Sarah Anne Healy was my second great grandmother. She was born around 1851 in Ireland. Sarah immigrated to the US from Ireland when she was in her late teens in order to avoid being sent to a convent. This story was told to me by Edna Jean (Burt) McKenzie, my Paternal Grandmother and the Granddaughter of Sarah Anne Healy
I have no additional information about her parents, immigration or at which port she arrived. On May 15, 1872, she married William Hawley in Alpena, Michigan. On October 30, 1919, she married Asahel Atherton in Beaverton, Gladwin, Michigan. Sarah passed away on December 30, 1924, at her home in Mitchell Township, Alcona County, Michigan, after a long illness.
More information about Sarah can be found on her personal page where you will find a timeline of her life
Outstanding Questions:
On the same marriage register that Asahel and Sarah's marriage was recorded, there was a marriage record for Henry Estes and Mrs. Ida Livingston. Their marriage was officiated by Elder George W. Burt, who was also my paternal great-great-grandfather (the father of Ernest N. Burt and father-in-law of Sarah's daughter Lavina).
I always wondered... How did Asahel and Sarah meet? I also always questioned why Elder George W. Burt would not have officiated Asahel and Sarah's marriage. It just seemed logical to me. They were family and they were living in the same area.
Although, this is only my version of how I believe Asahel and Sarah met, I am going to share it anyway. It makes sense to me. Let me paint you a picture...
Mrs. Sarah Hawley, a widow since 1914, moves to Beaverton to be near her daughter Lavina and her family. The family attends the Latter Day Saints Church, where her son-in-law is a member of the priesthood. Mary (Atherton) Albertson and her husband George are also members of the L.D.S. church. Mary's father, Asahel Atherton, is also widowed in June 1918. So Asahel and Sarah were married by Asahel's son-in-law (George F. Albertson) and the witnesses were Asahel's daughter (Mary E. (Atherton) Albertson) and his granddaughter (Dorthy E. Albertson)I can just imagine, Lavina and Mary, talking at church and deciding to play matchmaker, both with a recently widowed parent. I believe that this is how Asahel and Sarah met and got married, with a little bit of assistance from their matchmaking daughters. |
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Lesson Learned: Always remember to do cluster research when you are looking for that hard-to-find ancestor or when you just want to learn a little bit more about the story.
Disclaimer: I cannot say with certainty that this is what actually happened. But it helps me to answer a long outstanding question. Whether Asahel and Sarah met while attending the same church or had some help from their daughters, I'm sure that this connection is the answer to my question... How did they meet?