tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15468755234283328652024-02-20T10:14:05.289-05:00Jim's Girl Family History BlogA genealogy blog to bring together cousins near and far in my family tree.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-8443280269473500062018-03-31T19:41:00.002-04:002018-03-31T19:41:42.995-04:00Brodetto alla faneseI have many wonderful memories of my grandmother's cooking. From time to time, I try to carry on her traditons. One meal I remember from Christmas Eve or Good Friday was "brodet" as she'd say. I'd like to share that recipe with you.<br />
<br />
Brodetto is a traditional seafood stew made in her hometown of Fano, in the Marche region of Italy. My grandmother ("Ma" as we all called her) made it on a meatless feast day and served it over creamy polenta. Polenta isn't commonly used in Fano. In fact, when Mom and I visited Fano in 2000, the brodetto we had at a restaurant next to the wharf was served alone as a main dish, with a thinner sauce than we remembered from Ma.<br />
<br />
My recipe gives you the option to make either a thick sauce suitable for making polenta even more delicious, or a thin sauce that you might serve simply with bread on the side. I've long since lost the recipe Ma gave me in the Nineties. But several years back, after a thorough Web search, I printed out and translated an Italian recipe and used it as my base. I'm afraid I don't have the original source, to give it credit. I'm afraid all I have is this reflection of how I made this dish yesterday for Good Friday:<br />
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<br />
<b>Brodetto alla fanese</b><br />
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Serves 6.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1 onion, diced finely<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->3 garlic, diced finely<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1-2 Tbsp tomato paste<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 Tbsp white wine vinegar<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1 ½ cup white wine<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1 ½ cup water<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 bottles of passata or tomato sauce (and the water to rinse
them out)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fish
and Seafood<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1-2 fillets of white fish (e.g., haddock, halibut,
cod)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2-lb. bag of mussels<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->12-24 shrimp<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Other seafood to taste (e.g. sea or bay
scallops, shrimp, octopus, clams). Frozen seafood may be used if thawed
before adding to the sauce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>In a deep skillet or large pot, fry onions in
olive oil. When onions are soft, add garlic and fry briefly. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->In the centre of the pan, add a tablespoon or
two of tomato paste and cook until it browns slightly. Mix onions, garlic and
tomato paste together to combine. Season with salt and pepper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add vinegar, wine and water and bring to a boil
for a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add passata and bring back to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (The proportion of water/wine to passata can be
adjusted to achieve the consistency you desire. I prefer a thicker base, to go
with the polenta. Passata can be omitted in favour of the tomato paste for a
thinner base.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Add the fish and seafood and bring back to a
boil until cooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take note to add the
fish that will take longest to cook first, so that everything reaches a cooked
state at approximately the same time. Do not overcook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Serve immediately with creamy polenta, as my
fanese grandmother did, likely to appease her Furlan husband. In Fano, the
brodetto has a thinner sauce and is served without a side dish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To clean mussels:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Put the mussels in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Scrub each mussel, one by one. Throw out any that are cracked or open. To test
an open mussel to see if it is still fresh for cooking, tap it against the
sink. If it closes, it is OK to cook. If not, throw it out. If the mussel has a
beard, pull it against the mussel’s hinge to remove it. If necessary, use a
knife to cut off the beard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-1424689758371108332018-03-31T19:27:00.001-04:002018-03-31T19:27:24.359-04:00I Know It Has Been a WhileSome of you are, no doubt, surprised to see a new post on this blog. I know I've left it inactive for a long time. Life with cancer is difficult and there has been little time for genealogy. I hope to change that. I will be posting a couple of recipes that have become family traditons. Also, I am sad to say that my Aunt Nora Cleary passed away earlier this month. Soon, I will post a tribute to her.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-67284871037203395532014-09-19T12:56:00.000-04:002014-09-19T12:58:54.530-04:00BIFHSGO's 20th Conference Has BegunI was up bright and early this morning to attend a pre-conference session of the 20th BIFHSGO Conference. The conference begins this evening and runs through Sunday afternoon at Library and Archives Canada in downtown Ottawa. This year, rather than focussing on a particular country, there is "Something for Everyone!"<br>
<br>
Having recently dipped a toe into DNA testing, I am particularly interested in the many sessions on genetic genealogy. This morning's presentation by Debbie Kennett was the perfect place to start, "I've Got My DNA Results But What Do I Do Next?" I have already learned a great deal about how to interpret our results, particularly how to narrow down large pools of matches.<br>
<br>
I will have trouble deciding where to go in some time slots. Do I learn about English gazetteers or surname DNA projects? If you're here, you'll have trouble deciding too. There really is something for everyone. Look for me at the front of ther room, with my new wheels.<br>
<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LEqEEeMalxqU7vgKwN2RDErD2h4VzbdPFDpWc9_IzGhFkYVtIVeJb9MvU0qmTORzs0ssXG6kjfLnrs3RSempZd6kv98dYpurpFALpC6nCbtR8Pi0n-2v5H32qll64uO3eofpsm9HhUY/s640/blogger-image-30023229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LEqEEeMalxqU7vgKwN2RDErD2h4VzbdPFDpWc9_IzGhFkYVtIVeJb9MvU0qmTORzs0ssXG6kjfLnrs3RSempZd6kv98dYpurpFALpC6nCbtR8Pi0n-2v5H32qll64uO3eofpsm9HhUY/s640/blogger-image-30023229.jpg"></a></div>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-3472319411214075612013-09-21T12:57:00.001-04:002013-09-21T12:57:03.383-04:00At the BIFHSGO Conference in OttawaThe focus of this year's conference of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa is Ireland. I am very happy to be well enough to attend the conference. Two years ago, I left the BIFHSGO conference on the Saturday afternoon convinced I was having a gall bladder attack. I was too ill to return for the conference's final day. The next month I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Now, equipped with my trusty walker -- a combination crutch and pack mule -- I am back.<br />
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The conference started last night with a thought-provoking talk by Philip Donnelly who is promoting a project to correlate available genealogical records with pictures of ruined Irish farmhouses. Think of it as a Billion Graves app for ruins instead of tombs.<br />
<br />
This morning started with an introduction to Irish genealogical research <span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">by Eileen O Duill</span>. While I'm not a beginner, I found it an interesting presentation. Later, Lisa Louise Cooke, the voice of Genealogy Gems, talked about tracking down living relatives. When you consider how much pain medication I am on, it is a testament to these speakers that I haven't nodded off once!<br />
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Lunch is nearly over. I am looking forward to more presentations about Irish genealogical records and brick wall strategies. Tomorrow I'll hear about how to trace my roots with my beloved iPad, and genealogical cold cases. Most of the time, two lectures are offered in each time slot and it is very difficult to choose which to attend. If only I was here with a friend I could swap notes with!<br />
<br />
Before things start up again, I'm going to have another look at the marketplace. How many more books will I buy? Or CDs? There seem to be fewer vendors in the marketplace than in past years, but the availability of information and products is still good. I tell you, I'm tempted to pick up a Flip Pal portable scanner. I love gadgets.<br />
<br />
There are people to meet as well. I wish I knew more of the regulars, but it has been hard for me to get to many monthly BIFHSGO meetings on Saturday mornings. Now that the puppy is waking me early I will come to more. I would like to meet more of my local geneaddicts. I'm the middle aged lady with the walker, sitting in the front row. Please introduce yourselves. I am glad to be with you.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-51488787504677701552013-08-12T20:32:00.001-04:002013-08-12T20:32:51.581-04:001921 Canadian Census, FinallyForgive me for being slow on the uptake. It has been so long since Library and Archives Canada took possession of the 1921 Census that I had stopped looking for updates. I've been behind in reading other blogs. Only today did the Ottawa Citizen publish an article saying that the census was finally been made public late last week. Ancestry.ca is making public the digital images of the 1921 Canadian Census. It has not yet been indexed by name. I understand that it is possible to search by location, if you have a good idea of where your people lived in 1921, and you're willing to scroll for a while. I will give it a try now.<br />
<br />
For an excellent compilation of information and perspectives on the census release, please go to the Genealogy Canada blog <a href="http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/2013/08/canadian-week-in-review-12-august-2013.html" target="_blank">here</a>.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-63272485346791590302013-06-18T22:10:00.002-04:002013-06-18T22:10:44.198-04:00A Census Conspiracy?There is news! Today, I saw<a href="http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2013/06/breaking-news-1921-census-of-canada.html" target="_blank"> this post</a> on Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter regarding the release of the 1921 Canadian Census. He points to <a href="http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/2013/06/breaking-news-1921-census-of-canada.html" target="_blank">this post</a> by Elizabeth Lapointe of Genealogy Canada where Elizabeth claims that LAC sources told her the census has been fully digitized and its release is being held up by the Minister's Office.<br />
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I say claimed because I try to be skeptical of everything I read on the Internet. However, I don't disbelieve Elizabeth's post in the slightest. Unfortunately, it has become clear that every federal government announcement is strictly controlled by the Prime Minister's Office. I would like to think that Elizabeth's advice that we write to the responsible Minister would make a difference. It won't.<br />
<br />
I am confident that the 1921 Census will be released in the coming weeks. It just won't be on the timetable of any genealogist or archivist.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-46232181315161565282013-06-04T11:19:00.002-04:002013-06-04T11:19:59.600-04:001921 Canadian Census UpdateToday I learned that Library and Archives Canada has issued a <a href="http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/Pages/2013/1921-census.aspx" target="_blank">news release</a> regarding the 1921 Census:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Library and Archives Canada is committed to making the 1921 Census’ rich and complex information accessible and available to all Canadians, no matter where they live, in the next few weeks. Further details on the 1921 Census’ availability will be shared once they are available.</i></span></blockquote>
A few weeks, they say. What they don't say is how the census will be available. I'm sure we would all like to be able to view the census online, indexed and free. I don't see that happening in a few weeks. Perhaps a paper copy will be available downtown at the LAC building, but that doesn't satisfy the criteria of availability to all Canadians. Really, what is the point of speculating?<br />
<br />
I will be on the lookout over "the next few weeks" and will let you know what LAC does with our Census.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-7800833161616453322013-06-02T18:11:00.001-04:002013-06-02T18:11:20.396-04:00I Know I've Been Out of It, But What Is LAC's Excuse: the 1921 Canadian Census<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you know, for most of the last 18 months, I have been preoccupied with my new hobby, "having cancer." While I am technically off chemo, I still take cancer-fighting medication daily and get regular IV treatment. I am still spending an awful lot of time at the hospital. Over the next two weeks, I'll be there for a pain-relieving epidural, an echocardiogram, blood tests and my IV treatment. There hasn't been much time for genealogy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, it's on my mind. I've been preparing to make an introductory genealogy presentation to my daughter's class. In the last few days I've been reading more genealogy blogs. That's where I saw the news: the 1921 Canadian Census has been released (that is given to LAC for public access)! It was news to me. There's been nothing in the paper. Not long ago, the lead up to the release of the 1940 US Census was overwhelming, even impossible to avoid. Not so this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These two blogs about the 1921 Census, by esteemed Canadian geneabloggers really caught my attention, and I recommend you read them:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">John Reid at Anglo-Canadian Connections, <a href="http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2013/06/1921-canadian-census-is-released-did.html" target="_blank">"All's Quiet on the Census Front."</a></span></li>
<li><span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Lorine McGinnis at </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Olive Tree Genealogy, <a href="http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2013/06/1921-canadian-census-is-released-did.html" target="_blank">"1921 Canadian Census is Released! Did You Notice the FanFare & Excitement?"</a></span></li>
</ul>
What is going on at LAC, Library and Archives Canada? The organization has been having a tough time of late. Budget cuts. Service cuts. Criticism on a wide scale. Recently, the embattled head of LAC resigned. John Reid reports that LAC has indicated it will make the 1921 census available as soon as possible. You wouldn't know if you visited LAC's website. Of the measly four news releases issued this year (yes, only four), none pertains to the Census.<br />
<br />
You know, I've been looking forward to this census. My grandfather. Luigi Bertolo and his family came to Canada in 1913, not long after the previous was taken. The 1921 Census would be the first where I'd find my ancestors. I'd be happy to spend as much time indexing this census as I did on the 1940 US Census. I'd be happy and I'd be proud to index it. I would find the time.<br />
<br />
LAC, I know I've been busy. What's your excuse?<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>I'd be pleased to have you subscribe to my other blog about my life with Stage IV breast cancer, </em><a href="http://katebreastcancer.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><em>Kate Has Cancer</em></a><em>, or follow me on Twitter @</em><span class="screen-name"><em>KateHasCancer.</em> </span>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-91049750241948883962012-07-22T19:18:00.000-04:002012-07-22T19:18:38.607-04:00Thank You for 10,000 HitsI don't think I really thought this day would come, but I just checked the stats for my Jim's Girl Family History Blog and was surprised to see that I'd passed 10,000 page views in the last few days.<br />
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Thank you to all my readers, particularly since I've taken a break from genealogy blogging since I was diagnosed with cancer.<br />
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For some reason, over 1,600 of the hits are on my "M is for Munster" post. When I was doing the A to Z Challenge in 2011, I had planned to do an M is for Moynihan post, but I didn't have the time to do justice to the derivation and history of my surname. "M is for Munster" was the quick substitute. As it turns out, the photo map of the Munster province has proved exceedingly popular. <br />
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Many of you are also coming to get my grandmother's recipe for genetti cookies. Thanks for coming. You can send me a batch any time! (Yes, Cousin Sam, you already did and they were delicious!)<br />
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I am glad that so many of you have come to the blog for the "B is for Bannia" site. I have had so many emails and comments from folks with roots in the frazione of Bannia. This post has put me in touch with some really lovely people, including a second cousin I didn't know. There are so many of us in Canada and the U.S., that it's hard to beleive there is anyone left in Bannia -- but I know they're still there and I hope they are visiting too. <br />
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"O is for Oro alla Patria" is another popular post. I hope I have helped others solve the mystery of their oro alla patria rings.<br />
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One of my favourite posts to write was "F is for Frank's First Marriage" about my dear Zio Frank and his mysterious first wife Annie. I'm glad you readers seem to have enjoyed that post too.<br />
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Now that I am feeling much better, though still not ready to go back to work, I have restarted my genealogical research. I hope to have the energy to blog more about my family and that of my Sweetheart. 10,000 page views may be just the accomplishment to push me to post more.<br />
Thank you again.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-21683800446219454942012-04-30T19:58:00.002-04:002012-04-30T19:58:42.103-04:00It's Time to Give Back to the Genealogy CommunityNow that I'm feeling better, I've had the time and energy to get back to some genealogy work. I had been reading about the release of the 1940 U.S. Census at the beginning of April. Only the census images have been released. So, you can only find your relatives if you know exactly where they lived, or browse a community page by page. The reason is that the census images have not yet been indexed.<br />
<br />
What is indexing? Well, if you started your genealogy in the last decade and went straight to Ancestry or Family Search or some other site and entered your surname in the search box, you were benefiting from the indexing efforts done by others. Volunteers are indexing the 1940 census for Family Search, viewing each page and typing the names, ages and birthplaces into special software. Once the indexing is complete, which involves several sets of eyes on each indexed page, the census images for that state will be searchable on <a href="http://familysearch.org/">Familysearch.org.</a><br />
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I know the thrill of finding my ancestors, with the click of a button, in an indexed census. It's time for me to give back, and index someone else's people. So far, I have indexed census pages from New York, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Louisiana.<br />
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If you are interested in contributing to the 1940 Census project, <a href="https://indexing.familysearch.org/newuser/nuhome.jsf?3.13.1" target="_blank">click here</a> and then click the button "Get Started." You will have to download the indexing software onto your computer. And it's easy. Well, not all the census enumerators had exemplary handwriting. A few times, I've had to ask my husband and daughter to see if they could figure out some names. We all stared at one woman's name for several minutes and were unable to figure it out. The indexing arbitrators ruled that it was "Sue." I never guessed!<br />
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Have you given back to the genealogy community? Why not start today?<br />
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<br />Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-66258075878324907972012-01-02T22:29:00.002-05:002012-01-02T22:29:48.664-05:00Feeling Better, but Changing FocusThank you to all who took the time to post messages of support after I let you know I was talking a blogging break due to my breast cancer diagnosis. <br />
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Now that I have had a chance to process my diagnosis and am feeling a good bit better, I've found the energy to blog again. I feel that I need to put my energy into breast cancer awareness, something I was not strong at before becoming sick. I've created a new blog titled "Kate's Breast Cancer Awareness Blog" which you can find at <a href="http://katebreastcancer.blogspot.com/">http://katebreastcancer.blogspot.com/</a>. In addition to the awareness content, I will be using the blog to keep friends and family up-to-date on how I'm doing. If breast cancer is part of your life -- or you want to keep it away -- please follow my new blog.<br />
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I hope that the new-found energy I have will translate into more family history posts as well. As you know, I have a lot more stories to tell.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-55588383764033066642011-10-19T22:22:00.000-04:002011-10-19T22:22:50.382-04:00Wisdom Wednesday: Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Why I am Taking a Blogging Break<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRKV_4IdEFCdbj0Evly0yclwiCeIGMVkn-rZqaEuuH_XylLiouso8kTGOmGoNGjBPS237DYqw_dTJugyN1BEeanmY37VHFdF-017L6C6GzefgxFF18z53ng8q0QTuzHfedKxt_2tajHs/s1600/PinkRibbonLL.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRKV_4IdEFCdbj0Evly0yclwiCeIGMVkn-rZqaEuuH_XylLiouso8kTGOmGoNGjBPS237DYqw_dTJugyN1BEeanmY37VHFdF-017L6C6GzefgxFF18z53ng8q0QTuzHfedKxt_2tajHs/s200/PinkRibbonLL.gif" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image provided by Carol Sutton at<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.carolsutton.net/download_pink-ribbon.html">http://www.carolsutton.net/download_pink-ribbon.html</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<em><strong>Warning: This post may not be suitable for all readers. It contains introspective and mystical content that may trigger discomfort or disdain. </strong></em><br />
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One of the things you start to pay attention to as a genealogist is when and how your ancestors died. Most of my ancestors, on the Irish and Italian sides, lived long lives, even the ones born during the Great Famine. My maternal grandmother passed away two years ago, days short of her 99th birthday.<br />
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My side of the family hasn't dealt with much cancer. So maybe I took my own longevity for granted. I didn't know that most women that get breast cancer don't actually have a family history of it.<br />
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Since I learned I was pregnant with the Bean, my lovely little girl, I've been careful. I've tried to eat well, keep my weight down. But I exercised too little and snacked too much. I've made sure to look both ways before crossing the street, but still got knocked down by a truck once. I've seen my doctor regularly, but I forgot to do my monthly breast examination. I didn't realize how risky that could be.<br />
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As a result, last night, I had to tell the Bean that Mommy has breast cancer and it's in a few places it shouldn't be, besides my breast. So now we know why I've been feeling so low since the end of August. <br />
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To my surprise, today I feel better than I have in weeks. I feel that today's new cancer treatments, plus all the support I've received from family, friends, coworkers and bloggers has built me an army that can kill cancer.<br />
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And my relatives and in-laws are part of my army. I have been doing a visualization involving pulling out my tumours and replacing them with loving, healing light. From the beginning, the living and the dead from my family tree have been joining me in the visualization, helping to heal me. My Sweetie's mom, who survived breast cancer but not lung cancer, is there. Her name was Helen, which means "light." Helen, my Moynihan aunts and uncles, my grandmother are all helping. And I swear that last night, my other grandmother, my namesake Katie, came by to give me a hug goodnight.<br />
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You know, I thought I was going to write about how it feels to add the yucky information to the family tree: the illneses, the deaths, the tragedies. But that's not really the lesson I want to share. I've realized in writing this that whether we call ourselves genealogists or family historians, whether we research for fun or for posterity, genealogy has been giving back to us. We're giving it dates and sources, it's giving us people. Today, for me, it's giving me support and healing. My family tree isn't a GEDCOM file. My family tree is a network of people who have loved and protected their kin forever. I've been trying to tell their stories in this blog. And I think they are helping me to continue that work.<br />
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But for a little while, I'll need to take a break. I understand I'm likely to feel worse before I feel better. I'll be back to tell you how a Moynihan became a Monahan, about Alfred Burrows' WWI service, and many other stories. When I can.<br />
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Til then, some homework for you:<br />
<ul>
<li><em>Homework Assignment 1</em>: Get caught up on those tests you've been forgetting about. Check your breasts. Get that mammogram. See your doctor. Tell your sisters, your daughters, your girlfriends, your wives. Take care of yourself, so you can take care of your family.</li>
<li><em>Homework Assignment 2</em>: I'd love to hear your stories of your ancestors reaching out to help and support you. I may sound a little crazy, but I don't think I'm the only one.</li>
</ul>
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<br />Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-15692733763073412432011-09-16T22:28:00.001-04:002012-01-31T09:44:08.106-05:00Annual Conference the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO)I took the day off work today to attend pre-conference workshops for the 17th Annual BIFHSGO Family History Conference in Ottawa.<br />
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I missed Lesley Anderson's presentation "I can't find them anywhere -- effective searching, sharing and collaborating with Ancestry." While I'm sure I could have learned a great deal from Lesley, I wanted to attend Kyla Ubbink's presentation "Storing and Preserving Family Archives and Artifacts." Kyla is a local conservator with whom I've chatted at previous conferences. Her talk gave us an excellent overview of the dangers that our archives and artifacts face in our homes as well as practical tips to ensure we store them in a manner that will avoid further degradation. In addition to suggesting specific products and suppliers for archival storage and conservation, she offered hands-on demonstrations. Kyla warned us that conservation requires patience, and the hands-on work cannot be done in a bad mood. Sometimes you need to put the project down for the day; other times you need to take it straight to the professionals. I can see a certain meditative benefit to cleaning off "old book smell" page by page with a soft brush, but I learned the hard way that removing staples is not my forté. I must wait for a <span id="hotword"></span>propitious day before attempting the dental floss technique to remove photographs from the old magnetic albums.<br />
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My afternoon session was Linda Reid's "Introduction to English and Welsh Family History Records." Linda provided an excellent handout which summarized her key points and recommended resources. Clearly it's time for me to start looking for English parish records for Sweetie's Burrows family. In her talk, Linda showed how to use several key linking records to fill in a pedigree chart. It's the same exercise that I took the Bean through earlier this year. She may only be eight years old, but it's never too early to learn the importance of citing sources for the information on our family tree.<br />
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I had a few hours to kill before the evening lecture and spent much of it taking advantage of the resources at Library and Archives Canada (LAC), where the conference is taking place. In its Canadian Genealogy Centre on the third floor, LAC has some databases prepared by the Société de généalogie de Québec with 20th Century Quebec marriages and deaths. I was able to find Sweetie's Gita's second marriage as well as his Grandad's second and third marriages. (Hmm, that may be a worrisome theme?!) I was also able to confirm Grandad's death, which may now allow us to request his Canadian military records.<br />
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The Don Whiteside Memorial Lecture this evening was given by local author and columnist Phil Jenkins. Phil's presentation, "Thanks for the Memories," was a thought-provoking (and musical) discussion of the potential for ancestral memory or the passing down of ancestral traits.<br />
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If you're in or near Ottawa this weekend, you may want to head to LAC, downtown on Wellington Street at Bay. Walk-in registrations are available.<br />
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The conference continues Saturday and Sunday and there will be many interesting topics presented, this year focusing on England and Wales, and particularly on London and the Home Counties. <br />
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If you see me there, come say hello. And check out the BIFHSGO blogging buzz at <a href="http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anglo-Celtic Connections</a>, by conference co-chair John Reid, as well as the <a href="http://bifhsgo.ca/blog/" target="_blank">BIFHSGO Blog</a>, and Elizabeth Lapointe's <a href="http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Genealogy Canada Blog</a>. <br />
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Before I close, I must extend my thanks to the BIFHSGO volunteers that make the conference a great success each year. <br />
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<span id="hotword"></span>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-14791198648923811042011-09-11T16:01:00.000-04:002011-09-11T16:02:00.906-04:00Today in Family History: Good Things HappenedToday is September 11th. It's a day the world will never forget. So many live were lost that September 11th will always be a day filled with sorrow and tears. But let those not be our only remembrances of the day.<br />
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September 11th is also a day when good things happened. Babies were born. People were married. September 11 has long been a day of tears of joy. And we shouldn't forget that either.<br />
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Happy birthday, Dad. Happy birthday, Sherri. Happy anniversary, Wendy. Love you all.<br />
<br />Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-22430837937778398182011-08-27T07:00:00.001-04:002012-06-11T13:47:18.324-04:00Today in History: August 26, 1917 Maria Ontaria Bertolo was BornI'm sure I'm not the only genealogist who didn't always understand who was on her family tree and where. When I was in elementary school, one day our substitute teacher was Mrs. Plexman. <br />
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I remember that Mrs. Plexman had presence in our classroom. She spoke with precision, calm and dignity. And she was lovely: dark, dark hair and a creamy complexion. What I didn't fully realize is that Mrs. Plexman was my great-aunt, my mom's paternal aunt. Eventually, Mrs. Plexman became Aunty Rose as I got to know her in my teenage years.<br />
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After she died in <strike>1985</strike> 1986, Aunty Rose took on yet another identity when her birth certificate came to light. It turns out, that Rose was her nickname. She was named Maria Ontaria Bertolo by her parents. She was the third of Giuseppe Bertolo and Maria Iop's ten children to be born in Ontario. I guess they liked the place! Here's her baptismal record, in which Father Belcastro had Latinized her name as Mariam Ontariam:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI3X9uDTBbzgaxRlGirI95YtH1OvLzDwdbaR24CujLe2FXZSLrWngey04NkayLVMRfTV5CVYmYBO0nR6LdRdah-L_zDeyVK7oZbgtPwk9_Ig7NNBwtgYVwn3Z4E7ADpHHe0O-4l-jUpo/s1600/BertoloRose_1917BaptismSSMcrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI3X9uDTBbzgaxRlGirI95YtH1OvLzDwdbaR24CujLe2FXZSLrWngey04NkayLVMRfTV5CVYmYBO0nR6LdRdah-L_zDeyVK7oZbgtPwk9_Ig7NNBwtgYVwn3Z4E7ADpHHe0O-4l-jUpo/s400/BertoloRose_1917BaptismSSMcrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The family story is that when Nona Maria held the new baby, Maria Ontaria, older sister Helen looked at the baby and declared that she was so beautiful they must call her Rose.<br />
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One day when I was about 18, my mom and I ran into Aunty Helen on the street. My mom mentioned that she always thought I resembled Aunty Rose. Aunty Helen said, "No, Kathy's much prettier!" I wish it were true. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XZGGPT2LUUDvHWE-zdKqco3P2wFvOosWPr4UciJ7RXCm9YkOIjjVfbeWmdOMjeyDvsXOoKv5b9yr2Bw-kDtoPCsL9HDNKLfNyBglC88kfSCU6-HeCBHGIVBfctnk_paIQyndWGk0Jco/s1600/BertoloRose_1929crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XZGGPT2LUUDvHWE-zdKqco3P2wFvOosWPr4UciJ7RXCm9YkOIjjVfbeWmdOMjeyDvsXOoKv5b9yr2Bw-kDtoPCsL9HDNKLfNyBglC88kfSCU6-HeCBHGIVBfctnk_paIQyndWGk0Jco/s400/BertoloRose_1929crop.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Bertolo, at her brother Luigi's wedding, October 1929</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But I do see the resemblance. And I take that as a great compliment.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-77156855139188078232011-08-03T07:00:00.034-04:002011-08-03T20:42:27.850-04:00Today in Family History: August 3, 1971 Maria (Iop) Bertolo DiedForty years ago today, my great-grandmother, Maria (Iop) Bertolo, passed away in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. In a March 2011 post, <a href="http://jimsgirlfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/surname-saturday-iop.html">Surname Saturday -- Iop</a>, I told you a bit about Maria's life in Fiume Veneto, in the Friuli region of Italy and her emigration to Canada.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnYQ_sEazJE6gwwKFMlpAxmviCxDujhovtyj908GeZFDl8O9AySl_OWpm4ybRGgy9YURZ7ZUIGmTRUxC7sWLYXxEmg6jzQPzz0YIO_pw-KPfMXBeWJ6yweBAXxsvufajV9JRhVLuqrDY/s1600/IopMaria_1971Obit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnYQ_sEazJE6gwwKFMlpAxmviCxDujhovtyj908GeZFDl8O9AySl_OWpm4ybRGgy9YURZ7ZUIGmTRUxC7sWLYXxEmg6jzQPzz0YIO_pw-KPfMXBeWJ6yweBAXxsvufajV9JRhVLuqrDY/s640/IopMaria_1971Obit.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />
Hers is the first funeral I remember attending as a little girl.<br />
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Riposa in pace, Nona Maria.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-39381486833568684492011-07-14T20:28:00.000-04:002011-07-14T20:28:21.463-04:00Thankful Thursday: Finding Grandad's Sister the SisterBack at the end of May, I wrote about "<a href="http://jimsgirlfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/looking-for-julia-moynihan-grandads.html">Looking for Julia Moynihan, Grandad's Sister the Sister</a>." I think Julia pulled some strings from heaven and now I've found her.<br />
<br />
As you may remember, all we really knew was that Julia had become a nun in Boston. Dad said her religious name was Sister Mary Josephine. That's it. We didn't know which order, and there were quite a few of them in Boston at the time.<br />
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Since my first post, I was able to find the detailed ship's manifest that showed Julia arriving in Boston in May 1907 to join her widowed aunt Hannah (aka Annie) Harnedy in Andover. I later found her brother Jeremiah joining her in Andover in 1908. I couldn't find Julia in the 1910 or later censuses with family, but there was a Julia Moynihan with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur first in Waltham and then Boston, Massachusetts. There are several Orders called Sisters of Notre Dame around the world. But the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur seem to be all over the Greater Boston area, including in Andover, just a half-hour north of Boston.<br />
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In my previous post, I shared an obituary I had found on RootsWeb:<br />
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<blockquote><div><em>Lowell Sun Lowell, MA April 3, 1945<br />
<br />
Tyngsboro - Rev. Sr. Mary Josephine, stationed for the past twelve years at the Academy of Notre Dame, died yesterday at the academy, aged 60 years, following an illness of one week's duration.<br />
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The former Julia Moynihan, Sr. Mary Josephine was a native of Ireland, and had been for 35 years in the order of Notre Dame de Namur. During her years at the academy she was in charge of the sacristy.</em></div></blockquote>Tyngsboro is a small town outside Lowell, just west of Andover. I mentioned in the previous post that I had emailed the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to ask if this was my aunt Julia. I was told it wasn't. But the story doesn't end there. Remember, Julia was helping from heaven.<br />
<br />
I emailed a number of other orders to see if Julia joined them. One Order suggested that I check Census records. I felt a little foolish realizing that I'd assumed the Census records would record only the Sisters' religious names. That's not necessarily so. In fact, when I looked for Julia Moynihans in Massachusetts I found a Julia who was a novice with the Notre Dame Training School in 1910 in Waltham and then in Boston in 1920 and 1930 at the Notre Dame Academy there. While the birth year, arrival year and even parentage varied across these three Julias, they sure seemed like the same woman. So I got back in touch with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, where unfortunately the Sisters responsible for the records have been ill. I was told I should be realistic, that there may not be records to prove one way or another where my Aunt Julia went.<br />
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This is where things get interesting. My Sweetie wanted our summer vacation to be in a big city with lots to see. I wanted to find dead relatives. Going to Boston and Andover was our compromise. As it turns out, I have living relatives in Andover and we arranged to meet. Would you believe that one of my cousins attended high school at the Notre Dame Academy at Tyngsboro? Over dinner, she mentioned that there was a cemetery on the school grounds, down near the soccer field. For teenage girls, it was a place to be avoided. For me, I couldn't resist.<br />
<br />
So we drove over to Tyngsboro to the school grounds. Uh-oh. "Private Property." We should have called ahead. We drove up to the front door and found that the reception had closed for the day. Darn. Exiting the property, we saw a fellow working and asked him permission to visit the cemetery. He agreed and told us where to find it. Thank you! Thank you! It was a beautiful spot, nestled among old, old pines. There, I found a new aspect to the mystery. There were three Sisters with similar names:<br />
<ul id="yui_3_2_0_5_1310649825375326"><li><div>Sister Mary Josephina, died April 2, 1945 (the one from the Lowell Sun article);</div></li>
<li><div><div>Sister Josephine Marie, died June 18, 1953;</div></div></li>
<li><div><div>Sister Marie Josephine, died November 6, 1964.</div></div></li>
</ul><div>I sent photos of the three headstones to my cousins, one of whom asked a family friend in the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur if she could help us with our search. This morning, Sister Mary wrote me back to confirm that, without a doubt, Sister Mary Josephina was our Julia Moynihan. The Order's records confirm her birthdate (within a week or two), her parents' names and that she'd joined from Andover.</div><div></div><div>Sister Mary Josephina entered the convent at Waltham on January 6, 1910. She entered the Novitiate on June 26, 1910 and made her vows on July 25, 1912 -- almost 99 years ago. And she died at Tyngsboro on April 2, 1945.</div><div></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzAU-NO-HLI5NsDHSKS0SRrGDNRMOsH6OQCa_txv6EZH5C3fKl1hh23pkYXrhvV_Wp94Xwy_Fyjm86cSPk_DuQsW-gXgwhMuaiM0B_U7V60JbQgc85veWAYS4ONfUZrGwMyW-URSCyj8/s1600/S_MaryJosephina.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzAU-NO-HLI5NsDHSKS0SRrGDNRMOsH6OQCa_txv6EZH5C3fKl1hh23pkYXrhvV_Wp94Xwy_Fyjm86cSPk_DuQsW-gXgwhMuaiM0B_U7V60JbQgc85veWAYS4ONfUZrGwMyW-URSCyj8/s400/S_MaryJosephina.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>She is buried in the pretty and peaceful cemetery on the grounds of the Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. And I was able to pay my respects at her grave.<br />
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I am a grateful girl today. Thanks to Sister Mary and my cousins. Thanks Aunt Julia for helping us find you.<br />
<br />
I'll say another prayer tonight for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, for their work, and for the recovery of the Sisters responsible for their archives.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-30358401153623452742011-07-01T18:51:00.000-04:002011-07-01T18:51:06.466-04:00Comment Problems with BloggerI and my readers continue to have difficulty posting comments on Blogger. It's not just my blog, but seems as general as posting a comment on any Blogspot blog from your Google account. Even anonymous comments have been hit and miss. Mostly miss.<br />
<br />
Today I was successful in posting comments via Firefox, particularly after erasing old cookies earlier in the day.<br />
<br />
Friends, the time may have come to abandon Internet Explorer. I did finally upgrade to IE9 today, but the comment feature still doesn't work. I think Firefox will be my new browser.<br />
<br />
With my holidays starting, I hope to have more time and energy to post after a forced hiatus over the last several weeks. Talk to you soon.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-55589208816777771832011-06-09T19:14:00.000-04:002011-06-09T19:14:44.875-04:00Apologies, Blogger is Letting Us DownI've noticed that I haven't received many comments on the blog of late. Today, after struggling yet a gain to comment on blogs I read, it hit me why. There seem to be problems with Blogger's comments and followers features.<br />
<br />
Apologies to those readers who have been frustrated when they tried to leave comments. Don't hesitate to contact me directly at: jimsgirlblog at gmail.com.<br />
<br />
I hope this outage doesn't last long. I'm missing your comments, dear readers.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-88845628881293351442011-06-06T20:06:00.000-04:002012-01-31T09:46:23.684-05:00This is the Face of GenealogyIn his post this morning, "<a href="http://www.geneabloggers.com/face-genealogy/" target="_blank">The Face of Genealogy</a>," Thomas MacIntee, of Geneabloggers, suggested we post something today to counteract an unfortunate photo that ran recently on the LA Weekly website.<br />
<br />
When I think of the face of genealogy, two photos come to mind.<br />
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First, this is the face of genealogy: my grandmother and namesake hiding at her father's elbow. I'm Jim's Girl; she's Jim's mom. <br />
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And second: You may not see their faces, but I can't call these the backsides of genealogy, can I? My research is also for Sweetie and the Bean. I want the Bean to know where she comes from.</div>
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What's the face of genealogy for you?</div>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-67256247817975896542011-06-04T15:07:00.000-04:002011-06-04T15:07:29.367-04:00William Moynihan's Other Family -- or not!A couple of weeks ago, in my post <a href="http://jimsgirlfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/sunday-obituary-jeremiah-frances.html">"Sunday Obituary: Jeremiah Francis Moynihan of Ventura, California,"</a> I shared the news that my first cousin once-removed, Jerry Moynihan, had passed away. Jerry's lovely obituary told me a great deal about his branch of the family, and allowed me to conclude that his father, William Moynihan, died when Jerry was quite young, after which his mother remarried. That got me thinking about William, who is my grandfather's older brother, and it got me searching for records about his life in the United States.<br />
<br />
I was puzzled by the first record that I found when searching recently. It was a record of William arriving in Boston in 1924 with a woman and two children. I was certain he'd arrived much earlier and single, before World War I. But the record, as you see, shows that William and his family had been visiting his father Jeremiah at Shountullig. We know from the <a href="http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/results.jsp?census_year=1911&surname=moynihan&firstname=&county=Cork&townland=shantullig&ded=&age=&sex=&search=Search&relationToHead=&religion=&education=&occupation=&marriageStatus=&birthplace=&language=&deafdumb=&marriageYears=&childrenBorn=&childrenLiving=">Irish Censuses</a> and <a href="http://jimsgirlfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/n-is-for-noras-school-paper.html">Aunty Nora's paper</a> that there's only one family at Shountullig (aka Shantullig): our family.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcTsxmUDGDq0l2-2kfAkcqF6OgVhePQNw_3zdbc9s7xsftDJidNghiHNr6ejPDcd40adUvD7wiHWVFJFECy0kv5ILaiSGFXb632QD7R1aaTF8pDagZ03U0Mu0raQj5p1POD2Zuq37bto/s1600/MoynihanWilliam_BostonImmig1924wMargaret%2526kidscrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcTsxmUDGDq0l2-2kfAkcqF6OgVhePQNw_3zdbc9s7xsftDJidNghiHNr6ejPDcd40adUvD7wiHWVFJFECy0kv5ILaiSGFXb632QD7R1aaTF8pDagZ03U0Mu0raQj5p1POD2Zuq37bto/s640/MoynihanWilliam_BostonImmig1924wMargaret%2526kidscrop.jpg" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Have a look at the ship's manifest above. It certainly looks like William is travelling with his wife Margaret and their children Jeremiah and Margaret. My great-grandad, Jeremiah, is shown to be Margaret's father-in-law and the children's grandfather. My father thought he'd heard that William had been married before. But it seemed strange to me that he would have two sons named Jeremiah: one by Margaret, and one by Elizabeth O'Connor (that is, Jerry Moynihan of Ventura). Certainly Irish families reused names, but typically it was when a child died in infancy. In fact, that's why William had two brothers named Daniel.<br />
<br />
So why would William name two sons Jeremiah? Then I remembered some of the other records I'd seen years ago, researching William:<br />
<ul><li>first, his earlier arrival in New York;</li>
<li>second, his World War I draft registration.</li>
</ul>Many years ago, when <a href="http://www.ellisisland.org/">the Ellis Island site</a> was still wet behind the years (and me too, for that matter), I found the record of William's arrival in New York in 1915. He's not easy to find. He's transcribed as William Moynehan on the Ellis Island site and William Moyuchan on Ancestry. I've submitted a correction to Ancestry, by the way. <br />
<br />
<strong><em>TIP: Sometimes, you need to search by first name.</em></strong><br />
<br />
Because of the transcription error, to find William's 1915 ship's manifest on Ancestry via Family Tree Maker in order to merge his data, I was forced to search for all men named William arriving in New York on the Lapland on June 1, 1915. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds, but it took a while.<br />
<br />
The ship's manifest shows that William was hospitalized on arrival, which would have delayed his arrival at his planned destination, Buffalo, where he was joining his brother Timothy. Tim's address was given on the manifest as 76 Hamburg Street, Buffalo. I <a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=76+hamburg+street+buffalo&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca:IE-SearchBox&oe=&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89d3121f41c5f819:0x743c085ffca80dcb,76+Hamburg+St,+Buffalo,+NY+14204,+USA&gl=ca&ei=MUnqTficDoLQgAet66TYCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQ8gEwAA">Googled the address</a>, which today appears to be a rather downtrodden industrial and residential area by the tracks.<br />
<br />
So William arrived in mid-1915, single. But the Jeremiah he travelled from Ireland with in 1924 was born in 1915. Let's just say that when one considers biology and Catholocism, it seems unlikely this Jeremiah was William's son.<br />
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Then there's William's draft registration card, a document that had puzzled me for years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6R6efHo7WSp-f6ipTa2pBzxG7ULOjz2WWIDdqBn_Nu83-0M8cEeLk2iOX9mDZm-lZCvKMHMKL1w4PomwzKqDimRxDAIWJe1-h_w7cc-1sovfR3ESFv5SJmzA0lE-UeiVvaFyhY4-kPw/s1600/Moynihan.William.USWWI.1917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6R6efHo7WSp-f6ipTa2pBzxG7ULOjz2WWIDdqBn_Nu83-0M8cEeLk2iOX9mDZm-lZCvKMHMKL1w4PomwzKqDimRxDAIWJe1-h_w7cc-1sovfR3ESFv5SJmzA0lE-UeiVvaFyhY4-kPw/s400/Moynihan.William.USWWI.1917.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
When I'd first seen this, years ago, I couldn't figure out what sister-in-law he could be responsible for. As far as I knew, of his brothers:<br />
<ul><li>Patrick had already returned to Ireland to have his family and was still alive;</li>
<li>James, Daniel and Tim never married;</li>
<li>Con and Jeremiah were still alive; and</li>
<li>my grandad, John never left Ireland and lived until 1978.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong><em>TIP: Periodically go over old conclusions in light of new information.</em></strong><br />
<br />
Then I remembered that I'd recently seen a marriage record for James. He'd married in Boston, which had surprised me, as I thought he stayed in the Buffalo area after arriving in the States. But <a href="http://familysearch.org/">Family Search</a> had the <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/recordDetails/show?uri=https://api.familysearch.org/records/pal:/MM9.1.r/9JHB-X86/p1">image</a> of the marriage registry and it convinced me I had the right James Moynihan as his parent's names were given correctly. Guess the name of his bride?<br />
<br />
Margaret. Did you see that coming?<br />
<br />
So William's brother James Moynihan married Margaret Daley in Boston on June 18, 1913. The children that visited their grandfather Jeremiah in Ireland in 1924 were born in 1915 and 1917. It makes sense that they're James' children.<br />
<br />
It appears that James died in late 1916 or 1917, after young Margaret was conceived. I wonder if he lived to see his little girl. William and Tim's WWI draft registration cards, which appear to have been completed in 1917, indicate they were living together at 118 Walter St. in Buffalo and both single but responsible for a sister/sister-in-law. And in the 1920 U.S. Census, we find a widowed Margaret "Mimahan" living at 434 South Division St. with her children Jeremiah and Margaret, her brothers-in-law Timothy and William, and several boarders.<br />
<br />
By the 1930 U.S. Census, of course, William had married Elizabeth O'Connor and was living with Jerry (of Ventura) and Michael at 17 Woodside Ave., Buffalo. Tim was still living with Margaret, the kids and boarders, by this time at #2-17 Mariemont St.<br />
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Did you notice how I wrote that above? "It makes sense that" and "it appears that." To really be sure of the connections I've just laid out, I would need to see the birth certificates of Margaret's children Jeremiah and Margaret to be sure my great-uncle James is their father. And I'd need to see James' death certificate. I don't think any of these records are accessible to a relative as distant as I am.<br />
<br />
Perhaps one of the descendants of Jeremiah Moynihan, born 1915, and Margaret Moynihan, born 1917, will stumble upon this blog one day soon and get in touch. Hello, Buffalo cousins! You've got relatives close by in Ontario, Canada. Please get in touch: jimsgirlblog at gmail.comJim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-62081109314238599342011-05-29T14:43:00.001-04:002011-05-29T14:44:57.805-04:00Looking for Julia Moynihan, Grandad's Sister the SisterIn my usual scattered, "let's see who I can find today" approach -- which I really don't recommend -- I recently became interested in finding out more about my grandfather's older sister Julia Moynihan. All my dad knew was that she became a Nun in Boston, Massachusetts. I'd been working on the assumption that because Nun's take a religious name, I'd never be able to track Julia Moynihan, but that may not be true.<br />
<br />
Can anyone help me find my grandaunt Julia Moynihan, the Sister?<br />
<br />
Here's what I know (or in some cases am pretty sure about):<br />
<ul><li><span style="background-color: white;">18</span>83 (Dec. 29): Julia was born in Shountullig, Cork, Ireland to Jeremiah Moynihan and Hanora Harnedy (Source: baptismal record)</li>
<li>1901 (Mar. 31): Julia was 17, literate, living at home with her parents and a "general servant". (Source: 1901 Census of Ireland) [1911 (Apr. 2): Julia was not in Ireland. She was not with her family and no other Julia Moynihan in the Census matches her.]</li>
<li>1907 (May 23): A Julia Moynihan, aged 23, arrives in Boston on the <em>Ivernia</em>. (Source: Book Indexes to Boston Passenger Lists.) Note: Given the absence of detail on this Book Index, compared to a full ship's manifest, I don't <u>know</u> this is my Julia. I think it is her given that the age is right and it's the same ship her brother and cousins took the following year.</li>
<li>1908 (May 14): Julia lived at 71 Bartlett Street, in Andover, Massachusetts, just north of Boston. (Source: ships manifest for the <em>Ivernia</em> arriving in Boston with her brother Jeremiah and her cousins John and Maggie Sullivan)</li>
<li>1908 and 1913: Julia lived at 92 North Main Street in Andover, the same address and Annie (aka Hannah) Harnedy, her aunt. (Source: 1908 and 1913 Andover City Directories) Note: Julia does not appear in the previous city directory in 1904, nor in an alternate 1913 directory nor later Andover directories.</li>
</ul>I cannot find any further record that I even suspect is my Julia Moynihan after 1913. There are some Julias in the censuses, including with the Notre-Dame Academy, however they age is a bit off. Regarding the Sisters of Notre-Dame, I found the following at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/IRISH-AMERICAN-OBITUARIES/2006-06/1150336802 : <br />
<blockquote><em>Lowell Sun Lowell, MA April 3, 1945<br />
<br />
Tyngsboro - Rev. Sr. Mary Josephine, stationed for the past twelve years at the Academy of Notre Dame, died yesterday at the academy, aged 60 years, following an illness of one week's duration.<br />
<br />
The former Julia Moynihan, Sr. Mary Josephine was a native of Ireland, and had been for 35 years in the order of Notre Dame de Namur. During her years at the academy she was in charge of the sacristy.</em></blockquote><br />
I sent an inquiry through the order of Notre Dame de Namur website, they confirmed that this Sister Mary Josephine was actually a Cronin. They had no Julia Moynihan matching mine.<br />
<br />
The Poor Clares of Boston have also indicated she wasn't a member of their order.<br />
<br />
I have messages in now with the Carmelites and the Sisters of St. Joseph. I have a list of other convents in the Boston area and I will check with each one. I must mention that I was surprised how quickly both the Poor Clare and the Notre-Dame sisters responded by email. I am lucky to live in a time when I can make these long-shot inquiries by email and receive such quick replies.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Is there anyone out there who knows more about my grandad's sister the Sister? Who knew Julia Moynihan?</em></strong>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-26585870744431127692011-05-27T20:53:00.000-04:002011-05-27T20:53:36.523-04:00Funeral Card Friday: Giacomo Bertolo of Bannia, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Italy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWr3ldCph2x0RybsN6sXEGi6Zo9lzMEUFcj8w9lZaGMHWaYUmNh0XW3oCq1INi-RmDbdSGyhSjI6br0gnBUU9zjs-6E8o0bP7xOxrLqqBgX3FArUq7Gs31P_kjOM2IdJHL5Z6pX4I1yw/s1600/Bertolo.Giacomo.memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWr3ldCph2x0RybsN6sXEGi6Zo9lzMEUFcj8w9lZaGMHWaYUmNh0XW3oCq1INi-RmDbdSGyhSjI6br0gnBUU9zjs-6E8o0bP7xOxrLqqBgX3FArUq7Gs31P_kjOM2IdJHL5Z6pX4I1yw/s640/Bertolo.Giacomo.memorial.jpg" t8="true" width="363" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Giacomo Bertolo, born December 8, 1902, died January 23, 1979.</div>Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-60422807394333405272011-05-25T20:41:00.000-04:002011-05-25T20:41:50.908-04:00Wordless Wednesday: The Leahy Place at Gortnamona, County Cork<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMqDzPIxsrTj5S4GajOTxNSRzN2xi-eJHgh6IN-ZCGOP60dVtzPOPs1nzUQ9QcwA9HLi-cD86JQB0hZFByD0m3L60_eM178dBbX9u0D6rnxzJvaaP-lzlxTzyNoFOLqidKEVM079p84w/s1600/Gortnamona.small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMqDzPIxsrTj5S4GajOTxNSRzN2xi-eJHgh6IN-ZCGOP60dVtzPOPs1nzUQ9QcwA9HLi-cD86JQB0hZFByD0m3L60_eM178dBbX9u0D6rnxzJvaaP-lzlxTzyNoFOLqidKEVM079p84w/s400/Gortnamona.small.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a><br />
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I took this photo during my trip to Ireland in 1989. This is the entrance to my grandmother's family home in the Gortnamona township in County Cork.<br />
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I know you can't see the house (which I think was abandoned when I visited), but I can look at this photo all day.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1546875523428332865.post-29071685119054441712011-05-22T21:24:00.003-04:002011-05-29T14:43:55.502-04:00Sunday Obituary: Jeremiah Francis Moynihan of Ventura, CaliforniaI've mentioned in <a href="http://jimsgirlfamilyhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/h-is-for-hanora.html">a previous post</a> that I sometimes Google my relatives. I've come to expect few useful results and the occasional gem. The other night, I Googled "Jerry Moynihan" and found sad news. My dad's cousin Jerry Moynihan of Ventura, California passed away in April of this year. Here is a link to <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/venturacountystar/obituary.aspx?n=jeremiah-francis-moynihan-jerry&pid=150447648&fhid=2374">the lovely obituary for Jerry which appeared in the <em>Ventura County Star</em></a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C_B1FLbhit2Sbv8r-WyVeSnBG208P-Bddngn8qKXHeMQj4NjLc4EQy7i4_ZLATuktx-Ijd39qosMwiTJIChIIqY7plCOulQx_SU_4bZRP9s_d_u-6rrSmXkETHjB69A3DvIMTAULY1A/s1600/MOYNIHAN_JeremiahFrancis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C_B1FLbhit2Sbv8r-WyVeSnBG208P-Bddngn8qKXHeMQj4NjLc4EQy7i4_ZLATuktx-Ijd39qosMwiTJIChIIqY7plCOulQx_SU_4bZRP9s_d_u-6rrSmXkETHjB69A3DvIMTAULY1A/s200/MOYNIHAN_JeremiahFrancis.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>I didn't know Jerry; he was a name on the family tree. But after reading the obituary, I feel like I know him a little. And I wish I had met him.<br />
<br />
Jerry was born in 1928 in Buffalo, New York, the eldest of three sons of William Moynihan and Elizabeth O'Connor. William died young and Elizabeth remarried and had two more boys.<br />
<br />
According to the obituary: <em>Jeremiah (Jerry) Francis Moynihan passed away on April 17, 2011 after a long and courageous battle with a bone marrow disorder.</em><br />
<br />
Jerry lived most of his life in Ventura, California, most of those as a teacher and school principal. Judging by the comments in the online memorial book, Jerry was not only respected but loved by family, friends and the students and teachers with whom he worked.<br />
<blockquote><blockquote><em>Jerry was predeceased by his parents and his brothers, Mike Moynihan and Jack Daly. He is survived by his best friend and wife of 60 years, Lois Chatham Moynihan; daughters, Cathy Mason (Terry), Karen Haggerty; granddaughters, Kerry Haggerty Thomas (Tim), Tara Mason, Erin Haggerty, and Laura Mason; great-grandson, Joshua Jeremiah Thomas; brothers, Martin Daly (Frances), William Moynihan (Dorothy); sister-in-law, Helen Chatham; niece, Linda Etter (Larry); "Little Brother" David Hart Gandolfo (Rhonda); niece, Stephanie Daly D'Andrea and her children, Matt, Joey and Grace.</em></blockquote></blockquote>The sympathies of the Canadian branch of the Shountullig Moynihans go out to Lois, Cathy, Karen and the rest of the family. They have lost a good man.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for a future post about Jerry's dad William and another Jeremiah Moynihan.Jim's Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03158792309730805894noreply@blogger.com1