Mary Jane “Jennie” McWhirter (1865-1912)

I’ve been researching my McWhirter family line for over 20 years now, and have been tracking the descendants of Thomas McWhirter Sr. (1800-1867) and Eliza Jane Beatty (1800-1846) forward in time.

I recently came across some articles in the archives of an old San Francisco newspaper regarding Mary Jane “Jennie” McWhirter. Jennie was one of Thomas and Eliza’s granddaughters through their son Thomas McWhirter Jr. (1835-1876) and his wife Esther Sherer (1841-1885).

Mary Jane McWhirter  was born 31 August 1865 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 

Jennie married John Jacob Klapperich (1864-1943) in San Francisco, California in 1886. They divorced 0n 2 April 1902,  in San Francisco, California. The following three newspaper articles appeared in the San Francisco Call Newspaper regarding their divorce.

I found the first one kind of amusing.

Mrs. Klapperich Files Answer

Mrs. Jennie M. Klapperich who is being sued for divorce by John J. Klapperich, filed an answer and cross complaint yesterday. She denies that she ever said her husband was crazy, or that the drove him from home by her ill treatment.  She also denies having compelled him to mend his clothes.  In her cross complaint the wife alleges that her husband deserted her.  The Klapperichs were married in 1886 and reside at 179 Albion Ave.

San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 113, 23 March 1902

Divorces were granted to…Jennie M. Klapperich from John J. Klapperich for  desertion.

San Francisco Call, Volume XCI, Number 122, 1 April 1902

John J. Klapperich, a wagonmaker, who was divorced April 2 1902, from Jeannie M. Klapperich, was ordered by Judge Seawell yesterday to be taken into custody and held in jail until he pays $100 back alimony to Mrs. Klapperich.

San Francisco Call, Volume 101, Number 74, 12 February 1907

Jennie remarried on 28 February 1912 to Hermann Schaffner (1851-1921). The following wedding announcement appeared in the newspaper.

   A quiet wedding was performed in the First Congregational Church of this city on Wednesday evening, when Mrs. Jennie Klapperich and Hermann Schaffner were married.  Only the immediate families witnessed the ceremony, which was performed by Dr. Charles F. Aked.  Mr. and Mrs. Schaffner are passing their honeymoon in the southern part of the state.  On their return they will reside permanently in San Francisco, where a pretty home awaits them at 1134 Castro Street.  Both Schaffner and his bride are well known in this city, with whose social life they have been identified for a number of years.  Before the catastrophe of 1906, Mrs. Schaffner was a prominent resident of the old Mission district, and since then she has resided in Ashbury heights.  Schaffner is a member of a number of fraternal societies, having been grand keeper of records and seal of the Knights of Pythias of California for 26 years.  He is also a past brigadier general of the uniform rank of that order, and a past imperial prince of the Dramatic Order, Knights of Khorassan.

San Francisco Call, Volume 111, Number 94, 3 March 1912

Jennie McWhirter Klapperich Schaffner  died just nine months after her marriage to Hermann on 20 December 1912, in San Francisco, California.  The following obituary appeared in the newspaper on 22 December 1912.  It does not mention cause of death or where she was buried.

SCHAFFNER- In this city, December 20 1912

Jennie H., beloved wife of Herman Schaffner, beloved mother of Louis Klapperich, and loving sister of H.E. and W.J. McWhirter, a native of Boston, Mass. A member of Mission Lodge No. 296, G.F.B. (Boston Mass., papers please copy)

Interment private.

San Francisco Call, Volume 113, Number 22, 22 December 1912

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Thomas McWhirter Jr. (1835-1878)

Thomas McWhirter Jr. was born 26 January 1835 in County Tyrone, Ireland to Thomas McWhirter (1800-1867) and Eliza Jane Beatty (1800-abt 1846)

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On the U.S. Federal Census taken in September of 1850, Thomas was living in Ferrisburg, Addison, Vermont with his father Thomas McWhirter Sr. (1800-1867), stepmother Sarah McWhirter (1800-?), and younger siblings, Samuel McWhirter (1836-1874), Eliza McWhirter (1838-1900), James McWhirter (1843-?), Mary McWhirter (1840-?) and George McWhirter (1846-1883). Younger sister, Margaret McWhirter (1841-1914) was living with older sister Agnes McWhirter Clifford (1827-1898) in Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont, that same year.

My cousin, Laurie Winter, provided the following 1850 census record for the family.  The last name is  badly misspelled (Machosin…seriously?),  but all of the first names match up with our McWhirter family members.

1850 U.S. Census for Ferrisburg, Addison, Vermont
Taken: 25 September 1850

Thomas married Esther Scherer (1841-1885) on 10 November 1865 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, where he worked as a teamster.

Marriage Record for Thomas McWhirter Jr., & Esther Scherer
10 November 1865, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Their first daughter, Mary Jane “Jennie” McWhirter was born 31 August 1865, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. She married John Jacob Klapperich (1864-1943) in San Francisco, California, in 1887. Together they had two sons: Louis Henry Klapperich (1888-1947) and Milton S. Klapperich (1890-1891). She and John divorced sometime between 1900 and 1910.

Birth Record for Mary Jane McWhirter, 31 August 1865
Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Their first son, George Elbridge McWhirter was born 29 January 1867 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

So far, I’ve only been able to find  two  records for George. One is the 1880 Census for San Francisco, California, the other is the  Merced, California Voters Register in 1888, where he was employed as a printer.

George Elbredge McWhirter, Merced County, California Voter Register
11 July 1888

Second son, Joseph Henry McWhirter was born 18 November 1869 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts and died 15 June 1872, at age 2 years 7 months, from scarlet fever. He is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Mattapan, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Joseph Henry McWhirter Death Record , 15 June 1872
Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Second daughter, Etta Esther McWhirter was born 24 January 1872 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts and died 2 October 1875 at age 3 from diphtheria. She is also  buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery,  in Mattapan, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Etta Esther McWhirter Death Record
2 January 1875, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Third son, Willis Joseph Baker McWhirter was born 1 September 1873 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. His WWI Draft Registration Card gives his description as: “Tall, medium build with blue eyes and gray hair”.

Willis Joseph Baker McWhirter, WWI Draft Registration Card
12 September 1918, San Francisco, California

He married Bessie Lenore Grenfell (1876-1964) Stanislaus County California on 29 July 1908, where he worked as a building contractor.

Willis McWhirter died on 23 February 1942 in San Francisco, California. He and Bessie never had any children.

Fourth son and youngest child, Harry Samuel McWhirter, was born 15 October 1875 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

The 1910 U.S. Census records him as living in San Francisco, California, with his sister Mary Jane McWhirter Klapperich, working as a bricklayer.

He registered for the draft in WWI on 12 September 1918 in Atwater, Merced, California, where he worked as a farmer. His description is given as: “Tall, medium build with blue eyes and brown hair.

Harry Samuel McWhirter WWI Draft Registration Card
12 September 1918, San Francisco, California

Thomas McWhirter Jr. died 12 September 1876 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, at age 41, just eleven years after he married Esther. Cause of death was listed as “intemperance”. He left behind his wife, Esther, and their 4 remaining children, Mary, George, Willis and Harry.

He also left her a bit of money. The following public record for Probate Court proceedings appeared in the Boston Journal.

Probate Court Record Notice for  Thomas McWhirter
(Boston Journal (Boston, MA) 26 September 1876, pg 2)

Thomas McWhirter Jr.  is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery,  in  Mattapan, Suffolk, Massachusetts. 

Mt. Hope Cemetery, Mattapan, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Esther moved with the children to San Francisco, California, sometime between Thomas’ death in September of 1876 and 1 June 1880. The U.S. Federal Census for that year shows all 4 children living at home with Esther at: 31 Second Ave., San Francisco, California.

1880 U.S. Federal Census, San Francisco, California
Taken: 1 June 1880

Esther Shearer McWhirter died 22 November 1885 in San Francisco, California. The following articles appeared in two local newspapers following her death.

Esther McWhirter, Mortuary Notice
(San Francisco Bulletin (San Francisco, CA)  23 November 1885, pg 3)

“McWHIRTER–In this city, November 22, Esther, mother of Jennie and GeorgeMcWHIRTER, aged 46 years. Funeral to-day, at 1 p.m., from No. 31 Second avenue.”

Source: Daily Alta California, 24 November 1885.

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Margaret McWhirter (1841-1914)

Margaret McWhirter was born 21 September 1841 in County Tyrone, Ireland to Thomas McWhirter (1800-1867) and Eliza Jane Beatty (1800-?). She emigrated to the United States with her family sometime between 1841 and 1850. County Tyrone is located in Northern Ireland.

County Map of Ireland
(Tyrone County highlighted in yellow)

 

Sperrin Mountains, County Tyrone, Ireland
(Photo by Edmond J.)

When I began researching my McWhirter ancestors in Vermont back in 1993, one of the first people I came across was my 2nd great grand aunt, Margaret McWhirter (1841-1914).  Although I didn’t know how she was related to me,  I knew that she was. With so few people in Vermont with the last name McWhirter at that time, my theory was that they all had to be related somehow. As it turns out, I was right.

I first found Margaret on the 1850 U.S. Federal Census living with the William Simpson family in Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont. Also enumerated with this family was the Robert Clifford family.  In 2011 I discovered that Robert Clifford‘s (1821-1891) wife Agnes, was Maggie’s older sister,  Agnes McWhirter (1827-1898).

1850 U.S. Federal Census for Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont
(Taken: 29 August 1850)

She married Archibald Stewart (1837-1926) on 26 July 1865 in Middlebury, Addison, Vermont. Place of birth given for Margaret was Tyrone County, Ireland.  This record was the first time I’d ever seen reference to where the McWhirter family might have originated in Ireland.

Marriage Record for Margaret McWhirter & Archibald Stewart
26 July 1865

To this union were born seven children: Mary J. Stewart (1866-?), Charles H. Stewart (1867-1893), Elizabeth Stewart (1869-1934), Lillian Stewart (1876-1939), Margaret “Maggie” Stewart (1878-1937), Gertrude Stewart (1881-1965) and Archibald Stewart Jr. (1883-1955).

In  1880, the Archibald Stewart family was living in Winfield, Cowley, Kansas where Archibald was employed as a stone mason.

1880 U.S. Federal Census for Winfield, Cowley, Kansas
(Taken: 2 June 1880)

In 1900 Census for Rutland, Rutland, Vermont, Margaret McWhirter Stewart is listed as married and as head of the household. Living with her at the time were her children, Margaret, Gertrude and Archibald Jr., as well as her daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Edgar Beardsley (1867-1940), and granddaughter Marguerite Beardsley (1898-1977). Her husband, Archibald Stewart Sr. was not in residence.

1900 U.S. Federal Census for Rutland, Rutland, Vermont
(Taken: 9 June 1900)

The following newspaper article appeared in the St. Albans Daily Messenger on 30 November 1903 regarding Archibald. It is not  clear what “home” is being referred to, but I’m guessing it was a care facility for Civil War Veterans.

St. Albans (Vermont) Daily Messenger, Date: 30 November 1903
{Newspaper Article courtesy of Charles Thomas)

Margaret McWhirter Stewart died 8 August 1914 in Rutland, Rutland, Vermont,  from heart disease.

Death Certificate for Margaret McWhirter Stewart
8 August 1914

Margaret McWhirter Stewart Obituary
From the Middlebury Register, Middlebury, Vermont, 14 Aug 1914, p4.
(Obituary courtesy of Charles Thomas)

Margaret’s  husband, Archibald Stewart, passed away 30 January 1926 in Rutland, Rutland, Vermont.  The following obituary appeared in the Rutland (Vermont) Daily Herald on 1 February 1926.

Funeral services for Archibald Stewart, 89, who died Saturday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank (Lillian) Pierce, 80 Church street, will be held at 3:30 o’clock this afternoon at Trinity Episcopal church.
Mr. Stewart is survived by five daughters, Mrs. Charles (Mary) Chappel of Salt Lake City, Utah, Deaconess Gertrude Stewart of Changsha, China, Mrs. Frank (Lillian) Pierce, Mrs. E.S. (Elizabeth) Beardsley and Mrs. Phillip (Margaret) Start of this city and by one son, Archibald Stewart, Jr., of New York. He also leaves eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mr. Stewart was born in Roxham, Quebec, Canada, January 22, 1837 and received his education there. He was a member of Roberts Post, Grand Army of the Republic, Mt. Anthony lodge, F. and A.M., of Bennington and Trinity church. He served in company G, fifth Vermont volunteers during the Civil war.

Both Margaret and her husband Archibald are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Rutland, Rutland, Vermont.

Margaret McWhirter (Spelled MacWhirter on gravestone) & Archibald Stewart Gravestone
Evergreen Cemetery, Rutland, Rutland, Vermont
(Photo Courtesy of Jen Snoots)

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