Over the years I heard many stories about my father and mother's visit to her Grandma Hannah Coleman's home in Friendsville, Pa while they were still "sparking" (I was going to say "courting" but then I remember that my father always used the word, "sparking". I guess that means there were some sparks, wouldn't you say?)
Seems they had a very good time since my father referred to it often. Apparently they spent quite a lot of time on the front porch but when it was time for bed, Grandma made certain there was no hanky-panky. My mother slept upstairs and my father wasn't allowed past the first floor. Today, I was excited to find the following letter buried in the junk on my father's back porch. It was written by Margaret O'Donnell ("Mother") on May 31, 1938 and it was addressed to Rita & Charlie. It surprised me to learn that my parents took a trip up to the country together over two years before they got married (on Oct 19, 1940).
" 1017 Putnam Ave.
Brooklyn, NY
May 31, 1938
Dear Rita & Charlie:
We were rather worried not to get a line from you folks until today but know it's easy to neglect getting the letters in on time. We thought you might send us a card from Scranton. Well, we will forgive you this time.
I am glad you are having such a nice time. The weather is rather cool here today but nice & clear. How did you get down to Binghamton & how long did you stay?
How was the dance last night? Which one did you attend?
Have you seen Grandma and Aunt Bridge yet?
We spent a very quiet holiday. Staid (this is how she spelled stayed) in bed until nearly noon then got up & straightened up the house & Maureen & Anne went up to Fries' and spent the afternoon & staid for supper. They are planning on a big time Sat. night. Jerry spent Sunday with us. We had dinner early & then went riding.
How are all the folks up there? Is Aunt Genevieve quite well now? & Aunt Bridgie Byrne?
Write again soon. With best love to all the Gearys and yourselves from all of us.
Lovingly,
Mother
We will mail the chief. "
In the letter above the referral to Grandma is Hannah Byrne Coleman and Aunt Bridge is Bridget Byrne Reilly ( Grandma Coleman's sister and the owner of Aunt Bridge's farm where I vacationed in my childhood and across the road from where Rita & Charlie are now buried.
Apparently my Aunt Maureen and my Aunt Anne were visiting at the Fries' home on Interboro Pkwy (Vermont Ave.) As young people they use to hang out together in a crowd. I am uncertain if "Jerry" is my Uncle Gerard O'Donnell or it could have been a guy that Aunt Maureen dated before she married Joe Marski. I am not sure who Aunt Genevieve is but I know that my mother's Uncle Mart Coleman ( Margaret Mary Coleman O'Donnell's brother) was married to Genevieve. I am not sure who Bridgie Byrne is ? Aunt Bridge's married name was Reilly). This weekend my cousin's Anne Mc Carthy and Anne Herman are coming for a visit and I will ask them if they know who Margaret is referring to in her letter. I wonder if they visited someone in Scranton? I think Rosina Coleman Smith went to school in Scranton and maybe Mother Mary Coleman.
I find it a bit upsetting to find such marvelous letters by sheer luck. Literally they are mixed together with pure, unadulterated junk.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Some Geneology Facts for the descendants of Margaret Mary Coleman O'Donnell
The following details were found on a little piece of paper that was stuck into one of my mother's many, sparsely filled journals.
- Rita Mary (nee’-O’Donnell) Fries’ grandmother was Hannah (nee’-Byrne) – Born Nov. 11, 1865 & died Nov. 1942 at the age of 77 years. Hannah was the mother of Rita’s mother, Margaret Mary (nee’-Coleman) O’Donnell. Hannah attended the wedding and reception of Rita O’Donnell and Charles A. Fries, Sr. on October 19, 1940. Hannah Byrne married Frank Coleman in 1885 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Friendsville, PA. They purchased and lived on the John Biglan homestead in Middletown, Pa. They had 9 children (one, Mary, died as an infant). This house is still standing for any descendants who wish to take a nostalgia tour.
- The next generation back -Hannah was the child of Christopher Byrne (Christopher was born in 1824 & died in 1912 at the age of 88) and Mary Anne (nee’ -Welch) Byrne (Mary Anne was born in 1840 & died in 1908 at the age of 68).
- The next generation back - Christopher Byrne was the son of Patrick Byrne (Patrick was born in Ireland in 1784, came to America in 1850 & died on 25 Feb. 1854 at 70 years of age. He is buried in St. Joseph’s cemetery in St. Joseph’s Pa.) and Bridget (nee’- Mc Laughlin) Byrne (Bridget was born in 1796 & died on 3 July 1872 at the age of 76 years). Mary Anne (nee’-Welch) Byrne was the daughter of Martin Welch who was born in Oxford or Norwich, NY) and Honora (nee’- Murphy) Welch
- The next generation back- Patrick Byrne (see # 3 above) was the son of Christopher Byrne and Catherine Branigan. We have no dates for these ancestors. Of interest is the fact that the first names repeated after skipping a generation. I have no information regarding the ancestors of Martin Welch and Honora Murphy. After awhile the people fade away into history.
- The next generation back- Christopher Byrne (see # 4 above) is the son of Patrick or Christopher (apparently we are not sure of his first name) and a woman with the last name of Campbell (no first name given).
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Another Treasure Among the Trash
I found another piece of writing in my mother's hand in yet another journal book. It seems my mother and I have a lot in common. We enjoy writing real life stories but we are a bit scattered. We don't give up though - we keep starting over and over and over again.
Here is a story that I consider a great gem. I will add the photo when I find it! I told you I was a bit scattered but I will find it sometime and send it along with is particular blog entry.
" The first born of Thomas Joseph O'Donnell and Margaret Mary Coleman O'Donnell was born on the 25th of March 1917. Although I didn't realize it at the time, it happened to be me - Rita Mary O'Donnell. I was born at home at 50 Howard Avenue between Jefferson and Putnam Avenue across the street form the Bushwick Hospital. At that time, the section was called the Bushwick section. Today the area is considered a part of Bedford - Styvesant section.
As was customary in those days, I was born at home. My mother engaged Mrs. Willet, a nurse, to be with her during her confinement. When my mother felt certain my birth was imminent, she begged Mrs. Willet to call Dr. Stevens, the doctor she had engaged for the delivery. This officious lady refused her request. The result- I was born before the doctor's arrival. Needless to say, my mother did not hire Nurse Willet for the birth of her other children.
My mother was born on her parents' farm in Middletown Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of ten children, two of whom died in infancy. Except for the times she taught school in different districts, she lived on the farm till her marriage. She attended school in a one room school house. The school house was a mile or twp from her home near the home of the Beaumonts, her closest neighbor. Her birthday was on the 16th of February 1887. Her parents were George Francis Coleman, called Frank, and Hannah Byrne Coleman. Her brother, Lawrence D. was born the next year on the 31st of March 1888. The relationship between Lawrence and Margaret was a close and loving one. Mother said she was closer to Lawrence than any of her other brothers or sisters. Christopher, called Chris, was born on the 29th of July 1889. The other children arrived in rapid succession. Mary was born in 1891 and died in 1892. Martin was born the 9th of November 1892. may, christened Anna May, was born on the 2nd of May 1894, Francis B. 1895. Norine E.'s birthday is the 6th of October 1897. Besides little Mary, another baby whose birth date is unknown, died in infancy. Kathleen, the youngest child, was born posthumously, on the 18th of September 1901. Aunt Norine told me that this baby, born between herself and Aunt Kathleen, was also a girl.
Sometime in February of 1901 Frank, Mother's father, slipped on a huge boulder in the woods between his house and his father's house on Route 858. He sustained a compound fracture of the leg.
About six weeks later on Good Friday evening he and baby Norine were in bed together. He had been given permission by the doctor to get up the next day, and was in fine spirit. Grandma and mother were home with him also. He put down the book that he had been reading, fell back on his pillow and died instntly from a blood clot, which was called apoplexy in those days. The date was April 2nd, 1901 (Good Friday). Since none of the boys were home, mother had to go by herself to get help - a nightmarish experience which she never forgot.
When Grandpa died, Grandma, a thirty five year old widow, was left to raise seven children completely by herself. The eighth child, Aunt Kathleen, was born five and a half months after Grandpa's death (her father's death) on 18th of September 1901. Because mother was the ....."( and here my mother's story stops in mid-sentence. This is too bad since I was really getting into the story!!
Here is a story that I consider a great gem. I will add the photo when I find it! I told you I was a bit scattered but I will find it sometime and send it along with is particular blog entry.
" The first born of Thomas Joseph O'Donnell and Margaret Mary Coleman O'Donnell was born on the 25th of March 1917. Although I didn't realize it at the time, it happened to be me - Rita Mary O'Donnell. I was born at home at 50 Howard Avenue between Jefferson and Putnam Avenue across the street form the Bushwick Hospital. At that time, the section was called the Bushwick section. Today the area is considered a part of Bedford - Styvesant section.
As was customary in those days, I was born at home. My mother engaged Mrs. Willet, a nurse, to be with her during her confinement. When my mother felt certain my birth was imminent, she begged Mrs. Willet to call Dr. Stevens, the doctor she had engaged for the delivery. This officious lady refused her request. The result- I was born before the doctor's arrival. Needless to say, my mother did not hire Nurse Willet for the birth of her other children.
My mother was born on her parents' farm in Middletown Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of ten children, two of whom died in infancy. Except for the times she taught school in different districts, she lived on the farm till her marriage. She attended school in a one room school house. The school house was a mile or twp from her home near the home of the Beaumonts, her closest neighbor. Her birthday was on the 16th of February 1887. Her parents were George Francis Coleman, called Frank, and Hannah Byrne Coleman. Her brother, Lawrence D. was born the next year on the 31st of March 1888. The relationship between Lawrence and Margaret was a close and loving one. Mother said she was closer to Lawrence than any of her other brothers or sisters. Christopher, called Chris, was born on the 29th of July 1889. The other children arrived in rapid succession. Mary was born in 1891 and died in 1892. Martin was born the 9th of November 1892. may, christened Anna May, was born on the 2nd of May 1894, Francis B. 1895. Norine E.'s birthday is the 6th of October 1897. Besides little Mary, another baby whose birth date is unknown, died in infancy. Kathleen, the youngest child, was born posthumously, on the 18th of September 1901. Aunt Norine told me that this baby, born between herself and Aunt Kathleen, was also a girl.
Sometime in February of 1901 Frank, Mother's father, slipped on a huge boulder in the woods between his house and his father's house on Route 858. He sustained a compound fracture of the leg.
About six weeks later on Good Friday evening he and baby Norine were in bed together. He had been given permission by the doctor to get up the next day, and was in fine spirit. Grandma and mother were home with him also. He put down the book that he had been reading, fell back on his pillow and died instntly from a blood clot, which was called apoplexy in those days. The date was April 2nd, 1901 (Good Friday). Since none of the boys were home, mother had to go by herself to get help - a nightmarish experience which she never forgot.
When Grandpa died, Grandma, a thirty five year old widow, was left to raise seven children completely by herself. The eighth child, Aunt Kathleen, was born five and a half months after Grandpa's death (her father's death) on 18th of September 1901. Because mother was the ....."( and here my mother's story stops in mid-sentence. This is too bad since I was really getting into the story!!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Treasures Among the Trash
Here is one such question and my mother's answer:
What do you remember about your wedding?
On the night before our wedding our apartment was crowded with out of town guests. Aunt Nellie invited me to sleep in her apartment upstairs. Before bedtime, Aunt Nellie gave me a glass of wine to drink to assure that I would have no trouble getting to sleep. The wine did the trick and I fell asleep immediately. In 1940 the Eucharistic fast began at midnight and nothing to eat or drink could be taken after that time.
The next morning at 8 a.m. I walked around the corner to our beautician to have my hair combed.
Mass was at 10 a.m. Maureen, Dad, and I left at 9:30 to be on time. Although I had wanted the song, "Believe me for all those endearing young charms" sung during the Mass, I was told since it was not a hymn it could not be used at the ceremony. As it turned out I am happy to say the hymn, "Panis Angelicus" was sung in its place. It is a beautiful hymn that I heard for the first time at our wedding. A friend on my cousin Gene O'Donnell was the soloist.
I remember how grateful and happy I felt. My heart was filled with joy and gratitude to God for giving me the man of my dreams that day, and I was surrounded by the people I loved and were close and important to me.
I felt a tinge of sadness when all the unmarried, young people left to continue partying while Charlie and I felt obliged to stay at home with the married folk. At close to midnight Uncle John and Aunt Rose dropped us off at our new apartment on 1492 Bushwich Avenue. I remember it was snowing when we reached our apartment. When we reached our door Charlie carried me over the threshold.
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