The McWard Family

Curtin- Cashen- McWard Connections

By Lawrence (Larry) B. Curtin - March 1, 2016

 

Peter Cashen (born in Ireland in 1845) and Ellen Kelly (born in Ireland in 1848) came to America separately but were married to each other in Springfield, Illinois in March 1872. Together they raised a family of 13 children.

 

Larry L. Curtin, a brother of Cornelius C. Curtin (grandfather of Lawrence (Larry) B. Curtin) was born in Ireland in 1841 and came to America in 1864 or 1865. His wife, Annie O’Neill, was born in Ireland in 1848. Larry L. Curtin and Annie O’Neill were married in Springfield IL in 1872. They became the parents of 3 children, one of which was Elizabeth Curtin born in 1873.

 

Elizabeth married John W. Cashen in Nov. 1895 at St. Michael’s Church, South Fork Twp., Christian Co., Illinois.  John W. Cashen was one of the 13 children of Peter Cashen mentioned above.

 

A sister of John’s, Rose Agatha Cashen (born in 1881), married Richard D. McWard. Rose and Richard D. McWard had 10 children. One of these was Richard Howard McWard who later (with his wife and 3 children) bought 240 acres of land near Mt. Auburn, Illinois and rented it to Larry B. Curtin in 1972. Howard’s daughter Marilyn (McWard) Pontius and her husband, Frank, now own it and rent it to Larry’s son, Steve. This completes the relationship between Richard (Dick) McWard and Larry B. Curtin. We are related by marriage.

 

The narrative above is based on genealogy research done by Larry’s brother, Paul Curtin, over a period of several years and is now in possession of Larry.     March 1, 2016