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My Great-Great Grandfather's name was Robert Graham. When he immigrated to America, he married and changed his surname to McDonald.
Here is his obituary:
ROBERT GRAHAM McDONALD OBITUARY MAY 14, 1904
-Unedited except for parenthetical notations-
Robert G. McDonald was born in Beltie, County Atrim, Ireland, January 4, 1833. Left an orphan at the age of eight years, his home until fourteen was with his grandmother (Ann Graham) and uncle (Sammy Graham). During which time, he attended school continuously. From his fourteenth to seventeenth year he worked at such work as he could get always filling a man's place. During that time he saved money enough to pay his passage to America, landing in New York with only a British half crown in his pocket. He at once started west working for one summer on the New York and Erie Railroad. From Buffalo, New York, he took a boat, landing in Racine, Wisconsin, staying a short time in Racine County. He, in company with three others, started south going by stage as far as Aurora, Illinois, when they took a rowboat, going down the Fox River to the Mississippi, where he hired as a hand on a boat making regular trips on the lower Mississippi, Red, Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, for two years. He made his final trip from New Orleans to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Returning to the Lakes, he made one trip, landing again in Racine. He hired as a farmhand at Rochester, where he worked two and one-half years, during which time, on February 15, 1855, he was married to Miss Ann McDonald of Dover, Wisconsin. In the summer of the same year he bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Section 1, Douglas Township Iowa, without seeing it. Starting west, overland, in the month of September, he reached his destination in October, 1855, and at once began the erection of a log house where he lived for two years, splitting logs, cradling grain and mowing grass for John Acken, then he made a trade and moved to section 11, where he lived until 1863, moving to section 12, after which he bought what was known as the Acken Farm, moving again in 1873, in the same section. On October first, 1881, he suffered the loss of his companion by death. to this union were born twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, eleven surviving their parents, as follows: John W., Apina, S. Dak.; Samuel of Tishimingo, I.T.; Mrs. F. E. Onley of Nowlin, S. Dak.; Mrs. S. M. Utley of New Hampton; Mrs. C. M. Caswell of Republic; James H., David, Robert, Julia, Mrs. Thos. Alcock, and Mrs. Harry McConkey all of Douglas Township. Agnes died when about four years of age. In 1887, he rented, and again built in Sec. 1. Again renting this portion of his farm he bought in Sec. 12, re-moving there in the spring of 1899, and lived there until his death which occurred in May, 19o4, at the age of 71 yrs. 4 mos., and 10 das. To illustrate the amount of business he did, Henry Kasemeier said that he wrote the name R. G. McDonald during his eighteen years he was county recorder oftener than any other name in the county. Through the almost 23 years, since the death of Mrs. McDonald, he has been father and mother, too. Starting his boys and girls in life with a farm or equivalent in money. Neither did our friend forget the claims of his fellow mortals on his sympathy and help. His was not a hand that "crushed" but helped, and many there are who can tell you of aid from him of which no one, not even his family, ever knew. His funeral was held at the Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday, May 16, conducted by the Rev. A. M. Henee, of Sumner, assisted by the Rev. J. B. Bird, and the mortal remains of "Robert McDonald" rest by the side of the wife of his youth, in the Alcock Cemetery. Died May 14, 1904.
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