The Eight Missing Children

 

Elizabeth Payne Curran was the mother of 17 children, of whom 8 died as babies. There is no mention of any of these eight children (beyond their existence) in any oral history that I have discovered.

 

Agnes Curran

Record of Baptism

Name: Agnes Curran
Born: 28 Dec 1874
Baptized 28 Dec 1874
Parents: Daniel Curran    Elizabeth Payne
Godparent: Catherine Melone
Priest: John Schultz, S.J.
The fact that there was only one godparent suggests that the priest was concerned that Agnes might die before a godfather could be found.

Agnes is apparently the only one of the eight unfortunate children who was baptized by a priest. We know, however, that she was gone before the census of 1 June 1880. I would expect that each of the other seven babies was baptized by the midwife or by a member of the Curran family as soon as it seemed that death was imminent.

 

Two Curran children were buried in Calvary Cemetery, Evanston IL, in a lot purchased by Daniel Curran on 18 Nov 1884 (Lot 112, Block 38, Section V):
 Date of
Interment
 Name  Age  Address
18 Nov 1884 Edward F. Curran 1 yr 9 mo 0 days 730 S. Centre Av.
13 Jun 1887 Infant Curran 8 hours  
 Note: The address of Edward F. Curran was the same as the address of Daniel Curran [DS.4] as listed in the Chicago Directory for 1884.

 

Top of Page | Curran Table of Contents | Curran References