Louise M. Minihan - I Found Her At Last

Tracking women in your family tree can feel like an insurmountable challenge and that is why I am so delighted this week because I finally found Louise M. Minihan - the daughter of James Minihan (1840-1899) and it happened entirely by accident!

And then I found her mother Frances E. (Hiles-Minihan-Kellerher) Keeler in New York City where she died under tragic circumstances.

Louise M.'s father James was a cousin to James Moynahan (of Alma Colorado) and he was a Captain in the Civil War in the 10th Michigan Cavalry COMPANY "B". James M. was born in New York, but when he enlisted at 24 years-of-age, his residence was Redford, Michigan (Source: http://www.migenweb.org/michiganinthewar/cavalry/10cavb.htm)

Louise M. had three brothers who had all died young (and her youngest brother Ralph died most tragically) and I had no luck locating Louise M. after the 1880 Detroit, Michigan census (her father James was listed as a miner). I held little hope of locating her until a few days ago.

A lucky break came when I accidentally found a newspaper article about Howard J. Lesher (40) who eloped with Miss Louise Minihan (22). Both of them worked at the Union Trust Company (he was the assistant secretary and she was a stenographer).

Union Trust Building on Woodward, taken c. 1890. The Hammond Building is on the left.

Source: Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug 1896, Tue, Page 10

I located the couple on the 1900 census in Detroit Ward 4 on 221 Seward, Detroit and they had a son, George W. Lesher  born in 1898. Louise is now going by the name of Martha L. (not Louise M.).

I discovered a photograph of Howard J. Lesher taken for the newspaper when he left the Union Trust Company in 1903.

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · 25 Feb 1903, Wed · Page 9

In the 1910 census, a second son was born in 1901 (Ralph H. Lesher) . Eight years later, Martha's husband Howard J Lesher died in 1918.

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · 28 Jul 1918, Sun · Page 5

When Howard and Martha Lesher's son Ralph H. Lesher married Clarissa Porter in Ohio in November 1939, the marriage record shows that his mother's name was Louise Moynihan.

Source: Ancestry: Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993

Between 1921 and her death in 1965, Martha spent time mostly in Florida, occasionally in Detroit (she had an apartment there) and she also  made several trips overseas even living in Paris for two years.!

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) · 15 Feb 1933, Wed · Page 8

In 1930, Martha and her two sons are in the Detroit Directory living at 2170 Jefferson Avenue East and the building still stands today.

Detroit, Michigan, City Directory, 1930 and Google Maps

When I located Martha L. (Minihan) Lesher's passport application, I found her picture and noted the striking resemblance to her father James especially her eyes.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1535; Volume #: Roll 1535 - Certificates: 7126-7499, 22 Mar 1921-23 Mar 1921

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1535; Volume #: Roll 1535 - Certificates: 7126-7499, 22 Mar 1921-23 Mar 1921

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1535; Volume #: Roll 1535 - Certificates: 7126-7499, 22 Mar 1921-23 Mar 1921

Martha Louise (Minihan) Lesher died in Naples, Florida in 1965 survived by her son Ralph Lesher also of Naples. She was to be interred in Detroit but I have not located the cemetery yet.

News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida) · 26 Mar 1965, Fri · Page 2

Martha's son Ralph Howard Lesher died in Naples, Florida in 1975, his only son Bill Howard having died ten years earlier.

The Naples Daily News (Naples, Florida) · 6 Jan 1975, Mon · Page 11

Martha's son George William Lesher was a veteran of  both world wars, and he too moved between Detroit and Florida and enjoyed travel like his mother. His photo was found on his passport application as well. He died in Florida in 1955.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 2246; Volume #: Roll 2246 - Certificates: 280350-280849, 04 May 1923-04 May 1923

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 2246; Volume #: Roll 2246 - Certificates: 280350-280849, 04 May 1923-04 May 1923

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 2246; Volume #: Roll 2246 - Certificates: 280350-280849, 04 May 1923-04 May 1923

News Press 6 Nov 1955 Page 2

                         

What Happened to Frances E. (Hiles) Minihan?

I searched for James Minihan's wife Frances (Hiles) in hopes that she would lead me to her daughter Louise M. Minihan.

I received details on her life from the wonderful folks at the Buckskin Cemetery in Colorado (who had helped me with James Minihan earlier)

It seems that after the two youngest boys Albert and Brooks died young (they are buried together: Woodmere Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan Plot: D, 14 Albert J.(James?) Minihan (1868 - 1876) Brooks Minihan (1869 - 1872)). that Frances Hiles and James Monihan were divorced in the early 1800s (perhaps in the winter of 1880-1881 when he went back to Michigan?

In Detroit, on 6 Mar 1883, Frances Minihan nee Hiles married a "merchant," the Massachusetts native Michael Kellerher. He was listed in an 1885 Detroit directory under the category Restaurants (at 45 Fort w--Fort Wayne?). and then in December 1891, Kellerher married another woman named Mary McDonald. 

By the late 1880s, James and Frances's son Ralph Minihan must have went to Colorado. He may be the Ralph C Minihan listed in the 1889 Leadville directory living at 44 Clarendon Block and working as a printer at the Herald Democrat. A n "R. Monihan" was noted in the Fairplay Flume, September 27, 1894 to be one of those entitled to a seat at the Republican convention.

Ralph was just 23 years 27 days old when he died from morphine overdose in Alma on November 30, 1894. He is buried in the Buckskin cemetery with a stone that notes his parents' names. Some thought he committed suicide after being rebuffed by a girl at a ball in Alma but others believed he took morphine in an attempt to recover from a prolonged bout of drinking (as he had done in the past). 

A break came when someone posted information to Find-A-Grave about Frances E. Hiles mother "Martha Jane Parker Hiles (1817-1882) Frances E. is found on the

• 1850 Census in Farmington, Oakland, Michigan, United States
• 1860 Census in Farmington, Oakland, Michigan, United States

And then on the 1870 Census in Farmington, Oakland, Michigan, United States, the following people are living in the same household:

• James Minihan M 30 New York (Hotel Keeper)
• Frances B Minihan F 21 Michigan (Martha Hile's daughter)
• Albert J Minihan M 1 Michigan
• James B Minihan M 0 Michigan
• Martha T Hiles F 51 New York (Housekeeper)
• John P Hiles M 21 Michigan
• Albert B Ball M 10 Michigan

Frances E. (Hiles) Minihan's mother died in on the11th of May 1882 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan

The Find A Grave Editor then writes the following:

"Frances Hiles married James Minihan on February 26, 1866 in Oakland County, MI. James was a Captain in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Company D, 10th Regiment, Michigan Cavalry. Children: Albert, Brooks, James, Ralph and Louise.

James and Ralph died in Colorado.Capt. James Minihan #21574323. Albert and Brooks died young in Michigan (buried Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit).

Frances married Michael Kelleher in 1883. He married again in 1891, so it was a short marriage. Frances and LeRoy moved to Wisconsin and then to New York. They changed their surname to Keeler.

Name Frances E. Keeler
Event Type Death
Event Date 17 Feb 1929
Event Place New York City, Queens, New York, United States
Gender Female
Age 81
Marital Status Unknown
Birth Year (Estimated) 1848
Father's Name John Hills (HILES)
Mother's Name Martha Parker

So I followed the lead and searched for a Frances Keeler in New York and I found her!! Under the most tragic of circumstances.

The Chat Brooklyn, New York, 18 Feb 1929, Mon • Page 32

The Chat Brooklyn, New York 23 Feb 1929, Sat • Page 3

 The Mynahan- Minihan - Moynahan Mystery 

Continues

The research on Louise Martha (Minihan) Lesher and her mother Frances E. Hiles - Minihan has helped get me closer to answering the mystery of this branch of the family tree below.

The facts are that all the people below are related to James Moynahan of Colorado who is definitely related to Matthew Moynahan of Maidstone, Ontario

This particular branch of the family tree starts in Ireland (early 1800s) and then New York in the 1830s and then moves to Michigan in the 1840s then to Colorado and beyond!

Let's hope for some more happy accidents like the ones that helped me find Louise and her mother Frances.