Aunt Dorothy O’Donnell

My mother, Rita Mary O’Donnell Fries, who was Dorothy’s oldest sister told me that no one ever knew for sure what caused Dorothy’s seizure disorder. One possible cause was the fact that Dorothy suffered a ruptured appendix and became deathly ill. My mother prayed really hard that Dorothy would survive but always felt that she might have developed her seizures as a consequence of being so sick. The other scenario I heard was that she fell from a ladder or rope while in gym class. Aunt Anne told me that she would go out with Dorothy to the 5 and 10 Store and Dorothy would put things in her pockets and leave the store and the cops would be called. Anne was always explaining about Dorothy’s condition. One time Dorothy had a full blown seizure ( Grand Mal seizure) while they were walking on the sidewalk and a lot of people surrounded them and attempted to intervene and Anne had to take charge of the situation and tell them she was able to handle it correctly. Dorothy would sleep walk and leave the family’s Brooklyn apartment in the middle of the night. This was one of the reasons it was decided to place Dorothy in Craig Colony. Also my grandmother ( Margaret Coleman O’Donnell ) had a weak heart after suffering a heart attack at age 47 so it was becoming more and more of a challenge for her to keep Dorothy at home. I can only imagine what a difficult decision it was. Maybe this is the reason it was not discussed in much detail. Anne and Dorothy are buried in the Friendsville Cemetery either side of their parents, Margaret (Coleman) and T.J. O’Donnell Craig colony or Craig state school was for folks with seizure disorders. Located in Sonyea, Wyoming County. Can’t prove it not I believe Sonyea was an acronym for state of New York epileptic asylum Dorothy was born in December 1919 and Anne in December 1920 - just one year apart. Dorothy died in 1942

Charles A. Fries Sr. teaching Radio Communications

St. Patrick’s Church

Meg sitting in the spot where St. Patrick’s Church in Middletown Center sat until quite recently. (All that’s left is the cornerstone from 1848 and the graveyard that surrounded the church. Sadly it was torn down and I miss being able to walk up the isle where my grandma, Margaret Mary Coleman, married my grandfather, Thomas J. O’Donnell, on January 19, 1916. The reception followed at my great grandmother’s house but I’m not sure where exactly the house was. I like to fantasize that it was the house in this picture which is a very short distance from the church but my Great-Grandma, Hannah Byrne Coleman was widowed at a young age and left to run a farm and raise 8 children on her own therefore I doubt her house would be so big and elaborate.

Old Black Sailor

On the beautiful country road from the O’Donnell Homestead to Stanley Pond ( now called Stanley Lake ). There is a family story about an incident that occurred when the 3 O’Donnell brothers went to Stanley Pond with their dog, Old Black Sailor. They crafted a little raft out of some twigs and small logs and sent Old Black Sailor for a ride out into the pond. The raft went too far out into the middle of the pond and they couldn’t get it back closer to shore when the sun began to set. Finally, they knew they better get back home before the dinner hour so they reluctantly left Old Black Sailor floating on the raft, fearing that they might not see him again. Since the dog was allowed to wander around the farm, they didn’t say a word about their dilemma to their parents and later that night they went to bed wondering sadly if they would ever see their beloved dog again. When they awoke the next morning and went downstairs they heard some noise at the back door and when they opened it, there was Old Black Sailor in all his glory, a bit water-logged but wagging his tail joyfully!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19m6XDG9Ba/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Nostalgic trip to the country

Broadening My Understanding of Human Sexuality

Right off the bat, I felt comfortable in Pediatrics and I’ve always attributed my relaxed attitude to the fact that my mother had complete confidence in my ability to care for my baby sister, Margaret Mary, even though I was only nine years old when she entered my life. I was overjoyed at her arrival and found all aspects of her care entertaining and fun. I also believe it is one of the main reasons I wanted to become a Pediatric Nurse. Although I took my studies and nurses’ training seriously it came as a rather shocking surprise, when in my first assignment as an RN on the Pediatric Unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital in NYC, I was assigned to care for a sweet little baby who had a condition that I didn’t remember learning about during my schooling. It seemed that most of the rest of the medical and nursing staff on our Unit didn’t know much about it either ( the year was 1966 ). Among other problems, this baby was born with both male and female sex organs. At the time, the terminology we used when referring to this child was “Hermaphrodite”. Even though we were a major Medical Center in Manhattan, I remember the commotion this baby’s diagnosis caused on our Pediatric Ward. Today, the term "hermaphrodite" is considered outdated and stigmatizing, and the condition is currently referred to as “Intersex”. This early experience broadened my understanding of human sexuality and the vast complexities and variations that can and do exist. The publication ,“Understanding Differences and Disorders of Sex Development (DSD)” is in constant flux as research and development in this area is complex and ongoing. Throughout the recent years there has been a shift of focus from individual bodily differences( whether at the level of genes, chromosomes,gonads or genitals,) to the social context in which such classifications are made, and the ramifications that inclusion or exclusion from normative social classifications can have on individuals. This early experience as a Pediatric Nurse helped me to discard negative, judgmental and erroneous teachings about human sexuality. Currently I know and love and support many individuals in the LGBQT+ community. I will continue to speak out against prejudicial behavior that harms the people I love. ❤️

A Young Child’s Misunderstanding

My Mother’s Story about a little incident involving her mother ( my grandmother, Margaret Mary Coleman O’Donnell) that happened in the late 1890’s. My Mother’s parents farm on Rt. 858, Middletown Township, Susquehanna, Pa was a mile or two from the homestead of her paternal grandparents, - Darius Coleman and Margaret Curley. She often visited there. On one of these visits she got her little legs caught in the rungs of a chair. Her grandma tried in vain to get her loose and called to her grandpa, saying “ I’m afraid you’ll have to use a saw, Darius.”Poor mother screamed in protest when she thought she was going to get her leg sawed off!