James Moynahan and Amy Smith were married in Cripple Creek, Colorado on May 26, 1901
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| Source: Colorado, County Marriage Records and State Index, 1862-2006 |
1910 Census
On the census for Breckenridge, Colorado , James is working as a labourer for the Quartz Mills, they have two children (James and Donald) and two boarders (who work at the Quartz Mine) living with them. (Source: Year: 1910; Census Place: Breckenridge, Summit, Colorado; Roll:
T624_125; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0150; FHL microfilm: 137413)
1912
Mrs. Amy (Smith) Moynahan Dies
(39 years-of-age)
The three children remained with their grandparents in Greeley, Colorado following the death and funeral of their mother Mrs. Amy Smith Moynahan.
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| Source: Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 11 Apr 1931, Sat · Page 8 |
1914
James Moynahan Dies
(43 years-of-age)
James was found dead in his Breckenridge cabin with a bullet hole in his forehead and a 22-caliber rifle near the body. His friends said it was a case of accidental shooting but the coroner believed it to be suicide.
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| Source: Newspaper: The Larimer County Independent
(Fort Collins, Colorado)
13 Feb 1914, Fri· Page1
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Raised by Grandmother
Helsy Almina (Williams) Smith (1843–1944)
The three children were raised by their grandparents in Greeley, Colorado and later their aunt Luna Smith (1875-1975) who outlived all three of her nephews and, like her mother, lived to be 100 years-of-age!
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 11 Sep 1943, Sat · Page 3 |
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 12 Jun 1975, Thu · Page 31 |
James Smith Moynahan
1903–1946
James was the first-born son of James and Amy (Smith) Moynahan. He was a star athlete at Colorado State and later a member of the house of representatives from Denver
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 20 Jan 1934, Sat · Page 1 |
On the 21st of February 1930, he married Ella Lea Poytner in Golden, Jefferson, Colorado. Ella died five years later as a result of a medical intervention for which the woman Doctor (Dr. May T. Bigelow) was charged with murder.
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| Lincoln Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) · 25 May 1935, Sat · Page 3 |
Donald Wellington Moynahan
1906–1954
Donald led an exciting and varied life up until his forty-eighth birthday when he died of a heart attack in Boulder, Colorado. He was a bailiff and probation officer for Judge William E. Buck at the time.
He graduated from College high school in 1925 and attended Kemper Military Academy at Booneville, Mo and was a star athlete.
After graduating from high school he went to St. Louis for aviation training with Charles Lindbergh and went on barnstorming tours with Lindbergh doing stunt flying and wing walking.
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 8 Feb 1954, Mon · Page 1 |
An article entitled " I Flew With Lindy" was published in the Denver Post Empire Magazine in the 1950s and related Moynahan's experiences with Lindbergh.
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 23 Sep 1963, Mon · Page 9 |
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 19 May 1953, Tue · Page 6 |
1927 Marriage To
Charline Young
On the 14th of May 1927 Donald married Charline Young in Littleton Colorado and they had one child, daughter Dona Lee who married James R. Cross of Denver. Mr Cross was a chemist with Standard Oil in Cleveland Ohio.
Charline (Young) Moynahan (1907 - 2000) later married engineer George William Serat (1895-1970). He helped to design the Golden Gate Bridge, Mackinaw Bridge and many other bridges around the world.
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 8 Aug 1961, Tue · Page 11 Downloaded on Oct 17, 2019 |
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| Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · 12 Sep 1970, Sat · Page 22 |
Robert Matthew Moynahan
1910–1963
Robert was the last born child and the last living child of James and Amy (Smith) Moynahan and he lived in California with his aunt Mrs. Charles Chandler until 10 years-of-age when he re-joined his brothers at the Smith family home in Greeley
At 19 he joined the Navy and then returned to California where he met and married (1933) Ruby Barnett and they lived many years in Compton, California
They had one daughter Amy (Moynahan) Fuller (1935-2005)
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| Greeley Daily Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) · 23 Sep 1963, Mon · Page 9 |
Conclusions
Often, when children are orphaned at such an early age as these boys were, life is very hard indeed. The Smith family managed to give these boys a great start and the three went off to do exciting things in their brief time in this world.
I am still searching for " I Flew With Lindy" (by the Denver Post Empire Magazine) and will publish it here when found.
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