Downtown Taghmon

Downtown Taghmon
Main Street, Taghmon, County Wexford, 2011

About James Connor and Anastasia Colfour (Colfer)

About James Connor and Anastasia Colfer

James Connor (c1818-1897) and Anastasia Colfour (Colfer) (c1821-1884) married in the Parish of Taghmon in 1842 and emigrated from County Wexford, possibly the town of Taghmon, between c1852-1854. History states that James preceded Anna by two years. Shortly after arriving in America, they settled in Evanston, Illinois. They lived and farmed in an area of Evanston now known as Stockham Park until about 1862 when they moved to the corner of Ridge Avenue and Lake Street in Evanston. Several siblings of James' also came to the U.S. around the same time and resided in Evanston. They include his twin siblings Katherine and Thomas, both of whom never married; and, his brother Patrick who married Margaret Welsch. James and Anna had six children, the first five of whom were born in Ireland. They include Ellen (Sullivan) (1843-1919), James C. (1846-1890), Bridget Lucy (Headen/Hayden) (1849-1876); John A. (1852-1932); Mary E. (Haughey) (1854-1934); and, Thomas E. (1857-1929). Anna died of typhoid pneumonia on April 15, 1884. James, lived to be 79, spending the last thirteen years living with his son Thomas. James died on October 2, 1897.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Calvary Cemetery Map, Evanston, Illinois

"Calvary is the oldest existing cemetery that had been established by the Archdiocese of Chicago, although it is not the oldest Catholic cemetery in the area - there are churchyards that predate it.  Catholic cemeteries had previously existed closed to Chicago, but health concerns and the value of the land prompted city officials to reinter bodies in more remote locations.  Calvary, Rosehill, Graceland and Oak Woods all saw their first burials in 1859.

At the border between Chicago and Evanston, Calvary sits on the lakefront behind Sheridan road.  Between Sheridan and the lake is a breakwater consisting of piled up white limestone boulders.  The main entrance is on Chicago Avenue, with the rear entrance directly across on Sheridan.  A wide road connects the two gates. Originally, a small lagoon lay in between, roughly two-thirds of the way from the east end, but it was filled in to create shrine sections.  This dramatically changed the appearance of the cemetery, as did the loss of many trees to Dutch Elm disease in the 1960s.

The west entrance of Calvary is beneath a large stone gate with three arches.  The center arch is surmounted by a triangle in the Gothic style.  Designed by James Egan (who is buried in Calvary), this represents the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, which are Catholic symbols of God as the beginning and the end.

I have included the Section numbers for each of the gravesites I have included in this blog.  By using this map, you will have some idea where many of the Connors are buried.
 
The Calvary Cemetery is located at 301 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, Illinois, 60202.
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