When Christina O'Rourke, age 22, who was born in Killowen, arrived in the United States on October 6, 1906, she said that she was headed to the home of her aunt Celina Kelly, at 122 East 4th, Chicago, Illinois ---
We arrive at Selina (McVeigh) Kelly by way of her niece Christina (O'Rourke) Flood, whom we discussed in the last article, Christina O'Rourke, Killowen to Chicago.
When Christina O'Rourke, age 22, who was born in Killowen, arrived in the United States on October 6, 1906, she said that she was headed to the home of her aunt Celina Kelly, at 122 East 4th, Chicago, Illinois.1
The names Selina M'Veigh and Bernard Kelly are both listed on the same page of the Civil Registration Marriage Index for the second quarter of 1882 in Kilkeel district. The actual marriage record should confirm that they married each other, and not any of the other five people on the page.2
Edited March 2018. They were married May 4, 1882, in the Catholic chapel at Massforth.
There is a birth record for a child, Annie Kelly on May 8, 1888, in Lake, Cook County, Illinois. Her parents' names are Salina McVeigh and Barney Kelly.3
In 1900, there is a Bernard and Salina Kelly at 546 or 548 West 42nd St., Chicago, with a daughter Annie and six other children. In 1910 they are at 5629 Grove Ave. They have boarding with them a Patrick Doyle, age 24. Patrick could be Salina's nephew if he is related to the James Doyle who is in the John McVeigh household in Dunnaval, Mourne, County Down, in 1901. 4, 5 See the previous article, mentioned above.
In 1920 Selina, now Celia, Kelly is widowed and living at 6508 King Ave with daughters Anna, Mary, and Helen still at home.6
Finally, there is a death record for a Celia Kelly born in County Down who died May 12, 1926, in Chicago. She was widowed, and her spouse was Bernard Kelly. There is no image available online and her parents' names are transcribed as John McGee and Mary McVeigh. I would be surprised if the names on the actual record weren't actually Mary McGee and John McVeigh instead.7
So I think it is safe to say that this Selina (McVeigh) Kelly is a daughter of John McVeigh and Mary McGee of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel, Ireland, and is the sister of Margaret McVeigh, wife of William Rourke in Ballyneddan Townland, Kilbroney. Work backward to see the earlier articles in this series.
Selina's birth date is difficult to determine. Her death record says she was born August 15, 1866. Her 1900 Census information says she was born in December 1873 but had been married 18 years. Her 1910 and 1920 censuses would put her birth year about 1863 or 1864. And there is a Selina Kelly, age 21, who passes through Castle Garden in 1884 that may be her. My guess is she was born about 1862 or 1863.
Concluded in John and Mary (McGee) McVeigh of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel.
2. Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958, Volume 1, page 714. For Selina: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYWM-34F, and for Bernard: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYWM-RNG.
3. "Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQYK-MPR : accessed 22 Nov 2013), Salina Mcveigh in entry for Annie Kelly, 08 May 1888.
4. "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSQG-JFC : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Annie Kelly in household of Bernard Kelly, ED 878 Precinct 17 Lake town Chicago city Ward 29, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing sheet 5A, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1240280.
5. "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK8C-TYJ : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Bernard Kelley, Chicago Ward 31, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing sheet , family 209, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374290.
6. "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ7N-VL9 : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Celia Kelly, Chicago Ward 32, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States; citing sheet , family 249, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1820349.
7. Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947, ancestry.com.