Descendants of James McVey
(See also Descendants of Michael McVey below)

Revised October 30, 2007
Comments, corrections, questions?
Contact me.
 

Generation No. 1

2. JOHN ALBERT (J. A.) McVEY was born September 6, 1839 in Burlington, Vermont, and died January 15, 1914 in Plymouth, Indiana; bur. Catholic Cemetery. He married ELIZABETH McGUIRE February 25, 1865, Lake County, Illinois, daughter of JERUNN McGUIRE and ELIZA McFEE. She was born February 28, 1842 in Ireland, and died May 31, 1928 in Plymouth, Indiana; bur. Catholic Cemetery.

At right is John Albert McVey and Elizabeth (McGuire) McVey.

The De Smet News, June 6, 1930
Eckersleys Were Here For Hard Winter

Mrs. Edward Eckersley writes from Viewfield [Meade County, South Dakota], which is their present post-office, to tell of the pioneering done by her family and by her husband, back in the winter of 1880-81.

As Lucy McVey, Mrs. Eckersley came to Volga on March 17, 1880, with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. McVey, from Chicago. Mr. McVey rented a farm near Oakwood and took up a cleam [sic] five miles northeast of De Smet, Sec. 18, Township 111, Range 55.

In the Party were the other children, fourteen. With them were Mr. and Mrs. Eckersley being the oldest, at Mrs. George Goodridge (her Mother’s sister). Mr. Goodridge working in a hardware store for Tom McGuire.

That summer and fall Mr. McVey got some breaking done and built a house on the cleam, [sic] and the family moved here in November, hauling wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, and onions they had raised at Oakwood. They had five acres of potatoes and a half acre of onions. These and the supply of grain served to feed many of the neighbors through the winter and the following spring.

Mr. Eckersley came to De Smet May 5, 1880 and made this their home for many years before going farther west, where they have a farm, most of it rented at present.

Mrs. Eckersley gives the following addresses of her brothers and sisters, the parents being dead: Mr. and Mrs. Rollin Whiting, Monterey, Ind.; Frank McVey, Knox, Ind.; Mrs. H. F. (May) potatoes furnished seed for them the [sic] Mrs. Ira (Emma) Patrick, 1019 N. Walnut St., Plymouth, Ind.; James McVey, Plymouth. The later two were born here in 1881 and 1883 respectively.

De Smet always seems like home to them, Mrs. Eckersley writes, but she does not promise a visit June 10th.*
* June 10, 1930, was the 50th anniversary of The Hard Winter.

Notes by Rolland F. McVey.
Where it says Frank Flanagan, it should be Mrs. H. F. (May) or Henry F. Flanagan of 4113 Congress St. Chicago, Illinois. Frank McVey is of Knox, Indiana. May McVey (Henry Flanagan, husband), born in South Dakota; James McVey, born in South Dakota.

Above right are the McVey sisters - Lucy (Eckersley), May (Flanagan), and Maude (Whiting).
Below right is Rollin S. and Maude (McVey) Whiting.

Children of JOHN McVEY and ELIZABETH McGUIRE are:
i. MAUDE E. McVEY, b. Abt. 1872 in Racine, Wisconsin; d. August 1951. She married ROLLIN STANLEY WHITING June 14, 1893 in De Smet, South Dakota. He was born September 21, 1864 in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, and died February 24, 1921 in Monterey, Indiana. Rollin and Maude came to the Knox, Indiana, area from Missouri by covered wagon in the early 1900s. They settled first near Knox along the Yellow River, but later bought an 80-acre farm near Monterey.
ii. FRANK HENRY McVEY (3), b. December 31, 1872, Waukegan, Illinois; d. October 26, 1955, Knox, Indiana; bur. Eagle Creek Cemetery.
iii. LUCY McVEY, b. Waukegan, Illinois; m. EDWARD ECKERSLEY.
iv. MAY McVEY, b. South Dakota; m. HENRY F. FLANAGAN.
v. JAMES McVEY, b. South Dakota.
 

1.  MICHAEL MCVEY was born in County Cork, Ireland, and died 1859 in Lake Forest, Illinois, killed by a train due to fog.  He married BRIDGET ________.  She was born Abt. April 1823 in Dublin, Ireland, and died June 12, 1915.

Children of MICHAEL MCVEY and BRIDGET ________ are:
i. FRANCES MCVEY.
ii. WILLIAM H. MCVEY (2), b. Abt. 1853, Illinois.
iii. JULIA A. MCVEY, b. Abt. 1855, Illinois.
iv. ARTHUR J. MCVEY (3), b. Abt. 1857, Illinois.
v. MARY J. MCVEY, b. Abt. 1858, Illinois.
vi. FRANCIS MICHAEL MCVEY (4) b. July 8, 1859, Lake Forest, Illinois; d. October 13, 1933.
 

Generation No. 2

2.  WILLIAM H. MCVEY was born Abt. 1853 in Illinois.  He married ______ ________.  He worked for the railroad and resided in St. Louis, Missouri.

Children of WILLIAM MCVEY and ______ ________ are:
i. WILLIAM MCVEY.
ii. FRANCIS MCVEY.
iii. DOROTHY MCVEY.
iv. MARGARET MCVEY.
 

3.  ARTHUR J. MCVEY was born Abt. 1857 in Illinois.  He married MARGARET SHEILS.  They remained in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Children of ARTHUR MCVEY and MARGARET SHEILS are:
i. WILLIAM MCVEY.
ii. ARTHUR MCVEY, d. 1934.
iii. MAIZIE MCVEY, m. (1) CLEM NOLAN; m. (2) ARTHUR ZENGLER.
iv. FRANCES MCVEY, d. 1966.
 

4.  FRANCIS MICHAEL MCVEY was born July 8, 1859 in Lake Forest, Illinois, and died October 13, 1933; bur. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bryant, South Dakota. He married ELLEN A. (HELEN) BERMINGHAM April 12, 1899 in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bryant South Dakota. She was born May 14, 1863 in Illinois, and died June 30, 1935; bur. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bryant, South Dakota. After finishing school in Lake Forest, Illinois, she became a seamstress and sewed for Reid and Murdock & Co. In the fall of 1880, Francis went to Clark County, South Dakota, looking for land. He returned in 1881 with his mother and settled on the southwest quarter of section 8 and later on the northwest quarter of section of 17. The nearest town was De Smet,16 miles away.

Children of FRANCIS MCVEY and ELLEN BERMINGHAM are:
i. MARY MCVEY, b. April 4, 1900; m. CHARLES M. SCHALDWEILER, March 4, 1935, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bryant SD; b. March 24, 1889, Farmer, South Dakota; d. October 5, 1964. Mary lived all her life on the homestead farm her father settled. The farm was in the family for over 100 years.
ii. MARCELLA MCVEY, b. June 6, 1901; d. April 23, 1977; m. CHARLES WEGNER, September 6, 1928. She graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1920 and was salutatorian of her class.
iii. HELEN CECELIA MCVEY, b. March 23, 1903; d. June 17, 1991; m. OTTO H. CORDTS, June 26, 1928, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Bryant, South Dakota; b. October 28, 1891, Germany; d. January 28, 1971; St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bryant, South Dakota. She graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1920 as valedictorian and taught school for 8 years after graduation. After Otto died, Helen moved to Madison, South Dakota, to be near family. Otto was employed by the South Dakota State Highway Department for 35 years. He was a member of the American Legion in Willow Lake and later in Clark and was also an officer and a member of St. James Altar Society for many years. He immigrated from Germany October 11, 1906.
iv. FRANCES MCVEY, b. April 14, 1905; d. January 20, 1971; bur. St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Farmer, South Dakota; m. PETER SCHLADWEILER, August 9, 1932; d. May 21, 1967; bur. St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Farmer, South Dakota.
v. ANNA MCVEY, b. August 26, 1906; d. September 11, 1906; bur. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bryant, South Dakota.
vi. ROSE MCVEY, b. December 7, 1907; d. January 24, 1947; bur. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Bryant, South Dakota.