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THE MYSTERY THAT IS JENNIE Jennie was born in Augusta, Maine, on May 22 or 27, 1863, the second child, and second daughter of Peter & Margaret McCollor. There is conflicting record in the Stigman/Nelson book, as to the date of her birth. In one area it says the 22nd, and in another it says the 27th, the same day, Peter "was wounded at the battle of Port Hudson on May 27, 1863". Big sister Angelia was a baby when their father left for war, and Peter did not lay eyes on little Jennie for the first time until the war was over. Jennie was about 15 years old when the family moved away from Maine, all the way to Minnesota to the home her father had gone ahead to prepare. We can imagine at that tender age, she must have left dear friends and family connections in Maine, and it may have been particularly difficult for her over the other family members. I would love to know more about Jennie's early adult years, what she did and where she went. She began her marriage and family quite late in life (relatively), which was quite unusual. Considering that she lived a very long life, she still had many years ahead of her at the time of her marriage. What do we know of her single days? Not much. The 1889/1890 St. Paul City Directory lists her as living alone and a dressmaker. The 1895 census lists her as living the single life in Duluth and still working as a dressmaker. In 1896 she acquired a large - 40 acre - plot of land in Duluth, all on her own, and for cash. She would have been 33 years old and possibly qualified as an "Old Maid" at the time. The fact that a woman owned that much land apparently all by herself in the late 1890's I find interesting and curious. This must have been not too long before her marriage. Perhaps more research will fill in the blanks in Jennie's life. Jennie became linked to Joseph McGibbon, a young man born in January of 1861 at Lyle, Canada, sometime prior to 1902. We do not have any documentation on their marriage, please see below, but they may have been partners in a common law marriage. Please see my notes below. Together, they had two daughters: Leona, born in 1903, when Jennie was forty years old ("old" in those days for a first time mother), and Edna, born 1906. Edna does not show in the 1910 census, even though she would have been 3 or 4 years old. This, too, is strange. Joseph went into a partnership with a a man named Bridgerman, and they owned and operated a creamery in the Duluth-Superior,
Wisconson area. He left the creamery to become involved in real estate and rental properties, a poor choice of profession,
when later, the depression hit. He died of an infection resulting from a bear attack at Superior, WI on 1/21/1930. I have
information and documentation on that coming. Jennie died at St. Paul, where many of her siblings had lived at one time or another, on 1/23/1954, at the ripe old age of 90, and was buried at the Greenwood Cemetery there, where her husband was also buried. Jennie may well have been a woman before her time, living her life much as a modern woman rather than a woman of the late 1800's. I'd love to learn more. RESEARCH NOTES: I no longer pay for access to canadian documents via ancestry.com. There are many possible
records for Joseph and his family I cannot access. WERE THEY MARRIED OR NOT? This is a good question, all clues
lead to "no". It does not appear they were living together during what we thought were their early years of union
(1905 census). A 1920 census puts them in the same household with the children but she is listed under her maiden name and
as single. His marriage status is not clearly written in this census. Ten years earlier, in 1910, she also goes by McCollor
and single, and Joseph is listed as a boarder, although at least one of the little girls were living there and it seems obvious
they are a family unit. It appears there was no marriage was documented, but it is always possible we have just not
found it. I wonder if their being unmarried has anything to do Jennie's land ownership, inheritance or some other legal
issue? 1879: Joseph immigrates to U.S. from Canada, does not become a citizen of US until 1910. The
1910 census states he immigrated some years later than 1879, in the later 1880's. 1891 CENSUS OF SIMCOE
SOUTH, CANADA: appears the elder McGibbons still live in Canada. I was not able to access this record for details. 1900
CENSUS John & Mary Ann McGibbons home in Nebagamin, WI, shows they live alone, meaning sons Neil and Joseph do not at
that time live with them. John is farming. I'm wondering if maybe the boys returned to Canada for a time, but this is
just speculation. 1905 CENSUS: Joseph lives in Superior, WI with his parents and "Neil"
(no info given, is Joseph's brother), is listed as single and working as a real estate appraiser. John owns this home and
works as a gardener. 1910 CENSUS: Jennie is listed as head of household in
a home they rent. Little Leona, Joseph, his elderly mother, and a 39 year old, non-working widow named Margaret Gallanger
(see *) , are listed as Jennie's boarders. So strange. Where is the youngest daughter? It is assumed Edna was left out in
error? Jennie is working in a store as a seamstress. He is working as a carpenter. connection unknown - could be his sister?
*Joseph has a sister named Mary Alice, who married twice in Canada, once to "Robert Graham" and once to
a man named John Warren. Possibly this woman is his sister, it would not be the first time a census misspells a name. Unfortunately,
I no longer have access to Canadian records. 1920 CENSUS: Joseph lives in an owned (and mortgaged)
home (same one as in 1910 census) in Ward 7 of Superior, WI with Jennie and their 2 daughters, then 13 and 15 years old.
(see notes above) All four are listed as literate. Jennie is listed as a housekeeper and Jospeph has since 1910 returned to
the real estate profession. She is using her maiden name and as single. 1943: April 12, Jennie Passes away (Stevens
Co., MN, death certificate number 015628). * Much information for these pages comes from the excellent book McCollor/McCollough Family History and Genealogy by
Clair Nelson and Kathy McCollor Stigman. I thank them profusely for writing such a thorough and helpful book. JENNIE McCOLLOR LINEAGE CHART
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