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- Mike:
Here are the basics of what I know about Ada's family:
Her parents were Daniel Joseph Finnigan (born April 30, 1866 in San Francisco, died February 12, 1926 in Los Angeles) and Lillian M. Guerin (born December 11, 1870 in San Francisco, died January 03, 1899 in Los Angeles). Daniel and Lillian were both full-blooded Irish. Daniel was a plasterer by trade and for many years owned Pacific Plaster Company in Los Angeles.
Lillian died when Ada and siblings were small children. Until Daniel remarried a few years later he was not able to care for them since he had to work during the day and had no family nearby to watch them. As a result he had to put them in Catholic orphanages during that period. The boys went into St. Catherine's Orphan Asylum, in Anaheim, California, while the girls went into St. Catherine's Orphan Asylum in San Bernardino, California. They show up there on the 1900 census. I understand that Lillian is buried in a Catholic cemetery in Belvedere Gardens, near Los Angeles.
The other children apart from Ada were my great-grandmother Florence Mae (born March 03, 1891, died November 20, 1986), Edward, and John (who went by his middle name of Arthur).
Unfortunately I know nothing about Lillian's parents other than that they were Irish and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Daniel's parents were Edward Finnigan and Catherine, last name unknown, apparently both born in Ireland. Daniel, parents, and Daniel's siblings show up on the 1880 census in San Francisco. (Edward's name is spelled simply Edw. on the census, and Catherine's name is given as Catharine.) Edward also shows up in a boarding house (occupation plasterer) on the 1900 census in San Francisco.
My grandmother and I have looked high and low trying to take the Finnigans or Guerins back beyond that, but so far with no luck. If you have any additional information -- or come across any in the future -- we would be grateful if you could share it. I hope this was of some interest to you.
I am copying my grandmother Virginia on this message. Feel free to write to either of us if you have any questions.
Best regards,
George
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