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Note: 1860 Federal Census for Salt Pond Township, Saline Co., Missouri, #291-291, page 42 1880 Federal Census for Parsons, Labette Co., Kansas - SD 9, ED 120, Sheet 31 1900 Federal Census for Parsons, Labette Co., Kansas - 802 N. Central, ED 125, SD 3, Sheet 16. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Called Maggie, Margaret Isaacs was born June 24, 1851 in Clinton Co., Missouri to Solomon and Louisa (Gresham) Isaacs. Margaret's middle name was given by her mother as "Jane" in the widow's pension benefit documents, but Margaret herself gives "Elizabeth" in the St. Patrick's Church records. Margaret's parents were married in the Methodist church, and it is most probable that Margaret was not raised Catholic. By 1860, the family had already moved to Salt Pond Township, Saline Co., Missouri where her father was a farmer. In 1862, her father enlisted for service in the Civil War, then called the "War of Rebellion". About the same time, Margaret, her mother, and siblings moved to St. Charles Co., Missouri. Sometime before 1863, Margaret's younger sister, Mary, died. On July 28, 1863, Margaret's father died of malarial fever (flux) while serving in the army. The family moved to St. Louis and in December 1865, Louisa Isaacs, Maggie's mother, married a second time to John Heiser, a German born laborer. As shown in the census records, the children took on the name Heiser. Whether or not they were adopted is unknown, but doubtful. As adults, David and William, Margaret's brothers, resumed using the name Isaacs. Margaret was employed in St. Louis in 1869 and 1870 by the sister of Mary O'Connell of Hannibal, Missouri.. The census of 1870 shows that Margaret did not live at home with her mother. Although not verified, Maggie was probably domestic help and lived at the employer's home. Only her youngest brother, William, still lived at home. On September 6, 1870, Margaret married Edward Fitzgerald, son of William and Alice (O'Grady) Fitzgerald. The marriage took place at the home of Margaret's employer. Edward was an Irish immigrant, and Catholic. The marriage might not have been in the church because Margaret was not Catholic, but this is speculation. Margaret used the name Heiser on the St. Louis marriage license. The St. Louis Marriage Index shows Heusen, a misspelling. Once an adult, Margaret used Isaacs as her maiden name. Margaret and Edward moved from St. Louis to Hannibal, Marion Co., Missouri where their first son, John, was born in 1874. From there they moved west to Parsons, Labette Co., Kansas about 1877. Throughout her life, Maggie was a housewife. She and Edward added 4 more children to the family before 1890 - Ellen (1877), Mary (1880), Edward (1883), and Anna (1889). All of the children were raised in the Catholic Church. Somewhere in the family history, it was said that Margaret was of French, Jewish ancestry. This may have been speculation because of her father's name, Solomon Isaacs. To date, I have found no information that would even suggest this was true. In 1904, Margaret, with her brothers, David and William, petitioned for back pension benefits arising from their father's death in the military. The petition was declined, but a great deal of family information was found in that petition. (See notes for Edward Fitzgerald) On June 7, 1906, Margaret passed away in Parsons, Labette Co., Kansas. A record of her death is held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Parsons. She is buried next to her husband, Edward, and their son, Edward, at Calvary Catholic Cemetery on north 32nd Street in Parsons. There is some discrepancy about Maggie's birth year. Her tombstone gives 1853. Margaret, herself, gives 1851 in a sworn affidavit in the pension petition in 1904. Louisa also records 1851 in her original widow's benefit claim in 1864. The church records at St. Patrick's say Margaret was 54 at her death. 1851 is correct. Margaret's tombstone was placed in 1952, 46 years after her death.
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