Now it’s time for a little history on Minnie…a few facts and some speculation.
Unfortunately, there are no known photos of Minnie. Here is what we do know:
- Her name is actually “Mary” and her middle initial is either “J” or “J.E.”
- According to her marriage records, Minnie’s father was “Joseph Kealey (Keeley)” and her mother was “Beatrice Connelly”, both reportedly born in Dublin, Ireland.
- Before she met Homer, she was married to a man named Patrick Darby – living in Boston. They had a son, Joseph Francis Darby, in Boston, April 30, 1905
- According to her son Joseph’s birth certificate, she and Patrick were born in Ireland. Patrick is listed as a Soldier. They lived at 42 5th St, (South) Boston.
- She moved from Boston to Seattle, WA sometime between 1905 and 1910.
- She shows up in the Seattle, WA 1910 Census living as a servant in the house of a Doctor “Orrin E Kenyon” and his family, at 4131 14th Ave, NE. Also according to these records, she was age 30 and was a widow (presumably from Joseph Darby since she and Homer were married a few months later) and was born in Massachusetts. It is also important to note that her 5 year old son, Joseph Darby, lived at 501 Fidalgo St, Seattle, with Martin and Sarah Flaherty.
- She died of pneumonia on October 15, 1918 during the world-wide “Spanish Flu” pandemic of 1918, which killed about 675,000 Americans and 20-50 million worldwide. She was one of the early causalities of the Seattle epidemic. Minnie “about 38” years old when she died, so she was born about 1880. She was living at 4000 12th Ave NE in Seattle at the time.
- She was listed as a “Dressmaker” on her death certificate.
- The witness on her death certificate is “Margaret E Martin”, youngest of the 3 Martin daughters, 18 years old at the time.
- She died in a makeshift hospital annex set up in the “Old King County Court House”. The courthouse was only 2 blocks from the site of the church she and Homer were married in 8 years earlier.
- She was buried on October 17, 1918 in the Calvary Cemetery, Seattle, in an unmarked grave #92, lot 474, Section First. Calvary cemetery used to have her listed on their website but it is no longer found there. I am checking with the cemetery administrator about this.
- Martin and Sarah Flaherty adopted Minnie’s children on October 31, 1918, 2 weeks after she died. This was likely prearranged, because most people getting the flu at this time had little chance of survival.
Here is what we don’t know about Minnie but would like to:
- When and how did Patrick die? No death information can be found for him. He must have died between 1905 and 1909 because Minnie is listed in the 1910 Seattle city directory as a widow.
- What type of solider was Patrick?
- Why did she move to Seattle ? How did she get there ? Were the Martins involved?
- Her death certificate says she and Homer were “Divorced” but other documents say Homer abandoned her.
Eleven months after she and Homer were married in Seattle on May 30, 1911, Minnie gave birth to my grandfather, George Homer Tedball. According to George’s birth certificate, his Mother was “Minnie J.E. Keeley”, a 31 year old housewife born in Massachusetts and his Father was “Homer L Tedball”, a 40 year old miner born in Iowa. Homer and Minnie lived at 3910 1/2 14th Ave, NE (University Way), in Seattle. George was Minnie’s second child.
These photos show the current lot at 3910 1/2 14th Ave NE, Seattle, where Homer and Minnie lived when George was born, and a remaining, typical house of that time a few doors away.
It is unfathomable to consider the plight of young 7-year-old George, now without both his parents (Homer was gone by this time). It is assumed that he and his half-brother Joseph were being taken care of by the Martins.
This is Minnie’s Death Certificate:
Click here to find out what happened to my grandfather, George Homer Tedball…