Biography/History

Mary Cecelia Trackett Reynolds was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 11, 1913 to Jacob Peter Trackett and Mary Celia Nachtwey Trackett. Reynolds graduated from Edgewood High School in Madison and in 1935 received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She went on for her graduate studies at Harvard and then at Columbia University, where she received her Ph.D. in political science in 1939. In the early 1990s the Political Science Association honored Reynolds as one of the first 100 female recipients of this degree. She was a professor of political science and literature at various universities including Yale. In later years she was a scholar in the field of James Joyce's writings. In 1993, she received the Distinguished Alumna award from UW-Madison.

Mamie Nachtwey Trackett (1882-1945), Mary Trackett Reynolds' mother, was a grade school teacher before her marriage to, and after the death of, Jacob Trackett. She taught in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Wyoming. She also supplemented the family income by renting out rooms in her home.

Father Walter J. Fitzmaurice (1859-1930), the maternal uncle of Mary Trackett Reynolds, was ordained a Monsignor in 1921 in Appleton, Wisconsin.

James or Jacob Peter Trackett (1867-1914) was Mary Trackett Reynolds' father. His family, whose name was spelled variously as Trackat, Tracket, Trackett, or Trakat, was from eastern Prussia. His father Julius (1824-1877) and grandfather Christoph or Kristoff Trackett (1783-1858) settled in West Bend, Wisconsin in 1851. Because of a legal dispute over land Julius moved to Saginaw, Michigan and later to Dawson, Plum Creek, Nebraska.

Mary Trackett Reynolds' husband, Lloyd George Reynolds (1910-2005) was born and raised in Alberta, Canada. He met Mary at Harvard where he received his Ph.D. in economics. A specialist in labor economics, he was a professor at Johns Hopkins University and Yale. His paternal and maternal lines included the Carl, Lewis, Moore, Williams, Webster, and Walker families.

West Bend, Wisconsin was the site of Mary Trackett Reynolds' summer home and her paternal homestead, settled by the Trackett family in 1851.

Family Trees

All information in these family trees comes from information in the collection. Names in bold have more documents pertaining to them than names not in bold.

Nachtwey

• Henry Nachtwey , b. 1819 Germany
• + Anna Maria Kellner , b. 1821 Alsace; m. circa 1847; d. 1892
• • Mark Nachtwey , b. Apr 5, 1850 Manitowoc Co., WI; d. Apr 15, 1939
  • + Celia Fitzmaurice , b. 1856 WI; m. circa 1880; d. 1908 Outagamie Co., WI
  • • Mamie Agnes Nachtwey , b. Apr 23, 1882 Manitowoc Co., WI; d. Mar 19, 1945 Baltimore Co., MD
    • + Jacob Peter Trackett , b. 1867 Washington Co., WI; m. Jun 14, 1911; d. Jul 12, 1914 WI
    • • Mary Cecelia Trackett , b. Jan 11, 1913 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Aug 28, 2000
      • + Lloyd George Reynolds , b. 1910 Alberta, Canada; m. Jun 12, 1937 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Apr 09, 2005
      • • Priscilla, Anna, Roger Reynolds, b. after 1938 Baltimore Co., MD

Fitzmaurice

• Michael Fitzmaurice , b. 1810 Ireland; d. Sep 27, 1883 WI
• + Bridget McDermott , b. 1825 Ireland; m. 1850, d. WI
• • Celia Fitzmaurice , b. 1856 WI; d. 1908 Outagamie Co., WI
  • + Mark Nachtwey , b. Apr 5, 1850 Manitowoc Co., WI; m. circa 1880; d. Apr 15, 1939
  • • Mamie Agnes Nachtwey , b. Apr 23, 1882 Manitowoc Co., WI; d. Mar 19, 1945 Baltimore Co., MD
    • + Jacob Peter Trackett , b. 1867 Washington Co., WI; m. Jun 14, 1911; d. Jul 12, 1914 WI
    • • Mary Cecelia Trackett , b. Jan 11, 1913 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Aug 28, 2000
      • + Lloyd George Reynolds , b. Dec 22, 1910 Alberta, Canada; m. Jun 12, 1937 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Apr 9, 2005
      • • Priscilla, Anna, Roger Reynolds, b. after 1938 Baltimore Co., MD
  • Walter J. Fitzmaurice , b. 1859; d. 1930 WI
  • Annie Fitzmaurice, b. circa 1860
  • Katie Fitzmaurice, b. circa 1860

Trackett

• Christoph Trakat , b. 1783 East Prussia; d. Oct 4, 1858 Saginaw Co., MI
• +Caroline Morand, b. 1795; m. circa 1821; d. Jul 7, 1883 Saginaw Co., MI
• • Leopold Trakat , b. 1822 East Prussia; d. 1903
  • Julius Trakat , b. 1824 East Prussia; d. Jun 19, 1877 Dawson Co., NE
  • + Mary Jane Brown , b. May 1838 OH; m. Dec 15, 1856; d. 1923 Washington Co., WI
  • • Jacob Peter Trackett , b. 1867 Washington Co., WI; d. Jul 12, 1914 WI
    • + Mamie Agnes Nachtwey , b. Apr 23, 1882 Manitowoc Co., WI; m. Jun 14, 1911; d. Mar 19, 1945 Baltimore Co., MD
    • • Mary Cecelia Trackett , b. Jan 11, 1913 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Aug 28, 2000
      • + Lloyd George Reynolds , b. 1910 Alberta, Canada; m. Jun 12, 1937 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Apr 9, 2005
      • • Priscilla, Anna, Roger Reynolds, b. after 1938 Baltimore Co., MD
    • John Trakat , b. 1858 WI
    • Philip Herman Trakat, b. 1861 WI
    • Caroline Trakat, b. 1864 WI
    • George Trakat, b. 1866 WI
  • John Herman Trakat , b. 1827 East Prussia; d. 1911 Saginaw Co., MI

Reynolds

• David Reynolds , b. NY
• + unknown spouse
• • Charles Henry Reynolds , b. Jun 4, 1826 NE; d. Sep 22, 1922 Big Stone Co., MN
  • + Betsy Minerva Webster , b. May 8, 1845 Sauk Co., WI; m. Mar 19, 1859 WI; d. Jun 22, 1908 Dunn Co., WI
  • • George Franklin Reynolds , b. Apr 18, 1883 Dakota territory; d. Mar 24, 1960 CA
    • + Dorothy Florence Carl , b. Jul 20, 1889 NE; m. Apr 18, 1909 Alberta, Canada
    • • Lloyd George Reynolds , b. Dec 22, 1910 Alberta, Canada; d. Apr 9, 2005
      • + Mary Cecelia Trackett , b. Jan 11, 1913 Milwaukee Co., WI; m. Jun 12, 1937 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Aug 28, 2000
      • • Priscilla, Anna, Roger Reynolds, b. after 1938 Baltimore Co., MD

Webster

• James Webster, b. 1793 NH
• +Betsey (-?-), b. 1799 VT, m. before 1822 Canada
• • Hiram Webster, b. 1822 Canada
  • Henry V. Webster, b. 1827 Canada
  • May (or Mary) Webster, b. 1832 Canada
  • +G. W. Walker
  • Sarah Henrietta Webster, b. 1834 OH
  • +David B. Reynolds, b. NY; m. Mar 1850
  • Betsy Minerva Webster , b. May 8, 1845 Sauk Co., WI; d. Jun 22, 1908 Dunn Co., WI
  • + Charles Henry Reynolds , b. Jun 4, 1826 NE; m. Mar 19, 1859 WI; d. Sep 22, 1922 Big Stone Co., MN
  • • George Franklin Reynolds , b. Apr 18, 1883 Dakota territory; d. Mar 24, 1960 CA
    • + Dorothy Florence Carl , b. Jul 20, 1889 NE; m. Apr 18, 1909 Alberta, Canada
    • • Lloyd George Reynolds , b. Dec 22, 1910 Alberta, Canada; d. Apr 9, 2005
      • + Mary Cecelia Trackett , b. Jan 11, 1913 Milwaukee Co., WI; m. Jun 12, 1937 Milwaukee Co., WI; d. Aug 28, 2000
      • • Priscilla, Anna, Roger Reynolds, b. after 1938 Baltimore Co., MD