[--?--], Margaret

  Noted events in her life were:

• Census Record: 4 Jun 1880, Andalusia Township, Rock Island County, Illinois. Line 17; Dwelling 32; Family 52
Oldham, Margaret white male 47 wife married House House Keeping Ireland Ireland Ireland

• Personal notes: from Elaine Ballhagen, 2 Apr 2006. ²¹²¹ She immigrated from Ireland, married a widower, raised his children, bore 11 children (a son died young) moved constantly, and was widowed at age 57. Aftr Absolom died she and the boys homesteaded in South Dakota and North Dakota.

A couple of years ago I traveled to Perkins County, South Dakota, to visit the homestead location. The land is now 'Government Ground'. I think that means that there is no way to live on the land and pay the taxes. It is rented by a rancher. I showed him the map and he took me to spot where he saw remnants of dwellings. I was totally stunned by how primitive the spot would have been. It appeared that she/they were living in a dug-out in the hill side. What an awful end to her life. She died in 1912.

Margaret married Absalom OLDHAM. (Absalom OLDHAM was born about 1824 in Pennsylvania and died about 1888.)