Notes for: Robert John McDonald

Robert seems to be in the 1850 Census of Dover, Racine Co., WI. His parents are James (age 60) and Mary (age 45) McDonald both born in Ireland. It looks like they came to America around 1841. The oldest children were born in Ireland and the youngest in Wisconsin.



This is for James and Mary McDonald in Dover, Racine Co., WI in 1850 and 1860. You will see that in 1850 they had children James (18, Ireland), Robert (15, Ireland), Ann (13, Ireland), Margret (12, Ireland), Henry (8, Wisconsin), and John (5, Wisconsin). This is 100% the same family found in the 1860 Census of that same place where the children are William (17, Wisconsin), John (15, Wisconsin). Comparing these two censuses, it seems clear William and Henry must be the same person. So he is either William Henry McDonald or Henry William McDonald. I would guess William Henry.

Then Robert and James are together in the 1860 Census of Steele County, MN. That is in between Rice and Mower Counties.

The museum in Slayton sent me the following that might relate to this Robert. It is from the Iona Journal of Dec. 21, 1906 (Issue #44):

A Pioneer Dead

R. J. McDonald died at his home east of Iona, on Wednesday night, Dec. 19, 1906.

He has been ill for several months with chronic dyspepsia and was about 70 years of age.

The deceased was one of the pioneers of Murray county, and was prominently identified with the early history of Iona Township.

The funeral services were held this morning from St. Columba's Catholic church, and the internment was in the Iona Cemetery.

Duffy Jensen does not believe James and Isabella McDonald are Robert's parents based on the following obituary which came out in some newspaper in 1899 (Iona Journal?):

Wm. McDonald, who has been ill for some time, died Wednesday, June 7, 1899, at the age of 73 years, of heart trouble. He has resided at the house of his brother, R. J., east of town, for the past six years. The funeral occurred today from the Catholic Church, at 10 o'clock. We are unable to obtain any facts regarding his life but will endeaver to glean a few in our time for our next issue. The sympathy of the community is tendered the bereaved relatives.

Duffy may be correct or the article above might have some factual error. Either William was not as old as claimed or this William was not actually R. J.'s brother. Or the name William was not even correct. More information is needed to clarify this contradiction.

Here is some information about Robert's possible father James from "Portrait and Biographical Record of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin" (pp. 742-743):

On the 6th of April, 1847, Mr. McKereher was united in marriage with Miss Mary McDonald, who has proved to her husband a true helpmate. She is a daughter of James McDonald; who was born in the north of Ireland but was of Scotch descent. On the Emerald Isle, he married Belle Graham, who was also born in that locality, and spent her entire life in her native land. Mr. McDonald emigrated to America in 1841, and after one year spent in Jersey City came West in 1842, casting his lot with the early settlers of what is now Dover Township, Racine County. Upon his farm which he then located, he made his home until his death, which occurred in 1881, at the advanced age of ninety years. Mrs. McKereher was born in the north of Ireland and came with her father to this country. She is the eldest of a family of five children...

Here is part of a post I found on Ancestry from 2004:
http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=3536&p=surnames.mcdonald

...

Here's the information I have:

James McDonald married Belle (Isabella, I think) Graham, who bore him 5 children:
- Jane, who married an Edwards and had 5 children: Lincoln, Lewis, Emily, Amelia and John William.
- Mary, who married a McKercher and had 6 children: Theodore, Thaddeus, George, Mary, Margaret and David (killed in a tornado).
- James, never married.
- David, married Mary Wilson (b. 1836 in Londonderry)
- Robert, who lived in a little town in Minnesota (So said my source, who had no further data on his family.

After Belle's death, James left his family for Canada to prospect for land. He felt the need for agricultural expansion, so checked on land in Dover, NJ and finally he was attracted to Wisconsin.In 1840 he took up 320 acres in Dover, WI at government price. He decided on it as a permanent residence, sent for his four children, and for Mary Ann Graham, a cousin of his first wife. (I assume they married.) This was in September 1836. He built a house and outside buildings he was occupying in 1879 when Wisconsin history was being compiled. He died at the age of 90. His wife survived him. The construction of the buildings has received much favorable praise and wonder.

The children by James's second marriage were:
[Note from Dave Bodine: The writer first put "Robert's second marriage, but later corrected that to "James's second marriage."]

William, born in 1842 in a covered wagon, was washed and warmed by a campfile. His first wife, Elizabeth Johnston, died and he married Jane McCulloch. The children by his second marriage were Melissa, Lillian, William and Mable. He had a large dairy farm. (The writer of this information remembered him well as he made trips to Iowa regularly and had acquired Iowa land for a small price.)

John, (born ca. 1845) whose wife made quilts of pieces of material given her. No children.

Margaret (born ca. 1838), who married a Mr. Tidgwell of whom the family disapproved. He had a son of doubtful origin. They had 7 children - only names known to the writer were Mary Ann, David, Rose, Jimmie, Grant and Jessie.

Ann (born 22 June 1837), grandmother of the Utley children (the writer of all this information was LuLu B. Utley of MN and I don't know when she wrote all this). Ann married Robert Graham, who had his last name changed to McDonald (???? why???), so none of the McDonald history previously related belongs to him. They had 12 children: John, Sam, James Henry, David, Mary Ann, Margaret Ellen, Agnes, Sarah Elizabeth, Robert, Julia, Emily Jane, and Lydia Augusta. THIS WOULD BE THE ROBERT YOU TALKIED ABOUT IN YOUR POSTING?

Somewhat confusing, would you say?

My interest in the McDonalds is to find a descendant of James A. McDonald, the son of Mary Ann Wilson McDonald and David A. McDonald. David and Mary had 4 or 5 children, who all died by the age of 2, James being the only survivor. He moved to SD in 1884, married Carrie West, and had a family. I have lots of information on James and his children and am working my way forward to current living descendants. I really want just to know for sure how many children David and Mary had, what their names were (there's some confusion there) and what they all died of around 1860-61. Mary remarried in 1862 to George Johnston and had 8 children, one of whom was my mother's mother.

How are you related to any of the above? I haven't seen any of your prior postings. I'll look forward to hearing from you. My e-mail address has cpgaritty at comcast.net.

*****End of message.

Duffy Jensen said this:

I am keenly interested in whatever information you may have on the McDonald family in Wisconsin. The only verifiable family information I have is the obituary of brother William who died in Iona, MN., June 7, 1899 at the age of 73. There is also the June 1860 Federal Census, Austin, Mower Co., MN. - Pgs 1/12 which list Robert McDonald, 24, England and James McDonald, 28, England.

From: Duffy Jensen [Duffy at sgcalaska.com]
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016
Subject: RE: Mathilda Bodine

Dave,

I had the same thought and did some digging this morning,,,nothing to support that thought, but I did manage to locate another census which list James and Robt.

Here's what I have on the McDonald brothers. I have also attached the obit for William. The .PDF says Ernestine Obit, but it also has William's in the upper right hand corner.

NEW 21 Sep 1857 Territorial Census, Freeborn Co., MN. - Pg 59/71
James McDonald, 25 (1832), England; Robt. McDonald, 22, England

June 1860 Federal Census, Austin, Mower Co., MN. - Pgs 1/12
Robert McDonald, 24, England; James McDonald, 28 (1832), England

10 June 1895 Territorial Census, Iona, Murray Co., MN - Pg 116/252
McDonald, R. J., 56, London; M. E., 50, IL; Frank, 21, MN.; Ora, 20, MN.; Clara, 18, MN.; Beth, 17, MN.; Henry Leo, 13, MN.; William, 69 (1826), England

Duffy Jensen