Old West Kansas

Kansas Family History

MULKERN FAMILY

The Heritage Server would like to thank Donald J. Daigle
for submitting this information.

The following is some text which I am writing on each set of 
"grandparents." This tiny essay is on Daniel MULKERN who was born
in IL (?) and lived in Dubuque, IA with his father, a copper. 
Daniel was also a copper and was in that business in Kansas City,
KS until he left there circa 1902.  The two children that I know he
had were Berenice and her brother whose name escapes me for the
moment.  They were both supposedly born in Kansas City, KS. A third
child was rumored to have been born but died as a child.  Because
of a lack of records or the ability to read the records available
this is all I have.  The family was catholic and the church was not
especially helpful since they said they couldn't find any record of
a MULKERN family in Kansas. 
     Daniel MULKERN(6,28) and Grace Mosher(7,29)

     Daniel was born in 1861.  He was listed among the citizens of 
Dubuque in the city directories starting in 1880 when he was
working for his father at 5th and White.   He was also boarding at
the American House.
     In 1895 the family was now residing at 631 Splitlog in Kansas 
City, KS located in the heart of that city not too far from the
river.  Later they moved to 226 N. First St.  and they were living
there when Grace died on Jan. 5, 1900.  According to the records,
it was a Francis MULKERN who died on that day and it gave her age
as 37 which meant she was born in 1863.   Rumor has it that she was
a school teacher.  They listed the cause of death as pneumonia. 
Weak lungs appears to be a genetic trait since Berenice died from
tuberculosis.
     On July 22, 1908 at St. Joseph Church, Gretna, LA, Daniel
married the widow Mary Cecilia Lyman Parker.  Ralph Parker was her
first husband.  The Rev. T. Stenmans officiated at the ceremony
whose witnesses included Ellen Tierney, S. J. McCune and W. J.
McCune.  In the 1910 census, Daniel was recorded as living in
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on 257 Lafayette Ave with his family
which included Mary, his second wife, Berenice, his 16 year old
daughter, Ralph Parker, his 18 year old stepson, and Lillie E.
Parker, his 16 year stepdaughter.  Both of the Parker children were
born in Texas.  Mary Parker was born in Louisiana, most likely in
Gretna.
     Mary Cecilia didn't last too long with the taciturn Daniel.  
However, there was according to rumor, plenty of noise due to the
fighting among the stepchildren.  Arthur left home at age 17 and it
almost certain that Berenice parted with her father before it was
necessary.  All this stress must have been too much for Mary and
she died on July 12, 1913, five years after her marriage to Daniel. 
Daniel, for his part, never married again but he did live again
with his children, that is, child, Arthur, and stepdaughter,
Lillie, on 1715 S. Salcedo St.  He lived with them until his 
death which occurred on Dec. 17, 1932.  His granddaughters by
Berenice, Barbara and Jean, and by Lillie, Evelyn, were also living
in the same house.