Mary O'Brien
Mary O'Brien was born in about December 1811. Her gravestone gives her age at death as 73 years, 2 months and 25 days. The census of 1870 gives her birthplace as Virginia, and her memorial as Loudoun County; the censuses of 1850 and 1860 entered it as Ireland.
She married Peter O'Brien, an Irish-born farmer, and their first two sons, Samuel and Thomas, were born in Virginia. Peter went ahead to Kendall County, Illinois, where he was among the first settlers of Seward Township about 1839, and Mary and the boys followed in 1841. Five more children were born in Illinois.
In 1850 the census found Mary at the head of the household in Kendall County, aged 39, with seven children from Samuel, 13, down to James, 2. In 1860 and 1870 she was with Peter on their farm in Seward. They sold land there together in 1868 and 1873. Peter died in February 1879.
Mary died on 10 March 1885, by her gravestone, and was buried beside Peter in Seward Mound Cemetery. The stone reads MARY, WIFE OF PETER O'BRIEN, DIED MAR. 10, 1885, AGED 73 YS. 2 MOS. 25 DS.
Family accounts give her maiden name as Donohoe, and her eldest son carried it as a middle name, Samuel Donohoe O'Brien. Her memorial names her parents as Samuel Donohoe (1752-1822) and Margaret Elgin.
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Cite: Heirology, "Mary O'Brien (1811-1885)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/mary-o-brien-1811-1885-0f2f33.