The McCrea Family of Donegal Township, Pennsylvania

The emigrant ancestor of this McCrea family, William McCrea, descended from a line of honored forbears long seated in county Donegal, Ireland.

(I) William McCrea

William McCrea was born in that county, married, and with his wife emigrated to the United States, secured employment on the canal being constructed in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and died there soon after, in 1826. Both he and his wife were members of the Roman Catholic church. He married Mary Harkins, born in county Donegal, Ireland, died in Donegal township, Butler county, Pennsylvania, 1866, at the remarkable age of one hundred and one years.

Children

1. Eunice. Born in county Donegal, Ireland, died in Sugarcreek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania; married James Lacey, a school teacher; children:
   1. Patrick. Resides in Brady’s Bend, Pennsylvania.
   2. James. Lives in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
   3. Katherine, and others.
2. William. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died in Sugarcreek township; a farmer; married and had a large family; among his children was a son John, who served in the civil war.
3. Hugh. Born in Westmoreland county, died in Butler, Pennsylvania, 1898; married Mary Sheridan, from Clearfield township, Pennsylvania, died in Butler, 1911; children:
   1. John S. Deceased.
   2. William S. Lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
   3. Catherine. Also lives in St. Petersburg.
   4. Bernard. Living in Butler.
   5. Hugh. Living in Butler.
   6. Daniel. Living in Butler.
   7. Frank. Living in Butler.
   8. Mary Ellen. Living in Butler.
   9. James. Living in Butler.
   10. George McClellan. Living in Butler.
   11. Hiram. Living in St. Petersburg, Florida.
4. Daniel. Of whom further.
5. John. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died in Canton, Ohio; a cabinet-maker; married and had issue:
   1. William. Living in Canton, Ohio.
   2. Jane. Living in Canton, Ohio.
   3. Hugh D. Deceased.
6. Belle. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died in Butler, Pennsylvania; married John O’Neil, a farmer, who also died in Butler; children:
   1. William.
   2. Mary. Lives in Butler.
7. Mary. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died in Butler, Pennsylvania.
8. Michael. Born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, died in California; married Jane Hazlett; he was a carpenter, and went to California in the gold rush of 1849.

(II) Daniel McCrea

Daniel, son of William and Mary (Harkins) McCrea, was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, March, 1815, died in Donegal township, Butler county, in 1888. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native township, and later became a furnace boss at the Buffalo Furnaces, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. Abandoning this occupation he engaged in farming in Donegal township, Butler county, where the remainder of his life was spent. He was one of the old type of Jeffersonian Democrats, and for three years was school director of Donegal township. He was a member of the Roman Catholic church, as was his wife. He married Sarah Coyle, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 20, 1822, died in Donegal township, Pennsylvania, 1890, a school teacher of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, daughter of John Coyle, born in Coyleville, Pennsylvania, 1781, died in Donegal township, 1865, a blacksmith and farmer. He married Margaret Dougherty, born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 1800, died in Donegal township, Pennsylvania, surviving her husband but a short time.

Children of John and Margaret (Dougherty) Coyle, all born in Coyleville

1. Thomas. Died on the old farm in Donegal township, 1878; an oil operator in Venango county, from 1860 to 1878.
2. Sarah. Mentioned above.
3. Elizabeth. Died in Butler, Pennsylvania; married James Tracy, of that town, where he also died, a carpenter; children:
   1. Mary. Lives in Youngstown, Ohio.
   2. Another daughter.
4. Patrick. An oil well worker and coal miner, died in Butler, Pennsylvania.
5. Hannah. Died in Clearfield township; married Dennis McBride, a farmer and oil producer of Butler, and had several children.
6. Henry. Superintendent of a rolling mill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he died; married (first) a Miss Downey, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, now deceased, (second) —, who lives in Philadelphia.
7. John. A rolling mill worker, died near Pittsburgh, served in a Pennsylvania regiment during the civil war; married and had children.
8. William. Died on the old homestead in Donegal township; married Sarah Nolan, from Donegal township; children:
   1. Maud.
   2. One other daughter.
9. Mary. Died in Butler, 1907; married Frank Slator, a retired farmer and school teacher from Donegal township, and now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Children of Daniel and Sarah (Coyle) McCrea

1. John Chrysostom. Of whom further.
2. Hugh. Born in Franklin township, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1845, died in infancy.
3. William H. Born in Franklin township, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1847, an oil operator, died near Rangoon, India, 1907; married Margaret Forquer, from Donegal township; she died in Pittsburgh; they had two daughters, both married, and now living in Pittsburgh.
4. Thomas E. Born in Franklin township, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1848; he was an oil worker; came to Bradford, Pennsylvania, where he served on the police force for seven years, and was appointed chief of police by Mayor Edward McSweeney; for a time he was a hotel proprietor in Buffalo, New York, and was afterwards deputy sheriff at Erie, Pennsylvania, being killed while taking prisoners from Erie to the penitentiary at Pittsburgh. He married Margaret Duff, from Butler township, died in Erie; children:
   1. Harry J. An employee of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad Company, lives in Rochester, New York, married.
   2. Albinus W. A commercial traveler in the employ of the Watson Paper Company, of Erie, Pennsylvania, married.
   3. Rose. Married Christopher Shaker, a carpenter, and lives at Edgely, North Dakota.
5. Margaret. Born in Franklin township, May 18, 1850, died in Donegal township, 1900; married Jeremiah Johnson, a farmer of Donegal township, and had eight children.
6. Mary Catherine. Born in Franklin township, Pennsylvania, March 22, 1852; married Joseph Benson, from Donegal township, and lives near Saint Joseph, Butler county, Pennsylvania; they have four children.
7. Bridget J. Born in Donegal township, June 25, 1854; married William Eminger, an oculist of Kittanning, Pennsylvania, and has a large family.
8. Elizabeth. Born in Donegal township, August 16, 1856; married Thomas Nolan, a millwright of Donegal township; children:
   1. John. Employed with their father at Natrona, Pennsylvania, in the mill.
   2. Timothy. Employed with their father at Natrona, Pennsylvania, in the mill.
   3. Bernard. Employed with their father at Natrona, Pennsylvania, in the mill.
9. Daniel F. Born in Donegal township, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1858; an oil operator of Pennsylvania and California, at present proprietor of the Hotel Butler at Butler, Pennsylvania; married Mary (Garble) Stehle, widow.
10. Joseph B. Born in Donegal township, June 6, 1861, died in Butler, 1910; an oil-well worker; married Annie Burns, from Donegal township, and had three children.
11. James H. Born in Donegal township, July 27, 1863, died 1906; an oil-well worker; married Jennie Logue, from Clearfield, Pennsylvania, where she now lives.
12. Sarah E. Born in Donegal township, December 26, 1865; married William J. Keast, of Pittsburgh, an insurance agent.

(III) John Chrysostom McCrea

John Chrysostom, eldest son and child of Daniel and Sarah (Coyle) McCrea, was born in Franklin township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1843. When he was nine years of age his parents moved to Donegal township, Butler county, Pennsylvania, where he obtained his education in the public schools. After leaving school his first position was in the employ of his uncle, Thomas Coyle, and John Hohn, in Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania, where he drilled oil wells. Until 1877 he followed the oil fields in Venango, Armstrong and Butler counties, and for one year was chief of police in Millerstown (Chicora), Pennsylvania. In 1879 he came to Bradford, Pennsylvania, and there was chief of police until 1887, in the latter year accepting a position with the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh railroad, as special agent and claim adjuster. He remained with that company until 1912, and thus his thirty-three years of service were years of faithfulness, loyalty and fidelity. In all that time he neither had a vacation nor was away from his desk a single day. He capably filled his extremely important position, and was considered one of the company’s most valuable men. He has recently opened an investigating and adjusting agency in Bradford, but will accept no cases against the railroad, from whom he receives a liberal pension and free transportation for himself and his wife for life. This is a splendid testimonial of the regard in which he is held by the company. He is also connected as a stockholder with the Kinzua Petroleum Company of Mt. Jewett, and the Kane Petroleum & Gas Company. He is a regular attendant and member of the Roman Catholic church. He belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 234; Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, No. 13; Protected Home Circle, Business Men’s Association, and the Bradford Club, all of Bradford, Pennsylvania.

He married (first) at Oil City, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1869, Mary Forquer, died at Millerstown (Chicora), Butler county, Pennsylvania, September, 1878, daughter of William and Rebecca (Marsh) Forquer, both of whom died at Millerstown; (second) in Genesee, Potter county, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1884, Katherine McMurray, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1863, a daughter of Patrick McMurray. He emigrated to the United States in 1854, and became a miner in Scranton, later purchasing a farm in Genesee, Potter county, and married Sarah Gilmartin, January 28, 1852.

Children of Patrick McMurray

1. Annie. Born in Scranton; married Howe, an employee of the traction company in New York City.
2. Michael. Born on a farm near Genesee, Pennsylvania, now an employee in the paper mill at Johnsburg, Pennsylvania; married and has several children.
3. Patrick. Born near Genesee, Pennsylvania; married, has children, and lives in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania.
4. John. A machinist of Erie, Pennsylvania, married and has children.
5. James. An engineer on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh railroad; married, has a family and lives in East Salamanca, New York.
6. Katherine. Mentioned above.
7. Sarah. Married John Moran, a switchman on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh railroad at East Salamanca, and has two children.
8. Frank. A switchman at East Salamanca, married and has two children.

Children of John Chrysostom McCrea, by his first wife

1. Stephen J. Born in Millerstown (Chicora), Pennsylvania, April 10, 1870, now a hotel clerk in Chicago, Illinois.
2. Mark C. Born in Fagundus, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1871, a veteran of the Spanish war, now a hotel clerk in Chicago, Illinois.
3. Laura. Born in Millerstown (Chicora), Pennsylvania, December 7, 1873; married John Kragel, a carpenter of Chicago, Illinois.

Children of John Chrysostom McCrea, by his second wife

1. George. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, 1886, died when thirteen months old.
2. Daniel F. Born in Bradford, 1887; learned the trade of machinist in East Salamanca and Dubois. He joined a special force of police in Buffalo, and was shot in the temple June 20, 1908, while pursuing some freight-car robbers, and died four days later.
3. Clara. Born in Bradford, April 28, 1892; a graduate of St. Bernard’s School, class of 1909; married, May 10, 1911, Oscar Johnson, a machinist of Bradford.

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content has been preserved.