Dear Gerald,
I was interested to know that your family was from Iowa. My grandmother's sister Mary Jane McCashin was married to James Braniff. He was born in Ireland; although she was born in England, both her parents were from Ireland. I am not sure of the county, but most McCashins seem to have been from County Down.
The Braniffs came to western Pennsylvania in the early 1880s but appear to have left after a few years. A cousin of mine told me that she believed that a branch of the family had moved to Idaho, but my grandfather filed his declaration of intent to become a citizen in Iowa which makes me think that he may have gone there with a relative, perhaps intending to settle there.
I wonder if the branch of the family that left PA actually settled in Iowa.
One other thing...I know nothing about the children of James and Mary Jane Braniff except that their eldest son was named Hugh. When I saw your middle name, I wondered if it might be a family name.
My e-mail address is Rmbev@aol.com.
Rosemarie