John Wallace ~ born in Belfast, Ireland
A HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
DECATUR COUNTY, IOWA
BY REV. EDWARD J. HARKIN, PASTOR
l956 (No Copyright)
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JOHN WALLACE
JOHN WALLACE, born in Belfast, Ireland, l8l3, and came to Decatur County
in l852.Married MARY MONSEN, who was born in New York in l8l8.
They were both baptized as Catholics by Father Timothy Clifford, Pastor
of Georgetown, April 27, l864.JOHN WALLACE died December l2, l893.
MARY died June 22, l872.
His mother was MARGARET ROSS of County Antrim, born l790, died l867,
buried in Catholic Cemetery, Woodland Township.She was a Catholic.
Maried an Orangemen, PETER WALLACE, SR. They had two sons, JOHN and
PETER.
Children:
l.MARGARET WALLACE, born in Ohio, l840.
2.SAMUEL WALLACE, born in Ohio in l84l, become a Catholic in
l86l, baptized by Father John A. Kreckel at Ottumwa, married
BRIDGET DAUGHTON at Ottumwa, three weeks after baptism, byFather
J.A. Kreckel.He and she were outstanding Catholics.
3.MARY A. WALLACE, born in Ohio, l842 or l843.She is
grandmother of Father Frank Marlin, Diocese of Davenport.
Married WILLIAM BARRETT and they had three sons and four
daughters.
4.ELIZABETH WALLACE, born in Ohio, l843, married PATRICK FLYNN.
She was baptized September 20, l86l, at Ottumwa by Father
Kreckel. ELIZABETH and PATRICK are buried at Catholic
Cemetery, Woodland Township.
5.JOSEPH WALLACE, born in Ohio, l850, died at Elks Home.
6.CATHERINE WALLACE, born in Decatur County, l853.
7.GEORGE WALLACE, born in Decatur County, l855.
8.WILLIAM WALLACE.
SAMUEL WALLACE
SAMUEL DUNSMORE WALLACE, born in Ohio in l84l, baptized a Catholic
October 20, l86l, and married November 9, l86l, to BRIDGET DAUGHTON at
Ottumwa by Father Kreckel.He was first convert of Decatur County to
Catholic Church (unless it would have been FRANCES BRIDGER - MRS. PAT
GROGAN) according to records to be found. Both
SAMUEL and BRIDGET are buried at Creston.He came to Decatur County in
l852 and moved to Creston in l89l.
Children:
l.JOHN S.H. WALLACE, born in Decatur County August 22, l862,
died age 78, buried at Creston. Married MARY C. MCCANN.
2.MARY ELLEN WALLACE, born in Decatur County February l7, l864,
married THOMAS MCGRAW.She died April l7, l898, at Omaha
and was buried at Creston.
3.JULIA WALLACE, born January 24, l866 in Decatur County, died
age 24, buried in Catholic Cemetery, Woodland Township.
Died July 26, l890.
4.CHARLES FRANCIS WALLACE, born in Decatur County September 2,
l867.Died March 20, l884, age l6 years, 6 months.Baptized
at St. Ambrose, Des Moines, by Father B.A. Cannon.Buried
Catholic Cemetery, Woodland Township.
5.Baby, born March 4, l869, died.
6.JOHN D. WALLACE, born December l2, l869, at Woodland Township,
Decatur County, now living five miles north of Creston, Iowa.
Baptismal record at Georgetown.
7.MAURICE EDWARD WALLACE, born at Woodland Township, Decatur
County, Iowa, in September, l87l.Never married.
8.ELIZABETH WALLACE, born Woodland Township, Decatur, Iowa,
August l2, l873, married LARRY CUSACK.She is living with
JAMES, her brother, north of Creston.Baptismal record at
Bauer.
9.GEORGE WALLACE, born north of Grand River in Decatur County,
November 20, l876, married MARY MADDEN.He died at Creston,
in l952.They had five boys and one girl.Baptismal record
at Creston, Iowa.
l0. Infant, born north of Grand River and died August 7, l878.
JAMES WALLACE and ELIZABETH CUSACK told me the following about the
SAMUEL WALLACE family when I visited their home north of Creston in
l953:
"We were all born in Woodland Township except GEORGE and a baby that
died who were born near Grand River.We lived in Woodlnd
Township until l875 when my dad chose to go out west of Omaha, Nebraska,
and homestead some land.I (JAMES) was five or six years old and can
remember we were all packed up and in a covered wagon early in the
darkness of the morning.Many of the neighbors of around Ireland were
there to say good-bye.I was enjoying the excitement.It was fun to me
until I asked why all were crying.They told me we would never see
these people again.Then I began to cry!
"Finally we drove away on the road to Leon, next by Decatur and that
evening we were north of Grand River passing by ED CONWELL's place where
my Dad stopped.NEDDIE CONWELL came out and said: "Where are you
going?"My Dad said: "We are going out west of Omaha and settle on some
land the government has opened for homestead."NEDDIE said: "SAMUEL, do
you know what you are doing?
Taking those seven children out there where there is nothing but grass,
no school, no church.They will grow up wild, uneducated and lose the
faith."SAMUEL said: "Well, what should I do? I have sold out at
Woodland Township."NEDDIE said: "MR. JOHN MORGAN, a couple of miles
northwest of here, wants to sell out."My Dad and NEDDIE went to see
him and that night they returned and my Dad had bought him out.That
was in March, l875."
(S.D. WALLACE, March 25, l875, bought 40 acres in Section 6, also 40
acres in Section 5 in Richland Township from JOHN MORGAN.Paid
$2,300 for the 80 acres.Leon Abstract and Title Co.)
The WALLACE family remained there in the northwest corner of Decatur
County until l890 when they sold out in l89l and moved up north of
Creston, Iowa.While living north of Grand River, SAMUEL hauled timbers
to help build St. Malachy's Church at Creston.
JAMES WALLACE said to me: "I, MAURICE and ELIZABETH were confirmed at
Kellerton about l888.Father Mullen was the priest.Father Williams
was previous to him.Cosgrove was the Bishop.We had a team of mules
and they ran away with a new wagon into a hedge fence."
SAMUEL and BRIDGET WALLACE are listed with the founders of Dowling High
in Des Moines.The altar at Saint Patrick's Church, Grand River, Iowa,
was given by their children in their memory.
PATRICK MULLIN
PATRICK MULLIN, brother to both DENNIS MULLIN and MRS. ELLEN (MAURICE)
DAUGHTON, was born in County Kerry, Ireland, February 29, l828, died
February 3, l905, buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Woodland
Township.He married MARGARET C. HOFFINES who was born December 8,
l838.She was a convert to the Catholic Faith and faithful to her
duties.She died April 29, l929, age 90 plus.
PATRICK MULLIN purchased land together with his brother, DENNIS, and his
brother-in-law, MAURICE DAUGHTON, in Section l9, Woodland Township, in
l858, but he did not come to Iowa with them from Pickaway County, Ohio,
(Ashville) until in September, l866, when he brought his wife and three
children to Iowa.He purchased 200 acres in Eden Township of Decatur
County in January, l867, and it was unimproved.
Children:
l.JOSEPH WILLARD MULLIN, born in Ohio, in May, l860, died April
l6, l922, buried in Catholic Cemetery, Woodland Township.
Married MARGARET ELLEN BARRETT.Eight children.MRS.
BUCKINGHAM is one of them remaining as a member of Leon
Parish.
2.ROSE ALTHA, born January l, l863, died in April, l865.
3.MARY MARTHA JANE MULLIN (GROGAN), born Pickaway, Ohio, October
l8, l864, married MICHAEL GROGAN. Nine Children.She died
October 24, l953, buried in Catholic Cemetery, Woodland
Township.MRS. ALICE (NATHAN) BOYCE is only one in Leon
Parish.
4.NANCY (NANNIE) ELIZABETH, born in Ohio, March 26, l866.Never
married.Died at Des Moines December l4, l927, buried in
Woodland Catholic Cemetery.
5.SAMUEL MICHAEL MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, December
l4, l867.Never married.Died in October, l9l4, buried in
Catholic Cemetery, Woodland Township.
6.JONAS ALBERT MULLIN, born in Decatur County February 24, l870,
died December 24, l927, buried at Minneapolis, Minn.Married
KATE GROGAN (daughter of JOHN GROGAN and MARGARET QUILTY).
KATE lives in Minneapolis, l955.Five children.
7.JULIA ALICE MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, February l2,
l872, died December l, l9ll, married HENRY PERFIELD.Three
children.State of Oregon.One daughter is a nun in Oregon.
8.JAMES PATRICK MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, October 9,
l873, and died March 30, l950.Buried at Minneapolis, Minn.
9.CATHERINE ELLEN MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, February
26, l875, married FRANK HICKMAN.Both are living in South
Dakota.
l0. WILLIAM HENRY MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, October l7,
l876, died November 25, l932, at Silverton, Colorado.He
married KITTY ALWORD who died January 8, l92l.Five children
He married KATE CONWAY and had one child.She died June ll,
l932.
ll. DENNIS EDWARD MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, May 28,
l878, died October 24, l953 (same day as his sister, MARY
GROGAN), in St. Louis, Mo., and was buried there.He
married TERESA (TESS) PENNY and had two children.
12. STEPHEN MAURICE MULLIN, born January l4, l880, in Decatur
County, Iowa, is living at Durango, Colorado. Married
MARY COLE and had one child.Wife died. He remarried a
LELAH and has one child.
13. MARGARET ETNA, born in Decatur County, Iowa, December l7,
l88l, married BERT STILES.Two daughters.She died and
was buried from St. Brendan's December l, l955.
14. GEORGE LAURENCE MULLIN, born in Decatur County, Iowa, April
l7, l883, married FLORENCE WEBSTER. Living at Long Beach,
Calif. Retired Rock Island Railroad conductor, Des Moines
to Davenport, Chicago run.
15. CLEMENT THOMAS (GROVER CLEVELAND) MULLIN, born in Decatur
County, Iowa, February 2l, l885, married MAE MCGINTY. Four
children.He is living at Minneapolis, Minn.
MARGARET C. HOFFINES MULLIN, the mother, became a Catholic and was
baptized in Ohio with the first three children.
All the children made a success of their lives by themselves.
PATRICK MULLIN was buried February 5, l905, at Catholic Cemetery,
Woodland Township, (told by eye-witness)."PATRICK died at home l2
miles north of Leon.He was taken by bobsled l2 miles north of Leon to
l0 miles southeast of Leon to the Catholic Cemetery.Snow was very
high, so high that we had to cut the fences and go across fields, the
roads were impassable.It was below zero. (It was 24 degrees below zero
the day before he was buried according to The Leon Journal weather
reports.) They had to borrow fresh teams of horses as they went along
from farmers.When we arrived at the cemetery several men and women who
lived near the new unfinished church were present.There was no priest
available.The few who were present with the remains of PATRICK MULLIN
went inside the church.There were pieces of boards, wood shavings and
plaster on the floor.We had no heat but were glad to get inside out of
the wind.It was getting late in the afternoon and the February sun was
going down.We stood around the box and the only ceremony was SAMUEL
WALLACE of Creston led us in saying the Rosary and the Litany.Then we
took the casket out and buried PATRICK MULLIN."
MAGGIE MULLIN STILES says they came to Iowa in a covered wagon in
September, l866, from Pickaway County, Ohio.
The Leon Journal, February 9, l905, says: "Sunday the burial of PATRICK
MULLIN at the Catholic Cemetery, Ireland.Several people and the priest
from Creston attended."(LEONARD MULLIN and others told me that it was
not a priest but it was SAMUEL WALLACE who led them in the rosary.)
Temperature report from The Leon Journal:
February 3, l905, Friday, the day he died, l2 below.
February 4, l905, Saturday, day before funeral, 24 below.
February 5, l905, Sunday, day of burial, 9 above.
Also reported was an item that "snow was never so deep in Decatur
County."
In l896, PATRICK MULLIN and wife, MARGARET, deeded their interest to
Bishop Smyth (Catholic Church) which they had in Section l9, Woodland
Township, Decatur County, Iowa, upon which the church and cemetery had
been erected and established.He had purchaed this in l858 jointly with
his brother, DENNIS and brother-in-law, MAURICE DAUGHTON, and his name
appears an original purchase contract but he did not come to Iowa until
l866, eight years after his brother and brother-in-law came and
therefore he was not present to sign the deed September 22, l863, when
ten acres were deeded to Bishop Smyth.So there was a flaw in the deed
to the church.In l896 when he and his wife, MARGARET, signed a deed,
that cleared up the title.