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Ahern Family Website

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Update of 13 May 2012

Today is May 13. Lieut. Colonel George Patrick Ahern died on this date in 1942. He had an interesting life. Brooklyn-born to Irish immigrants, he got an appointment to West Point and graduated at the bottom of his class in 1882. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in a colored infantry regiment on the Western frontier, where he became translator and secretary to Chief Sitting Bull in captivity at Fort Randall. In the peace that followed the last of the Indian wars he led an expedition into uncharted territory in what is now Glacier National Park, where he gave names to the Ahern Glacier, Ahern Pass and Ahern Peak, and other features. In Cuba during the Spanish-American War he led a rescue mission for which each of the three enlisted men with him were awarded the Medal of Honor, but he was not due to an army snafu. A protege of conservationist Gifford Pinchot, he was sent to the Philippines where he was appointed Director of the Bureau of Forestry. When native tribesmen murdered one of his foresters, he led an expedition into the jungle to arrest the perpetrators. He saw action at the relief of Peking in the Boxer Rebellion. During WWI he was first assistant to the Chief of Military Intelligence and afterwards became Secretary of the Army War College. Some of these stories can be found on our Ahern Placenames in Glacier National Park page. On our Aherns in the News page there are 67 news stories about George Patrick Ahern. Other sources not yet transcribed include correspondence at the University of Oklahoma at http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/nam/manuscripts/Campbell_WS_107_4.pdf in which he responds to an author writing a book about Sitting Bull.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the FIVE THOUSAND mark. Since July 14, 2000, there have been 45,321 visitors to this page, which has full-text obituaries from four continents, dating back to 1757. Have you looked there for your family? Have you sent in your family's obituaries? The earliest new obituary is for Sergeant George Calvert Ahern, of Oakland, California, who died of wounds while serving with the 354th Infantry in France on 26 September 1918. He was the son of Daniel J. Ahern, a customs inspector at San Francisco, and had performed in local theatrical groups as well as with well-known actors such as Chauncey Olcott and George M. Cohan. Three days before going into battle for the first and last time, he met with his brother, Charles J. Ahern, who was also serving in France. Another brother, Roy G. Ahern, was serving in the Navy at Mare Island. The most recent new obituary is for Mary Ellen (Jewett) Aherne, of Weymouth, Massachusetts, 29 April 2012.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 28 April 2012

Today is April 28th. On this day in 1823, Michael Ahern, convict, from Co. Tipperary was landed at Botany Bay in Australia. He was later employed by William Cox of Hobart Ville. He was sometimes listed as O'Hearn and in 1829 petitioned to marry Judith Kennedy at Kinreagh. He was a ploughman and had been transported for life. He died in 1840 at Port Macquarie. See http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~aherns/ahcrim.htm for records of Aherns who emigrated to Australia.

I've added a list of 310 Aherns who were awarded campaign medals or ribbons for service in the British Army in World War I at http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~aherns/ahukrec.htm.

For those of you researching the recently released 1940 U.S. Census, take a look at Steve Morse's website for tools for finding enumeration districts at http://stevemorse.org/census/xml1940edmaps.html.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,975 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Miss Anne Ahern, of Cork, Ireland, 13 January 1770. The most recent new obituary is for Patricia A. (Whelan) O'Hern of Old Forge, New York, 15 April 2012.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 15 April 2012

Today is April 15th. On this day one hundred years ago, R.M.S. Titanic was lost after striking an iceberg. The closest any Aherns came to being on the Titanic was when Brian Aherne, the actor, portrayed Captain Smith in the 1953 movie "Titanic" starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. The only other connection is that, when I am not maintaining the Ahern website, I give lectures on the Titanic. The past few weeks have been very busy for me as I have given two lectures and have been interviewed by three newspapers in Massachusetts, one in North Carolina, and another in New York.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4950 mark. The earliest obit is for Jeremiah Ahern, a native of County Cork, Ireland, aged 64, who died in San Francisco, 6 May 1895. The most recent new obituary is for Margaret F. (McCarthy) Ahearn, of Randolph, Massachusetts, 20 March 2012.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 17 March 2012

Today is March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. On this date in 1902, it was reported that William O'Hearn, President of the Limburger Cheese club, of Louisville, Kentucky will protest the order by the city health officer prohibiting the sale and manufacture of Limburger cheese.

In my last email, introducing the new index of Aherns arriving in UK ports, I used the example of James Ahern, aged 100, of Coolgarten, Magazine Road, Cork, sailing in 1958 on the Ivernia from New York to Liverpool. In reply I got the following message from one of our subscribers: "The ships manifest record is definitely that of my uncle James Ahern and his wife Amelia. His birth date was 1897 not 1857 as written on the manifest. I suspect that they were returning from a visit to their son Sean Ahern who was living in NY I think." I checked the image of the passenger list and it is a typewritten page, clearly giving his date of birth as "15.5.1857" The error is in the original document and not in a transcription, and should have read "15.5.1897". In genealogy it's always a good idea to question the accuracy of information.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,925 mark. The earliest new obituary is for the Rev. Father Paul Ahern, of Flatbush, New York, 7 October 1870. The most recent obituary is for Marie (Barrett) Ahern, of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, 15 March 2012.

You may notice what seem to be familiar news stories listed in the updates. Oftentimes different newspapers, reporting on the same event, include details not found in other reports. For example, a new story on William Ahern of Omaha, Nebraska finding a diamond includes his street address and also confirmed the value as $40,000 rather than the $4,000 as reported in one account.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 4 March 2012

Today is March 4th. According to Gravestone Inscriptions in Killeagh, Co. Cork, Daniel Ahern's father-in-law Edmond Power died on this day in 1826 at the age of 70 years.

I've added a list of 1,824 Ahern from Passengers Arriving In The UK 1878-1960. While there are 1,824 entries, some of them are repeats. Frequent travelers include Brian Aherne, actor, who crossed the Atlantic seven times. Civil Servant Christopher D. Ahearne arrived on eight different voyages from the Far East, Bombay, Singapore and Penang. Some Aherns only traveled between Ireland and England. Many came from Australia and New Zealand. Missionaries from Africa came home for visits. Various ports in South America are represented. Many Aherns were listed as Distressed British Seamen. During wartime this may be that their ship had been lost and they were picked up by a vessel on its way to the UK. The address of their destination was often recorded, particularly in the 20th century. From this we can learn, for example, that James Ahern, aged 100, of Coolgarten, Magazine Road, Cork, sailed in 1958 on the Ivernia from New York to Liverpool. And in a recently added news item about John Ahern and his wife and daughter Olive taking a trip to Ireland, I was able to learn from this list that Olive was 9 and John's wife's name was Mary. John was 38, his middle initial was J., his wife 36 and he was foreman where he worked.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,900 mark. . The most recent new obituary is for Anthony D. Ahern, of Syracuse, New York. The earliest new obituary is for Gerald James A'Hearn, of Waukon, Iowa, who was declared missing in action in Holland in 1945. His mother was informed 23 November 1950 that his body would be buried in the national cemetery at Louisville, Kentucky.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 31 January 2012

Today is January 31st. According to Aherns in U. S. Passport Records, 1906-1925, Miss Olive O'Hern of Washington, DC was born on this date in Titusville, Pennsylvania.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,875 mark. The earliest new obituary is for John Ahern of Sycamore, Illinois, a native of Ireland and a Civil War veteran, 16 August 1893. The most recent new obituary is for Maureen (Ahern) LaSella, of Milford, Connecticut, 6 January 2012. She was born in Bradford, England, the daughter of the late Patrick and Agnes Pope Ahern.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 8 January 2011

Today is January 8th. According to an index of Aherns in the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900, Mary Ann O'Hearn married John Nolan on this date in 1867 in Grundy County, Illinois.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,850 mark. The earliest new obituary is for 65-year-old Julia Ahern, wife of Daniel Patrick, a native of County Clare, aged 56 years, who died in San Francisco, 23 July 1891. The most recent new obituary is for 96-year-old Una (Ahern) Cahill of Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. She was a native of Dunmore East in County Waterford, the only daughter of Paddy and Joanne Ahern, 28 December 2011. Another obituary from 28 December 2011 is for 79-year-old Edward L. O'Hearn, of Weirs Beach, New Hampshire. He was born in Medford, Massachusetts, the son of Edward L. Sr. and Mary E. (McCarthy) O'Hearn. The obituary of his daughter, Helen "Ellie" (O'Hearn) Greene, of Bow, New Hampshire, appeared on 18 December 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 8 December 2011

Today is December 8th. On this day in 1941, Frederick V. Ahern, of South Boston, went down to the recruiting station and enlisted in the Coast Guard. He served on an ice breaker in the North Atlantic and later on a landing craft in Normandy on D-Day. He was sent to Okinawa after VE-Day. See ahnws203.htm#00/05/2003 for his story.

I've added 71 names of Aherns who died in Ireland, mostly in 1870. See ahloii.htm#IRLdead.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,825 mark. The earliest new obituary is for John J. Ahern, 17 August 1902, who died at Manila in the Philippines. He was born in Whitstable, County Kent, England, and had siblings in Oakland and Santa Barbara, California. According to Aherns Buried in National Veterans Cemeteries he was a carpenter in the Quartermaster's Department and is buried in Fort McKinley National Cemetery. The most recent new obituary is for Pat Ahern, of Tubber, County Kerry, 17 November 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 11 November 2011

Today is November 11th. According to our index of Aherns Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports (except N.Y.) 1820-1874, John Ahern, a 35-year-old laborer from Ireland arrived in Boston on the ship Rebecca from Liverpool. Also on board were a 25-year-old Margaret Ahern and infant, and a 32-year-old Mike Ahern, laborer, and 3-year-old Tom Ahern.

Today is also Veterans Day. Originally known as Armistice Day to commemorate the ending of WWI on 11/11/1918, it has since become a day on which we honor all those who have served their country in time of war. Records of Aherns who have so served can be found in Aherns in U.S. Military Records, Commonwealth War Graves, Australian War Dead and several individual tribute pages linked from the History of the Aherns.

I've added an index of 127 Aherns in the 1871 census for Wales.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,800 mark. The earliest new obituary is for 64-year-old Bridget Ahern of West Berkeley, California, 5 September 1892. She was from County Clare. The most recent new obituary is for John Forrest Ahern of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 23 October 2011. He was an Air Force veteran of the Korean war and was a fireman in Wayland, Massachusetts for 16 years.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 16 October 2011

Today is October 16th. On this day in 1849, according to the index of Aherns in Records of Felons and Others Transported to Australia, James Ahern was convicted in Limerick court of cow stealing and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.

I've added 363 records of Aherns from the 1870 Census of England. These include individuals in orphanages, prisons, and Royal Navy vessels in English or foreign ports or at sea. In the case of Irish-born, the birth location is frequently given.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,775 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Michael P. Ahern, of San Francisco, 1 December 1895. He was 33 years old and a native of Cooliska, Newcastle West, County Limerick. The most recent new obituary is for Marilyn Janicki (O'Hearn) Barnes, of St. George, Utah, 15 October 2011. She was 84 and had been born in Minot, North Dakota.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 27 September 2011

Today is September 27th. Martin Ahearn died on this date in 2009. He was an artist who had a studio in Rockport, Massachusetts and made regular trips to Ireland to paint watercolors.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,750 mark. The earliest new obituary is for John Ahern of Kells, Drumcollegher, County Limerick, 21 January 1905. He was said to be more than one hundred years old, had never seen a train, and had been only once to the nearby market town of Charleville, in County Cork. The most recent new obituary is for 23-year-old Siobhan Kinnefick Ahearne, of Cootehill, County Cavan, who died of as yet unknown causes on her way home from the Planet Love music festival at Shane's Castle in County Antrim. A single mother, she left behind four-year-old twins (boy and girl) and a six-year-old daughter.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 11 September 2011

Today is September 11th. On this day in 2001 two Aherns were lost in the World Trade Center. One, Jeremiah Joseph Ahern, was a first generation Irish-American who worked in the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance on the 86th floor of 2 World Trade Center. The other, Brian G. Ahearn, was a Lieutenant in FDNY Engine Company 230. Another Ahern who went to work in New York City that bright September morning was NYPD Detective Gerry Ahearn who spent the day evacuating people from the area and searching for bodies. You can read more about these three on our 9/11 Memorial page.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,725 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Mrs. Daniel E. Ahern (nee Geneva Bolles) of Winthrop, Massachusetts, 12 October 1896. She died as the result of injuries suffered when being thrown from a horse. She was 24 and left a 6-month-old daughter. Her husband was the assistant cashier of the Boston Globe newspaper. The most recent new obituary is for Arlene M. (McCloskey) Ahearn of Lexington, Massachusetts, 4 September 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 31 August 2011

Today is August 31. According to the index of Aherns in New York City Death Records 1891-1942, Anna Ahern died in Manhattan on this date in 1918.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,700 mark. The most recent obituary is for Terence Ahern, of Kingston, Surrey, England, 5 April 2011. He was 97 and had worked as a stockbroker from the age of 18 until retiring at 89. The earliest new obituary is for Patrick O'Hearn Sr., of Gardner, Massachusetts, 6 April 1922. He was 103, born in Killea, County Cork, and came to the U. S. at the age of 24 and worked on the railroads.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 10 August 2011

Today is August 10th. According to his passport application, John Barry Ahern, of Brooklyn, New York, was born on this date in County Cork. In the recently added index of Aherns in U. S. Passports 1906-1925, you will see that he applied for a passport on 21 July 1922. If you were to look at the image of the application, available at Ancestry.com or on microfilm at the National Archives, you would also learn that his father, Jeremiah, was still living in County Cork, that he emigrated from Cobh, Co. Cork on 5 April 1912, was naturalized at Brooklyn Supreme Court of New York state 2 May 1921, was 27 years old, employed as a carpenter and had lived in New York and New Jersey for 10 years. The purpose of his trip was to visit his parents, leaving on the "America" 29 July 1922 from New York and he planned to return within one year. Many of these passport applications include photographs of individuals and minor children.

I've added a link from the Aherns in History page to a page about Irish Volunteer Jack Aherne and the 1920 Kilmichael ambush. I also added an index of Aherns in Bonded Passengers at Boston 1847-1851.

Ordnance Survey Ireland now provides a really nice map-viewer. You can zoom in on locations in Ireland and view them as topographical maps, street maps, or historical maps. You can actually zoom in and look at building plots in the 19th century Ordnance Survey maps. Unfortunately, there is no historical Google Street View.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,650 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Michael Ahern, 62, a native of Ireland who died in Dubuque, Iowa, 25 December 1870. Death was hastened by a chill he caught going outdoors in his nightclothes when his chimney caught fire. The most recent new obituary is for Joseph Patrick Ahern, formerly of Walden, New York, 28 July 2011. He was a graduate of West Point who served in the 17th and 82nd Airborne and earned a battlefield promotion to lieutenant colonel in the crossing of the Rhine. He married Mary Elizabeth Dooner of New York in 1942. She died in 1996 and he then married Pearl Fadoir of Texas, an Army nurse he had met during the War.

In the Aherns in the news pages, an Ahern is the subject of an Academy Award winning documentary, another Ahern gets married in jail, and a wildcat hitches a ride on a locomotive in Nevada. The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 16 July 2011

Today is July 16th. On this date in 1930, stunt pilot Roy Ahearn plummeted to earth near Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey when the wings tore off a plane he was testing. He was only 25 and had been flying since he was 17.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,625 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Janet Marie (Ford) Ahern, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, 8-9 June 2011. The earliest new obituary is for Michael Ahearn, of West Oakland, California, whose body was found murdered near Reno, Nevada, 25 July 1904.

In the following news stories added to the Ahern website there's rioting in Waterford, bad language in Australia, and yet another murder/suicide by a spurned suitor.

Update of 4 July 2011

Today is July 4th, a major holiday in the United States. It was not a holiday for Private John Edward Ahearn of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who, according to an index of Aherns in Ireland's Memorial Records 1914-1918, died of wounds in France on this date in 1916.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,600 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Rose (McCarthy) Ahern, of Top Cross, Lisgoold, County Cork, 26 June 2011. She was predeceased by her husband, Simon. The earliest new obituary is for Cornelius A. "Con" Ahern of Virginia City, Nevada, 21 March 1914. He was a native of Boston who went west to seek his fortune. He was owner of a popular saloon called the Crystal Bar and was a leader in the state Republican Party and a Presidential elector in 1904. His [1st?] wife, Minnie (Armour) Ahern, died in 1907. His widow, Mary E. "Mayme" (Hopkins), died in 1915, the day after an operation for appendicitis.

The following stories added to the Aherns in the News page include tales of child abuse and murder from Australia, an epidemic of appendicitis in Nevada, and Ahern connections to "Whitey" Bulger.

Update of 20 June 2011

Today is June 20th. On this date in 1903, New Rochelle, New York policeman Maurice Ahearn was shot and killed by a suspected burglar he was attempting to apprehend. See his memorial page for details.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,575 mark. The earliest new obituary is for 17-year-old John Phillip Ahern of Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia, 21 April 1866. The most recent is for Doris Louise (Milligan) Ahern, of Crosby, Minnesota, 23 October 2002. She was the widow of L. Dale Ahern who died in 1989. He had been editor and publisher of two newspapers in Decorah, Iowa.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 6 June 2011

Today is June 6th. On this date in 1944, Lieut. John Ahearn commanded the second tank that landed at Utah Beach on D-Day. Later that day he would lose his leg while trying to rescue wounded men from a minefield. See his memorial page for details, pictures and audio clips.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,550 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Annie Genevieve Ahern, the 20-year-old daughter of Minnie and Maurice Ahern of Washington, DC, 23 December 1906. The most recent is for Janet Mary (Singer) Ahern of Tellico Village, Tennessee, formerly of Tiverton, Rhode Island, 27 May 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 21 May 2011

Today is May 21st. On this date in 1864, Private Thomas Ahearn of Co. D, 39th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner at Spotsylvania, Virginia. According to Civil War Records of Aherns from Massachusetts he was a bootmaker from Quincy, Mass. who had enlisted August 6, 1862. He was returned in a prisoner exchange on March 12, 1865 and served until June 5th. According to U. S. Military Pension Records, 1861-1934 he filed for an invalid pension on March 16, 1880.

I've added the following to the website:

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,525 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Maurice Ahern, a farmer, living at Five-mile Bridge, near Ballinahassig, County Cork, who died at the age of 115, 12 April 1871. The most recent new obituary is for Eleanor M. (Walsh) Ahern, of Arlington, Massachusetts, 18 May 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 8 May 2011

On this date in 1855, according to Aherns in New York Passenger Lists, 23-year-old Edward Ahern arrived in New York on the William Tapscott from Liverpool. .

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,500 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Francis A. "Frank" Ahern, aged 44, of 21 Webster st., Arlington, Massachusetts, 15 April 1916. The Frank Ahern family had moved in with their Ahern cousins at 21 Webster st. after they were burnt out of their home in the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908. The most recent new obituary is for Edward M. Ahern, of Wheaton, Illinois, 18 July 2000. He was married for 52 years to the newspaper cartoonist Margaret (McCrohan) Ahern, who died in 1999.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 24 April 2011

Today is April 24th. On this date in 1854, according to Aherns Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports (except New York) 1820-1874, 19-year-old Morris Ahern arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland on the Tonawanda. Also on this date in 1916, a band of patriots occupied the General Post Office in Dublin and declared Ireland to be a republic. They failed, but the execution of their leaders by the British inspired others to take up the cause. April seems to have been a popular month for rebels. It was on April 19th 1775 that militiamen in Massachusetts resisted the King's troops and launched the American Revolution. Eighty-six years later, secessionist forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor commencing a Civil War that would last for four years. In an odd coincidence, the first casualties from hostile fire in the Civil War occurred the following week when a regiment of Massachusetts militiamen were attacked by a mob while passing through Baltimore on their way to defend the capitol in Washington. Four soldiers were killed and nine civilians, and it was on April 19th, the 86th anniversary of the first casualties of the Revolutionary War. The Baltimore Riot is one of the subjects I lecture on.

In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I've added 31 names to the index of Aherns in Confederate Muster Rolls.

Other Civil War data on our website include the following:
1890 Census of Civil War Veterans, Widows and Dependents
U. S. Military Pension Records, 1861-1934
Remarried Widows of Civil War and Regular Army Veterans
Headstones Provided for Civil War and Regular Army Veterans
Civil War Service Records for New England
On the Aherns in Irish Records page I've added a list of Aherns killed in World War I from "Ireland's Memorial Records 1914-1918". I've also added marriages to the records of Aherns at St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, County Cork. The latter thanks to Colman Ahern for his transcription from the original parish records.

The Ahern obituary page has passed the 4,475 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Bishop Patrick V. Ahern, former episcopal vicar of Staten Island, 21 March 2011. The earliest new obituary is for William Joseph Aherne, of Mountpleasant avenue, Dublin, 26 May 1906.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 10 April 2011

Today is April 10th. On this date in 1930, John O'Hearn, aged 85, was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,450 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Timothy F. "Tim" Ahern, who left his native County Cork at the age of 11 and died at Natick, Massachusetts, 6 April 2011. The earliest new obituary is for Patrick O'Hearne, aged 50, an "honest man" who died at Greenmount, Wollombi, New South Wales, 20 February 1850.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 3 April 2011

Today is April 3rd. According to the Biography and Genealogy of Western Massachusetts, 1639-1925, Thomas Farrell Ahearn was born on this date in 1870 in Northampton, Massachusetts. He graduated from the Oriental School of Embalming, in Boston and joined his father, Patrick, in the funeral directing and furniture businesses.

Last year I had a problem with a spammer attacking the submission form for the Ahern Surname Researchers Database. I turned off the form which meant you had to email me directly to submit updates or new entries. I've now turned it back on and would encourage any of you who are researching your Ahern genealogy to check to see if your details are up to date. And anyone who has not previously posted their research subjects is now welcome to do so.

Last week, if you watch the news regularly, you may have seen mention of the 30th anniversary of John Hinkley's attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan. If you watch the clip of Reagan getting into the limo, the man holding the door open for the President is his advance man, Frederick "Rick" Ahearn. You can read about his experience that day on our website along with several other news items of his time with Reagan as candidate and as President.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,425 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Mary (Eells) Ahern, widow of Lt. Col. James J. Ahern of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 26 October 2010, buried beside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery. The earliest new obituary is for William Ahern of Otago, New Zealand, 23 December 1890 The following news stories have been added to the website.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 17 March 2011

Today is March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. It was on this date in 1998 that I set up the Ahern website. Since then it has had over eighty thousand visitors searching for information about Aherns. Also on this date, according to the Records of Canadian Aherns Who Served in World War I Patrick O'Hearn was born in 1895 in Tipperary, Ireland. His exact date of birth should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt. Many Irish did not know their actual birthdate and it was not until they applied for citizenship, or enlisted in the service that it became important. Many Irish Catholics simply chose St. Patrick's Day as their official birthday.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,400 mark. The earliest new obituary is for 1-year-old Elizabeth Jane, youngest child of John and Laetitia Ahern of Wellington, New Zealand, 25 January 1886. The most recent new obituary is for Commander Liam Ahern [Royal Navy and Irish Naval Service] of Cobh, Co. Cork, 11 March 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 6 March 2011

Today is March 6th. On this date in 1942, Richard Ohearn, a civilian shipyard worker on Wake Island, was reported taken prisoner by the Japanese. He was held at the Shanghai War Prisoners Camp at Kiawgwan and released 13 September 1945. See WWII Prisoners of War for records of Aherns held as P.O.W.s in World War II.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,375 mark. The earliest new obituaries are for Johanna (Lahan) Ahern, of Quincy, Illinois, 15 October 1907, and her husband, Richard, 15 February 1908. Natives of County Cork, they had nine children, all but two of whom pre-deceased them. The most recent new obituary is for Margaret "Peig" (Cowan) Aherne, of Templeogue, Dublin, 15 February 2011.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 23 January 2011

Today is January 23rd. According to his WWI draft registration, James Ahern of Manhattan, New York, was born on this date in Ireland.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,350 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Lumena (O'Hearn) Coffin of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, 28 December 2010. The earliest new obituary is for Katherine Theresa (Ahern) Grimes, of LeMars, Iowa, 28 February 1911. This particular obituary is a good example of how things come together on the Ahern website. You'll see below that there are several news stories about James Ahern of LeMars. In delving into the individuals in LeMars I found some who were not fully identified. Pursuing leads from one name to another, however, begins to reveal the identities, relationships, and origins of the various family members. In this case, the obituaries linked together include Mrs. Grimes, her brother James, James' wife, his sister and a sister-in-law. And from clues in the related obituaries, I was able to link to James' Civil War pension details.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 21 December 2010

Today is December 21st. On this date in 1943, Australian Aircrew Sergeant D. J. Aherne of Sydney, New South Wales, had his picture taken picking up Christmas mail from home at the base post office R.A.A.F. Headquarters in London. For more, see the list of Aherns in the Australian War Memorial collection of Photographs of Australians at War.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,325 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Patrick J. Ahern of Cleveland, Ohio, 5 December 2010. The earliest new obituary is for John Ahearn of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 7 March 1906.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 7 December 2010

Today is December 7th. On this day in 1941, Fireman 1st Class Richard James Ahern, of Van Nuys, California, was lost on the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The Ahern obituary page has reached the 4,300 mark. The earliest new obituary is for James Ahern of Pittsburg, Indiana, 19 September 1894. He was born in Cork City and emigrated to New Brunswick to escape the famine at the age of 22, surviving an epidemic of cholera on the ship. After a few years in St. John, he emigrated to New Hampshire where he found employment as a teamster for a Shaker community. There he married Mary Coleman of Concord. In 1855 he moved west to Indiana and found work in a foundry and later as a blacksmith for the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he labored for thirty-four years before developing stomach problems from which he succumbed two years later, leaving a wife and three adopted children and a brother in New Hampshire. The most recent new obituary is for Margaret M. (Ahern) Morgan, of Saratoga, California, 27 December 1990.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 22 November 2010

Today is November 22nd. On this day in 2002, Christopher O'Hearn, head of content development at the Associated Press Television News in London, announced the restoration and digital re-mastering of the so-called "Muchmore film", one of only three films that show the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Those of us who are old enough, remember where we were when President Kennedy was murdered. I remember I was lying on my stomach, firing an M1 rifle. It was at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center outside of Chicago and my company of recruits was on the rifle range, our first class of the afternoon. A voice with a decidedly Southern drawl came on the loudspeaker saying "Now cease fire. Cease firing on the firing line. President Kennedy has been shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Now commence firing on the firing line. Commence firing on the firing line." When the class was over we were ordered back to our barracks, the remaining classes having been cancelled. Boot camp is a very isolated place. We had no access to newspapers, television, radio, or even calendars. We may as well have been on another planet for all we knew of what was going on in the world. Could this be war? We had no idea. It was only at lights-out when someone said "This date will go down in history, November 22nd." that I realized it was my birthday.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,275 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Maurice Ahern of Renelagh, Dublin, 27 November 1926. The most recent new obituary is for Jennifer Lynn (Sargent) Ahern of Concord, New Hampshire, 8 August 2010.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 7 November 2010

Today is November 7th. According to his WWI draft registration, John J. Ahearn of the Bronx, New York City was born on this date in 1895. Another John J. Ahearn from the Bronx is listed in the index of Aherns in the World War II Memorial Registry. Yet another John J. Ahearn is buried in the Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton, New York. This John Ahearn was born on July 5, 1892 and served as a Private 1st Class in the Army. And another John J. Ahearn, who was born on August 24, 1893 and served as an Army Private in WWI is buried in Long Island National Cemetery. See Aherns in U. S. Military Records for other Aherns who should be remembered on Veterans Day, November 11th.

I'd like to mention my friend, Norman Mongan's latest book, "A Century Of Silence" which has now been published in the U.S. As a boy in Ireland he used to wonder why his grandfather avoided talking about his siblings who had emigrated to America. In 1979 he came across a photo hidden inside a family album on the back of which was written "Mary Mongan, Boston, USA". It was this photo that led him on a 30-year quest to find the story of his American cousins. This book tells the tale, including some Ahernes in Massachusetts.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,250 mark. The most recent new obituary is for Fergus Ahern, of Boyle, County Roscommon, 21-22 September 2010. A chartered accountant, he was the driving force behind the Boyle Arts Festival. The earliest new obituary is for Australian Police Constable, John Ahern of Brisbane, Queensland, 18 September 1893.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 25 October 2010

Today is October 25th. According to an index of Aherns in Minnesota Death Records, Anna Ahern of Chippewa County, Minnesota died on this day in 1966. She had been born in Minnesota on November 30, 1882 and her mother's maiden name was Halvorson.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,225 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Ella G. Ahern, of Washington, DC, daughter of Bartholomew and Ellen Ahern, 2 March 1880. The most recent is from today for Virginia D. "Ginny" (Denny) Ahern of Melrose, Massachusetts.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 16 October 2010

On this date in 1883, infant John T. Ahearn was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. I know this from an index of Aherns in Catholic Cemeteries of St. Louis, Missouri. I've also added to this page an index of Aherns from South Dakota birth records up to 1910.

The following news item from the Irish Emigrant newsletter may be of interest to some of you who use Google Earth: "The streets of Irish cities became part of Google's Street View project on Thursday, following the gathering of the images from around the country last year. The official launch of the service was carried out by Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin at Google's European headquarters in Dublin. Google acknowledged that some areas were not covered for a variety of logistical reasons which might have been as simple as parked trucks obscuring houses. It was widely noted that some of Limerick's problem housing estates are not covered. It has also been reported that, while faces have been blurred, the software was less successful in blurring the exposed bottoms of two teenagers outside a house in Ballinteer in south Dublin."

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,200 mark. The most recent new obituary is for 93-year-old Mary Christine (Hunolt) Ahern of Quincy, Illinois, 11 October 2010. The earliest new obituary is for 54-year-old Denis Ahearn of Parramata, New South Wales, 27 September 1875,

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 3 October 2010

On this date in 1884, John Ahern was born in Aghada, County Cork. I learned this from an index of Aherns in Royal Navy Enlistments, 1853-1923 which has links to Records of the Admiralty, Royal Navy and related bodies. See naval.jpg for a sample of a service record.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,175 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Abbie O'Hearn, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, who died of a lingering illness six weeks after her husband, William, had been run over by a train. The most recent new obituary is for John Joseph Ahearn of Plano, Texas, 23 September 2010.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website:

Update of 18 September 2010

Today is September 18th. On this day in 1842, James Ahern & Ellen Murphy were wed at St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh (Queenstown), County Cork. See Parish Records of St. Colman's Cathedral for the baptisms of their children.

I've added some photos to the pages for Sgt. Dermot Patrick Ahern and for Lieutenant John J. Ahern, Jr..

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,150 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Mary Catherine Ahern, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Ahern of Washington, DC, 24 October 1909, The most recent new obituary is for Nancy (Hudson) Dell O'Hern of Spanish Fort, Alabama, 16 September 2010.

The following news stories have been added to the Aherns in the News page:

Update of 4 September 2010

Today is September 4th. Brian Ahearn from Connecticut is supposed to be getting married today in Boston, but according to an article in the Boston Globe the other day, plans for a reception aboard a yacht touring Boston Harbor were in a state of flux with the anticipation of Hurricane Earl. Sitting here now, about an hour's drive west of Boston, there is no sign of any hurricane. In fact, a little breeze would be welcome in this heat. I can only imagine that Brian's Ahearn luck will come through and he and his bride will have great day.

See http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~aherns/ahloii.htm#cobh for Ahern baptisms in the parish records of St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh, County Cork. Thanks to Colman Ahern for the extraction.

The obituary page has now passed the 4,125 mark. The earliest new obituary is from 5 October 1934 for Tom Ahern, of Butte, Montana, who was killed dynamiting a tree stump on his brother Jack's ranch at Loweth. In addition to his brother Jack, he left two sons, Ralph and Raleigh, a daughter, Ciaretta, a sister, Mrs. Bruce DeLong of Tarkio, and his mother, Mrs. Anna Karr. The most recent new obituary is for John Francis "Jack" Ahern of Christmas Creek, Queensland, Australia, 26 August 2010.

The following news stories have been added to the Aherns in the News page:

Update of 20 August 2010

Today is August 19th. On this date in 1951, seven-year-old Dennis J. Ahern [me] of Rockport, Massachusetts, went to sea in a borrowed 10-foot skiff. It wasn't until the wee hours of the following day before I was found by a lobster boat drifting a couple of miles off the coast. See newspaper story for the details.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,100 mark. The earliest new obituary is for John Ahearne, Esq., a solicitor from Cork, who died at Ranelagh, Dublin, 19 July 1839. The most recent new obituary is for Eleanor Marie (Stohlgren) Ahern of Contra Costa, Calif., 15 August 2010.

I've added a link to a page on the Aherns of Castlemagner, County Cork,

For those of you with County Clare ancestors, I've added an index of Aherns in the County Clare Tithe Applotment books.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website.

Update of 6 August 2010

The Ahern website was updated August 6th. On this day in 1945, on Tinian Island in the Pacific, an atomic bomb was carefully loaded onto a B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay. Elsewhere on Tinian that day, veteran vaudevillians Will and Gladys Ahern were entertaining the troops as part of Gene Autrey's U.S.O. show. Will would spin a lariat and tell jokes while his wife danced. They'd been doing this on vaudeville stages across the U.S. for some 20 years by then. See their memorial page. for more.

The Ahern obituary index has now reached the 4,075 mark. The earliest new obituary is for the Rev. Mr. Ahern, Parish Priest of Dunquin, County Kerry, 10 June 1819. Coincidentally, the illustration on our obituary index page is of the civil parish of Dunqin, which is the Roman Catholic parish of Ballyferriter on the Dingle peninsula. The most recent new obituary is for Kenneth J. Ahern of Medford, Massachusetts, 27 July 2010

The following news stories of Aherns have been added:

Update of 17 July 2010

Today is July 17th. On this day in 1943 Sergeant Dermot Patrick "Paddy" Ahern of the Royal Australian Artillery died in a POW camp in Thailand. He had been taken prisoner in the fall of Singapore and put to work building the Burma-Thailand railway. Born in Inch, County Wexford, he had emigrated to Australia after fighting against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. He married Nancy Marianne Golby in Sydney in October 1940 and shipped out less than a year later. See his memorial page. .

The earliest new obituary is for Walter Ahern, of Dublin. He had been a surveyor for the General Post Office and died of pneumonia at the age of 64, 19 May 1896. Also added obit of his daughter, Fannie, of Malahide, 8 March 1957. The most recent new obituary is for Francis X. "Frank" Ahearn of Rockland, Massachusetts, 6-7 July 2010. Frank managed the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall, Boston, for many years. See newspaper story about the club.

I've added a link to the website of Ahern State Park Laconia, NH

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website.

Update of 3 July 2010

Today is July 3. On this date in 1883, Thomas Ahearn of Ottawa, applied for a U. S. patent on his invention of an electric time detector. Called "The Canadian Edison," Ahearn was born June 24, 1855, in Lebreton Flats, Ontario to John and Honora Power Ahearn, immigrants from County Waterford. He invented the electric stove and was the first person to serve a meal prepared completely by electricity. He founded the Ottawa Electric Railway Company. He was named to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 1928 and died ten years later in Ottawa. See his memorial page.

The Ahern obituary page has passed the 4,025 mark. The earliest new obituary is from 22 March 1919 for Patrick George Ahern, who took part in the Fenian raid on Canada in May, 1866. He was born July 4, 1851, in Cork, Ireland and died at his home in Somerville, Massachusetts. The most recent obituary is for Helen C. (Hallisey) Ahern of Arlington, Massachusetts, 1 July 2010.

When researching Aherns in the news I occasionally find multiple references to a single individual or family, sometimes mundane and sometimes noteworthy for good or ill. The following list of updates to the Aherns in the news page includes numerous mentions of a family from Chelmsford, Massachusetts to whom I am thankfully not closely related.

The following news stories have been added since the last update.

All these and more can be read in full on the Ahern website.

Update of 6 June 2010

Today is June 6th. On this day Lieutenant John Ahearn commanded the second tank that landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day, the 6th of June, 1944. Later that day he would have both of his feet blown off while trying to rescue two wounded men from a minefield. See his memorial page for details.

The 1901 Irish Census is now available online at the National Archives in Dublin.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 4,000 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Timothy Ahern of Plush, Oregon, 26 November 1903. The most recent new obit is for Marianna F. (Moynihan) Ahearn of St. Louis, Missouri, 26 May 2010. The four-thousandth obituary was for Civil War veteran Thomas Ahearn, from Woburn, Massachusetts, who died at the National Veterans Home at Togus, Maine, in March 1905. He had served in the 1st New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. According to his pension file, he left a widow, Johanna, in Rhode Island.

The following stories have been added to the Aherns in Newspapers page.

Update of 26 May 2010

Today is May 26th. On this date in 1973 Dennis James Ahern married Lyrl Catherine Peterson at the Davies Memorial Unitarian Church in Camp Springs, Maryland.

The Ahern obituary page has now reached the 3,975 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Mary (McDermott) Ahern, wife of Champaign, Illinois saloonkeeper John Ahern, 5 May 1910. The most recent new obituary is for Joan Kathleen Ahern of Melbourne, Australia, 20 May 2010. The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website.

Update of 10 May 2010

Today is May 10th. According to his World War I draft registration, Herman Stephen Ahern of Mason, Washington, was born on this day in 1890 in Mars Hill, Maine. See Mention of Aherns in U.S. Military Records for an index of Aherns in WWI Civilian Draft Registrations.

The Ahern obituary page has now passed the 3,950 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Gerrard Ahern of Ross, Mountnugent, County Meath, 29 April 1919. The most recent is for Ruth A. "Ruthie" (O'Hearn) Dubzinski of Gardner, Massachusetts, 4 May 2010.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website. See Index of Aherns in Newspaper Stories for these and more.

Update of 11 October 2009

Today is October 11th. Thirty years ago today, our son, Andrew Dennis Ahern, was born. And in a forecast of things to come, he took his own sweet time making his appearance. For a take on his perception of the world, see a letter of his published in the Boston Globe when he was a senior in high school.

The Ahern obituary page has now reached the 3,775 mark. The earliest new obituary is for Tipperary native Thomas Ahern who died at Grey River, New Zealand, 20 March 1893. The most recent obituary is for Rockport artist Martin R. Ahearn, who died September 27. Martin's family had lived near us in Arlington before they moved to Rockport where we also had a summer home. Although I never found any connection between our families, I always thought of Martin as being a cousin and enjoyed stopping in his gallery in Rockport to look at his paintings. He did a lot of his painting on trips to Ireland. I've set up a memorial page for him so you can see some of them.

The following news stories have been added to the Ahern website.

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visitors have accessed this page since May 18, 2010.
This page was last updated 14 May 2012.