Michael John O'Keeffe ^{2 3 4}

   Other names for Michael were Michael John Keeffe and Michael John O'keefe.

  General Notes:

Source: Notes from John L. and LaVonne (Shipe) Drugan Family History, 1979, as told to Carl Keefe by his father, William John Keefe:

Michael John O'Keeffe came to America in 1840 and settled in Pennsylvania. He left Pennsylvania and moved to Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. He came back to the U.S., alone, to work during the time of the Civil War and died of a fever, leaving a wife and 4 children (one was Elizabeth Jane O'Keeffe who married Patrick Drugan, Jr.) William John O'Keeffe (Carl Keefe's father), was "given" to a French family in Canada. Later, the French family moved to the U.S., taking William with them and settling in French Town across from Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.

(UPDATE - Michael John Keeffe was shown with his family on the 1851 Canadian Census in West Kemptville, Ontario but is missing on the 1855 Canadian Census in the same location. Therefore it would appear that he moved to the United States sometime between 1851 and 1855 which was quite a few years before the Civil War. This is a slight variance on the story as told years later by his son, William John Keeffe through Carl Keeffe who had said that Michael did not come to the US until the time of the Civil War.)
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The name O'Keeffe was changed to "Keeffe" when the postmaster in Trempealeau had trouble distinguishing one O'Keeffe family from another.

(UPDATE - Canadian census records from as early as 1848, 1851 and 1855 show the use of the spelling "Keeffe" so the story about the change in spelling because of the postmaster's difficulties in Trempealeau would seem to be more family lore than fact.)
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The O'Keeffe-Drugan connection may have stemmed from the fact that both families lived at one time in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.)
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  Noted events in his life were:

1. Alt. Birth, 1824, County Cork, Ireland. ²

2. 1848 Census of Lower Canada, 1848, Oxford (Oxford-on-the-Rideau), Grenville, Ontario, Canada. 1848 Ontario, Canada Census
Oxford (Oxford-on-the-Rideau), Grenville County, Ontario, Canada
LAC # M-5909
Head of Household: Keef, Michael
Record No. 1649
Lot No. 27
Concession No.: 3
Occupation: Joiner
Total people in household: 3

3. 1851 Canada West Census, 1851, West Kemptville, Oxford Township, Grenville, Ontario, Canada. ⁴ 1851 Ontario, Canada
Page 55, Line 9 Sub-District 103
West Kemptville, Oxford Township, Grenville County, Ontario (Canada West)
M. Keeffe..27..Roman Catholic..IRE..Carpenter

(Living with wife and 2 children.)

NOTE - If his birth date was in 1819, then his age should have been about 32 instead of 27.

4. Alt. Death, 1862, Nebraska, United States.

Michael married Margaret O'Shea, daughter of Edmund O'Shea and O'conner, in 1842 in County Cork, Ireland.^{2 3} (Margaret O'Shea was born on 2 July 1827 in Watergrasshill, County Cork, Ireland,^{2 6 7} died on 8 January 1912 in Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States ^{2 3} and was buried after 8 January 1912 in Old Catholic Cemetery, Trempealeau, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, United States.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

1. 1848 Census of Lower Canada, 1848, Oxford (Oxford-on-the-Rideau), Grenville, Ontario, Canada. 1848 Ontario, Canada Census
Oxford (Oxford-on-the-Rideau), Grenville County, Ontario, Canada
LAC # M-5909
Head of Household: Keef, Michael
Record No. 1649
Lot No. 27
Concession No.: 3
Occupation: Joiner
Total people in household: 3

2. 1851 Canada West Census, 1851, West Kemptville, Oxford Township, Grenville, Ontario, Canada. ⁴ 1851 Canada West Census
Page 55, Line 9 Sub-District 103
West Kemptville, Oxford Township, Grenville County, Ontario (Canada West), Canada
M. Keeffe..27..Roman Catholic..IRE..Carpenter
Margaret Keeffe..24..Roman Catholic..IRE
Mary Keeffe..4..Roman Catholic..CAN
Edmond Keeffe..1..Roman Catholic..CAN

(Note: Lived next to a grist mill)

3. 1861 Canada West Census, 1861, Kemptville, Grenville, Ontario, Canada. ⁸ 1861 Canada West Census
Page 5, Line 47, District 1
Kemptville, Grenville County, Ontario, Canada
Frame House, 1-1/2 Stories, Single Family Home
Margaret Keeffe..33..IRE..Catholic..Married..Widowed
Mary Keeffe..13..CAN..Catholic
Edmund Keeffe..10..CAN..Catholic
Elizabeth Keeffe..7..CAN..Catholic

Margaret was listed was a widow but Michael O'Keeffe did not die until 1869.