Catharine Maria Meagher O'Neill was my grandmother. She was married to Thomas James O'Neill in August 1917. My mother Agnes, was the youngest of their three daughters, Catharine M., Mary Ellen, and Agnes.
During the typhoid outbreak of 1902 in Philadelphia, PA Both Catharine and her brother had contracted typhoid fever and were on their deathbed. They were 2 of the 50 people (who were sure to die within 48 hours)offered the experimental vaccine. Catharine survived and her brother did not. Her father was cruel to her for having survived and her brother dying.
She is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetary Kennett Square, PA
having died September 17,1968 of Leukemia.
Thomas James O'Neill was born in Hockessin, DE on November 22, 1878.His family lived in Kennett Square, PA. He headed west at the age of 14 on the rails and also worked on the Panama Canal (the 1st attempt)He contracted Malaria while there and nearly died(he was one of very few men in the camp that survived. The indigenous Indians removed the living and burned the camp down).
He had an interesting young life. He married at 39 years of age and lived in Phila., PA then moved back to Chester County , PA and had operated Greenhill farm in West Chester, PA and was a carpenter all of his life and died on his 71st birthday, November 22, 1949. My mother was 17 years old.
Catharine's middle name,although spelled Maria, was actually Mariah the "H" had been ommitted (misspelled)by her father from her baptismal certificate. She was from the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia until married and moved to West chester, PA and lived there until her death.