of Melancthon, 4 March 1889 at Melancthon twp

This is confusing, as it lists Tim's dad as "Jeremiah." Tim had a brother named Jeremiah, but so far as I know, his dad's name was "Darby." Is it possible that "Darby" was a nickname?

Upper Canada Marriage Indexes
Jacob Irons and Mary McCue, 1842
Jane McCue and Allan Salt, 1846
William McCue and Eliza Bedford, 1847

Jailbirds in the Family Tree?

Probably everyone has some. I found some possible relatives on a list of compiled Ontario jail records. More research is needed to find if they're relatives:

Curran, Darby; age 35; Owen Sound Jail, 1859 [Owen Sound was the county seat of Grey County, described as "a lively port on Georgian Bay)
Curran, Felix; age 23; Brockville Jail, 1848 [Leeds County]
Curran, Mary; age 20; York-Peel Jail, 1855 [Toronto]

McCue, Michael; age 75 [hope this is a typo!]; Home District Jail, 1842 [in Toronto, included prisoners from Simcoe County]
McCue, Peter; age 24; Cobourg Jail, 1852

My recollection is that the dob for Darby is about right, i.e., 1824. If Felix is a relative of Darby's [perhaps a brother, dob ~ 1825], and they came over about the same time, they emmigrated before 1850. Mary Curran's dob would be 1835.

Melancthon, Ontario

Melanchton as a town no longer exists; the old townsite is a windfarm, now. These a photos from the internet, showing scenery, and the still-standing St. Patrick's Church.

Darley Curran?

Wonder if this is "Darby Curran"?

Found at: http://www.ontarioobits.com/genealogy/dufferincht.htm

As published in the Orangeville Banner on April 20, 1911 (Page 6, Column 3)
THE FIRST SETTLERS
Melancthon Gravel Road Was Chopped About 1848.
Editor of the Banner.
Dear Sir, - The Banner of last week contained an interesting account of the pioneer days of Melancthon, written by the facile pen of Mr. w. L. Smith, editor of the Toronto Weekly Sun. The Shelburne Free Press also recently published brief accounts of the early days in this northern township, but both the Banner and the Free Press are somewhat mistaken. The Banner said something about someone drawing hay to Shelburne, and getting stuck in the mud and remaining there all night. As a matter of fact, where Shelburne stands was an unbroken wilderness at that time, and there was no hay market there until about 20 years afterwards. The late Wm. Jelly built the first Mansion House on the present site about the year 1864, and this was the first progressive business place of the now progressive town of Shelburne.

Last week a Free Press correspondent published the names of those settlers, who are supposed to be the first settlers, namely: -- Lewis Gant, Thos. Doyle, Robt. Atkinson, David Biggar, Wm. Gant, Michael Shoaf, John Johnton, Darley Curran and John Hodgins. Now, the earliest of these men came in about 1851, and the others not until three or four years afterwards. The "Toronto Line," now the Gravel Road, was chopped out in '47 or '48, and the men who were engaged on that contract were the first settlers, among whom were Mr. Atcheson, Andrew Darrah (the latter took up and settled the hill where the Gravel Road Church now stands), Jas. Watson, first clerk of Melancthon, and others who settled about Dundalk were the McDowell, Connor and McAuley families. These were really the first settlers. James Beachell came shortly afterwards, and opened the first Post Office in Atcheson's Hotel, which stood on what was known as Beachell's Hill.
READER.
Corbetton, April 18th, 1911

Curran Marriages and a Baptism

These are from an Irish records site. These records are not old enough to include any ancestors, but they might certainly be related, as these are Cahirciveen Currans:

Kerry Marriage Records, Cahirciveen

Jeremiah Curran m. Catherine Garvey, 10 Feb. 1881
Fathers: Jeremiah Curran, William Garvey (from Kimego)
Witnesses: Denis Garvey, John Clifford.

John Curran m. Mary Sullivan, 2 Mar. 1889
Fathers: Finanean Sullivan (from Meelagoleen)
Witnesses: Daniel Connor, Finan Sullivan

John Curran m. Ellen Sullivan, 16 Jan. 1891
Fathers: Patrick Curran, Mortimer Moriarty
Witness: Daniel Clifford

Eugene O'Sullivan m. Bridget Curran, 31 July 1897
Fathers: Eugene O'Sullivan (from Filemore, John Curran
Witness: Daniel O'Sullivan

Baptised: Michael Curran, on 18 April 1877
Father: Denis Curran
Mother: Honora Lucey
DOB: 17 April 1877
Sponsors: John Curran, Mary Curran