Myers

Kate (Myers) Kieron: A Short Sketch of Her Life and Road to Montana

~ Lark Dalin Robart
Catherine (Myers) Kieron circa 1900

I can only imagine the bittersweet feelings Kate must have felt when she left her home in Ireland in 1895, to travel to the United States.  She must have been thrilled knowing she would soon see her beloved sister Delia who had left Ireland for the United States several years earlier – and excited for the prospects of her new life in America .  At the same time, her heart must have been broken, knowing she would never again see her homeland and some of the family members she was leaving behind.

My great grandmother Catherine “Kate” Myers was born in Ower Townland, County Galway, Ireland – sometime between 1864 and 1877(1).  She was one of nine children born to John Myres and Nora Hennelly between 1862 and 1879. Life was difficult on a small farm in Ireland and there weren’t many prospects for John and Nora, much less their offspring.

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Joseph J. Kieron: A Short Sketch of His Life and Road to Montana

~ Lark Dalin Robart
Joseph J. Kieron circa 1900

My great grandfather Joseph J. Kieron was born in Drumgoosat, County Monaghan, Ireland, on February 15, 1874, the son of Peter Kieron and Genevieve Martin.  He was their sixth child out of eight, and the third of four sons.  Based upon census records, I believe he came to the United States, and then directly to Montana, in about 1896.

Having settled in Butte, he married Catherine “Kate” Myers on September 20, 1899.  Kate was also Irish, having been born in County Galway.  In September of the following year, Kate gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.  The baby girl Nora survived but baby boy Peter died when he was only 4 days old.  On August 1, 1902, Kate gave birth to another son.  However, tragedy struck again only two days later when both Kate and the baby died. Continue reading →

A rose by any other surname

~ Lark Dalin Robart
Kate and Delia Myers_edited
Catherine “Kate” Myers Kieron (left) and her sister Bridget “Delia” Myers Mitschke. Both women were born in County Galway, Ireland. Delia immigrated to the United States in about 1887 and Kate followed in about 1895.

Question: Is the surname “Myers” actually Irish – or could it be that my Myers ancestors emigrated from England to Ireland at some point, since “Myers” is a common English name and not so common in Ireland?  

I did some research and this is what I found.

“Myers” is a surname most common in the Cork-Kerry, Monaghan-Louth, Belfast area.  In Gaelic, the surname would have been “Ó Meidhir” which means “mirth”.  It is now written “Ó Mír” and was originally of County Clare and related to “O’Meara”.  The English name “Myers” may be involved in the case of those found in the Ulster (northern Ireland) and eastern areas. Continue reading →