John O'Hora and His Daughters Part 4--Catherine and Anne

     

by aarongilson

     The next daughter was Catherine, born in 1857 in Aurelius.  She is the daughter I know the least about. In 1894 she lived with her mother on Seneca Street in Auburn where the two were arrested  for keeping a, "disorderly house", along with disorderly behavior. In 1897, "Kate", can be found in the Auburn City Directory, living with her mother and brothers at 23 Division Street, employed as the proverbial Irish washerwoman.  

     She married at a much later age than her two older sisters, in the 1897 directory, she was 40 years old and still living with her family.  Catherine married a man with the surname Willis and that is all I know about the marriage.  Catherine died in 1927, this is her obituary:
    Auburn Citizen Thursday Aug 25 1927
     The death of Mrs. Katherine Willis occurred yesterday afternoon shortly after 2 o'clock. While she had been complaining slightly for some time past of a weakened heart, no alarm was felt until she contracted a severe cold which proved fatal yesterday. She had been a resident of this city nearly all of her life and was well known and liked by those who knew her. She is survived by the following nieces and nephews, Mrs. William Belliner of Cayuga, Mrs. C. O. Troy of Rochester. Mrs. H. C. Marsh of Auburn. Mrs. Francis McKern of Pittsburgh. Mrs. C. O. Redman of Binghamton, Frank, Edward and John Ferris of this city.

     Catherine died childless, and so her line comes to an end.  The nieces and nephews listed are all the children of Elizabeth O'Hora Ferris, Catherine's youngest sister.  It's interesting to note that none of the Shea children are mentioned or William Travers though they were also nieces and nephews.

     The last born of John's daughters was Elizabeth, also known as Eliza. She entered the world in 1858 in Aurelius.  Elizabeth married William Ferris around 1878 when she was 20 years old.  She and William had a family of ten children, eight of whom survived her.  She passed away in August of 1911 at the young age of 47, her obituary is full of genealogical information:
     The death of Elizabeth, wife of William Ferris, occurred at the family home, No. 34 Fitch Avenue, Sunday morning, after an illness of several weeks' duration. Mrs. Ferris was an estimable woman, a devoted wife and loving mother. She is survived by her husband, William Ferris, and eight children, Edward, John, Frank, Elizabeth, Teresa, Etta May and Gertrude of this city, and Cecelia Ferris of Rochester, also two brothers, Daniel and John O'Hora, and one sister, Mrs. Katherine Willis. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning from the family home with services at St Mary's church at 9:30, the burial will be in the family plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

     With that many children, there are bound to be descendants of Elizabeth's still around, all I have to do is track them down.  I hope you enjoyed this mini-series, tomorrow I want to review how writing it helped me sort things out.