Family History: Neely Family in Allegheny County, PA Copyright İ 1998 by John Middleton. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. jmcpa@kcnet.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Mary Margaret Neely and the Neely Family in Western Pennsylvania by John Middleton 3315 W. 91st Street Leawood, Kansas 66206 913-648-3687 jmcpa@kcnet.com Mary Margaret Neely died on July 6, 1983 at the John J. Kane Hosiptal at the age of 99 years. She was interred at the United Cemeteries, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 8, 1983 (1). She was born in Monongahela City, Pennsylvania (2) but lived most of her life in Pittsburgh. She was a registered nurse. She was the last Neely of our family in Pittsburgh. My mother and I found out about her death a short while ago and I have been unable to find any notice of her passing. She was my Great Aunt and I never met with or spoke to her. Her brother, Thomas A. Neely, was my grandfather and died in Chicago, Illinois, February 23, 1923 (3) when my mother was seven months old. Aunt Mary had another brother, John Samuel (Sam) Neely, who died October 19, 1961. (4) Only Thomas married and the Neely family in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County came to and end after 188 years. Aunt Maryıs father was John N. Neely (5) and her mother was Rose Anne Foster. (6) Both were born and lived all their lives in Allegheny County. John N. Neely was a railroad engineer and died when Aunt Mary was eight years old. Rose Anna Neely and her three children moved into a boarding house owned by Rose Annaıs sister Mary (Foster) Mason, wife of Samuel Mason at 531 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh. (9) later Aunt Mary and Rose Anna moved to 2542 Perrysville Avenue. (10) Aunt Mary lived there from August 1923 until sometime in the 1970ıs when my mother lost track of her. John N. Neelyıs father, Thomas Neely (11), was born in Pennsylvania in 1817/1818 (12). He moved to Allegheny City and in 1864 purchased several buildings on Rebecca Street between Scotland and Corry. (13) Rebecca Street became Reedsdale when Allegheny City was annexed by Pittsburgh and is now primarily under Three Rivers Stadium. When Thomas died, October 24 1892 (14), he left those lots to his granchildren. Three of his four children died before him. His first daughter, Clarissa (Neely) Dickey, wife of Samuel Dickey, had three children: Josephine (Dickey) Rineer, wife of S. Rineer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Charles A. Dickey of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Thomas J. Dickey of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. A second daughter, Harriet (Neely) Wilson, wife of Robert Wilson, had six children: Addie, Emma, Jesse, Lucinda (Wilson) Wagner, Charles M. and Frank M. Thomas was living with his third daughter, Mary Jane (Neely) Bell, wife of Joseph C. Bell, in Alliance, Ohio when he died. (15) Rose Anna (Foster) Neelyıs parents were Robert and Margaret Foster. (16) They were born in Ireland; came to the United States in 1855 (17); and settled in Birmingham, Pittsburghıs South Side. They had seven children: Rose Anna, Mary (Foster) Mason, James, Bridget (Foster) White, Margaret (Foster) Sloan, wife of William Sloan, Catherine (Foster) Conrad wife of Richard Conrad, and Sarah (Foster) Sheil, wife of James F. Sheil. Robert Foster died August 19, 1889 (18) and Margaret Foster died February 13, 1906 (19). Both are buried at Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (20) Thomas Neely, Aunt Maryıs grandfather, was the son of Samuel Neely of Pine Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He immigrated from Ireland in the last decade of the 18th Century and settled in Pine Township by 1804. Samuel Neely had 10 children before 1804: John, Samuel, James, Letsy Jane, Alexander, Elizabeth, Rebecca, William, Robert and George. His first wife died and Samuel remarried. His second wife was Mary White(?). (Her maiden name is speculative.) Samuel and Mary had 7 more children: Thomas, Aunt Maryıs grandfather, married Lucinda Glancy; David married Sophia Wright; Nancy married John P. Richey; Hugh married Rachel (Last name unknown); Joseph married Sarah L. (Last name unknown); Jane married Wright (First name unknown); and Henry. (22) Samuel died in February 1829. (23) Mary, his second wife, died April 30, 1863 (24), and is buried at the Ingomar United Methodist Cemetery, formerly known as the Neely Cemetery. (1) Certificate of Death, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, July 7, 1983. (2) Ibid. (3) Standard Certificate of Death, State of Illinois, Department of Health, February 23, 1923. (4) Calvary Cemetery Burial Records, Lot 155, Grave 6, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (5) Op. Cit., Certificate of Death, July 7, 1983 and Thomas Neely Will, Allegheny County (PA) Will Book, p. 188 ff. (6) 1900 US Census, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SD 18, ED 106, Sheets 6 & 7; 1910 US Census, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SD 23, ED322, Sheet 5A; 1920 US Census, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SD 24, ED 729, Sheet 17A. (7) Op. Cit., 1900 US Census and Allegheny County (PA) Deed Book, Vol 709, p. 431. (8) Op. Cit., Deed Book, Vol 709, p. 431 and Op. Cit., Calvary Cemetery, Lot 156, Grave 1. (9) Op. Cit., 1920 US Census. (10) Allegheny County (PA) Deed Book, Vol 2330, pp. 308 & 309. (11) Op. Cit., Thomas Neely Will and 1870 US Census, First Ward Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, p. 59. (12) Ibid. and 1880 US Census, Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, SD 9, ED 3, p. 7. (13) Op. Cit., Thomas Neely Will and Allegheny County (PA) Deed Book, Vol 169, pp. 470-472. (14) Allegheny County (PA) Deed Book, Vol 4200, pp. 625-628 and Stark County (OH) Death Records, Vol 3, p. 386. (15) Op. Cit., Thomas Neely Will. (16) 1870 US Census, Birmingham Second Ward, p. 16 and Allegheny County (PA) Deed Book, Vol 1533, p. 598-600. (Birmingham later beacme the Southside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.) (17) Op. Cit., 1900 US Census. (18) Pittsburgh (PA) Death Records, Vol. 3. (19) Pittsburgh Press, February 15, 1906. (20) Op. Cit., Calvary Burial Records, Lot 155, Grave 1. (21) Ibid. (22) Mary Neely Will, Allegheny County (PA) Will Book, Vol 11, pp. 454 & 455. This will mentions Henry Neely who was not mentioned in Samuel Neelyıs will. It appears that Henry was born after Samuel Neelyıs death. The will was witnessed by Joseph White and Robert White. I have speculated that these were brothers of Mary. (23) Op. Cit., Thomas Neely Will. (24) Ingomar United Methodist Cemetery Records.