In 1879, the Crane's, Gaughan's, and Owens' families traveled to the southeast corner of Kansas where they bought land and became farmers. It must have been a great culture shock for these Irish immigrants. The Crane's and Gaughan's came from the northwest coast of Ireland, lush, cool, and damp. They were used to small plots of land to farm and the bountiful sea to harvest. Hugh Owens had grown up in Enniskillen, even in the 1800's it was a city. The Kansas plains are hot, dry, and windy. Trees are scarce.

They settled first in an area of Wilson County called Pleasant Valley. Later, moved to the Earlton area in Neosho County south of Chanute.

In the summer of 2001, I traveled to Earlton and Chanute to find the cemetery where Michael and Bridget Crane are buried and to see the town where my grandfather grew up.

Michael Crane was born September 29, 1813 near Westport, County Mayo, Ireland. This picture was taken about 1914. He died June 19, 1917 in Earlton, Kansas. At the time, he was thought to be the oldest man in Kansas. His obituary, compliments of Dinah Myers, is printed below the picture.

Chanute Daily Tribune - 6/16/1917

MICHAEL CRANE, AGED 103, DEAD
FUNERAL SERVICES IN EARLTON TOMORROW MORNING.
WAS THE OLDEST MAN IN KANSAS
HE HAD LIVED IN THIS COUNTY NEARLY FORTY YEARS.
Born in Mayo County, Ireland, September 29, 1813, He Came to the United States With His Wife and Children in 1864.

Michael Crane, 103 years old, believed to be the oldest man in Kansas, died at his home in Earlton at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The funeral services will be held at the Earlton Catholic Church at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Mr. Crane had been a resident of Kansas nearly forty years, settling on a farm three miles west and a mile north of Earlton in 1879.

He was born in Mayo county, on the west coast of Ireland, September 29, 1813. His people were farmers and fishermen and he took up similar occupations, following the sea for a while in his young manhood and afterwards farming until about twelve years ago, when he retired from the homestead and moved to Earlton.

He was married to Bridget Gaughan in 1855 and they came to the United States in 1864 with four children. They stopped a short time in Aurora, Ill., where Mrs. Crane's parents had preceded them, and then came to Kansas.

Mr. Crane led an active live until five years ago when his eyesight failed him. He had been feeble all winter and spring and the end came quietly and peacefully.

He had always enjoyed good health with the exception of a spell of typhoid fever twenty-seven years ago, since he was 20 or 21 years old. At that time he suffered from stomach trouble. His physician prescribed tobacco smoking. Mr. Crane formed the habit and followed it all his life.

He is survived by his wife, who is 83 years old. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom two sons, Henry and Edward, are dead. He is also survived by fifty-four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The children are Mrs. Hugh Owens of this city, Mrs. Park Myers, who lives seven and one-half miles southwest of the city; John, Patrick H. and Thomas Crane, Miss Bessie Crane, Mrs. Mary Lane and Mrs. H. J. Pauley of Kansas City, Michael J. Crane of Earlton and James Crane, who lives three and one-half miles south of the city.

Obituary of Bridget Crane, transcribed by Lori Hendry
Chanute Daily Tribune Sept 20, 1919
MRS. CRANE OF EARLTON DEAD
SHE HAD LIVED IN THIS VICINITY FORTY YEARS.
Her Husband Michael Crane Died Two Years Ago at Age 103 -- Survived by Ten Children, Sixty-One Other Descendants.
Mrs. Bridget Crane, forty years a resident of this vicinity, died at her home in Earlton at 6:30 o'clock this morning. Mrs. Crane, who was 85 years old, had been quite ill for some time, and all her ten children were with her during the week, all but one son, who was called away by business, being with her when she died.
Funeral services for Mrs. Crane will be held from the Earlton church Monday morning at 9:30 o'clock and burial will be made in the family cemetery three miles northwest of Earlton.
Mrs. Crane was the widow of Michael Crane, who died June 17, 1917, at the age of 103 years. Her maiden name was Gaughan and she was married to Mr. Crane in 1855. They came to the United States in 1864 with four children and stopped for a while at Aurora, Ill., where Mrs. Crane's parents had preceded the, then came to Kansas, settling on a farm three miles west and a mile north of Earlton in 1879, where they made their home until about fifteen years ago, when they moved to Earlton.
They were the parents of twelve children, of whom two sons, Henry and Edward, are dead. The surviving children are Mrs. Hugh Owen of this city, Mrs. Park Myers who lives seven and one-half miles southwest of Chanute, John, Patrick H. and Thomas Crane, Miss Bessie Crane, Mrs. Mary Lane and Mrs. H. J. Pauley of Kansas City, Michael J. Crane of Earlton and James L. Crane, who lives three and one-half miles south of the city.
She is also survived by fifty-four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Crane was the eldest child in her family and outlived the other members, three of whom resided in this county. Mrs Henry Brown, a sister of Mrs. Crane, died two years ago at the age of 63; Mrs. B. F. Pattee, another sister, died two years ago in June at the age of 66, and her brother and the youngest member of the family, John Gaughan, died last year at 61. Mrs. Crane was born in Ireland.

Below is the tombstone of Michael and Bridget in the Crane Family Cemetery near Earlton, Kansas.

Michael and Bridget are buried beneath this twisted old tree. The approaching thunderstorm drove us out of the cemetery in July 2001.

Henry and Edward both died young.
Henry Crane born Mar 28, 1875 died Oct. 4, 1885
Edward Crane born Mar. 4, 1880 died Jan 19, 1895
As you can see, I am guessing at some of these numbers. Corrections are welcome.

Not much left of Earlton, Kansas, these days. It is a short drive south of Chanute.

Here is the Earlton Volunteer Fire Department.

This was a brother of Bridget Crane.

Julia was a daughter of Michael and Bridget.

Return to the Owens, Crane, and Gaughan page

Two of the children of Michael and Bridget Crane never married. Named for their parents, they lived around Earlton. Bridget was called Bessie. She died in 1958.