WILLIAM JOSEPH DARCY

William Joseph Darcy was born Jan 27, 1878 in Castlecomer, Coon, County Kilkenny, Ireland. With the help of his brother Thomas Patrick, William (called Willie in Ireland and Bill in America) came to the USA,in 1900 to Creighton, Nebraska. In 1903 he married Evelyn Varney and they had 3 children: Catharine Ester, b.Dec 7, 1903 married George Rutherford, died Feb 2, 1974; William L. born 1905, married Louise ___; and Michael, aka George M. Hoffman (this name change had to do with the family breakup and possible divorce) born Apr 12, 1908, married Elizabeth Mae Opp. He moved to Stephen, MN.
After Williams marrage to Evelyn Varney Darcy ended in 1917. There is a whole other story in regard to this family breakup, and the "scandal" it created in the rest of the Darcy family. He may or may not have been divorced, but the marriage ended. William moved to Fargo, North Dakota and on Dec 21, 1922 he married Cora Williamsin Clay Co. Minnesota. They had 3 children; Mary Darcy born in 1922, married L. Hanegan or Henege, Mary died in 1980; Margaret Darcy born in 1925, married Donald Peterson; and Patrick Henry Darcy born in 1929, married Genevieve ______.
William was a professional photographer, he collected individual pictures of the entire family and put them into a family photo. He worked in Stephen and Barnesville, MN; Fargo, ND, Minneapolis, MN. He also wrote a pamplet (prose and verse) " The Trial of Ruthless Depression,if anyone has a copy of this I would love to see it. Cora died in 1970 and is buried in St. Anthony Cemetery. Evelyn Varney Darcy died in 1964 in Montana.

1920s photographers
Photographers of Fargo, N.D.
Institute for Regional Studies,
North Dakota State University,
Fargo 2001


William Joseph Darcy was born on Jan 27, 1878 or (depending on source) February 4, 1879 in Coon, Co. Kilenny, Ireland to Michael & Katherine (Donohue) Darcy. He came to the USA in 1900 to Creighton, Nebraska where he apprentices with a photographer On February 4, 1903 he married Evelyn Varney in Creighton, Nebraska. The couple had three children, Catherine Ester, William Leo and George Michael Darcy. George MIchael later assumed the name Hoffman, after his stepfather Charles Hoffman, who Evelyn married in 1918. He moved to Minnesota and began his photographic career in Barnesville and Stephen, Mn. In about 1915, William Joseph Darcy moved to the Fargo where he was employed by C. E. Reed. He was working in Fargo as an amature photographer. He and Evelyn seperated in 1917. The city directory for 1917, listed him as kodak finisher at 103 Roberts Street. In 1919, he appears in the Moorhead city directory. His Moorhead studio and residence was located at 114 First Avenue North.
In 1920 he was living in Stephen, Mn. and on March 1, 1920 produced a photo gallery of all the business owners in Stephen, MN. This work was copywritten by W.J. Darcy, Photographer. Sometime after 1920 he moved his studio to 518 Front Street in Fargo where he is found listed in the 1924 Fargo city directory. On Dec 21,1922, he married Cora Williams, and they had two children: Mary and Margaret. Sometime after 1925 he moved to Minneapolis, where he worked as a photographer for Lowry Studio on Hennepin Avenue. He died at Glen Lake Sanatorium in Minnetonka, Minnesota on January 30, 1945 of pulmonary tuberculosis. Minnetonka is part of the Minneapois/St. Paul metropolitan area. He was 65 years old, and he is buried in St. Anthony's Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Darcy, William J.
Also Known As: Darcy, W. J.
Locations:
Address: 114 First Avenue, Moorhead, Minnesota
Address: Barnesville, Minnesota
Dates of operation: 1902
Address: Stephen, Minnesota
Dates of operation: 1920
Known Decades Worked in Minnesota: 1900s; 1910s; 1920s
William J. Darcy
Business years 1915-1924
Business address 518 Front Street