John Thomas O'Brien

John was born in Ireland, family tradition says Tipperary, (some even suggest the Silvermines area) and came to USA in 1854.  His father's name was Patrick.  They settled in Niagara county New York until the Civil War which took John to Wisconsin.  It was there he met and married Julia Cruden and they went to New York in 1870, rejoining his father.  John and his father Patrick bought acreage in Hartland, Niagara, New York in 1874 and sold it in 1878, whereupon John, Julia and their children returned to Westport, Dodge, Wisconsin  and lived there until his death in 1912.  They had nine children -- Thomas Cornelius, Mary Ann, Amelia Agnes, Teresa, John Patrick, Julia 'June', Francis Tobias, Pamphilus Joseph and William Christopher. 

Some family trees have claimed John's mother was Ann Rigan, but no one seems to have any proof of that.  Since Patrick & Ann and John & Julia all lived together for 4 years in Hartland, you would think Julia would know if Ann was John's mother.  And yet on John's death information Julia has given the information that John's father's name was Patrick; John's mother's name is unknown.  Possibly Patrick had a wife that died in Ireland??