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Jeanne & Susi's Biological Father, Joseph Gallagher

Scroll down to see how I found Jeanne and Susi's biological father, what happened to him, and some other surprises...

To Grace and Katie: How I found Your Grandfather (And his daughters, i.e., your half-aunts)
First step: offial name is Joseph Michael Gallagher
Joe Gallagher's brothers were John Mark and Paul
Jeanne Gallagher/Kraft/Keiser; H. Jean Ochs/Gallagher/Kraft/Gritz/Kraft; Susan V. Gallagher/Kraft; Joseph Gallagher
Joseph Gallagher cica 1960
Jean Ochs and Joseph Gallagher holding Jeanne near the time of her birth circa May 1959
Joseph Michael Gallager
Brothers:
John (Jack) Francis Jr.
Mark 
Paul
Brothers:
John (Jack) Francis Jr.
Mark 
Paul
First Step Conclusions: If he was 21 in May of 1959, and if his birthday was in September 29 or 30, then he would be 22 in September 1959 and he was born in 1937.
Born in 1937
Born in 1937
More Assumptions: Joseph went to Lincoln High School in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, was in the marines, was in the lebanon crisis of 1959, and had a gas station
Lincoln High School
Philadelphia, PA
  • Marines
  • Lebanon 1959
  • Gas Station
Other information not relevant to this research: John F Gallagher, Jr. married Joanne Becker. Becker's owned a florist shop in Fox Chase, Joseph married Jean Ochs on July 4, 1958. Jeanne Helen was born on 19 May 1959 and Susan Veronica was born on 30 January 1960
Becker Florist Shop
(Fox Chase section of Philadelphia)
Time for a Google search.
Search for obituary of Joseph Gallagher
Searched for Lillian Gallagher's obituary. but nothing found
Search for Lillian Gallagher
Google search:
joseph m. gallagher "Lincoln High" marine 
Found from facebook a link to Joseph M. Gallagher, 58, a Marine veteran and reitred sales executive, died June 13 of cancer at his home in Adelphi.
Found Facebook entry for Lincoln High Alumni
From the obituary, many connections were found. Correct age based on Jeanne's birth certificate
Correct age and other information
Correct details
June 17, 1996, Joseph M. Gallagher, 58, a Marine veteran and retired sales executive, died June 13 of cancer at his home in Adelphi, MD. A Native of Philadelphia, Mr. Gallagher attended Lincoln High School, where he lettered infour sports and was named All-Public. After graduation, he joined the Marine Corps ad served for two years, including active duty in the Labanon confrontation of 1958-59. For the past 13 years, he worked as a sales executive at Major Oil.
Correct age, correct statistics
Correct details
Time to go to the Washington Times web site and pay for the original obituary
Next step is to find out the original source of this post, the Washington Times in 1996
This is the Washington Times search page
The Washington Times Archive Search tool
Results of the search of the Washington Times
The search turned up the story.  Time to purchase the article
Survivors include two daugters, Joanna of Stroudsburg, PA and Megan of Willow Grove.
Got the full obituary from 1996
More consistencies from the purchased obituary
More consistencies from what I knew from my mother-in-law, (Jeanne and Susi's mother, Jean Ochs.
Interesting information about a Joanna of Stroudsburg, PA and of a Megan of Willow Grove PA
Great and unexpected find: Joseph had two daughters from another marriage!  Joanna of Stroudsburg, PA and Megan from Willow Grove!
Now looking for Joanna and Megan
Search for
JoannaGallagher
 and
Megan Gallagher
From peoplefinder I found Joanna
Found Joanna Niven who confirmed my assumptions.
​
Joe Gallagher had a second family after Jean and him broke up.
Conclusion
Both Joanna M. Niven (Stroudsburg) and Megan M Bitterlich (from Willow Grove and Warminster) are both step-sisters to Jeanne and  Susan.

Here is a little history on the last names of Jeanne and Susan (a.k.a. Susi):

1. Jean Ochs marries Joe Gallagher.  Jean changes her name to Gallagher.

2. 1959, 1961: Jeanne and Susi are born and have the last name Gallagher.

3. Jean Ochs divorces Joe Gallagher in the early 1960s and instead of changing her last name back to Ochs, she decides to take her Father's (Ray Ochs) Father's (Charles Ochs) wife's maiden name (Katherine Kraft).  So Jean and Jeanne and Susan all have last name Kraft.

4. Jean Kraft marries Hank Gritz.  Hank does not adopt Jeanne or Susan and therefore their names remain as Kraft.

5. 1986 Jeanne marries Barry Schickling and keeps her maiden name for most purposes

6. Jean divorces Hank Gritz and changes her name back to Kraft

7. 1996 Jeanne divorces Barry and marries Ken Keiser and changes her name to Keiser.

8. 2001 Susan marries Lindsay Robb but keeps her maiden name for most purposes

​

Jeanne Keiser dies on August 29, 2010 in Lansdale, PA , aged 51. (born May 19, 1959)

Susan Kraft dies on August 16, 2016 in Livingston, MT  aged 54. (born January 30, 1961)

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Copyright 2013 Ken Keiser

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