Mary Ann Ducklow and Family

Mary Ann was Thomas and Elizabeth Dukelow's first child, born on Christmas day, 1842 near Rochester in New York State. When Mary Ann was age five she moved with her parents from the Rochester to their homesteaded land in Ashippun Township in Dodge County, Wisconsin. She lived a child’s pioneer farm life. As the first born, much was expected of her in helping her mother prepare meals, clean, and take care of many younger siblings, along with daily chores. She attended some primary school that was walking distance from the Dukelow farm.



Mary Ann Ducklow Good

Marriage to Francis “Frank” Gallagher Good

When she was 23 years old, Mary Ann married Francis “Frank” Gallagher Good in Nashotah at the Chapel of Saint Mary the Virgin. The wedding date was the 31st of March 1865. Frank was 24 years of age.

Frank Gallagher Good

The Good and Dukelow families had a long association, perhaps expanding decades while both families were in Ireland. Thomas Good, her father-in-law, was also Mary Ann’s baptismal sponsor at her Christening at St. Luke’s Church in Rochester. This occurred when she was just three months old. Both families decided to move from New York to Wisconsin. While Thomas and Elizabeth settled in Dodge County, their friend Thomas Good bought land in Dane County, some 50 miles to the west.

Today, the Good family is counted among the first settlers to Cottage Grove Township in Dane County. Thomas Good came to Cottage Grove in 1845. Their homestead is near a place called Seminary Spring and stands only a short distance east of the Seminary Springs Schoolhouse. The home still exists today and has much charm with an appealing brick exterior. Frank and Mary Ann inherited this farmhouse from Frank’s father and is where they farmed and raised their family. The farmstead remained in the Good family for over 140 years, but was sold outside the family in the 1980s.

In the 1960s Interstate 94 was constructed and lies just a few yards to the south of the historic farmhouse and barn. If you know where to look you can see it as you travel east towards Milwaukee from Madison.


Good Family Homestead Near Seminary Springs, Dane County, Wisconsin. Photo taken October 2007.





Together, Mary Ann and Frank Good had seven children on this farm between the years 1867 and 1875: (1) James W, (2) William Thomas, (3) Francis G, (4) George F, (5) Charles J, (6) Nellie J, and (7) Sidney E. Together they created a very successful farm. Barbara R. Good, a granddaughter who knew her grandparents well, wrote: “Grandfather was kindly with a sense of humor and was exceptionally proud. He acquired several farms and they lived in a stately red brick house. They always had a hired girl, and the family lived a comfortable life.”



Good Family Photo Circa 1907; Compare with the color photo taken in Oct 2007


Frank’s death was both sudden and tragic. In late July of 1924 there was a Ducklow family gathering in Barron County, at the farm of John and Elizabeth (nee Ducklow) Hanson. Frank and John went into the nearest town to re-supply needed groceries for the event. John had recently bought a new 1923 Ford Coupe that he enjoyed showing off, so this what they drove to Poskin. They collected the needed supplies at the Farmer's store started back home. No doubt deep in conversation, their car came to the railroad crossing just to the north of town. As they crossed the tracks, an east-bound SOO passenger train slammed into their car throwing them some distance and killing them both instantly. Frank did have a long life, as he was 84 at his death. Sadly, John Hanson, age 68, had apparently just retired from farming.


Mary Ann Ducklow Good lived another eight years after Frank's death. She died 25 May 1931 at age 88. She and Frank are both buried in the Cottage Grove Cemetery near their family farm in Dane County. Three of their seven children, William, Nellie, and Sidney, are also buried in the same family plot.

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Interconnected Families – A Shared Faith Community

John and Elizabeth Dukelow (Thomas’ parents) were one family of a cluster of Protestant families that were tightly interconnected. Catholic tenant farmers dominated the population in much of County Cork, Ireland. But, as a result of some artifacts of ancient land ownership rights, there was a small concentrated group of Protestants tenant farmers in far western side of Cork. Because of so few Protestants families around them, these families formed a tight and complex social network with each other. Nearly all the Protestant families there were either related by blood or by marriage. These inter-family complexities occurred for many generations, with the subculture reinforced by Penal Laws (see the History Back Drop on Penal Laws). From the outside this group appeared to be one large extended family. Family names in this cluster included the Swantons, Goods, Roycrafts, Loves, Youngs, and likely also included the Gallaghers and Nicholsons.

These strong inter-family relationships continued when families emigrated from Ireland to New York State and held fast as some families from this cluster eventually settled in Wisconsin.

One example of this interconnectedness is revealed around the Christening and eventual wedding of Thomas and Elizabeth’s first born, Mary Ann. Mary Ann’s baptismal sponsor when she was three months old was Thomas Good. Twenty-two years later, the same Thomas Good became her father-in-law! Mary Ann married Frank Good, son of Thomas Good, in the year 1865. This wedding appears to have been an "arranged" marriage. Mary Ann lived in Dodge County and Frank lived in Dane County. This distance of 60 or more miles was a major obstacle to romance in the 1860s! Imagine the effort it took to travel that distance (and back) by horse. Frank and Mary Ann had only met each other two or perhaps three times before their wedding. However, they apparently got along well as there marriage lasted over 59 years!

The strong inter-family relationships also became a part of the political picture in Rochester New York during the 1800s. The Dukelow family was part of what was labeled the “99 Cousins” which controlled much the Rochester City government in the 1840s and 1850s. More on what were called the “99 Cousins” will be discussed later.

Thomas and Elizabeth’s son John T married twice. His second marriage in 1904 may be some of the last vestiges of this closely connected extended family group. John’s marriage, at age 57 is to his first cousin, Kathryn Nicholson, age 37. Kathryn is Elizabeth’s niece, daughter of Elizabeth’s brother George Nicholson [see separate discussion about George Nicholson under post "Elizabeth Nicholson's Family.]