An American Family History

Albert Moran (Bert) Treahy was born on October 10,1871 in Batticaola, Ceylon. He was the son of John Bartholomew Treahy and Sarah Healy.

He was living in San Diego by 1885 when he was a boatman for C. S. Hardy, Arctic and Date. The company was a wholesaler and retailer of meats.

On April 11, 1894, when he was 22, he married Martha Isabell Stark in San Diego. Martha was 20. The witnesses to the wedding were John Russell of San Diego and Minnie Stark of San Diego and it was officiated by B. C. Hagerman of San Diego.

Martha was born on October 16, 1872 in Howard, Elk County, Kansas. Her parents were Nathaniel Jasper Stark and Elizabeth Leatherman.

Albert and Martha's children were Moran B. Treahy, born in August, 1896, William M. Treahy, born in October, 1898, and Catherine Elizabeth Treahy. Catherine was born on September 5, 1901 and died on March 2, 1902.

February 2, 1890
The San Diego Union and Daily Bee

Bert Treahy has an ear for music and sport, and up to the middle of last month was the possessor of a violin, a concertina and a shotgun. Somebody stole all three; whether it was a nervous neighbor who -did not appreciate the moving tones of the instruments and took the gun to save further trouble or not is unknown.

On Thursday Treahy thought he saw his fiddle in Magwood’s second-hand store and demanded it. Mr. Magwood denied the man's claim and being insulted by some friends of the claimant threw all of them out of the store, breaking the violin over the noddle of one. A search warrant failed to bring to light any stolen goods in Mr. Magwood’s store and so Mr. Treahy had the storekeeper arrested on a charge of battery; he was discharged on his own recognisance to appear In the Police Court next Monday.

Martha and Albert divorced before 1904. Martha married George W. Wood and the children stayed with Martha. At the time of the 1910 census, the children were listed with the name Wood. At the time of the 1920 census, only William was living at home. Martha died in October, 1851 in San Diego, California.

In 1900, Albert's occupation was sailor and in 1903 he was an engineer. In 1910 he was a yacht captain.

Albert's second wife was Margaret Ross. They married in Jul,y 1911 in San Francisco. She was the daughter of John Ross and Elizabeth

RETRIEVER IS NOW MANY DAYS OVERDUE
American Coastguard Service Asked to Institute Search for Missing Vessel

San Francisco, Feb. 15. The U. S. coastguard service was asked to-day to search the seas for the American barquentine Retriever, which reported a week ago off Northhead. Wash, that she was short of provisions. Captain John Bates, skipper and owner of the Retriever, with a crew of 11 men and his wife aboard is believed by his son-in-law, A. M. Treahy. to be in a precarious condition beating up and down the Northwestern coast hopefully awaiting; a generous slanting breeze to carry him into Gray's Harbor.

Treahy asked the coastguard service to send a cutter to find the barquentine. It was said here that coastguard cutters were not available for search either here or in Seattle.

The barquentine Retriever is one of the oldest sailing vessels afloat. She was built 35 years ago at Seabeck, Wash for the Griffith Retriever Company, being a Vessel of 548 tons register. Several years ago she was believed to have outlived her usefulness and was scrapped. She was almost forgotten on the mudflats of Oakland Creek until the shortage of tonnage became acute, and Capt John Bates her owner, conceived the possibility of making money that would recompense him for her long; period of idleness, and she was dragged from her retreat and fitted out for sea.

Trouble was experienced from the outset ot the voyage to Australia. Tha barquentine had hardly got clear of the Golden Gate when she ran into a stiff gale and sprang a bad leak, and Capt. Rales was forced to put back to San Francisco for repairs. The vessel is now forty days out from Honolulu. (The Victoria Daily Times, February 15, 1917)

They lived in Oakland, California where Albert was a mariner in 1920 and a marine engineer in 1930.

Bartholomew Wood, 39, of 108 Monterey street, El Monte, died last night of traffic injuries Tuesday. His automobile sideswiped a tree in El Monte. (from Illustrated Daily News, October 17, 1935)

Albert died on June 20, 1940 and Margaret on January 21, 1965.

from Times Advocate, Escondito California, November 28, 1988

Leaky gas line explodes, kills couple LEMON GROVE (AP)

An explosion which likely was caused by a leaky stove gas line killed the elderly couple that lived there and nearly blew the home apart, fire officials said. William T. Wood, 90, a retired San Diego firefighter, and his 88-year-old wife, Jewel Mae, died almost instantly Saturday in the resulting fireball that shattered nearly every window and hurled money which had been stashed through out the house and other debris onto the street and lawns of neighbors. Woods body was found at the entrance to the kitchen, where the leaking gas probably was ignited by the flick of a light switch, San Diego Gas Electric Co. inspector Ed Willoughby said. Mrs. Woods body was found on the bedroom floor. The outside walls of the singles tory home also were scorched be fore firefighters brought the blaze under control 45 minutes later. Damage was estimated at $70,000. Randy Wood, the victims grandson, said his grandfather was a San Diego firefighter more than 30 years before retiring in 1947 as a department battalion chief. The couple, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June, had lived in the eastern San Diego County home for about 35 years, relatives said.