William Henry McGaffin 1845-1927

A notable relative in my tree is my 3x great grandfather's brother William Henry McGaffin who founded the Bellwod Gazette. William was born on 22 April 1845 in county down to James and Matilda McGaffin (his mother's maiden and married name is McGaffin). It is not clear as to exactly when he moved to the United States but before doing so he married Marjery Clendennin Martin on 9th January 1868. They went on to have 13 children:

1.  James McGaffin b. 26th October 1868 in Newry and d. 20th September 1869 in Ireland
2. William Henry McGaffin Jnr. b. 12th December 1869 in Poughkeepsie, m. Gretta Marr and d. 8th January 1945 in Los Angeles. They had two children:

•  Margaret Clendennin McGaffin b. 16th September 1906 in Nebraska, m. Ray R Young 22nd July 1931 in Orange, California and d. 1989 in Langua Beach, Orange, California.
• James Marr McGaffin b. 24th April 1902 in Nebraska and d.13th July 1984 in Orange, California

3. Hugh Martin McGaffin b. 28th March 1872 in Poughkeepsie, m. Nell Derby on 11th November 1894 in Bellwood, Nebraska and d. 22 March 1949 in Douglas, Nebraska. They had three children:

• Ruth D. McGaffin b. November 1895 in Nebraska
• Nellie Mae McGaffin b. 16th May 1899 in Nebraska and d. 2nd September 1975 in North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska
• Charles William McGaffin b. 2nd November 1910 in David City, Butler, Nebraska and d. April 1975 in Washington

4. Robert Henry  b. 2nd June 1874 in Dutchess, New York, m. Catherine Chisholm. They had four children:

• Christina Margery McGaffin b. 21 May 1904 in Glasgow, Scotland and d. January 1985 in Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas
• Catherine Gladys McGaffin b. 26th August 1907 in Scotland, m. Henry Arthur Glade - had one son
• Kenneth George McGaffin b. 16th February 1911 in Scotland, m. Irene Virginia Baughart and d. 19th October 2001 in Kaufman, Texas
• Ronald Russell McGaffin b. 8th March 1916 in Nebraska

5. Marjery  Clendennin McGaffin b. 11th January 1875 in Poughkeepsie, m. Ubbie Gerhardt Johan Nantkes and d. 29th April 1950 in Schuyler, Colfax, Nerbaska. They had four children:

• Louis W Nantkes b. 21st February 1901 in Rising City, Butler, Nebraska and d. 14th January 1979 in Alysses, Nebraska
• Burdette Frederick Nantkes b. 23rd April 1907 in Rising City, m. Pearl Polark on 28th January 1925 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa. They had two sons
• Vivian Isabella Nantkes b. 24th February 1911 in Bellwood, Butler, Nebraska and d. 3rd April 2008 in Schuyler, Colfax, Nebraska
• Richard Nantkes b. 1918 and d. 1918

6. George McGaffin b. 27th July 1877, m. Mary Margaret Brown and d. 20th July 1957 in York, Nebraska. They had four children:

• Mary Margaret Susan McGaffin b. 22nd November 1900 in Newry and d. December 1996 in California
• Merna May McGaffin b. 2nd May 1916 in Nebraska, m. Kaltenborn and d. 5th March 1968 in  Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania
• William G McGaffin b. June 1918 in Nebraska
• Albert McGaffin b. 20th December 1919 in York, Nebraska and d. 19th July 1996 in Boise, Ada, Idaho

7. James Martin McGaffin b. 27th June 1879, m. Margaret Helen Leary on 8th July 1914 in Atlantic, Cass, Iowa and d. September 1965 in Nebraska. There was one son James Martin McGaffin Jnr. b. 19th April 1921 in Nebraska, m. Louise Alice and d. 18th April 1985 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska

8. Joseph McGaffin b. 16th September 1881, m. Kate Burkey and d. 30th October 1962 in Iowa. They had five children:

• Wesley Claude McGaffin b. 29th March 1909 and d. 6th November 1923 in Bellwood, Butler Nebraska
• McGaffin b. 25th November 1910 and d. 25th November 1910 in Nebraska
• Fae McGaffin b. 9th January 1912 and d. 25th February 1912 in Nebraska
• Bernice McGaffin b. 1914 in Nebraska and d. 3rd June 1988 in Nevada
• Pauline McGaffin b. June 1919 in Nebraska

9. Fred John McGaffin b. 12th June 1883 in Poughkeepsie, m. Jessie Melissa Sleazer on 2nd May 1912 in Cherokee, Iowa and d. May 1967 in Cherokee, Iowa. There was one son Vernon Dale McGaffin b. 20th November 1920 in Iowa and d. 14th February 1972 in Seattle, King, Washington

10. Margaret McGaffin b. 30th April 1885 in Nebraska, m. Ralph Harris and d. September 1973 in Orange, California. They had seven children:

• Verla J Harris b. 1920
• Everett Henry Harris b.  18 July 1910 in Nebraska, m. Edith Katherine Hamburger on 31st December 1942 in Los Angeles and d. 20th December 1989 in California.
• Harold J. Harris b. 25th November 1913 in Nebraska and d. 2nd May 2001 in Orange
• Harriet Evelyn Harris b. 25th November 1913 in Nebraska, m. Clinton Edward Polark on 28th November 1942 in LA and d. August 1993 in Pima, Arizona
• Verna J. Harris b. 1920
• Dorthea Harris b. 6th June 1906 in Nebraska, m Charles N. Smith on 7th May 1929 and d. 13th July 1998 in Bellwood. They had two children
• Ardella Harris b. 23rd November 1908 in Nebraska, m. Eugene Peters and d. 23rd March 2006 in Downey, LA

11. Walter Hewitt McGaffin b. 11th September 1886 in Nebraska, m. Josephine Vodica and d. 04th October 1968 in LA. They had five children:

• Eileen Charlotte McGaffin b. 2nd October 1916 in Nebraska and m. (1) Salvatore Amato (2)Raymond Paul Ravenelle on 23rd August 1947 in LA and d. 28th August 1983 in LA
• Marcia Beth McGaffin b. 15th January 1923 in Nebraska, m. Robert Boyer Maas on 18th September 1943 in California and d. 19th December 2012 in LA
• Curtis Hewitt McGaffin b. 10th April 1910 in Nebraska, m. Audrey Merle Romoser on 26th November 1932 in Washington and d. 12th December 2003 in Anne Arundel, Maryland. They had two children
• Merlie May McGaffin b. 19th May 1911 in Nebraska, m. Roy A. Bruning and d. 24th June 2002 in Bruning, Thayer, Nebraska

12. Matilda McGaffin b. 14th September 1888, m. Jay Chester Mahlin on 22nd September 1910 in Omaha and d. 12th May 1989 in Oregon. They had one son:

• Willis E. Mahlin b. 16th August 1918 in Nebraska, m. Laura E. Pedley on 16th August 1939 in  Lexington, Dawson, Nebraska and d. 5th March 2003 in Prineville, Crook, Oregon.

13. Nellie McGaffin b. 16th July 1890

 There is a suggestion that James Martin and George were born in Newry but this has not been proven. William Henry Snr's father James died October 1895 but he does not appear to be mentioned in his will. It could be that maybe he thought William was successful enough not to need any money.

The equipment for the paper was bought about 1885 but delays meant that The Bellwood Gazette did not begin publishing until 9th January 1886. William Henry Snr ran the paper with his family for 41 years until he died on 30th January 1927 aged 82. At the time of his death he was one of the state's oldest publishers.  His wife Marjery had died in 1901 and William married Claude Hagenbuch in 1906. They had one son Wesley (23/03/1909-06/11/1923). Claude continued to run the Gazette until her death in 1937. The Gazette was purchased by the Butler County Press and renamed The Banner Press. Editions of the Gazette are available to view in microfilm. Some of his sons did follow their father into the printing business with Hugh becoming the editor and publisher of the Polk Progress.

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