In his research, Anthony Coyan shared what he viewed as proof of the Coyan family’s Scotch-Irish ancestry, the obituary of Rosanna Coyan Hawk. Rosanna was the daughter of John (1784–1854 ) & Margaret (1787–1857 ) (McKinnon) Coyan. John and Margaret spent the majority of their lives in Carroll County, Ohio.
Her obituary was published in the Carroll Chronicle, Carrollton, Ohio, Friday, October 23, 1908.
Mrs. Rosanna Hawk died Friday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Lavina Borland, corner High and Grant streets. She had been in bed about ten days but her infirmity was principally in her years. She had passed the age of 88 ten days before her death. She was born in East Liverpool of Scotch-Irish ancestry but the most of her life was passed on the farm three miles east of town on the Harlem road. One brother survives in Sonoma County, California, who is the sole survivors of a family of 14 children, eight of whom were twins. Deceased was the mother of nine children, seven of whom are living, four sons and three daughters; Leander W. and Columbus of Carrollton, William J. of Jewett and Addison C. of Canton, and Mesdames Borland of Carrollton, Bingham of North Jackson, and Margaret Salmon of Jewett. She also had 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Hawk was married in 1841 to John Hawk with whom she lived happily until his death in 1881.
Anthony’s research found ten of the fourteen children mentioned in Rosanna’s obituary. At least three of the brothers went to California, Addison, Richard, and George.
- Cynthia Coyan (b. 1818)
- Rosanna Coyan (1820–1908)
- Addison Coyan (b. 1821 – d. UNK)
- Samuel Coyan (1823– bef. 1840)
- Minerva Coyan (1824–1875)
- John Coyan Jr. (1825-1882)
- Anthony wrote: John was a crucial “link” in discovering why my ggg-grandparents William & Elizabeth Coyan decided to move from Jackson county, Ohio to Wapello county, Iowa, in 1863. It just so happens that John showed up as early as 1856 in ….Wapello county – having gone there from his childhood home in Carroll county, Ohio. Is it coincidence that of all places in the United States that William & Elizabeth decided to move “west” to, that they decided upon Wapello county, Iowa? – I think NOT!!! Credit for this info has to be given to Michael Coyan, Gladys Lange Coyan and Joy Coyan, whose hard work located the families in Wapello county and put “two and two” together.
- TWIN: Richard Wilson Coyan (1829-1914)
- TWIN: Geoffry Coyan (1829-before 1840)
- POSSIBLE TWIN: George McKinnon Coyan (1831-between 1896-98)
- POSSIBLE TWIN: Rebecca Coyan (ca. 1831-1851)
On 22 Jun 1854, The Carroll Union Press published a letter from George Coyan to his brother “of New Harrisburg” about his experiences in California.