52 Ancestors – 52 Weeks

Dennis F. Dineen was born on January 25, 1826 in Killiwillin Townland, Castlelyons, County Cork, Ireland to Dennis M. Dineen and Elizabeth Toomey. (Dennis F. is my second great grandfather on my paternal grandmother’s side of the family.) He came to the United States before he was fifteen years old and lived for a time in St. Lawrence County, New York. Around the year 1848, he came to the Northport, Wisconsin area. A short time later he returned to the east, married in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1850, and brought his bride, Mary Jane Lyons Dineen, with him to Ostrander, Wisconsin. Ostrander was a small village in the east-central portion of Waupaca County, a few miles from New London. The first winter he worked at the Ostrander chair manufacturing factory and Mary (Lyons) Dineen cooked for the crew. In the spring of 1851, Dennis Dineen took up farming. He purchased a farm near Northport, Waupaca County, Wisconsin.

[The last name Dineen is written on his birth certificate and marriage certificate as ‘Dineen.’ At some point, another letter ‘n’ was added to the name and became ‘Dinneen.’]

Eight girls were born to Mary and Dennis: Elizabeth, Catherine, Rebecca, Jane, Hannah, Rose (my great grandmother), Agnes, Anna, and Bertha who died in infancy. He died on November 8, 1886, at the age of 60.

Dennis Dineen/Mary Jane Lyons Marriage Certificate 1850

The following is Dennis Dineen’s obituary from the New London, Outagamie County, Wisconsin newspaper, 1886.

“Dennis Dineen died suddenly of heart disease at his home in Lebanon last Monday evening. Mr. Dineen was one of the earliest pioneers to erect his humble cabin in the wilds of Lebanon, and there are few in this section who cannot recall some kindly act at his hands. He was a toiler, and by many years of frugal industry he made a handsome farm, which of late years has yielded him a competence. He lived to see broad acres of well-tilled fields where first he faced an unbroken wilderness, but yet with the hardships he had endured he should have enjoyed the sight for many years to come. He was aged about 60 years, and leaves a wife and five children to mourn his untimely death.”

The following text is the language from the Probate Record of Dennis Dineen.

“Property value of 120A in (Town of) Lebanon $2000. Property value in Town of) Mukwa $3000. Other property value totaled $2600. The children relinquished claim (quit claim) to their mother Mary (Jane Lyons Dineen) “in consideration of the natural love and affection which we bear unto our mother Mary Dinneen, widow of said Dennis Dineen deceased.”

On 25 June 1888, County Judge C.S. Ogden ordered that the land be sold (subject to the widow’s dower) and proceeds from the sale and the personal estate “be equally divided between said children and widow, each to take one eighth. On 5 July 1888 and 7 April 1890 all seven sisters acknowledged receiving a small share of the estate (equal sums of $123.38 and $55.00).”

When Mary died she gave title to the Mukwa farm and rest of her estate to Hannah, Elizabeth, and Anna. Elizabeth was named executrix.”

Sources:

1. History written by Irene Ruth (Wagner) Doran

2. History written by Kathleen Doran Fenton about the Lyons-Dineen families