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Topic: Purcell Flaherty of Irish Creek
Conf: Marshall County Queries, Msg: 15594
From: Deleted User
Date: 9/11/2000 08:15 PM

A gg uncle, John Purcell, purchased three sections of land in 1878 between Vermillion and Wyoming. He invited his three brothers, Michael, Patrick and James M. Purcell to come out from Chicago to farm on it. All three agreed and in 1879 moved their families to Marshall Co. KS. All of the Purcell's attended church at St. Joseph's in Irish Creek (Lillis).

My gg gfather, James Michael brought his wife, Johanna, and their eight children to the section in Noble Township. His first born son, Michael ("Mike") was my grandfather, 16 years old at the time of the family's arrival.

Mike eventually married Catherine "Kate" Flaherty. I don't know where they met, but there was a Flaherty Family in Cleveland Township which may have been related to Kate. They lived on the farm for a few more years, then moved to Frankfort KS, where Mike worked in a department store. Story has it that there was a fire in the store and Mike had to jump out of a second story window to save himself. He broke both ankles, and while he was laid up, he began to read and study law books. He became a court clerk in Frankfort. That was the beginning of his long career as an attorney.

In the late 1890's Mike moved his family to Colorado Springs, CO, where he became the District Attorney for El Paso County. His family lived there until the early 1920's, whereupon he took a position as the District Attorney for Natrona County, in Casper, WY. From there, he moved his family to Los Angeles, continuing to practice law.

One of Mike's brothers was Msgr. Francis "Frank" Purcell, who with Michael McSorley attended St. Benedict's before they were both ordained priests. Fr. Frank became the director of the Quigley Seminary and later was the pastor at St. Mel-Holy Cross Church in Chicago, IL.

The Purcell's married into a number of other Kansas families: McSorley, McCarthy, Flaherty and Flentie to name a few.

If there are any "old timers" out there who remember any of these family names, I would love to hear from you. My email address is plantbabe@home.com if you'd like to email me direct.

Regards,

Liz Sullivan McCrary
Gladstone, OR