I am seeking all genealogical and biographical details for the family documented below including their ancestors, children, and grandchildren and the spouses thereof, including the full names of those spouses' parents. All additions and corrections within this scope, however speculative, will be greatly appreciated. Perry Streeter (mailto:perry@streeter.com) Gene Dunn of Troupsburg, Steuben County, New York I have known for many years that my immigrant O'Keeffe ancestor, Dennis-1 O'Keeffe of West Union, Steuben County, New York was married to Mary Dunne, per the death certificate of their son, Michael-2, O'Kieff. However, I knew nothing specific of Mary's origins until the Spring of 2001 when I examined the parish registers of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Rexville, West Union in preparation for an ancestral research tour to Ireland. I had examined the parish registers many years ago when I was still teenager with little experience in genealogical research. This time, I was delighted to find a series of baptisms that suggested that Mary (Dunne) O'Keeffe and Catherine (Dunne) Coleman were sisters. During the same era, Edward and Ignatius Dunn are cited in the parish registers; it seems quite probable that they were Mary and Catherine's brothers. During September 2001, I entered the phrase, "Ignatius Dunn" into a fantastic Internet search engine (http://www.ilor.com) and discovered that Ignatius and other members of the Dunn family have literally waiting to be discovered right "next door" in the Town of Troupsburg. I owe a great debt of gratitude to George Sawyer and Judy Allen Cwiklinski who have transcribed many records for Troupsburg, New York and posted them on the Internet. In Irish O Duinn or O Doinn (doinn is the genitive case of the adjective donn--brown) it is more often written Dunne than Dunn in English. The form O'Doyne, common in the seventeenth century, is now almost obsolete. In fact of 364 births registered for them in a given year, 313 had the final E and only 51 were Dunn. From this it can be estimated that the total number of people so called in Ireland to-day is approximately 15,000, giving them twenty seventh place in the list of commonest surnames in Ireland. This sept originated in Co. Leix (Queen's County) and formed one of the principal families of Leinster, their chief being lords of Ireland in that county. The sept is one of those specially mentioned in the mid sixteenth century official orders as hostile and dangerous to the English interest. It is in that part of the country that Dunnes are, appropriately, now to be found in greatest numbers, though they have spread far and wide. Nearly all those who spell the name Dunn came from Ulster. This is a name to which the practice during present century of resuming the discarded prefixes Mac and O does not apply--the form O'Dunn or O'Dunne is seldom if ever seen to-day. (Edward Lysaght, Irish Families) 1. Gene-1 Dunn was born in Ireland circa 1775. He was a farmer residing in Troupsburg, Steuben County, New York in 1855 as the father in the household of Ignatius and Ruth M. (Shaw) Dunn, adjacent to the household of Edward and Mary A. (McCormick) Dunn (1855 New York State Census). On a circa 1875 plat map of Troupsburg, the households of M.A. Dunn and E. Dunn appear adjacent to a Bishop family. From the proximity of the Dunns and Bishops in 1855 and 1875, it is deduced that the Dunn resided on what is now known as Keegan Road which runs north out of the hamlet of Young Hickory to Price School Road, towards a region that was known in 1875 as West Troupsburg. This area is not far from where the town boundaries of Troupsburg, West Union, Greenwood and Jasper meet. From the 1855 New York State Census, we know with certainty that Gene Dunn was the father of Ignatius Dunn. Given the proximity of Edward Dunn's household to that of Ignatius and the fact that Edward named a son Ignatius it is also virtually certain that Edward Dunn was another son of Gene Dunn. Along with the families of Mary (Dunne) O'Keeffe and Catherine (Dunne) Coleman, Edward and Ignatius "Dunne" both appear in the early parish registers of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in the neighboring Town of West Union at Rexville. Although increasing in numbers, no church was established until the year 1845 when Catholics came together and resolved to build a church in which they could worship God... The site of the new Church with attached cemetery in Greenwood [Steuben County, New York] was donated by Patrick Flynn. His memory will always remain dear to the priests and Catholics of Greenwood, Rexville, and Troupsburg... The old cemetery from the original church... has a stone for Edward Dunne with the date of death recorded as May 13, 1857 age 43... In order to meet the needs of the Catholics of Troupsburg, a handsome little church was built during the administration of Father James Tuohey, in 1860. It seems to have been located in the area of Young Hickory. However, its use was discontinued when St. Mary's was moved to Rexville in 1870... In the summer of 1869, Father C.C. McMullen became pastor. One of his first projects was to move the location of the parish church from Greenwood Hill to the village of Rexville... Some of the supporters of the church building project were... C.N. Dunne. (St. Mary's Parish, Rexville, New York, Town of West Union [1995]) Dennis-1 and Mary (Dunne) O'Keeffe's son, Michael-2 O'Kieff, married a native of Sartwell, Annin Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania. Perhaps Mary (Dunne) O'Keeffe was related to some of the Dunns of McKean County. The follow excerpt is from A History of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Sartwell, Annin Township, McKean County; The First 130 Years: 1847-1977 by Joseph A. Plunkett: Sartwell Parish records supply us with a list of nearly a hundred of its pioneers, in many instances giving the names of wives and children as well. For the sake of brevity we cite here only the names of heads of families and, where possible, the year of their coming to Sartwell... 1845--Murtaugh and Patrick Driscoll, Dennis Driscoll, Jeremiah and James Splain, Cornelius and Michael Doyle and Michael Doyle, Jr.; James Lundrigun; 1846--Timothy and Joseph Mullin, Michael and John McAuliffe... 1852--Bernard and Robert McNally, Thomas Dunn (his two nephews were Bishop Thomas and Father James Brennan), Patrick Dunn, Timothy and James Phalin, Thomas Bly... One wonders if there is a potential connection between author Joseph A. Plunkett of St. Mary's Parish in Sartwell, Pennsylvania and Dennis-3 Plunkett Dunne, youngest son of Edward-2 and Mary (McCormick) Dunn of St. Mary's Parish in Rexville. In the Index to Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864, there is an interesting possibility for the common origins of the O'Keeffes, Dunnes and Colemans within the County Cork. Edward Dunne is a rare combination of names in Cork. The only two households so designated in Cork were both in Mogeely Parish, one in the Townland of Knockanarrig and the other in Lyremountain. Patrick Jr., Patrick Sr. and Thomas Coleman were also residents of Lyremountain. Mogeely Parish included other Colemans and numerous Keefes/Keeffes including John (3), Michael (3), Maurice, and Timothy. Children, born in Ireland, paternity of all unproven except Ignatius: * i. Mary-2, b. ca. 1809; d. Town of West Union, Steuben Co., NY 31 Dec 1889; m. Dennis-1 O'Keeffe, b. [County Cork] Ireland 1806, d. [Irish Hill], Town of West Union, Steuben Co., NY 4 May 1880; my direct ancestors; see Dennis O'Keeffe of West Union, Steuben County, New York for more information. 2. ii. Edward, b. ca. 1811; m. Mary McCormick. 3. iii. Ignatius, b. ca. 1816; m. Ruth M. Shaw. iv. Catherine, b. 26 Nov 1824; d. 26 April 1894; m. Daniel Coleman, b. 1812, d. 1899, son of William P. and Julia A. (Quinlan) Coleman of Fermoy, Cork, Ireland (Coleman Family Records of Joan Coleman of Hornell, NY); sponsors at the baptism of Agnes Mahoney in 1873, granddau. of Dennis-1 and Mary (Dunne) O'Keeffe. 2. Edward-2 Dunn ([Gene-1]), born in Ireland circa 1811 (1855 NYS Census); perhaps the "Edward Dunne" who died on 13 May 1857 at age 43 and was buried in the Old Catholic Cemetery, Town of Greenwood, Steuben County, New York; immigrated circa 1841; married Mary Ann McCormick, born in Ireland circa 1817, immigrated circa 1844; farmer residing in Troupsburg in 1855, adjacent to the household of Ignatius and Ruth M. (Shaw) Dunn. Children: i. Ignatius-3, b. Ontario Co., NY ca. 1845. ii. Patrick, b. Steuben Co., NY ca. 1847. iii. James, b. Troupsburg, NY Oct 1848 (George E. Sawyer, Troupsburg, New York Births: 1847-1900 [17 April 1999]); presumed to have d. young. iv. Mary A., b. Steuben Co., NY ca 1850; became nun-- Sister DeSales. v. James C., b. Steuben Co, NY ca. 1852. 5. vi. Dennis Plunkett, b. Steuben Co., NY ca. 1853. vii. Margaret T., b. Steuben Co., NY 1855; became a nun. viii. Ella, b. after 1855, became a nun (Margaret (McNeil) House). 3. Ignatius-2 Dunn (Gene-1), born in Ireland circa 1816; immigrated circa 1844; married to Ruth M. Shaw, born in Massachusetts circa 1825, possibly the daughter of _____ and [Thilley] (_____) Shaw (born Massachusetts circa 1786) who resided near the Dunns in Troupsburg in 1855. Ignatius and Ruth (Shaw) Dunn served as baptismal sponsors for two of the children of Edward and Mary Ann (McCormick) Dunn at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Rexville, Town of West Union, Steuben County, New York. As an able-bodied male between the ages of 18 and 45 residing in Troupsburg, "Ignetius Dun" was "Liable to pay the commutation 50 cents and their residence in cities." (Judy Allen Cwiklinski, Military Roll of Town of Troupsburg 1854 [11 May 1999). 4. Ignatius Christopher-3 "Chris" Dunn (Edward-2, [Gene-1]), born in New York circa December 1845; married at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Rexville, Town of West Union, Steuben County, New York in 1869 to Mary Anna-2 "Anna" Keegan, born in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York circa 1851, died in Troupsburg, New York in 1880, daughter of Thomas-1 and Catherine (Lennin) Keegan of Edenderry, Kings Co., Ireland and Troupsburg, NY. Children: i. Edward-4, b. ca. 1871. ii. Thomas, b. ca. 1874. iii. James, b. ca. 1875. iv. Michael, b. ca. 1877 v. Ignatius, b. ca. 1878. 5. Dennis Plunkett-3 "Denny" Dunn (Edward-2, [Gene-1]), born [Troupsburg], Steuben County, New York circa 1853; married to Margaret McKinley, dau. of Gilbert and Mary (_____) McKinley. Children: i. Francis DeSale-4, b. Troupsburg, NY 14 Sep 1900, perhaps the "Francis Dunne" who appears in the Class of 1916 Confirmation Class photo from St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Rexville, Town of West Union, Steuben Co., NY. ii. Marie, m. Mark McNeill, also appears in the Class of 1916 Confirmation Class photo from St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Rexville, Town of West Union, Steuben Co., NY; mother of Margaret (McNeill) House (Mrs. James) of Shongo, Allegany Co., NY. iii. Ella, m. Robert Flynn; resided in the "Flynn District" near the Old Catholic Cemetery, Town of Greenwood; also appears in the Class of 1916 Confirmation Class photo from St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Rexville, Town of West Union, Steuben Co., NY.