The Thomas J Reardon and Agnes Whealon Family Identified in the Sacred Heart Church, Notre Dame, St. Joseph County, Indiana Records: An Analysis of Their Families Irish Origins and Settlement in the Niles, Berrien County, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana Border Area and their Move Onward to Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan

According to the Sacred Heart Church, Notre Dame Marriage Record, Thomas J Reardon (the son of Davidii and Anna Eagan of Berrien County, Michigan) married Agnes Whealan (daughter of Thomas and Margareta Ryan of Sacred Heart Parish in South Bend) on May 15, 1890. The Indiana Marriage Collection confirms this marriage. When the 1900 US Census was conducted, Thomas, wife Agnes B, sons Joseph D, Thomas M, Marie A, Daniel J and George L were all living in Detroit, Ward 15, Wayne County, Michigan. Thomas was born in Berrien County, Michigan on July 17, 1864. The 1900 US Census confirms his birth in Michigan in July 1864 (dad born in Ireland, mom in Michigan). He had been married for 10 years to Agnes B and he was employed as a Policeman. Agnes was born February 1865 in Indiana (parents born in Ireland). They had 5 children with 5 living. Joseph D was 8 born April 1892, Thomas 6 was born September 1893, Marie A was 4 born July 1895, Daniel was 3 born October 1896 and George L was 1 born October 1888.

This family remained in Detroit, Ward 15, Wayne County, Michigan throughout the 1910-1930 Census, but Agnes appears to die some time before the 1910 Census was conducted, where Thomas J is listed as being in his second marriage to Millice (born in Michigan, dad in Germany, mom in Michigan). Mary, Daniel and George live with them in 1910 and by 1930, Thomas is 66 and retired with wife Millie age 53.

According to a Michigan Death Certificate, Thomas J Reardon, son of Daniel Reardojn and Anna Eagon appears to have died a married man at the age of 74 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on March 30, 1939. (He was born July 17, 1864 in Niles , Michigan.

The objective of this compilation is to try to establish the earliest possible evidence of this family in the United States through all available resources.

This will most definitely be a work in progress and all findings I speculate on would have to be proven for accuracy with Ireland and U.S. marriage records, church baptismal records and death records among other genealogical resources. Please use this information with that caveat in mind so that nothing is assumed and no stones are left unturned to assure it's your family and the connection is accurate. Please contact me if you feel that you are descended from this South Bend Indiana Irish family so that we can share information, see if there were common migration trails followed and delve further back into their origins in Ireland!

The following is a brief summary of what I have discovered about their children thus far:

  1. Joseph D Reardon appears to have headed west sometime before 1920 where he is listed as being a 27 year old single boarder in Salt Lake City, Utah (employed as a Electrician at a Power Plant). He then appears to marry Tressa Ann Pickering in 1922 in Salt Lake City according to the Western States Marriage Index. He is listed as dying at the young age of 28 on December 12, 1922 in Utah County, Utah and is then buried in Payson City Cemetery. (This all needs to be confirmed with marriage records confirming his parents names and death records etc).
  2. Thomas M Reardon. Thomas was September 12, 1843 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Thomas married Maude E Hension on June 27, 1922 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan (she was the daughter of John C Hension and Eliz. Diselrod). According to a Michigan Death Certificate for him, he was a 49 year old married man at the time of his death (the son of Thomas J Reardon and Agnes Whalen).
  3. Marie A Reardon.
  4. Daniel James Reardon. According to a WWI Draft Registration card, Daniel was 21 yrs old, born October 20, 1896 in Detroit Michigan. His Father Thomas J Reardon residing at 44 Trowbridge in Detroit was his nearest relative. Daniel was employed? at Grace Hospital (same Address, perhaps a patient). He is listed as being paralyzed on his left side.
  5. George L Reardon.