Bridget (12 Dec 1865-22 Jun 1934) married John Drew (13 Feb 1857-5 Oct 1951) on 13 Feb 1888. They had 1 son and 5 daughters. Both are buried at St. Benedict’s Catholic Cemetery, Decorah.

Thomas (26 Jan 1867-4 Mar 1944) married Margaret Drew (6 Feb 1868-21 Mar 1933) on 19 Apr 1892. They had 5 sons and 6 daughters. Both are buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Cresco, IA.

Mary Magdalen "Maymie” (2 Jan 1869-22 Apr 1942) never married. She is buried at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery, Bluffton.

Catherine “Katie" (11 Aug 1870-7 Feb 1948) married William “Will” Magner (12 Nov 1864-4 Aug 1945) on 24 Feb 1898. Both are buried at Waukon, IA. They had 5 sons and 1 daughter.

Phillip Jeremiah (8 Nov 1872-24 Aug 1957) married Effie Marie Willson (Feb 1877-28 Oct 1899) on 25 Jan 1899. Phillip’s second marriage was to Elizabeth “Liz” Agnes Whalen (14 Jun 1880-16 Dec 1949) on 15 Feb 1904. (see Phillip J. Carolan story)

Ellen “Nellie” (7 Jan 1875-9 May 1953) married Peter Emmett “Pete” Kelly (1 Mar 1879-13 Sep 1946) on 10 Feb 1904. Both are buried at Dubuque, IA. They had 1 son and 1 daughter.

Carolan, Joseph and Dorothy (Werhan)

(Regina Ann (Carolan) Wilkens)

My father Joseph Phillip Carolan was born 23 Oct 1899. His parents were Phillip Jeremiah and Effie Marie (Willson) Carolan.

When Joseph was a young boy he received his schooling at the school across the road from the Carolan farm. When he was about 8 or 10, Joe and his father, Phillip, would go by covered wagon to Prairie du Chien, Wl for supplies enough to last 6 months. They would make this trip twice a year. It would take a day down and another day back. They made this trip until supplies started coming to Bluffton and Decorah, IA.

Joe was good at getting into trouble. One day he and his brother, Fred, took 2 cats, tied their tails together, threw them over the clothes line and then ran and hid. He said the fur sure did fly for a while. In addition, the seats of their pants were warmed by their father who saw them do it.

One Halloween a bunch of the Bluffton lads (my father, Joe, included) went to a neighbor’s, took his buggy apart and put it back together on top of his barn and then took off for home. They did not get caught that time. Another time Joe, his brothers and his father went to the Courtney farm up the road to borrow something. Courtney’s had an ornery billy goat. One of the Courtney boys, Ted, jumped on the back of the goat while it was drinking. The goat jumped and Ted fell off, but got his bib overalls caught on the goat’s horns. Ted’s father decided to be ornery too and told everyone to watch. He then got his dog to chase the goat. Away went the goat, dog and Ted all over the barnyard. When Ted’s father was done laughing and Ted got loose, Ted walked over to his father and said “I’m going to tell Ma on you.” And off went Ted, covered with mud and manure, hollering “Look Ma what Pa did."

The Carolan lads were always up to something. How they ever made it to adulthood is anyone’s guess. Joe used to tell some “humdinger" stories about what they did. We children would ask Joe why he’d done stuff like that and he would always say, “Because mischief was always there.”

Joe married Rose Agnes Hovden (b. 11 Mar 1901) on 22 Jul 1922. She was the daughter of Gilbert O. and Ella (Nelson) Hovden. Rose died 16 Feb 1926 and was buried in the Madison Lutheran Cemetery, rural Decorah.

Joe remarried 16 Aug 1927 to Dorothy Werhan (b. 29 Dec 1908). Joe and Dorothy lived most of their lives in Winneshiek and Howard Counties. They were steward and matron of the Howard County Home for several years. They then moved to Ridgeway, IA. They had 3 sons and 2 daughters: Regina Ann, Mark Roger, Donald Joseph, Grace Evelyn and Roger Joseph. Mark and Roger died in infancy.

Regina Ann married Harry J. Wilkens on 23 Oct 1951 at the Assumption Catholic Church, Cresco, IA. They have 2 sons and 4 daughters. Regina and Harry live in Farmington, IL. (see separate story)

Roger Joseph was born 23 Dec 1929 and died 27 Dec 1929. He is buried at St. Bridget's Catholic Cemetery, Bluffton, IA.

Donald Joseph was born in West Decorah in what now is known as the “Stovewood House” which his parents were renting at the time. He married Joan Kleve on 11 Oct 1950 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Cresco. Joan’s parents were Hugo and Mary (Wenthold) Kleve. Both are deceased. Donald and Joan have 3 children: Rodney, Kevin and Sharon. They farm west of Ridgeway. They have 4 grandchildren.

Grace Evelyn married Alfred Bouska, Jr. on 20 Apr 1954 at the Assumption Catholic Church, Cresco. Alfred's parents are Alfred Bouska, Sr. deceased and Mayme (Smec) Bouska living in Cresco. Grace and Alfred have 5 children: Tim; Mark; Alfred, III; Nicholas and Patricia. They have 7 grandchildren. They all live in or around Lake Prior, MN.

Mark Roger was born 2 Feb 1938 and died 11 Feb 1938. He also is buried at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery.

Dorothy (Werhan) Carolan died 16 Feb 1965; Joseph Phillip Carolan died 16 Nov 1978. Both are buried at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery, Bluffton.

Carolan, Phillip and Ellen (Donlan)

(Marcella A. Rooney)

Phillip Carolan was born 7 Jun 1868 in Bluffton Twp. to James Carolan (1835 - 29 Dec 1902) and Elizabeth Woodhouse (12 Apr 1843 - 12 Feb 1927). He was the grandson of Phillip and Mary Sexton of County Cavan, Ireland and the great-grandson of Stephen and Mary Carolan of County Cork, Ireland. He had 14 brothers and sisters: Mary Ann (5 Oct 1865- 24 Jan 1905) married John