Finally Confirmed

 

Shelby County News-Gazette, 9 Mar 1899

This article is genealogical gold. Back in August 2019, I wrote about my theory that Agnes Atherton was the daughter of my 3rd-great-grandfather, John O'Brien, and described the long-standing family mystery about the daughters of John O'Brien. The article confirms everything! The Shelby County-News Gazette must have recently been added to Newspapers.com, or I overlooked this article on prior searches. 

The article confirms that John placed his daughters in the convent with the Sisters of Charity in LaSalle, Illinois, after the death of his first wife Bridget Dooner. The article does not mention Agnes' other sisters, Anna Maria and Isabella O'Brien. Anna was still alive in 1899 and living in Chicago. The article does mention my 2nd-great-grandfather, John J. O'Brien.

Agnes' father died in 1901 at the age of 108. It is possible that she never made it back to Shelby County to see him again. Now I want to know more, how did she track him down? Did she reconnect with her sister Anna Maria or brother John? It is highly possible that Agnes met her brother and family during this visit, as he lived close to his father. This visit might have had quite an impression on my great-grandfather Harry O'Brien, who would have been 15 then. Perhaps meeting his long lost Aunt Agnes was an inspiration to go into music and later perform in New Orleans.

What an amazing find. It's time to revisit Agnes, and her fascinating life on the stage. More to follow.