ANCESTOR NO. 8 : MARY ELLEN QUINLAN

 Mary Ellen Quinlan had a rough start in life. Not only were her parents, Jeremiah Quinlan and Mary Cusick, poor young immigrants to the U.S., but her father was killed in the Civil War when she was still a baby. Luckily, her mother had some relatives near her: her mother, an aunt, a sister, a brother, and cousins.

Mary Ellen was born on 9 October 1863 on Staten Island, New York, and baptized two days later at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Her father enlisted in the Union Army in August 1864, before she was a year old.[1]

She was an only child until her mother married another Irishman, John McCormack. She had four half-sisters, Kate, Ellen Josephine, Elizabeth, and Grace McCormack, and two half-brothers, James Francis and John Patrick.[2]

Mary Cusick Quinlan McCormack was illiterate, but as a city child, her daughter Mary Ellen had the opportunity to attend St. Patrick’s parochial school in Jersey City. After school let out, she no doubt helped her mother with all those babies. When Mary Ellen married Joseph Kerner on 4 February 1883, her sisters and brothers were only between twelve and two years old.[3] So, she had plenty of practice before she had ten sons of her own: George Francis (1884-1887), Joseph George (1885-1898), Edward Anthony Aloysius (1888-1974), Frank Alexander (1891-1904), John Robert (1894-1966), Leo Jeremiah (1896-1959), Alfred James (1899-1989), James (1901-1901), William Fedor (1902-1969), and Charles Vincent (1905-1971). They still attended St. Patrick’s Catholic church. Her sister Ellen lived with them and was probably a big help with the children.[4] There were many mentions of the boys in the Jersey City newspapers for various sports teams; Mary probably attended at least some games.

Mary Ellen’s little sister, Lizzie McCormack, died of diphtheria on 31 Aug. 1887, and Mary Ellen’s son George Francis died of scarlet fever on 8 October 1887.[5] What a sad year that was for her. They were only eight and four years old. The deaths of three more of her sons were mentioned in the blog posting about her husband Joseph. The most shocking loss was when her twelve-year-old son George was run over by a trolley car.[6]

Mary Ellen and John Joseph’s parents all lived in the same city as they did. In 1903, they lived at 44 Woodlawn Avenue, his parents Joseph and Rosanna lived at 58 Rose Avenue, a few blocks away,[7] and her mother and stepfather lived at 551 Grand St.[8] Perhaps they could be called upon for help on occasion. 1903 was the first year one of Mary Ellen’s parents and in-laws passed away. Her mother-in-law, Rosanna Maguire Kirner, was first, dying of an apparent heart attack on September 10, 1903.[9]

In 1910, she still had six sons at home, and Ellen was gone, but they had a servant girl from Germany; there were no modern conveniences yet for cooking, washing, and cleaning required by a family of eight.[10] Mary Ellen became a grandmother on December 30, 1912, when her first grandchild, Robert John Kirner, was born to her son John Robert Kirner and his wife Rosa.[11]

In 1913, she celebrated her thirtieth wedding anniversary with a party. They decorated with “…palms, pink blossoms and smilax. A large white bell hung in the centre of the parlor and suspended from same were ten small red bells.”[12] A relative, George Hauser, who sang at their wedding, sang again for them. There was dining and dancing and a house full of relatives and friends.

In 1918, during World War I, her sons Leo and William joined the Navy, and Edward joined the Army. In September, Mary Ellen received news that Edward had arrived in Europe.[13] German U-boats patrolled the Atlantic, and crossing the ocean was dangerous then. This time was also the height of the worldwide influenza epidemic. Miraculously, although living in a crowded urban area, none of the family died of it.

Mary Ellen’s mother, Mary Cusack Quinlan McCormack, was the last parent to pass away, on April 10, 1920.[14] She was about 74 years old.[15]

Later in life, Mary Ellen attended Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church in Jersey City, and she belonged to its Rosary Society. Besides reciting the Rosary, members raised funds for the church and decorated the altar.

Less than a year after her mother died, Mary Ellen caught a fever that developed into encephalitis or meningitis, and passed away after nine days, on March 18, 1921.[16] This might have been curable today, but she became ill before either penicillin or antibiotics were available. Only fifty-seven years old, she was buried in the family plot in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City. We have a photo of her taken probably a couple of years before her death.

A person and person standing on a path AI-generated content may be incorrect. 


[1] Deposition of Rev. John Lewis, 6 Aug. 1867, Mary Quinlan, widow’s pension application no. 101,240, minor’s application no. 204,368, W.C. certificate no. 102,136, minor’s certificate no. 161,619, service of Jeremiah Quinlan (Pvt., Unassigned 90th Regt. N.Y. Infantry, Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications…; images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/295200059/quinlan-jeremiah-page-16-us-civil-war-widows-pensions-1861-1910: accessed 23 Aug. 2025) > image 15 of 116.

[2] "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN8Z-T9M: accessed 28 May 2019), Mary E. Quinlan in household of John Mc Cormack, Hudson County, New Jersey, population schedule, 3rd Precinct, 6th District, Jersey City, enumeration district (ED) 37, sheet 92A (stamped), family 161, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 0784; FHL microfilm 1,254,784.

[3] New Jersey, Marriage return, John Joseph Kirnea [sic]-Mary E. Quinlan, 4 Feb. 1883; no. 333/47/39, Reel 21, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, N.J.

[4] 1900 United States Federal Census, Hudson County, New Jersey, population schedule, Precinct 5, Jersey City, ED 128, sheet 203A, 34 Woodlawn Ave., dwelling 172, family 215, Ellen J. McCormack in household of John J. Kerner; “United States, Census, 1900,” database and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QF3-6N4?view=explore: accessed 30 Jul.2025) > IGN 4120442 > image 341 of 550.

[5] Holy Name Cemetery, Interment Card, No. 42352, 8 Oct. 1887, Geo. F. Kiernan; filmed by Mary Lish, April 2024, Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City, N.J. For Lizzie, card no. 42142.

[6] “His Life Crushed Out,” Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 30 June 1898, p. 2, col. 3; images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 29 Aug. 2025).

[7] Hudson County, New Jersey, death certificate no. 22015/S9662 (10 September 1903) Rosanna Kirner; New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, N.J.

[8] “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 29 Aug. 2025) >New Jersey >Jersey City >1903 >Jersey City, New Jersey, City Directory, 1903 > image 198, McCormack John, gardener; citing p. 417.

[9] “Obituary. Rosanna Kerner,” Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 12 Sep 1903, p. 3, col. 1; images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 30 Aug. 2025).

[10] “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKYV-23H: accessed 30 Aug. 2025), Mary E Kirner in household of Joseph J Kirner, Jersey City Ward 7, Hudson, New Jersey, United States; citing ED 145, sheet 5B, family 122, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 890; FHL microfilm 1,374,903.

[11] “New Jersey, Births and Christenings Index, 1660-1931,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 30 August 2025), citing FHL film 1,403,238. Note: He was baptized at St. Paul’s Catholic Church.

[12] “Society Notes: Greenville,” The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 7 Feb. 1913, p. 15, col. 1; image, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 24 Aug. 2025).

[13] “Society Notes,” The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 18 Sep. 1918, p. 6, col. 2; image, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 24 Aug. 2025).

[14] New Jersey, death certificate no. 7151 (10 April 1920) Mary McCormack; New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, N.J. Note: This record says she was 72 years old.

[15] “Mrs. Mary McCormack,” Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.), 17 April 1920, p. 2, col. 5; images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com: accessed 29 Aug. 2025).

[16] New York City, N.Y., death certificate no. 7576 (18 Mar. 1921) Mary Ellen Kirner; New York City Department of Records & Information Services; image, NYC Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/5456222 : accessed 30 Aug. 2025).

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