The Great-Grandmother I Know the Most About: Cecelia Ryan Strachan

Cecelia Ryan Strachan, my great-grandmother

I never knew my great-grandmother Cecelia Ryan Strachan, my maternal grandmother’s mother. In fact, Cecelia died before my mother was born, so my mother never knew this grandmother either.

But I can piece together some facts about Cecelia’s life, from family stories and from Sacramento newspaper articles and histories. That’s one of the advantages of living in a small town with a newspaper—some family events are preserved for posterity. However, a few of the articles and websites I found contain errors, so this post is providing the best information I have on Cecelia’s history. (Of course, some of the family stories could be wrong also.)

Cecelia Ryan was born in 1875 to John C. Ryan and Maria A. Lyons Ryan. Both of Cecelia’s parents were born in Ireland—John on October 10, 1824, and Maria on February 20, 1832. My mother once told me Ryans came from Athlone, Ireland, but I’ve never seen any documentation of that.

One source I found reported that John Ryan came to the United States in 1849, one of the many pioneers arriving in California that year. However, another source said he arrived in 1852. The most complete description of his travels is on the Find-A-Grave website, quoting Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California, p. 783 ( Lewis Publishing Company, 1890).

“John Ryan was born in Ireland in 1825, and came to America in 1843, going first to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he remained until 1848. In that year he went to New Orleans, and after a short time came up the Mississippi River to Memphis and St. Louis. Finally, in the spring of 1852 he set out for the long and tedious journey across the plains to California by ox team. They met plenty of Indians on the way, but fortunately experienced no difficulties with them of a serious nature. They reached Hangtown (now Placerville) August 1, 1852. Mr. Ryan went at once to the mines, remaining there for two years. At the end of that time he came down to Sacramento and began the manufacture of brick, engaging at the same time in contracting of all kinds.”

A notation in a list of Sacramento County marriages indicates that John Ryan and Maria Lyons married there in 1856. According to family history, Cecelia was the youngest of ten children born to John and Maria, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen a list of all ten of them—the most I’ve ever seen listed were eight children—though I have seen ten different names, including a couple of whom died as infants. But all reports do indicate that Cecelia was the youngest child. However, I have not been able to find the month or day she was born, only the year—1875.

The Ryan family gained some prominence in Sacramento. After describing John Ryan’s travels, the excerpt from the Davis book continued:

“for a period of thirty-six years, [John Ryan] has been successfully and prominently identified with the building and progressive interests of the city, being now the oldest of the more prominent contractors and brick manufacturers of the capital. His brick-yards are situated just outside the city limits, south of Y street. Like so many others of our older citizens, he has known times of trial and hardship as well as times of prosperity, bearing his full share of misfortunes,–misfortunes, however, which he rose above, refusing to be daunted by them. During the flood, at one time, he was forced to break a hole through the roof of his cottage, by means of which he was enabled to pass his family into a boat, and thence remove them to a place of safety. Mr. Ryan has held public office on more than one occasion. We may instance the facts of his being street commissioner, second trustee, superintendent of streets, etc.”

In addition, the oldest Ryan son, Frank Desailes Ryan, became a lawyer, then was elected a member of the California State Assembly at age twenty-three. He later served as Chief Clerk of the state House of Representatives, district attorney of Sacramento County, and then ran for Congress in 1898. He lost that election, but held several other public offices in California as well as practicing law.

Cecelia’s social life occasionally received mention in the Sacramento newspaper. One complication of researching family history is that Cecelia was often called “Celia” in the papers. I don’t know if that was a nickname she used frequently or if it was a reporter’s error—probably the former, since it occurred several times. I had to search for both Cecelia and Celia in locating information about her.

Among Cecelia’s social acquaintances were members of the Strachan family. The Sacramento paper reported several gatherings attended by both Ryans (including Cecelia) and Strachans. The Strachans were immigrants from Scotland. James Strachan, who had been born in Glasgow, was the oldest of ten Strachan children—again according to family lore.

Cecelia Ryan married James Strachan on November 16, 1898. Their wedding was described in the Sacramento paper. I’ve quoted that article in an earlier post.

In that post, I also described the religious tensions between the two families. Despite the social friendships between family members, family members told me that James’s mother—a devout Presbyterian—would not enter Cecelia’s home, because she was Catholic.

Cecelia and James had three children—John Ryan Strachan (born in August 1899) and twins Hugh and Winifred Cecelia (born on March 15, 1908). Winifred was my grandmother, my beloved Nanny Winnie. As children, Hugh and Winifred were known as “Bud” and “Sis.”

I had been told that my grandmother’s name “Winifred” came from a friend of Cecelia’s, but I also discovered that Cecelia had a sister born in 1857 named Winifred, who apparently died as an infant. I’ll probably never know the truth about my grandmother’s name now, but no one is likely to use it in the future—unlike the name Cecelia, which has been passed down through several generations.

John Ryan died in Sacramento at age 80 on September 23, 1905. His wife Maria also died at age 80 on November 27, 1912. Thus, Cecelia was thirty when she lost her father, and thirty-seven when she lost her mother.

Cecelia Ryan Strachan was buried with one of her brothers.

Cecelia herself died in 1925, when my grandmother was seventeen. As with Cecelia’s birthday, I cannot establish the exact date of her death, only the year. I’ve been told Cecelia died of cancer, but I don’t know for certain. After her death, her daughter Winifred took over managing the household for her father and twin brother. (Her older brother was married by that time.)

My mother always regretted not knowing either of her grandmothers. (Her other grandmother, Ada Jane Lewis Hooker, also died before my mother was born.) But she knew several of her aunts—Cecelia’s sisters— and considered one of them, her Aunt Rose, to be like a grandmother to her.

Cecelia Ryan Strachan’s grave marker

Even though Cecelia Ryan Strachan died when she was only fifty, she left quite a legacy in our family. She was the only Catholic great-grandparent I had, and her faith was passed down through her daughter to my mother to me. Her name and its spelling (“Cecelia” not “Cecilia”) were given to her daughter (my grandmother), to a niece, and to my daughter (the first Cecelia’s great-great-granddaughter).

What names have been passed down through the generations in your family?