BIRTH 19 JUL 1880 • Kilgarvan, Kerry, Ireland
DEATH 2 JAN 1960 • Des Plaines, Cook, Illinois, USA
Helen “Nellie” Hegarty was born on 19 July 1880 to Jeremiah Hegarty and Helen Sullivan of Droumadilish, Kilgarvan, County Kerry, Ireland. According to census records, she immigrated to the United States sometime between 1898 and 1901 and took up residence in the area of New York City. While living in New York, she worked as a domestic servant. On 23 December 1915 Nellie married Ellsworth Joseph Muldoon, also a household servant. At the time of her marriage she was 35 years old, despite her marriage certificate noting her age at 31. It was not common practice in Ireland at this time to keep track of one’s birthday, meaning it is reasonable that she may not have known her age. Alternatively, she may have lied about her age because she was marrying a younger man.
Shortly after their marriage, Ellsworth was employed to work as a valet for a family traveling to the Bahamas. Ellsworth’s passport application indicates that Nellie was to join him on this journey and immigration records show they returned together from Nassau on the SS Mexico on April 24, 1916.
By September 1918 Nellie and Ellsworth had relocated to Chicago, Illinois. On 1 December 1918 Nellie gave birth to their first and only child, Marianne Ellen Muldoon. Records from 1918 and 1920 locate them in the Near South Side neighborhood, immediately adjacent to the current-day McCormick Place.
By 1930 Ellsworth is no longer a part of the household and Nellie is found living with the families that employ her as a maid. According to family accounts, she worked as a maid at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center during this period while her daughter Marianne attended boarding school.
Nellie passed away on 2 January 1960 in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Our family’s lineage to Nellie Hegarty is noted below along with codes to lookup these individuals on FamilySearch.
Helen “Nellie” Hegarty (1880-1960) • LRK4-VQB
Marianne Ellen Muldoon (1918-1982) • LRKS-J59
Patrick Joseph Ross (1955-Living) • LRK9-CH8
Brian Patrick Ross (1985-Living) • LRJB-19W