Mary Anna Hammel Engel
Mary Anna Hammel Engel
Mary Anna Hammel was just eight months old when her father Owen died in June 1858, leaving her widowed mother Ann to raise four children alone on an isolated Wisconsin farm. She never knew her father, yet her life would become one of the most thoroughly documented among Owen and Ann's children—and her descendants would provide crucial DNA evidence linking the Wisconsin Hammels to the broader Donaghmoyne Network.
Called "Ann" or "Anna" throughout her life, she grew up in the hardscrabble world of frontier Wisconsin and Nebraska, following her mother and siblings westward as the family sought better opportunities. At twenty-three, she married Nathaniel Engel, a German immigrant, at the German Catholic Church in Omaha. Together they would raise a large family on Sherman Avenue, where Ann became a respected member of Sacred Heart parish.
Her marriage record is particularly valuable to genealogists: it explicitly names her parents as "Owen Hammel" and "Ann King," providing documentary proof of her parentage that corroborates the guardianship records from 1865. When she died in 1907 at age forty-nine, surrounded by her family and fortified by the rites of the Church, she left behind descendants whose DNA would one day help unlock mysteries about her Irish origins that she herself never knew.
Verified Identity — Mary Anna "Ann" Hammel Engel
| Full Name | Mary Anna Hammel (called Ann, Anna) |
| Birth | September 1857 — Town of Center, Rock County, Wisconsin |
| Death | January 8, 1907 — Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska (age 49) |
| Cause of Death | Cancer of the stomach (tumor) |
| Burial | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska |
| Marriage | June 28, 1881 — German Catholic Church, Omaha, Nebraska |
| Husband | Nathaniel Engel (1855–1943), born Germany |
| Parents | Owen Hammel (c. 1817–1858) and Ann King (c. 1809–1887) |
| Occupation | Dressmaker (1880 Census) |
| Children | Ten children, at least six surviving to adulthood |
Part I: A Fatherless Childhood
Rock County, Wisconsin, 1857–1865
Mary Anna Hammel was born in September 1857 in the Town of Center, Rock County, Wisconsin—the youngest of Owen and Ann Hammel's children and their only daughter to survive to adulthood. The 1865 guardianship petition filed by her mother precisely dates her birth: "Ann who was eight years old Sept 13, 1865," placing her birth in September 1857.
She was barely eight months old when her father Owen died on June 11, 1858. Unlike her older siblings—James (about 9), Mary (about 6), and Patrick/Henry (about 5)—she would have no memories of him at all. Her entire childhood was shaped by his absence and by her mother's struggle to maintain the family on their small, isolated farm.
The 1860 census captured the family's precarious situation. Ann (misrecorded as "James Hammel") appears as head of household in Center Township with her four children, holding only $40 in real estate and $200 in personal property. The farm had no road access, limiting both its productivity and its value. Little Ann, listed simply as "Ann," was just two years old.
Seven years later, in October 1865, her mother petitioned for legal guardianship of the children—a necessary step before the family could sell the farm and start fresh. The guardianship documents describe eight-year-old Ann as one of four "minor heirs" of Owen Hammel, deceased. The sale of the family farm in December 1865 marked the end of their Wisconsin years; by 1870, they had relocated to Brooklyn Township, Green County, Wisconsin, before eventually moving west to Nebraska.
"...Ann who was eight years old Sept 13, 1865..."
Part II: Westward to Nebraska
Green County, Wisconsin to Burt County, Nebraska, 1870–1880
The 1870 census shows the Hammel family in Brooklyn Township, Green County, Wisconsin—Ann (now called Nancy) with her children James, Mary, Henry, and Anna. At twelve years old, Anna was old enough to contribute to the household, though her exact role is not recorded. The family lived among other Irish immigrant families who had settled in this part of Wisconsin.
Sometime in the 1870s, the family followed the westward migration that drew many Wisconsin families to the open lands of Nebraska. By 1880, the census shows Ann Hammel (now age 71) living in Burt County, Nebraska, with her daughter "Ann" (age 22). The mother was recorded as a widow, born in Ireland; the daughter's birthplace was listed as Wisconsin with both parents born in Ireland.
The 1880 census provides a crucial detail about young Anna's life: her occupation was listed as "Dress Maker." This skilled trade would have provided her with income and independence, allowing her to support herself and contribute to her mother's household. Dressmaking was one of the few respectable occupations available to unmarried women in the late nineteenth century, and Anna's skill suggests she had received training—perhaps from her mother or from another woman in the community.
The 1880 census places Anna Hammel in Lyons, Burt County, Nebraska, living with her widowed mother. Just one year later, she would marry Nathaniel Engel in Omaha—suggesting the family had connections to the larger city despite living in rural Burt County. The German Catholic Church where she married indicates the couple may have met through the Catholic immigrant community that spanned both locations.
Part III: Marriage to Nathaniel Engel
Omaha, Nebraska, 1881
On June 28, 1881, Mary Anna Hammel married Nathaniel Engel at the German Catholic Church in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. The marriage record is exceptionally detailed, providing genealogical gold: it names the bride as "Anna Hammel," age 23, born in Wisconsin, daughter of "Owen Hammel" and "Ann King." This explicit documentation of her parentage independently confirms the information in the 1865 guardianship records.
Nathaniel Engel was a German immigrant, age 25, son of Nicolaus Engel and Poppatabea Johnson—the unusual spelling of his mother's maiden name reflecting the phonetic recording of German names by American clerks. The couple was married by Father Otto Groenebaum, with James Conow and Lizzie Henze serving as witnesses. The marriage was officially filed on July 4, 1881.
The union of an Irish Catholic woman and a German Catholic man was not unusual in Omaha's diverse immigrant community. The German Catholic Church served Catholics of various ethnic backgrounds, and the shared faith would have been more important than national origin in this era. Anna brought her dressmaking skills to the marriage; Nathaniel would later work as a harness maker.
Marriage Record Confirms Parentage
Part IV: Life on Sherman Avenue
Omaha, Nebraska, 1881–1907
Anna and Nathaniel Engel established their home at 2619 Sherman Avenue in Omaha, where they would raise a large family. The 1900 census provides a snapshot of their household: Anna (age 42, recorded as born September 1857) had been married 19 years and was the mother of six children, with five still living. Nathaniel worked as a harness maker, a skilled trade serving Omaha's transportation industry.
The Engel family was active in Sacred Heart parish, one of Omaha's prominent Catholic churches. The 1900 census shows the household included five sons living at home, ranging in age from early childhood to teenage years. The family's stability on Sherman Avenue—they remained at the same address for decades—suggests modest prosperity and deep roots in the neighborhood.
Anna's mother, Ann King Hammel, had died sometime around 1887, and was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Nebraska. Anna would eventually be buried in the same cemetery, near her mother and alongside her husband and children.
Children of Nathaniel and Mary Anna (Hammel) Engel
Anna named one of her sons Owen Leo Engel (1893–1930)—preserving her father's name despite having no memory of him. This deliberate choice to honor a father she never knew speaks to the strength of family memory passed down by her mother Ann King Hammel. The name "Owen" thus survived into the third generation of the American family.
Part V: Final Days
Omaha, Nebraska, January 1907
Mary Anna Engel died on Wednesday, January 8, 1907, at the family residence on Sherman Avenue. She was forty-nine years old. According to her obituary in The True Voice, she had been suffering from cancer of the stomach and had received treatment at St. Joseph's Hospital, but no cure could be effected. She died surrounded by her family and fortified by the rites of the Church.
Her funeral was held Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Church and was "largely attended," reflecting the family's standing in the community. Father Judge conducted the services. The Omaha Evening World-Herald noted her death simply: "Mrs. Mary Anna Engel, 2619 Sherman avenue, 49, tumor."
She was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, where her mother Nancy (Ann King) Hammel had been laid to rest two decades earlier. Today, the gravesite shows no visible marker—a photograph from August 2020 shows only the area beside her mother's headstone—but burial records confirm she rests there with her mother, her husband Nathaniel (who would not die until 1943), and her infant son Francis.
After a long and painful illness, Mrs. Engel, 2619 Sherman avenue, died on Wednesday morning at the family residence surrounded by her family and fortified by the rites of the Church. The deceased had been suffering for some time from cancer of the stomach, and notwithstanding all the scientific treatment she received at St. Joseph's, no cure could be effected and it was death alone that relieved her of her suffering. The funeral was held from the Sacred Heart Church Thursday morning and was largely attended. The services were conducted by Father Judge. She is survived by her husband and three sons, who have the sympathy of many friends in their great sorrow. Interment took place at Holy Sepulcher.
Part VI: DNA Connections
Linking the Donaghmoyne Network
Anna Engel's descendants have provided crucial DNA evidence connecting the Owen Hammel family to the broader Donaghmoyne Network. Through her son Paul Nathaniel Engel (1888–1947), whose descendants have been DNA tested, researchers can trace genetic connections to other documented Donaghmoyne families—including the Henry Hamall and Mary McMahon line in Chicago.
The DNA evidence supports the hypothesis that Owen Hammel of Wisconsin and Henry Hamall of Chicago were closely related—most likely brothers. Anna's line, combined with DNA from descendants of her siblings Mary Elizabeth (Bucklin) and Henry Patrick Hammel, forms a triangulation that strengthens the case for a close family relationship between the Wisconsin and Chicago branches.
From Anna Hammel Engel to Modern DNA Matches
Generation 1: Mary Anna "Ann" Hammel (1857–1907) married Nathaniel Engel (1855–1943)
Generation 2: Paul Nathaniel Engel (1888–1947) married Lydia
Generation 3+: Descendants of Paul Nathaniel Engel, including children Francis P., Rose Marie, June, Janice, Janet, and Raymond Engel, provide the DNA connection to modern testers.
DNA matches through this line connect to other Donaghmoyne families, supporting the hypothesis of a sibling relationship between Owen Hammel (Wisconsin) and Henry Hamall (Chicago).
Timeline
From Wisconsin to Omaha — The Life of Mary Anna Hammel Engel
September: Mary Anna Hammel born in Town of Center, Rock County, Wisconsin, to Owen Hammel and Ann King
June 11: Father Owen Hammel dies at age 41—Anna is only 8 months old and will never know him
July 16: Census shows Anna (age 2) with widowed mother and siblings in Center Township, Rock County
October 13: Mother Ann petitions for guardianship; Anna listed as "eight years old Sept 13, 1865"
December 9: Family farm sold at auction; Hammel family prepares to leave Rock County
Census shows Anna (age 12) with mother and siblings in Brooklyn Township, Green County, Wisconsin
Census shows Anna (age 22) as "Dress Maker" living with widowed mother in Lyons, Burt County, Nebraska
June 28: Marries Nathaniel Engel at German Catholic Church, Omaha; marriage record names parents as Owen Hammel and Ann King
First child Nicholas Engel born
Mother Ann King Hammel dies; buried Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Nebraska
December 9: Son Paul Nathaniel Engel born—future DNA connection to Donaghmoyne Network
Son Owen Leo Engel born—named after Anna's father Owen Hammel, preserving the name into the third generation
Census shows Anna (age 42) at 2619 Sherman Avenue, Omaha, with husband Nathaniel and five sons; mother of six children, five living
January 8: Mary Anna Engel dies at home, age 49, of cancer of the stomach
January 10: Funeral at Sacred Heart Church, conducted by Father Judge; burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
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