I learned a little about Ann Thomas from census records. I am learning much more through my new connection with Amanda– a descendant of Ann whom I’ve met online. This blog entry is devoted to the Donahue-Thomas family and her heritage and will be updated for the benefit of both families and their descendants as Amanda and I correspond.

The Donahue farm produced a lot of butter as a part of their livelihood, something that the farm women would typically do as seen in this photo.

Our great x 2 grandfather, Dennis Edward Donahue had 12 children with his wife Hannah. The couple’s first child, Ann E. Donahue, was born in November of 1888 in Minnesota, USA. Their 5th child, Edward, was my great grandfather. This is my connection with my new-found relative Amanda: our great-grandparents were siblings. The catch is that my great-grandfather followed his aunt Julia McElgunn up to Canada and lost many of his family ties in the United States. My grandfather, his son Dennis Edward, spent much time writing letters to his American family trying to regain this contact.

All census records from Ann‘s lifetime show that she grew up in High Forest on the Donahue farm, likely helping out with butter production and house chores. When she was finished school and old enough to earn her own living, Ann became a milliner in a shop in town. I still have to locate which shop it was.

At age 24 (about 1916), Ann married a 36 year old man named Christopher Thomas (1877-1948) who was also born and raised in High Forest. His family must have known the Donahues well, as their farms were in close proximity. His parents, however are listed in censuses as French-Canadian and his brother, who lived with the couple and their children in 1880 had a mother born in Ireland. The couple continued to farm in the area, staying close to their families. One year after their marriage they had their first child, and in following years another 6 were born. They continued to farm but eventually moved on. Word from their single living child, Frances, is that the Thomas family were horrible farmers! Their farm was lost because during the depression they borrowed against it until they could not sustain themselves.

Ann and Christopher Thomas’ children:

Anna Kathleen Shanahan(1915-2005) married Walter Shanahan. She died at age 90.

Etta Marie (1916-2000) married and had at least one child, although I have yet to have located the names of her husband and children. She died at age 84.

Rachel Jamesina Strom (b. 1919) married into the Strom family and had a daughter. She is now deceased.

Francis Emily Peterson is the only living child of this family. I look forward to talking to her. She and her husband had two daughters (one of whom, Faye, passed away in 2007) and two sons.

James Christopher Thomas (1925-2010) died in San Diego, California.

Paul Raymond Thomas (1929-1980), whom my new contact Amanda descends from, married Elizabeth Louise King (1939-2000) and they had four daughters (one of whom, Tracy Ann, is now deceased). Paul was stabbed and murdered on June 4th in Mission Hills, California.

Research from my new contact, Amanda will help to flesh out their stories.