John and Mary were both born in Ireland. John emigrated with his parents and brother Martin Fitzgerald. Mary emigrated alone as her parents are listed in the 1871census for Lancashire (Liverpool, St Matthew, District 13) with her brothers, James and Andrew.
John and his brother, Martin applied for naturalization on October 22, 1867. A copy of their sworn statements was obtained from the Warren County, New York Archival Collection's Naturalization Papers records series. Philip Carrole signed as the witness for John and Martin.John enlisted in Company F, 147th New York Volunteer Infantry on August 5, 1863 for a three year term under the alias "John Anderson" at Rochester, NY. His Certificate of Disability for Discharge reports that he was drafted at the age of 21. It also states he was 5 feet and 31/2 inches tall, had a fair complexion, light eyes, and light hair. It lists his occupation as "boatman".
The Certificate states John was first wounded while "on Picket at Kelly's Ford, VA" on August 1, 1863 and then [shot in the left foot] at the "Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. He was wounded in battle at Hatchers Run, VA, on February, 6, 1865 by a gunshot which struck the back of his left hand and passed through it.
He was discharged July, 21, 1865 (for wounds received) and applied for a pension the next day. The Brief of Claim to Increase Invalid Pension chronicles the various pension amounts John received starting on October 12 1865 ($2.00 per month) to when he received Invalid Pension number 50,783 on May 2, 1872 ($15.00 per month). Mary applied for a Widow's Pension on January 13, 1891.
The Declaration for Widow's Pension states John died January 9, 1891, as does all subsequent filings by Mary and her representatives. Mary received a pension check until her death in 1915. Their pension file obtained from the US National Archives contains 72 pages.
John and Mary were married on July 30, 1865 by Rev. James McDermott at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Glens Falls, Warren Co., NY. James O'Neil and Catherine Dolan witnessed the marriage.
Most of heir children (Mary through Charles) were baptized at the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Glens Falls, NY. Fredrick was baptized at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Glens Falls, NY.John and Mary are buried in the St. Mary's Cemetery [Catholic] in South Glens Falls, Saratoga Co., NY.
John and Mary had 11 children:
Martin L Fitzgerald September 1866 - after 1912
James Henry Fitzgerald
February 11, 1868 - after 1949
Lilly M Fish March 14, 1874 - 1954 (Charles F Fish + Sophia McClanathan)John H. Fitzgerald November 1871 - July 2, 1956
John was a Bachelor. He was a lumberjack and a sawyer. He would spend the winters in the forests of the Adirondack mountains near the headwaters of the Hudson river. In those days all cutting was done with either an ax or a cross-cut saw. They would often use horses to help drag the logs to the elaborate system of sluices built by the workers to transport the logs to holding areas near the river. Once the ice had thawed from the river, they would push the logs into the river.
He was known to drive logs down the Hudson river early in his life. He would occasionally fall in the river while getting the logs to float downstream. The water was still near freezing, but the work continued once he got back on the logs.Once the logs were at the sawmill, John would spend the summers with his sister, Bess Penders, at the family house. He often would sign up to work at the sawmill, just to stay busy. He was also an avid reader and enjoyed many books.
He worked at Finch and Pryne until he was forced to retire at age 65. After being "fired" for being too old he took the train to Ticonderoga, NY. His nephew Frank Fitzgerald and Rollin De Larm met him at one of the local bars and took him to Hague to stay with the De Larms (his neice Ethel married Rollin). It is said that on the way to the De Larm farm he woke up and asked where he was going and said anywhere would be fine - except his niece's place as he thought she was too strict.When they got to the house, Ethel was working in the kitchen and greeted him warmly. They took him to a bedroom at the top of the stairs, where he boarded for the rest of his life. He helped work the farm. He also worked with Cecil De Larm at his sawmills.
Jim De Larm gives the following account:Rollin De Larm suggested to his brother, Cecil, that he use John at his sawmill. He told Cecil that John had worked in the logging industry all his life and even though John could be considered "old", he was as strong as an ox and Cecil might find him useful. Cecil pondered the suggestion for a couple of days, then decided he would give John a try.
John showed up for work the next and quickly took charge of the sawing part of the operation. He noticed the former saw operator was not familiar with an efficient way of handling the lumber and told the man he need not show up for work as he also was a tad lazy. Cecil was a little miffed and wondered what he had gotten into. But in a very few days he noticed his mill had never been so efficient at processing logs into lumber.
John also took up another job on the farm. Little Jimmie De Larm had asthma attacks frequently and was often sickly because of it. The school bus dropped any students at the bottom of the hill and it was up to the kids to find a way up the hill to the farm (or other locations). This nearly 1 mile walk often tired little Jimmie to the point of exhaustion. John decided he could help the family he could help the small boy up the hill.
Every day at about the time the bus was scheduled to make a stop at the bottom of the hill, John would announce he was done for the day and was going home. Instead of going home, which also was the De Larm family farmhouse, he would go to meet the bus. Little Jimmie would wait for John to come get him. John would come down the hill at a fast walk with his arms flapping and hardly breaking a sweat. He would pick little Jimmie up and in one swoop place the boy on his shoulder. And up the hill they would go. This went on for many years.
Mary Ann Fitzgerald July 8, 1873 - February 2, 1915
William Henry Penders June 22, 1879 - January 16, 195 (Patrick Penders + Margaret Hehir)Mary and William were married September, 18, 1900 and had 9 children.
William Fitzgerald (About) September 17, 1875 - (Before) November 1875
George Fitzgerald (About) December 10, 1876 - (Before) January 1877
George Fitzgerald December 9, 1877 - ?
Catherine Fitzgerald December 1, 1879 - ?
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
April 19, 1882 - 1962
Patrick John Penders April 27, 1873 - May 22, 1945 (Patrick Penders + Margaret Hehir)Patrick and Elizabeth had 9 children.
Charles Fitzgerald August 4, 1886 - After 1919
Fredrick Fitzgerald July 7, 1889 - ?
