Anna Mae “Annie” (Finnegan) Clark, 1900–1949

Annie was born in Cloonflad, Galway, Ireland, on 13 July 1900. Her parents were John Finnegan and Anna Patton. She had one full sister, Martha Bridget Finnegan, and six half siblings, the children of John Finnegan and his first wife, Bridget Diffley. Annie was baptized at the parish church of Kiltullagh on 15 July 1900.

She may have come to America in 1926, sailing on the SS Caledonia into New York City, but the evidence for that is slim. She did come at some time, however, perhaps joining her sister Martha Bridget in time for Martha’s wedding in 1932 at the New Cathedral in St. Louis,

By 1936, she was living at 3447 Montana in St. Louis and engaged to Bernard Francis “Barney” Clark. How they met is a mystery, but what is certain is that they were married on 25 June 1936, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, which was her parish. Barney’s sister Helen and his brother Clarence were their witnesses. She had been married once before, but that marriage had been annulled.

Their first home together was at 2919 Shenandoah, but they soon decided to have a home of their own rather than a rental and bought a newly built house in Shrewsbury at 7410 Murdoch. They were there by the time of the 1940 federal census, and Annie had begun the naturalization process for citizenship.

Unfortunately, Annie was not in good health. She had suffered rheumatic fever as a child and her heart had never really recovered. She died on 29 May 1949, of a coronary occlusion.

She was buried from St. Michael’s Church in Shrewsbury and laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery.

Submitted by Janet Clark Bagley
May 2024

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