Mike Moran & Family

I don’t remember ever meeting Mike Moran (1877-1954). He died when I was 7 years old. He was one of the very few people in Orlando to whom I was not related. He was an undertaker and businessman, and as far as I can tell, as much a civic leader as Orlando ever had. My brother and boy cousins used to play in the remains of his morgue in the 1950s. Articles about Orlando in the early part of the 20th century mention that Mike Moran owned a general store and a feed store and even brought a skating rink to Orlando!

Mike’s father, John Moran, was born in Ireland in 1849. He settled in Confluence, where he was a farmer. John and Margaret Ellen (Griffin) Moran had 13 children, 10 of whom made it to adulthood. I haven’t found that any of his children were farmers.

The oldest, James, became a foreman at Atlas Glass Company in Harrison County, Peter lived on Grass Run, Three Lick until his wife died in 1925, when he moved with his two children to Wheeling. He was a Postmaster. Martin moved to Weston and became an oil well contractor. And, of course, Mike was a funeral director and more.

Both daughters, Catherine and Mamie, were married. Mamie married Michael McDonald in May, 1912 at St Michael Roman Catholic Church in Orlando. I haven’t found yet where they settled. I found no word on sons John, William or Patrick, but it seems son Thomas died in Los Angeles California, but was buried in Weston, WV.

These Orlando folks married folks named Carney, McDonald, Sweeney, Kenney, Schaffer, Berry and Kilker.

This 1921 photo of Mike was provided by John Kilker Carney, who knew Mike & his family well.