Joseph Martin & Katherine McNamara Family

This page is devoted to all of the documents and records collected for the Joseph Martin family. Joseph was born in Ireland in March of 1847 in the town of Bray, County Wicklow. According to census records he came to America in 1867 and quickly made his way to Chicago by the early 1870s. Kate was born in Fanningstown, County Limerick, Ireland in 1846. Her family immigrated to America in 1849 or early 1850. They settled first in Wisconsin with other related families such as Hassett, McNamara and Quade. By the early 1850s the McNamara's had settled in Chicago. The McNamara family was hard to track because they often used Mack as their last name and you will see it even in official documents and records.

The two met in Chicago and were married in St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in 1874. At the time Joseph was working as a coal dealer. Two children (James and Irene) quickly followed and the family seemed no different than many thousands of other Irish families in Chicago. Unfortunately Kate contracted tuberculosis which was all too common in large cities. She died of the disease in 1878 leaving behind a husband and two young children. She is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Evanston outside of Chicago where many family members are buried.

Joseph may have been overwhelmed by the prospect of raising two young children and Kate's mother, Anne McNamara, moved the two children to live with her. Joseph eventually remarried and James moved back with him. Irene however went to Denver where she lived with Kate's sister Bridget who had married Laurence Dohney.

Joseph lived a long life in Chicago holding down a variety of jobs as was common for unskilled laborers. Joseph remarried to a woman named Katherine Cash in 1880. He became a naturalized citizen in 1893 and voted in Chicago elections, He was working in the Omaha Meat Packing Plant when he died at the age of 74 in 1921 from Peritonitis. He is buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

Joseph Martin Family Group Sheet

Federal Census Records : 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920

Irene Elizabeth Martin Birth Record

Irene Elizabeth Martin Baptism - Irene was baptized at St. Johns Church on 18th St. in Chicago

James Martin Birth Record - This is the older brother of Irene

James Henry Martin Baptism - James was baptized at St. Johns Church on 18th St in Chicago

Joseph Martin and Kate McNamara Marriage License

Martin and McNamara Church Marriage Record - They were married at St Mary of the Assumption Church

Kate McNamara Martin Death Notice

James Martin Obit - Announcement of the funeral for James

James Henry Martin Death Certificate

James Martin Cemetery Record - 01 02