Mary Ann McCanna Kelly: The Eldest Daughter
Mary Ann McCanna Kelly
Mary Ann McCanna was the first of Charles and Susan McCanna's children to be born in America. Baptized at St. Patrick's Church in Joliet on December 22, 1861, just days after her birth, she would spend her entire life in the city where her Irish immigrant parents had settled. Her baptismal record—preserved in the parish register—identifies her parents as "Charles McKenna & Susan Hammell," using the Irish spellings that would gradually standardize to McCanna.
For thirty years, Mary Ann remained in her parents' household, working alongside her mother and siblings. She was seven years old when the 1870 census captured the family in Joliet, seventeen in 1880, and still unmarried at thirty when her father Charles died in 1897. It was not until October 19, 1892, at age thirty, that Mary Ann married Patrick Joseph Kelly at St. Patrick's Church—the same church where she had been baptized three decades earlier.
Today, Mary Ann McCanna Kelly is one of three children of Charles and Susan whose descendants carry DNA connections to the broader Donaghmoyne Network. Through her son John Joseph Kelly (1898–1943), DNA matches link this branch of the family to the other documented Donaghmoyne couples—providing genetic confirmation of relationships that paper records alone cannot prove.
Verified Identity — Mary Ann McCanna Kelly
| Full Name | Mary Ann McCanna (McKenna) |
| Birth | December 18, 1861 — Joliet, Will County, Illinois |
| Baptism | December 22, 1861 — St. Patrick's Church, Joliet |
| Death | January 25, 1920 — St. Joseph's Hospital, Joliet (age 57) |
| Burial | Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Joliet, Illinois |
| Marriage | October 19, 1892 — St. Patrick's Church, Joliet |
| Husband | Patrick Joseph Kelly (1864–1934) |
| Parents | Charles McCanna and Susan Hamill |
| Children | 5 children |
| DNA Connection | Through son John Joseph Kelly (1898–1943) |
Part I: Birth and Baptism
Joliet, Illinois, December 1861
Mary Ann McCanna was born on December 18, 1861, in Joliet, Illinois—the first child of Charles and Susan McCanna to be born on American soil. Her older brother Patrick had been born in Ireland around 1858, before the family emigrated. Four days after Mary Ann's birth, on December 22, she was baptized at St. Patrick's Church in Joliet.
The baptismal register records the event in careful script: "McKenna, Mary Ann" with birth date "Dec 18 1861," baptism date "Dec 22," and parents "Charles McKenna & Susan Hammell." The sponsors were Peter Callaghan and Mrs. Wallace—likely members of the Irish Catholic community in Joliet who served as godparents for the newborn.
The original parish register, written in flowing nineteenth-century handwriting, notes: "On the 22nd Dec. I the undersigned baptized Mary Ann of Charles McKenna & Susan Hammell. Born 18th Dec. Spon. Peter Callaghan and Mrs. Wallace." The entry is signed "P. Farrelly"—the priest who performed the sacrament.
"On the 22nd Dec. I the undersigned baptized Mary Ann of Charles McKenna & Susan Hammell. Born 18th Dec. Spon. Peter Callaghan and Mrs. Wallace."
Part II: Growing Up McCanna
Joliet, 1861–1892
Mary Ann grew up in the heart of Joliet's Irish Catholic community. The 1870 census captures her as "Mary A.," age 7, living with her parents Charles (48, laborer) and Susan (33), along with her siblings Patrick (11), John (6), James (4), Catherine (4), Ellen (2), and baby Charles (7 months). The family lived in the 2nd Ward of Joliet, where Irish immigrants clustered together in a tight-knit community.
By the 1880 census, Mary Ann was seventeen years old. The household had grown—nine children now filled the McCanna home. Her father Charles, at 60, still worked as a laborer, while Susan managed the household. Mary Ann was old enough to help with younger siblings and household duties, though no occupation is listed for her.
Mary Ann remained unmarried longer than might have been typical for her generation. She was still living in her parents' household when her father Charles died in December 1897 and when his will was probated in February 1898. It appears she did not marry until age thirty—quite late for a woman of her era—suggesting either personal choice, family responsibilities, or economic circumstances that delayed her marriage.
1870: Mary A., age 7, in parents' household, Joliet
1880: Mary, age 17, in parents' household, Joliet
1900: Mary Ann Kelly, age 37, wife of Patrick J. Kelly, with three children
1910: Mary A. Kelly, age 45, wife, with five children, at home
1920: Family enumerated, but Mary Ann died January 25, 1920
Part III: Marriage and Family
The Kelly Household, 1892–1920
On October 19, 1892, Mary Ann McCanna married Patrick Joseph Kelly at St. Patrick's Church in Joliet—the same church where she had been baptized thirty years earlier. The parish marriage register records the union as entry #1151: "Kelly, Patrick" and "McCanna, Mary," married October 19, 1892. Patrick Kelly was born in England around 1864 to Irish parents, making him about twenty-eight at the time of marriage.
The couple settled in Joliet, where Patrick found work as a laborer at the steel mill—part of the industrial economy that drew so many immigrant families to the region. Over the next thirteen years, Mary Ann and Patrick would have five children, all born in Illinois.
By 1900, the Kelly family was established at their own address in Joliet. Patrick (36) worked as a day laborer, while Mary Ann (37) managed the household with three young children: Katherin (6), Charles (4), and John (2). Two more children would follow: Margaret in 1900 and Mary Ann in 1905.
The 1910 census shows the family at their peak: Patrick J. Kelly (45) now worked at the steel mill, Mary A. (45) kept house, and five children filled the home—Catherine (16), Charles T. (14), John J. (12), Margaret (10), and Mary Ann (5). Patrick's occupation as "Steel Mill" laborer placed the family firmly in Joliet's industrial working class.
Children of Mary Ann McCanna & Patrick Joseph Kelly
Part IV: Death and Legacy
January 1920
Mary Ann McCanna Kelly died on January 25, 1920, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Joliet. She was 57 years old—or as her obituary stated, "age 57 years." The cause of death is not recorded in the obituary, but her passing came just days after the 1920 census was taken, meaning she may have been enumerated one final time before her death.
Her obituary in the Joliet Evening Herald News provides a detailed portrait of her family connections. She was identified as "Mary Kelly, Mary Ann McCanna Mary Kelly"—the repetition suggesting the newspaper combined multiple sources. The obituary names her as "beloved wife of Patrick J. (Joseph) Kelly" and lists her children and siblings in full.
The obituary carefully enumerates Mary Ann's surviving family: five children—Mrs. James (Catherine Ellen) Heintz, Charles, John, Margaret, and Mary Kelly—and seven siblings—Patrick H., John, James, Frank, William McCanna, Mrs. Nellie Sheridan, and Miss Catherine McCanna. Notably absent from this list is her brother Thomas, who may have died by this time, and her sister Margaret O'Connor, who had died in 1918.
The funeral was held from her home at 1308 N. Broadway on Wednesday morning, with services at St. Raymond's Church at 9 o'clock. She was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery—a different cemetery than her parents, who rest in St. Patrick's Cemetery. Her husband Patrick J. Kelly survived her by fourteen years, dying in 1934. They share a grave marker in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
"Kelly, Mary Ann McCanna Mary Kelly, age 57 years, died Jan 25, 1920 at St. Joseph's Hospital. Beloved wife of Patrick J. (Joseph) Kelly, fond mother of Mrs. James (Catherine Ellen) Heintz, Charles, John, Margaret, and Mary Kelly, sister of Patrick H., John, James, Frank, William McCanna, Mrs. Nellie Sheridan and Miss Catherine McCanna."
Two DNA Matches Through John Joseph Kelly
Mary Ann McCanna Kelly's son John Joseph Kelly (1898–1943) has DNA-tested descendants who share genetic matches with other Donaghmoyne Network families. These matches provide biological confirmation of the relationships suggested by paper records.
The DNA connections through this line help triangulate the McCanna family's place within the broader network of Donaghmoyne families—including the Henry Hamall and Mary McMahon line, the Owen Hammel and Ann King line, and the James Hamill and Ann Gartlan line.
A full DNA analysis matrix will be presented in the concluding episode of this series.
Timeline
A Life in Joliet — 1861 to 1920
December 18: Mary Ann McCanna born in Joliet, Illinois — first American-born child of Charles and Susan McCanna
December 22: Baptized at St. Patrick's Church, Joliet. Sponsors: Peter Callaghan and Mrs. Wallace
June 16: Census shows Mary A., age 7, in parents' household with six siblings
June 7: Census shows Mary, age 17, in parents' household with eight siblings
October 19: Marries Patrick Joseph Kelly at St. Patrick's Church, Joliet (age 30)
Daughter Catherine Ellen born
Son Charles T. born
December: Father Charles McCanna dies
Son John Joseph born — future DNA connection to Donaghmoyne Network
June: Census shows Kelly family: Patrick J. (36), Mary Ann (37), Katherin (6), Charles (4), John (2). Daughter Margaret born this year
Daughter Mary Ann born — youngest child, named for her mother
April: Census shows Patrick J. (45, steel mill laborer), Mary A. (45), and five children
December 15: Mother Susan Hamill McCanna dies, age 82
January 25: Mary Ann McCanna Kelly dies at St. Joseph's Hospital, age 57. Funeral at St. Raymond's Church. Buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery
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