Mary was the daughter of John A. Powers and Catherine Quinlan. She was the sister of Anne, Patrick (Anne Higgins), Edward (Mary Allen) and John W. (Honnorah Heneghan). She married John McGirr in DeKalb on May 14, 1854. They had 12 children who are listed on her husband's posting in this cemetery.
__________________________________
Past and Present of DeKalb County, Vol 1, Page 283
Lewis M. Gross
Pioneer Publishing, Chicago, 1907

JOHN McGIRR

John McGirr, a grain dealer of DeKalb, was born in Afton township on the 7th of August, 1857, his parents being John and Mary (Powers) McGirr, in whose family were twelve children. The father was born in County Meath, Ireland, in 1813, was there reared and acquired a good education in his youth. On reaching manhood he was employed as a bookkeeper in a merchantile house in Dublin and in 1850 he came to the United States. Soon afterward he located in DeKalb county, Illinois, being among the first residents of Afton township, where he settled on one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, entering it as a homestead from the government. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon this place and he continued to reside upon the farm until his death, which occurred in 1878. His political allegiance was given to the democracy and he was a member of the Catholic church. His wife, who was born in County Waterford, Ireland, about 1825, died in 1903. She came to the United States about the same year as her future husband and they were married in St. Charles, Illinois. Six of their children survive, namely: Dennis, who is living on the old homestead in Afton township; Patrick, a resident of Carrollton, Illinois; Rose, the wife of Peter Jordan, of Chicago; Teressa, the wife of James Fitzgerald, of Maple Park, Illinois; and Nellie, living in DeKalb.
The other member of the family is John McGirr of this review, who was born and reared upon the old homestead and in the common schools pursued his education. He received practical training in farm work and in 1880 he purchased a farm, becoming owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Afton township. With characteristic energy he began its further development and improvement and at a later date he extended the boundaries of his place by an addistional purchase of forty acres. He continued to reside upon the farm until 1889, when he rented his land and came to DeKalb to engage in the grain business. He has shown excellent executive ability from early manhood and has prospered as a grain merchant, being one of the leading business men in this line in DeKalb.
On the 14th of November, 1882, occured the marriage of Mr. McGirr and Miss Hannah Redmond, of Malta township, DeKalb county, and a daughter of Murt Redmomd, now a retired farmer of the city of DeKalb. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McGirr have been born four children, of whom three are living; Murt, Louis and Elizabeth.
Mr. McGirr is a member of the DeKalb camp, M. W. A.; DeKalb lodge, No. 717, Knights of Columbus; DeKalb lodge of the Yeomen of America; and the Catholic church. For ten years he served as a road commissioner of Afton township. He has led a life of activity and enterprise and his present creditable position in the business world has come by reason of the steadfast purpose which he has manifested in his business career.