A bit of a random start: piecing together information on John McCann

I started out with a limited amount of disjointed information on my Great Great Grandfather, John McCann.  For the next series of post, I am going to walk through how I came up with what I have on him and conclude with putting it together into a brief biography.  My mother and cousin have done research into him and I will be building upon their efforts.

Here is my starting point:

• Catherine McCann's Massachusetts birth record shows that she was born on January 3rd, 1861 in Lee, MA to John McCann and Mary Clasby
• Catherine's obituary list her parent's as John McCann and ELizabeth Gillespie
• John paritcipated in the Civil War
• John had a brother named George
• John immigrated from Ireland

Generation 3s: Stories of immigration, war, separation, scandel and death

Things start to get fuzzy three generations back.  This is the generation that were adults during the civil war and we can see how the upheavals of the time affected the different branches of the family.

Putnam Branch

• P0: Robert Ervin Putnam(1927-2011)
• P1: Ervin Earl Putnam(1893-1988)
• P2: Amos Putnam(1896-1936)
• P4: Levi Houlton Putnam(1820-1890)
• P5: Sara Bradbury(1820-1901)
• P3: Cora Margaret Carpenter(1872-1964)
• P6: Frank H. Washington Carpenter(1845-1936)
• P7: Elvira A. Green(1850-1917)

Connolly Branch

• P0: Robert Ervin Putnam(1927-2011)
• C1: Mary Gertrude Connelly(1895-1972)
• C2: Frederick Patrick Connolly(1859-UNKN)
• C4: James C. Connolly(1837-1891)
• C5: Joanna I. Eagan(1837-UNKN)
• C3: Mary Ann Weatherby(1862-1939)
• C6: Peter Weatherbie(1836-1914)
• C7: Louisa Carver(1837-1910)

Wright Branch

• W0: (Florence) Caroline Wright(1930-2016)
• W1: David Sanders Wright(1887-1967)
• W2: David Joy Wright(1851-1908)
• W4: Asa Wright(1819-1883)
• W5: Harriet Clark(1822-1894)
• W3: Jane Caroline Reed(1846-1936)
• W6: Benjamin Franklin Reed(1819-UNKN)
• W7: Sarah Wheeler Sanders(1823-1918)

Smith Branch

• W0: (Florence) Caroline Wright(1930-2016)
• S1: Florence Edna Smith(1892-1937)
• S2: Merrick Luther Smith(1856-1934)
• S4: Edward B. Smith(1815-1863)
• S5: Lydia Edna Kilborne (1814-1898)
• S3: Catherine Ellen McCann(1861-1937)
• S6: John McCann(1831-1910)
• S7: Mary Clasby(1834-UNKN)

Descendants of Frederick Patrick Connolly and Mary Ann Weatherby

I've been struggling with this group, and realize I don't have a lot of information on them.  I think this will represent a future project and therefore I am only going to give a high level report here and not get into individual biographies.  I list someone as living if I don't have evidence they are not.

• Frederick Patrick Connolly(1859-UNKN)-C2 and Mary Ann Weatherby(1862-1939)-C3
• Edward A. Connolly(1888-UNKN) married Grace (1897-UNKN)
• Living Son
• Living Son
• Living Son
• Living Son
• Maud M. Connolly(1891-1975) married William Paul Gates(1893-1961)
• William P. Gates(1921-2002) married Rita Helen Buckley(1922-2006)
• Marion Louise Gates(1923-2006)
• Living Daughter
• Helen A. Connolly(1893-1985)
• Mary Gertrude Connolly(1895-1972)-C1 married Ervin Earl Putnam(1893-1988)-P1
• Robert Ervin Putnam(1927-2011)-P0 married Florence Caroline Wright(1930-2016)-W0
• Living Son married Living
• Jueannette Connolly(1897-1989)
• Madeline Carver Connolly(1899-1990) married Henry Arthur McLaughlin(1902-1989)
• Andrea Teresa McLaughlin(1936-2015) married Living

Francis Harper Sleeper(1927-2006), my first cousin, once removed

Francis "Frank" Harper Sleeper(1927-2006)

• Born on August 4th, 1927 in Worcester, ME to Dr. Francis Harper Sleeper and Ruth Lydia Putnam
• Married on August 14th, 1954 in Westbury, NY
• Died September 16th, 2006 in Portland, ME

There is a biography available for him at Find a grave.  He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Cape Elizabeth, ME.   He is the one who I believe wrote the piece on Cora Carpenter that I transcribed about a month ago.  

Ruth Lydia Putnam(1900-1978), my Great Aunt

Ruth Lydia Putnam(1900-1978)

• Born on January 17th, 1900 in Oakfield, ME to Amos Putnam and Cora Margaret Carpenter
• Married Dr. Francis Harper Sleeper(1900-1983) on July 30th, 1924 in Houlton, ME.
• Died on August 4th, 1978 in South Portland, ME

Her husband with the superintendent of the Augusta Mental Health Institute.  They had one child, Francis Harper Sleeper(1927-2006) who was born on August 4th, 1927 in Worcester, ME.  Ruth is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Houlton, ME.  

Frances Ann Cates(1925-1940), my first cousin, once removed

Frances Ann Cates(1925-1940)

• Born on July 15th, 1925 in Houlton ME to Harold Farnhan Cates and Harriette Carpenter Putnam
• Died July 15th, 1940 in Houlton, ME
• Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Houlton, ME

Harriette Carpenter Putnam(1898-1992), my Great Aunt

Harriette Carpenter Putnam(1898-1992)

• Born March 2nd, 1898 in Oakfield, ME to Amos Putnam and Cora Margaret Carpenter.
• Married Harold Farnhan Cates(1892-1947) on August 21st, 1924 in Houlton, ME
• Died on September 4th, 1992 in Cleverdale, NY

Harriette Carpenter Putnam was born March 2nd, 1898 in Oakfield, ME to Amos Putnam and Cora Margaret Carpenter.  She lived with the family and was training to be a nurse.  She married Harold Farnhan Cates(1892-1947) on August 21st, 1924 in Houlton, ME.  He was a public accountant.  They had two children.  Frances Ann Cates(1925-1940) and another daughter who I believe is still living.  Harriette died on September 4th, 1992 in Cleverdale, NY.  She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Houlton, ME.