Howard Family Descrepancies

Relying on family memory sometimes can be a detriment. Thomas Howard and Mary Waters were indeed married, were indeed both from Ireland, and did live, raise a family, work, and die in San Francisco. According to family record, typed out in 1952, they are supposed to be buried in the plot of Thomas' former employer, the Cooper's, at Cypress Lawn. The cemetery has no record of them, with Coopers or otherwise. None of their information matches perfectly into any vital record index, and even the census information seems dodgey. With a list of important criteria and all the little errors, hopefully today I can at last resolve some of this.

First, what we think we know.

Mary Howard (Maiden name Mary Ellen Waters) born in Sligo, Ireland. Died at age 80. had broken her hip, pneumonia resulted. Buried in Cooper plot at Cypress Lawn in spring of 1924 about April.

This would make her born in 1844.

Thomas Howard died at 60 years. Native of Limerick, Ireland. Burried Jan. 25th 1918 Grave belonging to Cooper family, both buried in same plot.

This would make him born in 1858, and about 14 years younger than his wife.

1880 census has Thomas, age 28, born 1852, Mary, age 37, born 1843.

1900 census has Thomas, age 49, born 1854, Mary, age 53, born 1846. (January and October)

1910 census has Thomas, age 55, born 1855, Mary, age 65, born 1845.

Also in 1900 it says they were married 33 years (m. 1867, oldest living child born about 1874). In 1910, it says married 31 years! Married in 1879, after several children were born? Not in THAT Catholic family! It's all whacked. I'm sure the death certificates, assuming I can find them, will have some perpetuated whackadoo information, but at least there will be ONE thing settled, when they did, in fact, die, and where their remains were released. That's two things.

So... off I go... wish me luck!

(HERE'S PART TWO!)