Finding our Coughlin and Duffy Ancestors In Ireland

This blog post is one of several that I hope will assist me in locating the townlands and parishes of my ancestors in Ireland. My brother, sister and I will be visiting Ireland in 2019.

Our Coughlin Ancestors 

Descendants of Daniel J. Coughlin: The Connecticut Coughlins

March 2018 marks a month of incredible breakthroughs in my genealogical research of my Coughlin ancestors from Poughkeepsie, New York and now the trail has led me to Connecticut in search of more Coughlin ancestors and their descendants.

My great grandfather (GG) William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952) was born in Poughkeepsie New York and emigrated to Canada in 1898 at 26 years of age. I knew so little about the Coughlin family he left behind and I was unsuccessful at any and all previous attempts to locate these ancestors in New York records.

My great grandfather William H. Coughlin's Border Crossing Card (1929)

The Coughlin family, Wallaceburg, Ontario around 1917

The Coughlin family, Windsor, Ontario 1949

My great grandfather William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952) was a glassblower in Wallaceburg, Ontario at the Sydenham Glass Works .

Source: University of Windsor; SWODA: Glass Works, Wallaceburg, Ont. (1907) (Public Domain)

William H. Coughlin's 

Poughkeepsie Kin

In March 2018, I located William's Coughlin family in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. and learned that many of them had lived their entire lives in Poughkeepsie in the same neighborhood near the Hudson River and that they were all baptized, married and buried at St. Peter's Roman Catholic church and cemetery.

Michael and Margaret (Duffy) Coughlin

(My 2nd great grandparents)

 

Michael and Margaret (Duffy) Coughlin were both born in Ireland in 1842 and emigrated to New York during the potato famine. They were married around 1865 and had three sons who survived to adulthood: John J., William H., and Daniel J..

Eldest Son: John J. Coughlin (1867-1932)

(My 2nd Great Uncle)

John J. Coughlin was the eldest son of Michael and Margaret Coughlin. Census records indicate that he was married twice. His first wife had died some time before 1920. 

John J. Coughlin (1867-1932)

In the 1920 Poughkeepsie census, John J. Coughlin is widowed and he is living with his brother Daniel's family and his widowed father Michael. 

John J. was employed as an Inspector at the Horse Shoe Works.

When John J. died on August 31, 1932, his obituary mentions his two step-daughters and his brothers Daniel J. and William H. Coughlin who is said to be in Montreal which was his original destination when he left for Canada. (See William H. Coughlin's Naturalization Papers where he stated that he: "went directly to Wallaceburg, Ontario, remained there for about one month, then went to Montreal stayed for nearly four months and had only periodic work, he then returned to New York, and stayed for one year and lived at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he returned to Wallaceburg, Ontario where he remained for 15 years during the time he spent there he got married and bought a home..")

Source: Poughkeepsie Eagle News; 02 Sep, 1932

Middle Son: William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952) 

(My great grandfather)

I have written extensively about Michael and Margaret Coughlin's middle son who was my great grandfather William H. Coughlin. Visit the links at the bottom of this page for more details about his son and daughters and their lives in Ontario, Canada and Michigan, U.S.A..

My great grandfather William H. Coughlin

The Coughlin Family: Michigan and Ontario

In 1940, William H. Coughlin indicated that he was applying for naturalization under Section 8, "to renew old Nat. Papers so he may obtain a passport to visit relatives in the States." 

In 1952 when he died, William was the last living of his Poughkeepsie family (mother, father and brothers) and his obituary does not mention any nieces and nephews still living in the United States.

Source: The Windsor Daily Star: Jan 30, 1952

 Youngest Son: Daniel J. Coughlin 

(My 2nd Great Uncle)

Michael and Margaret Coughlin's youngest son Daniel J. lived his entire life in Poughkeepsie, New York. He married Lillian Griffin in 1898 and they had four children.

The family of Daniel J. and Lillian (Griffin) Coughlin

 Of the four children of Daniel J. and Lillian (Griffin) Coughlin, two sons died very young:

Headstones for William H. and John J. Coughlin at St Peter's Cemetery, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

• (2.) William H. Coughlin (1900-1913) died at 13 years-of-age after falling into a hole behind St. Peter's school and drowning. (read the story here)
• (3.) John J. Coughlin (1904-1925) died at 21 years-of-age following a car accident
  (read the story here)

The two surviving children, Margaret and Daniel, married and moved away from Poughkeepsie, New York (and his wife moved with them as well) to Connecticut. Here is what I have found out about them so far.

The Connecticut Coughlins

Mother: Lillian (Griffin) Coughlin (1882-1965)

Daniel's wife Lillian moved to Coventry, Connecticut and died there at the age of 83 years in 1965.

St Bernard's Cemetery, Rockville, Connecticut

 Daughter: (1.) Margaret R. Coughlin (1899-1964)

(My 1st cousin twice removed)

Margaret was the eldest child and only girl born to Daniel J. and Lillian (Griffin) Coughlin in Poughkeepsie, New York. (Note: Margaret's obituary states that she was born in Hyde Park, NY)

Margaret married John Carmen Pucino who was born in Italy in 1895 and died suddenly at home in 1953. He was a veteran of WWI. He is buried at St Bernard's Cemetery Rockville, Connecticut

John Carmen and Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino had three children, two sons (John Joseph and Daniel A.) and one daughter (Evelyn). 

It was difficult to find Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino's death date because she remarried Francis J. Lavoie (1905-2003). (No obituary found; headstone located at St Bernard's )
 

Francis J. LaJoie 1905-2003; St. Bernard's Cemetery, Ct.

Below is Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino-LaJoie's 1964 obituary: Mrs. Francis J. LaJoie

 Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino-LaJoie's Children

(My Third Cousins)

(1.) John Joseph Pucino (1920-1983): John was born in Beacon, New York and married Helmi Aalto of West Waterford. They had three daughters. John died in 1983 and is buried at St Bernard's Cemetery, Rockville, Conneticut https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67754594/john-j-pucino

John's wife Helmi was born in Brooklyn, New York an was a member of the Finnish American Heritage Society and was retired from Pratt and Whitney Aircraft after many years of service. The obituary for Helmi R Pucino (Aalto) with photos can be found here: http://smallandpietrasfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/1279932/Pucino-Helmi/obituary.php

(2.) Daniel Anthony Pucino (1923-1960): John was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and married Helen Popilchock (1924-2003) of Catiwassa, Pennsylvania and they had two children: Donna and Jean.

Daniel died at 36 years of age in 1960 in Berwick, Pennsylvania while demolishing a building. He was crushed between a crane and a trailer according to the coroner's report below.

 

Source: Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number Range: 013651-016350

Daniel was a veteran of WWII and is buried in Our Lady of Mercy cemetery, Pennsylvania.

Source: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1929-1990; Series Number: Series 1

(3.) Evelyn Pucino (1925-2016) Evelyn married James Shea. From Evelyn's 2016 obituary: "Evelyn was born in Poughkeepsie NY on March 20, 1925, the daughter of John C. Pucino and Margaret (Coughlin Pucino). She grew up in New Paltz NY and moved with her family to CT living most of her life in Coventry. Evelyn had a strong faith in God and was an active parishioner of St Mary Church in Coventry where, at every event, she could be found in the kitchen cooking and making fried dough. She lived her faith through service including as a Eucharistic Minister. She was proud of her Italian heritage. Long after she prepared the family recipe for meatballs for the last time, she continued to share the stories and music of her childhood. She will always be remembered by those whose lives she so lovingly touched."

Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) (My second cousin / once removed)

Son: (4.) Daniel Coughlin (1907-1979)

(My 1st cousin twice removed)

Daniel was the youngest child born in 1907 to Daniel J. and Lillian (Griffin) Coughlin in Poughkeepsie, New York.

On the 1930 Census, newlyweds Daniel and Ruth E. Curtis Gray are living with Daniel Coughlin Sr. in Poughkeepsie

Year: 1930; Census Place: Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, New York; Roll: 1420; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0048; FHL microfilm: 2341155

Daniel and Ruth had a son Daniel C. a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State College and teacher at Bolton Center School.

Daniel died in 1979 in Manchester, Connecticut at 72 years-of-age having worked for thirty years as a supervisor at the Salvation Army in Hartford, Connecticut. He is buried at St. Mary's cemetery with his wife Ruth who died in 1987.

Source: The Hartford Courant 11 Feb 1979 Page 28

Source: The Hartford Courant 25 Nov 1987 D8

The Michigan & Ontario Coughlins

• DUFFY-COUGHLIN: Poughkeepsie Brick Wall (Coughlin and Duffy)
• COUGHLIN: Glassblowers in the 1800s
• COUGHLIN: Wallaceburg Schools 
• COUGHLIN: Holy Name of Mary Society, Wallaceburg, Ontario; and Updated post 
• COUGHLIN: Rhea Coughlin & Parke Davis 
• COUGHLIN:  Coughlin Golden Anniversary 1949
• COUGHLIN: Trick or Treating
• COUGHLIN: The Photographic Camera and a Photograph Album
• COUGHLIN: Ice Boating in Windsor, Ontario
• COUGHLIN: The Naturalization Papers of William Henry Coughlin  
• MOYNAHAN - COUGHLIN: Favourite Photo: My Grandparent's 1929 Wedding
• DEMARSE - COUGHLIN: Sister Madeline Demarse (G.S.I.C) (1928-2010)
• SCHOFIELD-COUGHLIN: Arthur and Margaret Schofield 
• COUGHLIN: The Art of Colorizing Photos 
• COUGHLIN: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 1 
• COUGHLIN-ANNAL: Coughlin Anniversary Folio Pak Snaps
• COUGHLIN: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 2
• COUGHLIN: Gretta Marie (Coughlin) Langlois

52 Ancestors No.32: My 32 3rd-Great-Grandparents

Did you know you have 32 3rd-great-grandparents? Did you know that "By the time you hit those seventh great grandparents, you have a whopping 1,022 slots on your family tree to try to fill."? (Source: The Legal Genealogist)

Professional Genealogist Christ Cowans says, "at roughly 25 years per generation — your seventh great grandparents lived only about 300 years ago." That's not really that long ago but I am far away from knowing all 1022 of my grandparents!

Fan Chart

This fan chart has 30 spaces for your 2 Parents, 4 Grandparents, 8 Great-Grandparents and 16 2nd Great Grandparents. How many spaces can you fill in?

Free Genealogy Fan Chart

I have been doing genealogical research since 1981. That's over thirty years and I still have huge gaps in my research. This is common among genealogists!

My filled fan chart (excluding all living family members)

My Paternal Grandparents

My Maternal Grandparents

My 32 3rd Great Grandparents

I inherited this photograph from my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan and on the envelope was written "Great Grandmother". This means that this is a photo of one of my 3rd Great Grandparents.

The problem was that on my paternal side of my family tree, this photo could have been one of eight women. Luckily, I had help from my distant cousin Vicky Hess who identified this enchanting woman as Mary *Steinbraun* (*see notes at bottom on spelling).

Mary Ann Hess' mother: Mary *Steinbraun*

26/32  3rd-Great-Grandparents  

At the end of the day, I know some information about 26 of my 32 3rd-Great-Grandparents and I have a picture of only one - Mary Steinbrun (1829-1873). I love genealogy because I love discovering new ancestors and the research NEVER ends!

More on Mary Steinbraun

* From Kim Simpson: "I really think Mary Ann Hess’ mother’s name was Mary Steinbraun....... On Gabriel Hess’ marriage record it reads as Mary Steinborn; on Joseph Hess’ death it reads Mary Steinbrum;" 
* From Vicky Hess: Oral family history has her being born in " Alsace Lorraine.  French and German both claimed Alsace, so searching has been a problem. The relatives also said they came to Canada from/thru Pennsylvania." 

52 Ancestor's #39: Poughkeepsie Brick Wall (Coughlin and Duffy)

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.” 

This week's blog post is devoted to my Poughkeepsie ancestors and the brick wall that I have encountered.

My only evidence that ancestors lived in Poughkeepsie are the documents of my Great Great Grandfather William Henry Coughlin. (1872-1952)

1924 baptismal document from the Church of St. Peter

Part of the challenge of course is the various spelling of the surname Coughlin/Coughlan/Coghlan etc

Naturalization Documents

All of William Henry Coughlin's naturalization documents show Poughkeepsie as his place of birth as well.

1915 Naturalization Inquiry

In 1940 William Henry Coughlin wished "to renew his old Naturalization papers so he may get a passport to visit relatives in the States" (He had been in Canada for 42 years)

1940 Naturalization Documents

I have been unable to locate any records whatsoever regarding William Henry Coughlin's parents: Michael Coughlin and Margaret Duffy or his siblings (not mentioned in his obituary 1952).

Miscellaneous Poughkeepsie Clues

Front of post card

Back of  post card
John Coughlin?