CATHERINE “KATE” CLEARY STACK

Born December 1, 1874 Gridley Township, McLean County Illinois

Died June 14, 1951 Peoria Illinois

By granddaughter Mary Stack 2019

Kate and her twin sister Elizabeth were born in Gridley Township, McLean County IL on Dec 1 1874,

daughters of Irish immigrants Michael and Sarah Murphy Cleary. The 8th/9th of 12 children. They were

not identical twins, Kate looking most like sister Sally Huguet.

Kate grew up on her father’s farm east of El Paso. Most of her childhood was lived at her father’s first

farm next to her uncle Thomas and Martin’s farms. When Kate was nearly grown, the family moved 1

mile north and east to a new home on Rt 24. (The house still stands in 2019.)

Michael & Sarah Cleary’s new farmhome on Rt 24 east

of El Paso circa 1890. Boys: Ed, J.T. or Will, Pat. Girls:

Bess, Kate, Lucy. Michael and wife Sarah in middle.

Growing up within a mile of her future husband Martin Stack they likely attended the same country

school, Grand View on Rt 24. Grand View School was built in 1873 sitting on land donated by Cornelius

Hayes. Martin Stack’s immigrant mother Winifred was its first teacher.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church, El Paso Illinois

The original 1865 wooden church was replaced by

the current brick church which was finished in 1898.

When Kate and Martin married here the church was

only two years old.

1895 Main Street, El Paso.

Note unfinished water

tower. Town as it

appeared in Kate and

Martin’s youth.

When Kate was young the St. Mary’s Social Club was popular.

Kate and Martin Stack Married 1900

Kate married neighbor Martin Stack Jan 24, 1900 at St. Mary’s El Paso IL. Martin’s parents were Irish

immigrants as were Kate’s. They were married on a Wednesday morning and were attended by Tim

Enright and the bride’s twin sister Elizabeth. Newspaper quote “After the ceremony a most elaborate

wedding dinner was served at the bride’s home. A great many relatives and friends were present. Mr.

and Mrs Stack took the 1:25 train for Chicago where they visited with the groom’s mother and sister and

other relatives. They will also visit Paxton and Bloomington before returning to El Paso. They will reside

on the Stack homestead, two miles east of El Paso.” Martin’s father John Stack had died just a year

previous and his mother was living in Chicago with daughters. Martin’s mother would die just 5 months

after their marriage.

After marriage they lived at the Stack place (one mile west and one mile north of Kate’s home) where

Martin was farming with his brother John. Martin’s father’s estate was settled in March 1901 when his

farm sold. Martin and his siblings each inherited $686. It is unknown if Martin and Kate continued to

live there at the Stack place after 1901 or rented nearby.

Shortly after Kate was married she took the train out west to Oklahoma to her sister Nell Alexander’s.

She returned with Nell’s five year old daughter Sarah Marguerite “Sis” Alexander. Kate would raise “Sis”

as her own. Sis also spent time with Cleary relatives around Paxton and at times in Oklahoma with her

parents. (Note: My father though of “Sis” as a sister. Sis left each of the Stack “siblings” a bequest in her

will and she is buried with the Stack’s at St. Mary’s)

Kate’s first child Marguerite Elizabeth was born Nov 1, 1900. Their second child died at birth in 1902.

From 1904 – 1917 eight more children were born. Winifred Marie “Marie”, Clement James “Clem”,

Garnet Michael “Spot”, John Raymond “Ray”, William Martin “Bill”, Donald Cleary “Bud”, Edwin Francis

“Ed”, Kathryn.

In 1907 Kate inherited $10,000 from her father, Michael Cleary, and they purchased 120 acres from

the Bruning estate east of El Paso and just behind her father’s farm and within the square mile where all

the Cleary immigrants had settled. Here the remainder of the Stack children were born.

According to notes from their grandson Terry Kimpler, about 1920 Martin sold (traded according the

newspaper) his 120 acre farm east of El Paso and bought 320 acres from the Colburn’s 4 miles west on

Rt. 24.

The two story house had a water pump in the kitchen and an outhouse but no indoor bath until 1950.

Downstairs was a parlor, living room and kitchen. Upstairs were 3 bedrooms: Martin and Kate, three

daughters, and one for the hired man. A large second floor storage room served as a bedroom for the

six boys.

Martin had the farm over half paid for when the depression hit. Many farmers at that time were simply

paying as they could and were able to keep their farms. During the depression the Stacks cut wood to

supply the local bakery. $5 would buy the groceries.

During the Depression Martin borrowed money from Mr. Theady for feed, etc. He signed a contract

using his farm as collateral. Martin was unable to pay Mr. Theady and in 1933 signed his farm over to

Mr. Theady.

From 1933 until 1953 the Stacks (Martin with sons Clem, Don and Ed farming) remained living on that

farm and cash renting. They tried to buy the farm back but could not.

Kate’s life with Martin was a busy one as a farm wife and mother of nine children. Two of her sons

served in World War II and one was wounded. Her eldest son Clem was killed in a car accident in May

1947. Neighbors turned out with 18 tractors and prepared Stack land for planting. Lester Pfister sent a

field cultivator and 4 row corn planter and planted 85 acres.

Kate remained close to her sisters and brothers. Besides visiting back and forth there was an annual

family reunion at Miller Park in Bloomington.

Ed, Molly Corbett, J.T., Bess Head, Pat

Front: Ed, Pat

Back: Sally Huguet, Kate Stack, Bess

Head, Molly Corbett

Help, I’ve lost the names. Can you help? I know for sure:

Front: xxxx, Kate, xxx, xxx

Back: xxx, Ed, Will, J.T

Martin and Catherine both died in 1951 and were buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery. All of their children

except son Bill are also buried there as well as both sets of their Irish immigrant parents and Kate’s

grandmother Mary Quigley Cleary.

The Stacks are gone now from El Paso but the memories and stories from the lives of Martin and

Catherine remain strong in their grandchildren.

Mary Stack 2019

Grandchildren of Kate & Martin 1966:

Front: Brian Stack

Second row: Anne Stack, Mary Stack,

Colette Stack, Jeanne Stack, Sandra

Kimpler

Back row: Mark Stack, Terry Kimpler, Gary

Pankey, Tom Stack, David Stack