Some ancestors leave us a neat paper trail. Others leave a trail that feels like real life—messy at the edges, full of movement, and anchored by a few strong facts.
Michael McGinty, my great-grandfather, is one of those.
County Leitrim beginnings#
Michael was born 22 Oct 1871 in County Leitrim, Ireland. Family notes tied to this record also associate his birth with Bellageeher (Roosky area)—a useful clue for narrowing searches to a specific locality rather than “Ireland” in general.
His parents were:
- Michael Ginty / McGinty (a farmer; born 19 Sep 1831 in Anskert, Gortletteragh, Leitrim, Ireland)
- Elizabeth McGarry (born before 8 Feb 1848, Leitrim, Ireland)
Their marriage is recorded as 8 Feb 1869 in Leitrim, Ireland—a strong anchor point for building the earlier generation.
A surname that shifts in the records#
Michael appears under both McGinty and Ginty in different record contexts. That’s not unusual for Irish surnames in American records—spacing, abbreviations, and indexers can flatten or alter names.
When searching, it’s worth trying:
- McGinty / Mc Ginty / Mcginty
- Ginty
Immigration: the year isn’t perfectly consistent#
Different records suggest different arrival years. In this data set, you’ll see evidence pointing to immigration in the late 1880s to early 1890s (multiple sources report different years).
That’s not a problem—it’s a research opportunity:
- Find the best primary evidence (passenger list + matching destination/relative, or a naturalization record).
- Then lock the date down.
Chicago: marriage, work, and a growing household#
By 1903, Michael is firmly in Chicago.
He married Nellie Carolan on 10 Jun 1903 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, with a note tying the marriage to Holy Family Church.
Michael worked as a plumber—a trade that shows up consistently in the record set. Family notes and obituary material also place him in Chicago’s working neighborhoods, and later census-era residence entries keep him in the city for decades.
A specific early family residence note places the household at:
- 2010 W. 12th Street, Chicago (dated 24 May 1904)
Five sons — and real loss#
Michael and Nellie had five sons, all born in Chicago:
- John Patrick McGinty (b. 24 May 1904; d. 1 Nov 1962)
- Thomas Edward McGinty (b. 28 Dec 1905; d. 24 Jan 1977)
- Arthur J. McGinty (b. 24 Jan 1908; d. 3 Apr 1983)
- Francis P. McGinty (b. 2 Apr 1910; d. 24 Sep 1923)
- Aloysius McGinty (b. 22 Nov 1912; d. 27 Feb 1915)
Two sons dying young changes the tone of a family story. It’s the kind of reality you can’t “pretty up” with genealogy—it’s just part of the human record.
Widower years and a long Chicago life#
Nellie died 13 Nov 1913 in Chicago and was buried 14 Nov 1913 in Hillside, Cook County, Illinois.
Michael appears afterward as a widower in later census-era entries, continuing his life and work in Chicago for decades.
He died 21 May 1943, with one death entry specifically naming St. Anne Hospital, Chicago, and was buried 24 May 1943 in Hillside, Cook County, Illinois—likely placing husband and wife in the same cemetery area.
What I’m trying to prove next#
This story is strong, but it can get even better with a few primary-source wins:
- Confirm Michael’s exact townland/parish in Leitrim (Bellageeher/Roosky clue is promising)
- Identify the best immigration proof (passenger list + matching relatives/destination)
- Find Michael’s naturalization record (petitions often name birth location and arrival details)
- Track the family through Chicago city directories (plumber listings can be surprisingly rich)
- Pull church registers (Holy Family / St. Lucy’s) for sacramental records
If you have family documents, photos, or stories tied to Michael and Nellie, I’d love to incorporate them.
Contact: /contact/
Sources (research trail)#
- Birth: 22 Oct 1871; County Leitrim, Ireland (with locality note referencing Bellageeher/Roosky area)
- Marriage: Michael McGinty and Nellie Carolan, 10 Jun 1903, Chicago (Holy Family Church note)
- Census-era residence entries: Chicago (1910, 1920, 1930, 1940)
- Occupation: plumber (multiple entries / notes)
- Death: 21 May 1943, Chicago (including St. Anne Hospital entry)
- Burial: Hillside, Cook County, Illinois