Rooney Family Tree

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or "Lou Gehrig's Disease": About 5-10% of the cases of ALS are hereditary, called "familial ALS." In those people, it is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. That means that on a statistical basis, 50% of their offspring are expected to be affected. Of the other 90-95% ("sporadic ALS"), no hereditary factor is evident, and therefore the children are not at risk of inheriting the disease. No cure or treatment is available in either case. Both forms of the disease are identical in terms of diagnosis, clinical courses and outcome. Most die within 2 to 5 years.

Rose Cooley Wolfarth (daughter of Mary Gaffaney and John Cooley and first cousin to James Gaffaney, senior) carried a gene of the version of ALS that is hereditary. I have heard that the University of Minnesota did a study on this disease in the Cooley family. Rose died of Alzheimer's at the age of 59. She had three children:

In 1973 Betty Wolfarth Winter died of ALS at the age of 47 after having it for five years. She and her husband Lloyd had three children, two boys and a girl, all of whom are subject to getting ALS. As of about 2000, none of them had children, and by choice. In 1986 Richard Wolfarth died of ALS at the age of 53, after having it for five years. Donald Wolfarth died of Alzheimer's in 1993 at the age of 66 after having it two years.

James Gaffaney (junior) and Harold Gaffaney (brothers) are first cousins of Betty, Richard and Donald. Jimmy Gaffaney died of ALS at the age of 71 in 1978, after having it five years or less. [A variant is called Progressive Bulbar Palsy, all of whose symptoms I think he had, and is very similar to what his brother Harold had].

None of Jimmy's 13 kids has shown and evidence of ALS that I'm aware of, and there's a 50% chance that any one of them would get it if it were the hereditary form, so I'm doubtful that he had that form. Update 2/14/2015: Jimmy's daughter Janet has ALS.

Harold Gaffaney died of Pseudobulbar Palsy at the age of 62 in 1973, which has many similar ALS symptoms, but also includes dementia. Harold's son Delbert died of either "Pick's Disease," according to his son Jim, or ALS according to some of his siblings.

Margaret Mary Egan Parks (1946-1995) died at the age of 48 of ALS. She is my (David Gaffaney) 4th cousin. She descends from the Rooney line.

Obituary:
Harold Gaffaney was born in Leven Township, Pope County on June 11, 1911, the son of James and Catherine Gaffaney. He attended school and grew to manhood in the community of Villard.
On October 23, 1939 he was united in marriage to Christine Hiebel. Mr. and Mrs. Gaffaney lived near Forada until 1952 when they moved to Alexandria and this was his home at the time of his death on November 16, 1973 at the age of 62 years.
Mr. Gaffaney was employed by the Union Stock Yards of St. Paul, Minnesota, for twenty years and retired this year due to ill health. He is survived by his wife; two sons and four daughters: Phyllis (Mrs. LaVern Guertin) of St. Paul Park, Minnesota; Melvin Gaffaney of Shore View; Judy (Mrs. Duane Cook) of St. Paul; Joyce (Mrs. Gunda Cook) of St. Paul Park, Minnesota; Mavis (Mrs. Larry Mljenek) of Rice Lake, Wisconsin; Delbert Gaffaney of St. Paul Park, Minnesota. Surviving are 4 sisters and 2 brothers: Mabel, Mrs. Arvid Johansen, Alexandria; James Gaffaney, Glenwood; Ambrose Gaffaney, Hudson Township; Loretta, Mrs. R. J. Morse, Whittier, California; Margaret, Mrs. Russell Danielson, Germany; and Florence, Mrs. Arthur Anderson, Minneapolis. Also surviving are sixteen grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Mildred and Julia.
Funeral services were November 19, 1973, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Alexandria, Minnesota. Rev. Arthur Hoppe and Rev. Gerald Dalseth officiating. Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery, Alexandria, Minnesota. Pallbearers were Robert Gaffaney, David Gaffaney, Patrick Gaffaney, Harvey Hiebel, Ernest Johanson and Vernon Bentfield.
(Lake Region Echo Press, 28 Nov. 1973)