Catherine McCrohan was born August 30, 1817 in Cahirciveen County Kerry Ireland near Valentia.(note:Cahirciveen didn't become a city until 1860) Where she was actually born would probably be the present day Cahirciveen Renard South.
Julia Golden was born April 14, 1844 in Ireland the daughter of Dennis Golden Sr. and Catherine NcCrohan. On July 6,1865 she was married to Adam McNeal by the Roman Catholic Priest in Watseka. Adam was born October 5,1838.They had one son George born to them March 18, 1869 and he died August 22, 1871. Adam died February 2, 1899 . Julia was a seamstress and ran a rooming house in Chicago. She owned considerble property in DuPage county and Vermilion County Illinois. She was described to me by an elderly relative as "an ugly woman with illfitting false teeth that flapped and made her jaw stick out". Following a 2 year failing health and influenza and pneumonia Julia died December 22, 1936. Her body was accompanied back to Watseka by Mrs. Olive drum, Mrs. Harrison, Clyde Holoway, Fred Manley and Mr. Reinhart. After a short service cocnducted by the Rev. F E Birkett pastor of the Presbyterian church (what happened to her Catholic upbringing along the way?) she was buried at the top of the East hill in Oak Hill cemetery at Watseka beside her husband and son.
Anna M. Golden was born September 6, 1850 in New York the daughter of Dennis Golden Sr. and Catherine McCrohan. Sometime between here and 1854 her father died. In May 1855 she came to Watseka, Illinois with her mother, brother, and sister and new stepfather , George courtright. She was educated in the Watseka school system and taught school before her marriage to James Freeman Hensen on February 25, 1873 in Watseka. They settled on a homestead near Pleasant Hill, Nebraska where she also taught school for a time. At the time of her mother's death in 1908 she was living at 1152 Nance Avenue, Lincoln, Nebraska. Around 1913 she moved to 11th and Norman in Crete, Nebraska where she lived alone several years prior to her death on December 28, 1943. She had five children. James W. Hensen of Council, Idaho - Mabel Hess of Crete, Nebraska- Amy Langley of Otis, Colorado- Louise Cobb of Denver, Colorado- and Agnes Lean of Sacramento, California. There were also six grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Rev. J.P. Balzer officiated at the Robert Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. She is buried in the Pleasant Hill cemetery.
Jacob Courtright was born August 22, 1859 the son of Catherine McCrohan and George Courtright. He is the only child of this marriage of Catherine's to survive. He married Miss Martha Wright in 1885. He worked for the railroad in Danville, Illinois. He received a work related injury which left him with a big scar on his face. He then transferred to Wabash, Indiana where he was associated with the Big Four railroad as the trainmaster of the Michigan Division. After 21 years with the railroad he retired and accepted a partnership with Charles S. Rose in establishing an agency for the Equitable Life Insurance Company. He was also connected with the National Casuality company of Detroit.Jacob "Gus" and Martha had two chidren,George and Helen. Helen was attending Lake Forrest College in Chicago when her father died. She married Robert Sedgewick who was attached to the Military and they lived for a time in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jacob died August 12, 1913 at his home in Wabash, Indiana. Services were conducted at his home with the Masons in charge. Rev. Dr. Charles Little officiated with burial in Falls cemetery there.
Dennis Golden was born the son of Dennis Sr. and Catherine McCrohan in Ireland. His birthdate I can not prove. On his death certificate it says November 6, 1850. This is impossible because he had a sister born in September 1850. His tombstone reads November 6, 1851. I have seen his birthdate on census records as "in the Spring" and another as just "in the Fall". The family came to Canada in 1847 and I have found his Naturalization records where he became an American citizen and renounced his allegiance to the Queen of England then ruler of Ireland also. This proves he was born in Ireland so my estimate based on other records found is that he was born in 1845. He came with his mother and sisters to Watseka, Illinois in 1855. His father had died and mother remarried to George Courtright at that time.Dennis Jr. married Mariah Mahan on April 15, 1873. Mariah was the daughter of Patrick and Julia Keogh Mahan. She was born March 6, 1851 also in Ireland. Dennis worked for the TP&W railroad and built his home at 238 Park Avenue-Watseka, Illinois starting with the purchase of the land April 11,1890 at the cost of $300 from the Yount & Sheridan families who originally got the tract that was included in property from Micajah Stanley's grant from the government. Dennis Jr.and Mariah Golden were the parents o three daughters.JULIA MAUDE born February27, 1874: Kathryn was born July 7, 1876 and Addie Mildred was born July 1,1881. Mariah Golden had a sister who was married to John Templin. The family referred to her as "Nutty Aunt Annie". She would get beligerent towards her husband and children about once every month and threaten them.[a bad case of PMS if you ask me.] for which she spent some time in the mental hospital. One of the funny stories told to me was that a 3 layer cake was common at family gatherings and she would take the top layer off of 3 pieces for her share so she would get more frosting. This lady was married to the brother of the man who was to be her niece's husband so that made her an Aunt and sister-in-law to Julia Maude.
Dennis Golden Jr. died at his home,pictured above, March 16, 1916 -cause of death was chronic Nephritis. He was described to me as a tiny man with a kindly face. No picture available but he must have looked like his daughter Addie because the other daughters look like their mother. Mariah Golden followed her husband in death at the home of her daughter Julia Maude Nixon Templin at 124 Browne Street, Watseka on August 17, 1916-cause of death Chronic Cholecystitis. They are both buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery at Gilman, Illinois . After services in Watseka, their caskets were put on board the TP&W railroad along with the family and friends and transported to Gilman which is 14 miles West where they were met by the Gilman undertaker who took the group to the cemetery. They are buried on the West side of the driveway to the main entrance just a short way in from front gate. Their daughters Addie Hagen and Kathryn Bruehl are buried on same lots. Dennis's mother Catherine is buried on the East side of this driveway about half way down.
JULIA MAUDE GOLDEN (daughter)
Julia Maude Golden was born February 27, 1874 daughter of Dennis Golden Jr. and Mariah Mahan Golden in Wateka.She was educated and graduated from Watseka High school. This was not all that common in those days for a girl to graduate. She was a very talented woman who could play the organ and sew and crochet and tat. [I am in possession of a piece of lace made by her.] Julia died from complications of diabetes on November 26, 1935 at her home in the arms of her daughter-in-law Fannie Nixon Who only 5 weeks before had lost a baby son John Joseph Laverne at birth. It was Julia Maude's wish to be buried next to this grandson in the Body Cemetery RR 3 Watseka. William H. Templin had a bicycle repair shop and a clock repair business at his home after he retired . He died November 23, 1955 along the road in Belmont township south of the County Farm where he had been staying after he became senile. It was his wedding anniversary and he was thought to be walking to the cemetery to be with his wife. He had walked away from the home without winter clothing and cause of death was listed as cerebral-Vascular Accident. He too is buried in Body Cemetery next to Julia.
KATHRYN GOLDEN (daughter) Kathryn Golden was born July 7,1876 the daughter of Dennis Jr. and Mariah Mahan Golden in Watseka, Illinois . She graduated in the class of 1894 from Watseka High School. She married Joseph Bruehl from Sandwich, Illinois on October 1901. They moved to Oklahoma where their children were born. Daughter Mildred was born June 16, 1907 at Cheotah, Oklahoma. Eugene was born February 25, 1905. Maude Irene (Tiny) was born January 14, 1903. Joseph Bruehl died in 1907 and is buried in Sandwich Illinois. Kathryn
brought her family back to her parents home in Watseka. She got a job working as a secretary in the office of Judge Raymond. In later years she worked at the Manteno Stete Hospital. Kathryn married a Mr. Taylor but the marriage ended in divorce at which time she took the name Bruehl back. She got the family homeplace at 238 Park Avenue, Watseka when her parents died. Katherine retired in 1945 due to illhealth. She died at her home at 6 p.m.February 7, 1947. She is buried next to her parents in St. Mary's cemetery at Gilman.Kathryn's daughter Maude Irene Bruehl married Ernest Grice they were the parents of one son Warren Eugene Grice born September 22, 1922. He married Velma Dube . They has daughter Kathryn who married Dale Emmerson and a son Stephen who married Gail Keene. Neither of Warren's children have had children . Kathryn Golden Bruehl's son Eugene married M. Donaldson. They had one daughter Barbara who married Carl Matson. She had no children. Eugene was married next to Clara, She committed suicide after Eugene died and are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery at Watseka. Kathryn Golden Bruehl's daughter, Mildred was first married to a Mr. Brown that ended in divorce. She later married Clarence Wilson which also ended in divorce. There were no children born to her so Kathryn Golden's line has ended. Mildy worked at the Iroquois Title and Trust Company.
ADDIE MILDRED GOLDEN (daughter)
Addie golden was born July 1,l881 the daughter of Dennis Jr. and Mariah Mahan Golden in Watseka. She too was educated in the Watseka High School system. she was married in November 1902 to Albert Fredrick Hagen, a native of Mechlinburg, Germany.[I have the pendant watch which Albert gave her as an engagement present. Inside is engraved A.G. July 1, 1902. She got engaged on her birthday. This watch can be seen in her wedding photo which I also have.] To this marriage were born 3 children. Raynond (Jack) Hagen was born February 2, 1904. He was a jeweler and married late in life to Dorothy Muir.
Geraldine Hagen was born July 26, 1906 also in Oklahoma as was her brother. She too married late in life to Merril Penwell Miller.
Katherine Hagen was born May 7, 1912 in Watseka, Illinois two hours after her mother had died. Addie was 7 months pregnant when she got appendicitis. Being pregnant they could not operate to save her life. Little Katherine died 3 hours after she was born. She and Addie are buried together in St. Mary's cemetery at Gilman.
After Addie's death Albert Moved his family to Danville, Illinois where he was a chemist in the Sugar creek Creamery.The family had a very tight bond and Albert had to be both mother and father to Jack & Gerry.Both children stayed with him until he died in August 1948.Jack and Gerry
both married then and their marriages were not long lived. They both lost their spouses a few years after they had married so the two of them moved in together on McReynolds Street in Danville and lived together many happy years and were truly devoted to each other.
© copyright 2000 by Rosemary J. Nixon. No reproduction (except for personal use) of any kind without the express written permission of the author.
She married Dennis Golden Sr. in Ireland about 1840. Chidren Dennis and Julia were born there before the family left for Canada. In 1847 the family arrived in Ontario Canada. According to records I found in Canadian documments Catherine McCrohan (canadian
records list under women's maiden names) and 2year old son were taken to a Toronto hospital from the ship at the expense of the Canadian government when they landed. From there the family walked to New York. This was a common practice because it was cheaper to book a boat going to Canada than it was to land in any of the United States ports. We found them on the 1850 census living in a boarding house in New York. Here daughter Anna was born
September 6, 1850. Sometime after this and before 1854 Dennis Golden Sr. died. Catherine and children came West and joined a group going to the California GOLD RUSH. They only found enough gold to make Catherine a pair of earrings which she wore the rest of her life. I have a table that went in the covered wagon with them. They turned around at next opportunity and came back to the midwest where she met and married George Courtright at Lafayette, Indiana May 1855.George had a general store in Watseka and was getting his supplies in Lafayette. George and his brothers Richard and Isaac were the first white men in Iroquois County who settled in the Bunkum area . George had been married twice before he married Catherine and he had children Joseph, Elizabeth and Catherine by the first wife. He had a son Jacob A.(Gus) Courtright by Catherine McCrohan Golden Courtright. Gus was the only child from this 3rd marriage to survive. Two more were born and died in infancy. George was a very colorful and well respected man who worked with Gordon Hubbard the fur trader and he had made many trips to Chicago for Gordon. He could speak the Indians language and had a store in West Watseka where they had many Indian customers to whom he would allow purchases "on the cuff" until they got enough furs to trade that could pay George for his merchandise. Neither George nor Catherine could write so Catherine would memorize the transactions for the day until daughter Julia got home from school to write them down.George later moved his store to Middleport the present day Watseka about where the Lynch Atrium building is today. Here the first post office was started in George's store which consisted of a pigeon hole desk. George had a good deal of farm land and property when he died October 30, 1883. Catherine is said to have possessed great skills in management of her husbands business and estate.Catherine had a brother Michael McCrohan who was an unmarried sailor. Each time he made a crossing of the Atlantic he would deposit his last paycheck in a New York bank. When he made his last crossing he forfieted his last pay check and jumped ship in New York to come live with his sister. He and Dennis Golden Jr. both became United States citizens on October 1876.
Catherine was a devout Catholic and before the first Church in Watseka was built Mass was held in her home and she donated to the 1st church very generously. She died May 30,1908 at the home of her son Dennis Jr. 238 Park Avenue in Watseka, Illinois. She was buried beside her husband George in St. Mary's cemetery at Gilman, Illinois. Michael McCrohan died March 13, 1913 also at the home of Dennis and he was buried in Gilman also.
She married Henry Nixon who was from Manteno., Illinois and was son of James and Hannah Nixon. They were married at Watseka October 18, 1893 by Fr. Timmons with her sister Kathryn her Uncle Adam T. McNeal as witnesses. They lived for a short time across the street from her parents and later moved to Chicago, Illinois where Henry was section foreman on the rail road in charge of the maze of tracks at Yard Central. They were living on Eggleston Avenue in Chicago When their first son GEORGE GORDON (John) Nixon was to be born.
Julia came to visit her parents and George was born at his grandparents home 238 Park Avenue in Watseka June 23, 1900. Their second son James Dennis Nixon was born on September 21, 1902 at 8812 Eggleston Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The little family had everything good going for them at this time until Henry Nixon got typhoid fever . It was thought that he would recover until some of his railroad friends slipped him a bottle of whiskey into the hospital. Henry died in Mercy Hospital January 31, 1903 at the age of 33 years. He was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery at Manteno, Illinois. Julia Maude an the 2 boys came to live with her parents in Watseka. Julia remarried on November 23, 1904 to Willian H. Templin, another railroad man, born February 26, 1877 in Ash Grove township, Iroquois County, Illinois (son of Joseph and Willimenia Schroeder Templin) [Willimenia later married John Wengert]. Julia and William Templin lived at 124 Browne Street in Watseka where Julia had another son William Jr. born January 14, 1909 and a daughter Dorothy Marie born April 28, 1907. Julia became a diabetic and had to watch very closely what she ate. She also had surgery in Chicago for Uterine fibroids. She was a very devout Catholic which kept her going when all 4 of her children got typhoid fever, the same thing her first husband had died from. The doctor came everyday with medicine for the children but nothing seemed to work. An elderly neighbor lady kept telling her to wrap the children's feet in boiled beet leaves. Finally out of desperation she took the neighbors advice and the children all recovered. 
Jack died August 12,1994 and was buried in family plot at Springhill Cemetery, Danville Illinois. Geraldine is still alive and has been a terrific help to me in my genealogy project. Neither she nor Jack had any children so Addie Golden's line will also end with Geraldine. Gerry and I have become very close and she has given me all the family pictures and momentos.I visit her often and learn something new each time. Gerry died April 2, 2001 at 8:25 pm at the Sunbridge Nursing Home in Danville and is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery next to her father.
