Bernard John Gorman
(Post No. 7) Bernard John Gorman was Michael's son and Popee's grandfather. Bernard was likely named after his uncle, Michael's brother, Bernard "Barney" Gorman, but his mother's father was Bernard Hovestadt, so he was named after his uncle and his maternal grandfather. The name "John" was also used over and over down many generations, as were the names Michael, William, Joseph, Edmond, Mary, Catherine, and Elizabeth. Even "Benedict" shows up at least three times in descendants.
Bernard John was born in Defiance on July 7, 1852. He was the first born and first son of Michael and Sophia's eight children. (Two of their sons and a daughter died in infancy between 1859 and 1862. Bernard did have a younger brother, Michael A., born in 1857, who lived 82 years, but little is known about him. The only hint is in the 1880 Census where he was living at home at age 22, occupation: machinist. He did not appear to have married or had children and died in a Salvation Army home in Toledo, Ohio, in 1939. He outlived all of his siblings.)
Bernard was destined to follow in Michael's footsteps as a grocer, and that is what he did. The store was called "M. Gorman & Son," located at the corner of Fifth and Clinton Streets in Defiance; Bernard worked there with his father until his father’s death in 1889, or for about 20 years.
Bernard married Elizabeth Jane Carney in 1881. They had six children, two of whom died in infancy. Of the remaining four, Edmond Benedict, the only surviving son, became Popee's father. Edmond's sisters were Julia (Jewel), Mary Elizabeth (Bessie), and Geraldine.
Within about five years of Michael's death, Bernard lost everything and moved the family to Chicago. Lawsuits followed and all the property in Defiance that Michael and Sophia had accumulated since their marriage in 1851, and passed down to their children, was sold to pay taxes and creditors. In Chicago, Bernard worked as a salesman of dry goods and that is where he and Elizabeth finished raising their family, as they were all still fairly young.
According to a 1999 telephone interview with our Aunt Adie, who knew her grandparents, Bernard was "just a lovely man," "the dearest thing in the world," and "a very generous man" who let people borrow his money until he was broke, which she says was the reason he lost everything in Defiance. (Bernard could have been overwhelmed with property payments and taxes. The family owned possibly as much as 380 acres scattered just outside Defiance as well as the home and several large lots inside the town.)
The 1900 and 1910 Census records show Bernard and Elizabeth living in Chicago. Their married son, Edmond, (Popee's father) brought them to San Francisco in October 1916 because of Bernard's poor health. Adie said, "It broke his heart, of course, to leave (Defiance). I understand at one time he was quite prosperous and they lived in a big home and had servants and everything."
Bernard died of a heart attack in December 1918 at the age of 65. Elizabeth then lived with Edmond’s family in San Francisco, then in San Mateo when Edmond moved his family there. Elizabeth died in March 1920 at age 63, when Popee was two months old; Popee never knew his grandparents Bernard and Elizabeth Gorman. Adie did because she was 10 years older than Popee.
COMMENTS:
Susie - November 11, 2019
We could have had lots of property in Defiance! Very well done explaining
our roots!
Nancy - November 11, 2019
Thank you Susie. Lots MORE roots to explain, too!
Lindy - November 12, 2019
So interesting to know all the details of our ancestors' lives. Thanks Nancy for all your research. xo
Nancy - November 12, 2019
You are welcome, Lindy! Thank you for reading