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Leo Joseph Martin Broderick (1919-1943) Update: CWGC Releases New Records

August 17, 2015, 2:19 pm
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On August 13, 2015 new records were added to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website:

"The records of almost 600,000 Second World War casualties commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be made available to the public for the first time to coincide with the 70th anniversary of VJ Day."

"Andrew Fetherston, the CWGC's Archivist and Records Manager, said:"The release of our Second World War archive online opens a new avenue for members of the public to investigate and remember the individuals we commemorate.""

(Source: Update link here http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2015/8/commonwealth-war-graves-commission-launches-new-online-resources-to-commemorate-vj-day.aspx)


The CWGC webpage for Leo J. Broderick

Leo Joseph Martin Broderick (1919-1943)


I have written previously about my first cousin (2x removed) - RCAF Warrant Officer (Bomb Aimer) Leo Joseph Martin Broderick who was born December 22, 1919 and died on 06 September 1943 at the young age of 24. Leo was reported as missing following air operations over Germany during WWII.

RCAF Leo Joseph Martin Broderick 1919-1943


Links to my previous posts:


The documents I researched at Library and Archives Canada


Grave Registration (GRRs)


Grave Registration Reports (GRRs) are standard forms which detail graves for which the Commission is responsible within a particular burial ground. They provide basic details of the individuals, such as name, service number, rank, regiment, unit and date of death, and are listed in Plot, Row and Grave order.

In grave registration there were two documents for Leo Broderick:




Grave Concentration


These record details of individuals who were originally buried in smaller or isolated cemeteries, but who, at a later date, were exhumed and reburied in war cemeteries. The concentration of cemeteries allowed otherwise unmaintainable graves to be moved into established war grave cemeteries where the Commission could ensure proper commemoration.

For the grave concentration reports there were also two for Leo Broderick. The first one (290) had been sent to me in November 2014 by the CWGC-Canada . It shows that the three who died in the crash (1943) were reburied later at Durnbach September 13, 1947

Document 290 which had been procided to me through CWGC Canada 


Headstone


These documents provide details of what was actually inscribed on an individual’s headstone. Their main purpose was to help manage the enormous programme of headstone production and engraving embarked on by the Commission.

I am not sure who decided what would be inscribed? Some are quite personal. Leo's says simply "R.I.P."

Inscription on Leo's headstone

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52 Ancestors No. 33: The Landers Brothers Part I

September 3, 2015, 8:22 am
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This is the story of my stepmother's cousins the Landers brothers.

I learned that both men were convicts in the Canadian penitentiary system, activists in the struggle for Prisoners Rights in Canada and both died in the prisons that held them: Bobby died in the segregation unit of Millhaven prison in 1976 and Glen died while attempting another escape in 1977.

Prisoner's Justice Day in Canada is held every August 10th and three people’s deaths: Eddie Nalon’s in 1974, and Bob Landers’ in 1976 and Glen Landers’ in 1977 mark the passing of respected men who stood up against a dangerous and unaccountable prison system.



Genealogists inevitably come across black sheep in their family tree and as the story gets passed along through generations it often becomes diluted. In the case of the Landers brothers, they were remembered as convicts but the details of their fight to improve the brutal conditions that existed in the prisons in the 1970s was not known.

There are so many more details to the Landers brothers' story that have yet to be found. This is Part I of their story.

The Landers Family


Mary, Glen and Robert were the children (born in Pontiac, Allumette Quebec) of Henry Edgar ("Harry") and Mary Ethel ("Ethel") (Carroll) Landers. (There were other children, this is still being researched)


Ethel (Carroll) Landers "worked as a nurse in women’s prisons across Canada including B.C. where the Doukhobor women were being held. She trained in a post WWII Ottawa hospital, the Royal Ottawa I believe. Her first child, a daughter, was born developmentally delayed, and later died."(Source: Ritual Abuse)

Saint Paul the Hermit cemetery
Sheenboro, Quebec, Canada

Glen Thomas Landers 1946-1977

September 1973 - Montreal


We know that at the time of his death in 1977, Glen had "a record dating back to 1963" (Source: Ottawa Citizen: 28 Oct 1977) but in 1973 he was a featured convict in the Montreal Gazette.

According to the Gazette, in 1973 Glen Thomas Landers was serving a four year sentence with a year to go because "He had this bad habit of walking into a bank with a gun and running away with other people's money" (Source: Montreal Gazette Sept 29,1973)

Glen Thomas Landers 1946-1977
From the Gazette article we also learn that Glen Thomas Landers was six feet tall, 146 pounds, smoked forty cigarettes a day and took medicine for his nerves four times a day.

Source: Montreal Gazette Sept 29,1973

March 1976 - Vancouver

Ellensburg Daily Record - Mar 11, 1976

1977 - Kingston


" In 1977 – Glen Thomas Landers died after being shot off the perimeter fence and left to bleed to death. Glen was also serving time in Millhaven when his brother Bobby died the year before. Glen had to struggle with being around the same guards who had allowed his brother to needlessly die, alone and suffering.

Within a year Glen and a group of other prisoners had planned to escape Millhaven. They managed to cut the security bars over a window in the common room area. However, on the night that Glen and the others had decided to escape, the Special Handling Unit (SHU) guys had refused to go back into their cells at the end of their exercise period. While this may (or may not) have been part of an orchestrated diversion for the escape attempt it had resulted in a police presence around the SHU yard which was in the front area of the Millhaven compound......

As time goes by we begin to think of people as historical and we don’t pause and consider their lives and their feelings, their desires, hopes and dreams. I was recently speaking with Barbara (Bob and Glen’s younger sister) and she told me how poetry and drawing were very important to her brothers. After all these years she and her family still had questions and still struggle with the heavy weight of loss and sorrow." (Source: Prisoner's Justice Day)

Source: Ottawa Citizen: 28 Oct 1977

 Glen Thomas Lander: A Poet



"Glen’s poems were so prescient, and powerful — and I learned more about him at the ICOPA conference at Ryerson University in Toronto ..... I didn’t realize the impact that he had on the political advocacy and prison movement in the seventies until meeting a Dr. Bob Gaucher, University of Ottawa, who had been incarcerated as a young man with Glen and Bobby in a Saskatchewan federal prison."

"He wrote about one hundred of them altogether".  






Robert "Bobby" Landers (1947-1976)


Picture drawn of Robert Landers
The Millhaven Momentum August 1976


Bobby was very active and outspoken in the struggle for Prisoners Rights. He had been doing his time at Archambault Maximum Security Prison, near Montreal, Quebec. He was on the Inmate Committee at Archambault, where prisoners were in the process of organizing a prisoner strike to better conditions inside.

Bobby was involuntarily transferred to Millhaven just before the strike in January 1976 and thrown into the Hole.

"Bobby was placed in punitive isolation as retribution for his continuing efforts to get better living and working conditions for prisoners. Bobby was working with other prisoners in Millhaven to arrange a work stoppage to protest the intolerable prison conditions and to call public attention to the treatment they were receiving. 

In the manner typical of the Millhaven administration, prison guards perceived the efforts to generate positive change for prisoners as a danger to their status and used punishment to deal with the prisoner’s efforts to form some kind of union. 

Back in those days the CPS had recently been compelled to accept the formation of Prisoners’ Committees at each prison and there was considerable animosity between the Guard’s Union and the Prisoners’ Committees and Prison administrations. There were often running conflicts that escalated into serious incidents with each side blaming the other. 

Bobby and others were thrown in the hole in a move designed to stymie efforts to improve working and living conditions. Prisoners, who were also in the hole, heard Bob calling out to guards that he was in trouble and experiencing serious chest pains. 

After some time passed, a guard actually did show up in front of Bob’s cell and asked him what he wanted. Bob explained and pleaded that he needed to go to the hospital but the guard just told him to wait for the nurse to do her nightly rounds. 

When the prison nurse did show up she didn’t conduct a real assessment, and simply refused to have him brought to the hospital, telling him to wait until the doctor came in the following day. 

That night, after scrawling his symptoms on a piece of paper, Bob died from a heart attack in those same isolation cells. 

It turns out that the emergency button alarm and all the subsequent banging and screaming from other prisoners were ignored by the guards in favour of their nightly poker game. 

At the coroner’s inquest it was established by a heart specialist that medical negligence killed Bob and he should have been in an Intensive Care Unit and not in solitary confinement." (Source: Prisoner's Justice Day)





A Comrade is Dead - Millhaven Momentum 1976
A Comrade is Dead - Millhaven Momentum 1976

Links




Newsclippings

Source: Montreal Gazette Sept 29,1973

Source: Montreal Gazette Sept 29,1973


Source: Montreal Gazette Sept 29,1973
The Otawa Journal March 11, 1976

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Update: My Grandparent's Funeral Cards

September 4, 2015, 9:48 am
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On a recent trip to Michigan I had the joy of meeting with cousins and shared more family history stories. I was so excited when cousin Shelly Coughlin MacKinnon gave me some of her prayer cards (see below) that I have added to my original blog page entitled: "My Grandparent's Funeral Cards"

Michigan Moynahan-Coughlin cousin gathering August 2015


In updating this page, I have also added the prayer card for James Annals Jr that I recently received (and wrote about on "Meeting Distant Cousins from the Annal-Hess Clan") from a distant Annal-Hess cousin (from the Private collection of Graydon Douglas Simpson (son of Nellie Annal))

From the private collection of Graydon Douglas Simpson (son of Nellie Annal)

NEW Additions to Alphabetical Listing


A

ANNALS; James Jr. (1873-1921) 


C

COUGHLIN: Lawrence (1916-1992)

H

HARRISON: Bessie (1913-1978)

L

LANGLOIS: Alexander (-1936)
LANGLOIS: Gretta M. (1910-1968)
LEFAIVE: Viola V (1906-1985)

M

MOYNAHAN: John (1934-1987)

R

RIBARSKY: Joan M (1935-1984)

S

SCHOFIELD: Arthur J (1901-1981)
SCHOFIELD: Margaret (1904-1984)

From the private collection of Shelly Coughlin MacKinnon 




From the private collection of Shelly Coughlin MacKinnon 
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52 Ancestors No. 34: Brother Berchmans F.S.C. - A "True Son of De La Salle"

September 9, 2015, 8:18 am
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I have written previously about Bernard Broderick who I met in November 1987. The transcript from that brief meeting has proved to be invaluable to me in my Broderick family history research over the years.

Recently, my sister Kelly gave me a new document written in 1992 for Bernard Broderick's memorial that fills in a lot of the gaps in my earlier research.

1992 Memorial document excerpt
The Memorial document stated that Bernard entered the Juniorate at De La Salle College, Aurora in 1929. He was born in 1916 so he was thirteen years of age. His mother Clara (Moynahan) Broderick died ten years earlier when Bernard was only three years old on December 12, 1919.

It's important to differentiate between the Brothers' vocation and that of priesthood. The Brothers' life is centered upon community life and educational ministry. They take the traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, along with a special vow of association for the educational service of the poor.

Boys enter the Juniorate usually with Grade 8. When Bernard received his Senior Novitiate he took the name Brother Berchmans.



Bernard Broderick as a Novitiate
What surprised me most about Brother Berchman's memorial document was that I learned for the first time that:

  • His tour of duty from 1933-1992 took him to many countries all over the world. 
  • He received his B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1950 ( he was 34 years old)
  • He received his Master of Education from the University of Ottawa in 1971 (he was 55 years old)


Brother Berchmans in Nigeria with craftsman who had made a cross for the church.
He founded the mission in Nigeria and was "a true pioneer missionary"

Brother Berchmans visiting my grandfather Ernest Moynahan in Windsor, Ontario

Memorial document describes Brother Berchmans as a "true son of De La Salle"

Bernard is pictured below in 1989, two years after I met him at LaSalle manor in Scarborough, Ontario and after he had a new stone made for his parent's grave in Maidstone, Ontario.

Bernard Broderick pictured at the new stone made in 1989 for his parents
Patrick and Clara (Moynahan) Broderick



Toronto Star May 3, 1992 (H8)



My previous posts about Bernard Broderick:

Other links of interest:
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52 Ancestors No. 35: Still Searching for WW II PoW Stories

September 10, 2015, 11:12 am
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My first cousin (2x removed) - RCAF Warrant Officer (Bomb Aimer) Leo Joseph Martin Broderick was born December 22, 1919 and died on 06 September 1943 at the young age of 24.

Leo died while flying in a Halifax aircraft performing air operations over Germany during WWII. There were seven young men on the aircraft


Leo Joseph Martin Broderick
(1919-1943)
On that fatal night that my cousin Leo died, two other men were killed: the pilot RAFVR Sgt A.C.Brunton and the mid upper gunner RAFVR Sgt G.E.Agate. One man was injured Sgt J.E.Vidler and three were taken as prisoners of war:

  • Sgt C.Hewitson 535857 RAF (Flight Engineer) 
  • Sgt R.Thomson 1550695 RAFVR (Navigator) 
  • Sgt J.H.Briggs 1082027 RAFVR (WOp Gunner)
I have searched previously for these POWs in the hopes of locating their stories so that I could learn more about what happened to Leo and the other young men back in September 1943.

 One Million World War II POW Records Now Online

http://www.findmypast.com.au/prisonersofwar

In September on the 70th anniversary of the end of WW II, "Find My Past" released a million prisoner of war records at http://www.findmypast.com.au/prisonersofwar

The publication, in association with The National Archives, marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on all fronts on September 2 and the anniversary on September 5 of the liberation of the notorious Changi Prison camp, located on the eastern side of Singapore.

I wondered what the newly released records said and would they help me understand what happened that night? Here is what I found:
  • Sgt J.H. Briggs was held in camp L6 and his POW number was 43105
  • Sgt C. Hewitson was held in camp 4B and his POW number was 222824
  • Sgt R.Thomson was held in camp 4B and his POW number was 222773
I wondered why did the three have different POW numbers and why were they sent to two different camps? To determine information about the camps, I am grateful for the webpage created by the 49 Squadron Association (http://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps)

POW Camps


http://www.airmen.dk/powcamps.htm

Camp L6

Source: http://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps/silute

L6 stood for Stalag Luft 6 which was in Hydekrug (Silute), Lithuania. Stalag Luft 6 was the northernmost POW camp within the German Reich.

"The opening of the camp was forced upon the Luftwaffe by the large number of PoWs captured during the first half of 1943" (Source: http://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps/silute)

Sgt J.H. Briggs was seperated from the rest of his crew and sent there for reasons unknown.

Camp 4B

Source: http://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps/muhlberg


Camp 4B stood for Stalag IVB which was in Mühlberg an der Elbe, Germany. Both Sgt C. Hewitson and Sgt R.Thomson were sent there.  

"This is the location of one of the largest German prisoner of war camps between 1939-1945. In total, approximately 300,000 prisoners from over 40 nations passed through the camp and more than 3,000 Soviet PoWs died here.

When the Soviet Army liberated the camp in April 1945 there were about 30,000 prisoners crowded into the facilities and, of these, 7250 were British."


An impression of Stalag 4B by N Uchtman, a Dutch PoW.
Source: http://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps/muhlberg

Although I did not locate any detailed accounts from these POW survivors, I have moved closer to knowing what became of them following that fateful September night in 1943.

Links



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52 Ancestors No. 36: “Working for a Living.”

September 12, 2015, 9:13 am
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This week's theme for Amy Crow's 52 Ancestors is "Working For A Living" and I thought that I would do a review of various occupations in my family tree.

Our ancestor's "Working For A Living"

Most of the information on our ancestor's occupations can be found through reading census reports (1825-1921) or by looking at voters lists (1935-1980).

The last Canadian census report that has been published was 1921 (and is available on ancestry.ca) (Note that all Canadian census reports prior to 1921 are available for free on the Library and Archives Canada website)

Below is a list of links to pages where I have previously spoken about our ancestor's occupation:

Auctioneer
Autoworker
Carpenter
Parke Davis Clerical
Detective
Dressmaker
Expressman
Farmer
Feather Renovators
Fire Chief
Glassblower
Ice Dealer
Ironworker
Labourer 
Lawyer
Midwife
Miner
Nun
Nurse
Olympian
Politician
Priest
Railway Worker
Sailor
Soldier
Teacher
    Union Leader
    Other
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    Perusing the News: Col. Timothy J. Moynahan (1870-1935)

    September 13, 2015, 8:26 am
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    My family knows that I LOVE perusing through newspapers. OLD newspapers. The older the better!

    Source: The Lehi Sun, Lehi, Utah June 9, 1921


    Recently I have been perusing three (new to me) online treasures:
    Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1919

    I came across Col. Timothy J. Moynahan ( 1870 Ireland -1935 Brooklyn NY) who was a World War 1 war hero and a prominent figure in Irish-American affairs. I learned that he:

    • was one of the best known officers of the National Guard (*)
    • was sent to France as part of a special detachment in the fall of 1917 (*)
    • was wounded in the spring of 1918 (*)
    • was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the fall of 1918 on the field of battle (*)
    • received the Croix de Guerre four times from the French army (twice with the starts and twice with the palm) (*)
    • received the Distinguished Service Cross from the American army (*)
    • received the Legion of Honor from the French nation (*)
    • won six medals and decorations for "extraordinary heroism under fire"
    • served as a Major with the 69th Regt. at the border (*)

    Though research at Family Search, I learned that his father was Michael Moynahan and his mother was Catherine Coughlin. (on the 1910 U.S. census, Timothy was living with his mother)

    His brother Patrick A Moynahan was an Irish leader in Brooklyn as well (**)


    Source: The Lehi Sun, Lehi, Utah June 9, 1921

    I could not locate any informatiion about marriages and I believe Timothy was a bachelor. I love telling the stories of unmarried folks from the past because I belive their stories get lost over time with no descendants to search for them.



    Source: FindAGrave
    Holy Cross Cemetery Brooklyn, NY


    As far as I know, there is no relation. He and his brother arrived in America from Cork, County Kerry, Ireland in the late 1800s (My ancestors arived in the 1820s through Pennsylvania)

    I am posting these "Moynahan" stories here for the benefit of other "Moynahan" family historians that might be related. Also,given the history of the infamous 69th, I would like Col. Moynahan's name to be found.

    Sources and Links
    Google Book: The Shamrock Battalion in the Great War

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    52 Ancestors No. 38: WWII Service Files of Canadian War Dead, 1939-1947

    September 21, 2015, 7:35 am
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    Source: Library and Archives Canada file RG24 24929


    Ancestry.ca added more files to the database "WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947" and I am happy to report that Leo Joseph Broderick's files are now there.

    Ancestry.ca Updated records
    http://www.ancestry.com/cs/recent-collections


    When I visited the Library and Archives Canada in September 2014, I took only photographs of file RG24 24929. Now the public can access files by visiting: http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9145

    Source: Ancestry.com

    Source: Ancestry.com

    There are eighty pages now scanned and archived for Leo J. Broderick.Pages 59-139 (use arrow keys at the bottom to scroll through pages)

    WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947


    From the Ancesry.ca website: 

    "More than 44,000 individuals are documented in the Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead held by Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Ancestry.com is pleased to host selections from the service files for almost 100 Canadian soldiers as part of LAC’s “Lest We Forget” educational initiative, which allows students to discover the stories of Canada’s fallen through primary documents. Only records for those who died while serving during the Second World War are available to the public. However, the files that are included in the collection can be rich in content. Each contains multiple documents related to a soldier’s enlistment and service."


    Source: Ancestry.com. Canada, Selected Service Records of War Dead, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead [Selected records.] RG 24. Library and Archives Canada. Ottawa, Ontario.
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    1921 - Eugene Moynahan Deserves Your Vote

    October 6, 2015, 1:35 pm
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    Library of Congress
    Richmond daily register., July 30, 1921, Image 6
    For Moynahans that I discover through my research who have no direct relation that I am aware of, I will label them with tags: "One-Name Study" and "Moynahan" 

    One-Name Study: Moynahan


    From the Guild of One-name Studies:

    "A one-name (or surname) study is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple). Some ‘one-namers’ restrict their research geographically, perhaps to one country, but true one-namers collect all occurrences worldwide. "


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    This Day In History - 1943

    October 13, 2015, 8:53 am
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    52 Ancestors No. 39: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 1

    October 14, 2015, 8:36 am
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    I was so excited to receive a CD in the mail from Michigan from my cousin Gail Kinsel. The recordings are from the 1940s and feature my Coughlin ancestors singing and carrying on.

    I converted the CD tracks from .cda files to .mpg files so that I could upload them to my SoundCloud.

    The Coughlin clan, including my great-great grandmother Elizabeth (Annal) Coughlin (1884-1953) and great-great grandfather William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952) (seated in photograph below) are waiting for their euchre game to start and decide to sing a few songs first.

    They sing:
    • Song 1: "We Won't Be Home Until Morning" 
    • Song 2: "The Old Grey Mare She Ain't What She Used To Be"
    Then the Coughlin clan signs off with:"This is the first Sunday that Uncle Danny (Coughlin) has been here. It won't be the last"

     What a delight! My intention is to create a blog page featuring details on all seven tracks, but for now, here is Track 6 for your listening pleasure:


    The Coughlin clan featured in the recordings
    Uncle Danny - who is featured in the clip


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    52 Ancestors No. 40: 100 Years After His Death - A Wonderful Find - Martin Broderick's photo

    October 26, 2015, 4:03 pm
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    Thanks to Michigan Family Trails, I spent the day searching through the Detroit Free Press (DFP) and found some incredible articles that I will be sharing over the next little while.

    Michigan Family Trails announced that the DFP was available online from 1837 to September 2015. http://freep.newspapers.com/ I signed up immediately for the monthly subscription option for $7.95 and within minutes I had found many articles on my Detroit Moynahan ancestors.

    A surprise came when I came across an article on Page 11 from the DFP on Tuesday, October 12, 1915 about my great great grandfather Martin Broderick.

    Search result page at Detroit Free Press archives

    I had written about my great great grandfather Martin Broderick (1831-1915) three times before:
    1. Martin Broderick (1831-1915) 
    2. 52 Ancestors # 34: Mary (Hussey) Broderick
    3. 52 Ancestors No.17: The Broderick "Crayon Portraits"

    I had only ONE picture of him (a crayon portrait) and an obituary from the Essex Free Press (Oct 15,1915)


    New Information Found 
    In The Detroit Free Press Archive

    The Detroit Free Press had a photo I had never seen before and extra information about Martin's life that was not known to me previously.

    Source: Detroit Free Press, Page 11
    Tuesday, October 11, 1915
    New information:

    • "Life in the country did not suit the young Broderick, and after three years of pioneer life he became a sailor. He sailed the lakes for some years until the call for volunteers to fight against the Fenians went out."
    • "For his services in the raid Mr Broderick was given a grant of land and a medal. The latter was, he considered, his most valuable possession, and until three days before his death, he was seen on the streets with the trophy pinned to his breast."
    • "Mrs Broderick died two years ago, This bereavement caused the husband much sorrow, as he expected soon to celebrate their golden wedding."
    • "A keen politician since the day he was given the franchise. Mr Broderick followed the fortunes of the Conservative party until his death."

    What a wonderful ancestor treasure to find on the 100th anniversary of Martin Broderick's death.
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    52 Ancestors No.41: Nurse Agnes (Broderick) Casey

    October 27, 2015, 6:50 pm
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    This week's post is about my 1st cousin 2x removed  Agnes Broderick (1904-1984) who was the daughter of Patrick Broderick (1871-1943) and Clara Moynahan (1882-1919).

    Agnes' parents Patrick and Clara (Moynahan) Broderick

    Agnes is a unique "double cousin" as we were related through both the Brodericks and the Moynahans.

    I decided to make this blog post about her because, like her grandfather Martin Broderick (1839-1915), I recently located new documents about Agnes in the Detroit Free Press archives.

    Agnes Broderick
    (circa 1909-1910)


    Agnes' mother Clara (Moynahan) died in 1919 at the young age of 37 years (after a lingering illness) leaving her husband Patrick with five children aged 18 months to 15 years. Agnes was the eldest.

    Birth certificate: Mary Agnes Broderick
    Source: Archives of Ontario; Series: MS929; Reel: 168
    Ancestry.com. Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913 [database on-line].
    Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.



    Agnes and her sister Genevieve
    (circa 1909-1910)
    1925

    At 21 years of age, Agnes (who was working as a nurse) married Michael Joseph Casey who was born in Armascaul, County Kerry, Ireland

    Source: Archives of Ontario; Series: MS932; Reel: 712
    Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada).
    Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928 [database on-line].
    Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
    Windsorite: Holy Name of Mary Church on Windsor’s West Side
    celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2012

    The church that they were married in was called, "Our Lady of Prompt Succor" which is unfamiliar to me. I found it interesting that it was later renamed by Fr. Rooney in 1943 to "Holy Name of Mary Church" due to problems pronouncing the name (and the youth of the Parish disliked being referred to as Prompt Suckers).

    Holy Name of Mary Church on McEwan Street celebrated its last Sunday mass in June 2012. The Church was founded on May 17th, 1917 and was originally called Our Lady of Prompt Succour.  Michael and Agnes would have been married at the first church which was located at the corner of Curry and Martin Avenues. The second church (on McEwan) was built in 1927.

    Source: Essex Free Press Nov 6, 1925


    1930 Census

    The census records tell us a lot. In 1930, Michael and Agnes had two children: John and Mary and they owned the house they lived in which was valued at $8000.00.

    Also, Michael's brother John (single, 24 years old, also from Ireland) was living with them at the time.

    We also learn that Michael immigrated to the U.s. in 1921, Agnes immigrated in 1922 and the brother John immigrated in 1924. Both Michael and John are working in an auto factory at the time. Michael as a serviceman and his brother John as an electrician.

    Agnes is shown as not having an occupation though we know that at the time of her marriage she was a nurse. She is home taking care of the two children (John 3 6/12 and Mary 2 2/12) and a third child, James Patrick, would be born in 1936.


    1930 Census

    1943-1966

    Nurse Agnes (Broderick) Casey

    We know (from the obituary below) that Agnes retired from nursing at Mt Carmel Mercy Hospital in 1966 after 23 years in a supervisory post.

    Agnes studied nursing at the old St. Mary's Hospital (later Detroit Memorial)

    There are no other nurses in our Essex county relatives so Agnes is unique. I can't help but wonder what drew her to become a nurse? Was it her mother's lingering illness and death that she witnessed at the young age of fifteen? Did she have an experience in her younger years? It would be wonderful to know.

    Mt Carmel Mercy Hospital where Agnes worked for 23 years

    1975

    Michael and Agnes lost their last born child, James Parick Casey, in 1975 at the age of 37 for reasons not known to me.

    Source: Detroit Free Press Feb 1, 1975

    1980

    In September 1980, Agnes lost her beloved husband of fifty-nine years. Michael Joseph Casey was 81 years old.

    Source: Detroit Free Press September 23, 1980

    1984

    This is the Detroit Free Press news clipping that inspired this post. I only knew that Agnes was a nurse but knew nothing about where she nursed or when. This was a delightful find!

    Source: Detroit Free Press Tue Apr 24 1984

    I could not find a headstone online for the Caseys because the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery is only half photographed to date (at 53% of the 16,479 interments).


    Links

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    The Well Dressed Woman of 1916

    October 29, 2015, 7:00 am
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    This lovely little piece was found in the Detroit Free Press (29 Oct 1916)

    Banner from Page 101 of 108; Detroit Free Press (29 Oct 1916)


    The "Fabric Bags" poem

    The original page 101 of 108; Detroit Free Press (29 Oct 1916)

    Details on the bags Page 102 of 108; Detroit Free Press (29 Oct 1916)

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    Thanks Amy Crow for 31 Days of Genealogy

    November 2, 2015, 7:12 pm
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    Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan (based on of photograph circa 1922)
    Mixed media sketch on monoprint by Cindi Moynahan-Foreman
    It's Day 31 of Amy Crow's "31 Days of Genealogy" and I am incredibly grateful that Amy's emails have appeared every day for last thirty-one days in my inbox! And for FREE!!

    Amy Johnson Crow is a Certified Genealogist with more than 20 years of experience helping people discover their family's history. She is also the creator of the #52Ancestors challenge which has, for the past two years, taken me to new levels with my genealogical research, led me to new relatives and made me dig deeper into my own family history. Amy has inspired so may of us to do more research, better research and tell our family stories!

    Before Amy sends her final email to my inbox tomorrow, I wanted to thank her and she has given us all a final task:
    Pick one of your favorite ancestors. Get out all of your notes about that person. Sit down and write at least 3 paragraphs about that person. (I'm not even asking for a full page!) I bet you'll see that this exercise not only ties everything together, but sparks your imagination for more research.
    I had just finished the above mixed media sketch of my great great grandparents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan just hours before I received Amy's email. There was some sort of synchronicity at work so I chose to write about  both Jeremiah and Mary.

    I feel a connection to these two ancestors that I can't explain. I love hearing the stories about them that have been passed through the years.

    Thanks again Amy Crow. Here are a few paragraphs on Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan - my great great grandparents

    At the beginning of my genealogy journey back in the early 1980s, the first time that I saw the image below of Jeremiah and Mary with my grandfather John Moynahan, I cannot even describe how I felt. Their eyes. The way they were dressed. Imagining their lives. The photo inspired me to dig even deeper into the archives.

    Jeremiah (1841-1922) and Mary (Brennan) (1841-1926)Moynahan with Ellen ("Nellie") (1865-1940)
    and son John (seated) (1866-1933)
    The picture would have been taken in the late 1860's. Jeremiah and Mary would have been in their late twenties and just starting what would become a family of nine children (Mary would be pregnant with children into her forties, the last baby born Maud Agnes (Moynahan) Flannery in 1884.)

    298 North Talbot Rd., Maidstone, Ontario

    Jeremiah and Mary lived at 298 South Talbot Road in Maidstone (Township of Sandwich East in 1867) after their marriage in 1863 and would live there until 1922. (Mary's mother and father, John and Catherine Brennan, lived in Sandwich East 1871. Year: 1871; Census Place: Sandwich East, Essex, Ontario; Roll: C-9889; Page: 24; Family No: 79 )

    Mary was born in Ireland in 1841. When she was twelve years old (1853) she came with her parents John Brennan (1819-1881) and Catherine (Bowler) Brennan (1819 Kerry, Ireland -1891) to Canada and they settled in Sandwich South.

    The Upper Canada Rebellion

    Jeremiah was born March 22, 1837, in Maidstone Ontario," in the year of the Rebellion of Upper Canada" (Source: The Border Cities Star - Jun 21, 1922 ) on his parent's Denis and Catherine (Roach) Moynahan's farm at 6 South Middle Road, Maidstone.

    6 South Middle Rd., Maidstone, Ontario

    Jeremiah's parents, Denis and Catherine, were born in County Kerry Ireland and migrated to Canada in the early 1830s (They were married at Ste Anne's Church Detroit in 1833).



    When Jeremiah died in 1922, he had "lived 84 years within five miles of the place where he is born (on the Middle Road)" (Source: Essex Free Press June 23, 1922, Page 1 of 8)

    In 1913, Jeremiah and Mary celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by holding a family reunion where the family attended mass then had a party on the Talbot farm. "The old couple were the recipients of many appropriate presents and congratulations on this occasion" (Source: The Essex Free Press: November 21, 1913, Page 1 of 8)

    In June 1922, Jeremiah and Mary "decided to spend a few weeks with their daughters in the country. Mrs. Moynahan going to Mrs. Flannery's in Colchester North and Mr Moynahan to Mrs. Alex Jobin's Con. 9, Sandwich South. It was at Mrs Jobin's that his passing away took place on Tuesday night. Deceased was about as usual during the day and did not complain of any ailment and retired at 8 o'clock that night. About 10, when Mr and Mrs Jobin retired, they looked into his room and were surprised that he slept away without making a struggle. Death was due to heart disease." (Source: Essex Free Press June 23, 1922, Page 1 of 8)

    In June 1926, Mary passed away at 432 Hall Ave., Windsor Ontario the home of her daughter, retired school teacher Nellie Moynahan. (Source Essex Free Press June 25, 1926)




    Sources:

    • Marriage: Ancestry.com. Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1747-1967 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.
    • Residence 1867: Essex County Directory and Gazetteer, 1866-1867; Ancestry.com. Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
    • BMD Jeremiah Moynahan: Birth; Marriage; Death: Archives of Ontario; Series: MS935; Reel: 288


    http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/1339353

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    November 11 - Remembering My Ancestors

    November 11, 2015, 4:51 am
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    Tombstone Tuesday - The St Alphonsus' Moynahans

    November 17, 2015, 7:30 am
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    St Alphonsus Cemetery, Windsor, Ontario
    I love this Moynahan headstone at the St Alphonsus cemetery in Windsor, Ontario. I have no idea of the scale of it because I have never seen it personally, but I like to think that it is large enough for someone to sit on, like a bench, and reflect.

    What inspired this design? Who created it? Who was it created for?

    I know that Timothy (1813-1902), Archange (1824-1903), Enos (59-1895) and James (1865-1899) Moynahan are buried in the St. Alphonsus cemetery. This headstone is likely theirs.

    James Moynahan's headstone at St Alphonsus is below. Notice the similar wood log design.

    As soon as I posted this on social media, Brenda Corby suggested that perhaps my ancestor was a "Woodsmen of the World" (WOW) which has nothing to do with chopping wood!

    Woodmen of the World and the Tree Stone Grave Markers writes:
    "If you visit cemeteries often, you’ve probably noticed the tree stone monuments, especially in the West, Midwest and South. As mentioned last Tuesday, two organizations are given credit for their proliferation, Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World."
    To explore the group that is responsible for the sheer number of them and why, visit this ling at A Grave Interest: http://agraveinterest.blogspot.ca/2011/06/woodmen-of-world-and-tree-stone-grave.html

    Source: Canada GenWeb's Cemetry Project
    http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/622359?PHPSESSID=bd469930d83769dcb649f0eefa44dc8c

    I will have to make further inquiries through the St. Alphonsus cemetery records.  But for now, I am delighted and intrigued by this unusual Moynahan headstone.

    James Moynahan 1865-1899
    Source: Essex County Branch OGS: Obituary file



    Source: Windsor Evening Record, Oct 22, 1902

    Archange (Parent) Moynahan (1824-1903),


    Detroit Free Press, June 30, 1903

    Source: Detroit Free Press, June 29, 1903

    Michigan State Death Certificate: Archange Moynahan, death June 27, 1903


    Source: St. Alphonsus Church Record: Internments

    Detroit Free Press Aug 8, 1903



    Detroit Free Press Aug 9, 1903

    Detroit Free Press Aug 11, 1903
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    52 Ancestors No. 42 - Coughlin "Folio Pak Snaps"

    November 26, 2015, 11:19 am
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    I found this "Folio Pak Snaps" photo book recently when sorting through some genealogy papers and what a delightful find it was!

    This little book is inscribed,"Elizabeth & William Coughlin's Golden Wedding Anniversary" written in my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan's handwriting. I previously blogged about their 1949 Golden Anniversary here: http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2014/10/52-ancestors-41-coughlin-golden.html

    Noticeably absent from this book of photos is William Coughlin and it made me wonder? Was this really the Golden Anniversary in 1949 or was it another celebration?

    I wondered why there were no pictures of Grandfather Coughlin and why there was a picture of Grandmother Coughlin cutting the cake alone if it was an anniversary celebration? Grandpa Coughlin died in 1952. The other clue was Ed McHugh (in the in-law photo) he married Patricia Moynahan in 1954?

    One of the children in the photo was born in 1948 and is much older than one-year-old in the photo below.

    Rhea wrote on the back of each photo and I have captioned each of the eleven photos below with what she wrote.

    I do believe that these are photos of a Coughlin family celebration - likely Grandma Coughlin's birthday (March 24th)!

    Genealogists are challenged when photos have absolutely nothing written on them and we cannot identify who is on the picture. It is equally challenging when the photos have been identified, but something doesn't add up!


    The Cover
    Reade's Photographic Service
    Windsor, Ontario

    "Elizabeth & William Coughlin's Golden Wedding Anniversary"
    "Golden Anniversary"

    "Taken at Golden Anniversary" 

    "Golden Anniversary; Pat here; John & Ernest missing"

    Golden Anniversary; children & Ida Demarse
    "Inlaws at wedding; Dad missing"
    "female relatives"


    "Golden Anniversary"

    "Golden Anniversary: Coughlins"

    "Golden Anniversary: Coughlins"


    "Grandma Coughlin and Billy Coughlin"

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    52 Ancestors No. 37 - The Lefaives of Detroit

    December 5, 2015, 9:46 am
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    This is No.37 of 52 Ancestor posts for the year 2015. This particular post sat as a draft and I am returning to it now in December 2015.

    I know so little about the Lefaive family and after discovering the 1952 "Folio Pak Snaps" of a Coughlin celebration, I am glad I waited because I have new pictures of the Lefaive family many years after the one below was taken.

    I also found myself on a bit of a research tangent on the NBC or "NaBisCo" Building of  Detroit Michigan (where Art Lefaive once worked) which still stands nearly 100 years later and is being restored.

    Art Lefaive (centre) Joan (L), Gerald (on lap) and Richard (R).

    I just love this picture and I think it's because of the beautiful smiles. On closer inspection, the hat has "Dad" written on it and I am wondering if it is actually a cake?

    Art Lefaive (centre) Joan (L), Gerald (on lap) and Richard (R).


    1928

    In 1928, Arthur J Lefaive was working for the National Biscuit Co. in Detroit. The National Biscuit Co. is known today as Nabisco.

    Arthur J. Lefaives 1928 Border Crossing card

    The Nabisco building where Art worked (built in 1920 by architect Albert G. Zimmermann) still stands today and has been taken over by UHaul to be restored to it's former glory. (See the interesting video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmtsP2t9qnM)

    The NBC or "NaBisCo" Building,
    an acronym that once stood for "National Biscuit Company."
    Detroit Michigan
    "Built in 1920, this historic seven-story building is the result of the collaboration of Adolphus Green (1843-1917), first chairman of the board and later president of the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), and his architect, Albert G. Zimmermann (1866-1947). Green wanted factories that would have style and dignity to inspire loyalty from the workers and act as models of modernity to the communities in which they stood. 
    National corporations were in their ascendancy at the turn of the century and architectural uniformity was a new concept for the time. The Nabisco buildings were different from the common manufacturing buildings of the World War I era. Each of the new plants included showers and locker rooms for the employees as well as fireproof stairways and other up-to-the-minute fireproofing techniques. 
    The factories were twice published in the American Architect magazine in 1912 and 1916 for their trendsetting fire-safety measures including the steel framing and fireproof tiling, and their use of 1-1/2” maple flooring and architectural embellishments above and beyond the normal requirements for factory buildings." Source: http://blogs.uhaul.com/detroit/

    1924: The N.B.C. Nabisco Employees Magazine
    Source: Attic Paper

    National Biscuit Co. delivery truck piled high with premium soda crackers
    as it was about to leave Burlington, Iowa in 1924
    Source: Attic Paper
    1934

    Arthur J. Lefaive married Viola Veronica Coughlin on the 18th of August 1934 in St. Peter (Pierre) parish in Kent, Ontario which was the "religious centre for a thriving Franco-Ontario community, this substantial brick structure was built to serve La Paroisse de St. Pierre sur la Tranche, the second oldest Roman Catholic parish in southwestern Ontario, established in 1802."(Source: http://ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_ChathamKent08.html)

    Source: http://ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_ChathamKent08.html
    The marriage record is written in french (as were many church records in Essex and Kent county many years ago)

    In the year that she was married (1934), we know from the Border Crossing card below that Viola was employed at Parke Davis & Co. in Detroit Michigan. Viola's sisters also worked there. Viola worked as a "drug finisher".

    1940

    In 1940, according to the census, Viola and Art Lefaive were living in Detroit, Michigan with two children (4-year-old daughter Joan and 2-year-old son Richard) and Art was working as a delivery person for a retail bakery.


    1952

    Photo of the Coughlin sisters (1952) (L to R) Bessie (Coughlin) Harrison, Gretta (Coughlin) Langlois, Viola (Coughlin) Lefaive, Margaret (Coughlin) Schofield and Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan

    1952 Photo of Coughlin in-laws: back row L-R Austin Lauzon, Ed Harrison, Ed McHugh, Art Lefaive, Joe Demarse, Ernie Moynahan. Seated L-R Vickie Coughlin, Grandma and Art Schofield.

    1952 Photo of Coughlin grandchildren: back row left to right, Betty Lauzon, Joe Demarse, Joan Lefaive, Patricia Moynahan, Richard Lefaive. Second-row L-R Gail Harrison, Grandma Coughlin, Gerald Lefaive. Front row L-R Bill Coughlin, Cindy Harrison, on Grandma's lap are two of Betty's children (Sher and Gary), Maureen Coughlin and Betty Lauzon's son Jim.


    In the undated photograph (below), three sisters pose with their husbands: (left to right:  Arthur ("Art") and Margaret (Coughlin) Schofield; my grandparents Ernest and Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan and Viola (Coughlin) and Arthur ("Art") Lefaive.




    1984

    Funeral card for Joan (Lefaive) Ribarsky
    (1935-1984)
    1985
    Funeral Card for
    Viola (Coughlin) Lefaive
    1996

    Source: Detroit Free Press
    24 Jun 1996 (Page 12)
    Arthur J. Lefaive died in Detroit, Michigan in 1996 and is buried at Heavenly Rest Cemetery. His son Richard and Gerald survived him and he had four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren at the time of his death.


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    52 Ancestors No.43: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 2

    December 10, 2015, 9:55 am
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    I received a wonderful gift in the mail in October 2015 from my Detroit cousin Gail Kinsel. It was a digital copy of a vinyl recording that was titled, "Mom & Dad & Uncle Danny & family" and dated Sunday, May 4, 1941.

    See also  52 Ancestors No. 39: The Coughlin's 1940s Sing-Along! Part 1

    The Original Recording
    The tracks on the recording were done at family gatherings. I love that singing was a part of these events and these ancestors had great voices!

    Some German songs (I think?) were dellightful and not a surprise given that Elizabeth (Annal) Coughlin's mother was of German descent (Hess).

    The song (track 7) where Betty and Margarite sing "M-O-T-H-E-R" and then Betty ends by saying, "That was for you Mom and we mean it from the bottom of our hearts was very beautiful.
    • Track 1: Talking Track with one song:
    • Track 2 (1:53): Coughlin sing-along; starts with "This is Gretta" and four other women; Songs "When Someone Like You" and "You Are My Sunshine" 
    • Track 3 (2:19): Compilation of songs; starts with a child saying, "this is dedicated to Aunt Margarite from a friend"; Songs: a German song; "My Wild Irish Rose"; German song "Augustine"; "God Save Our King" (someone says "there will always be an England"); "God Bless America"
    • Track 4 (1:34): Betty Harrison singing "One Thing I've Got Is My Man"(Dec 25); 
    • Track 5 (1:54): Talking Track 
    • Track 6 (3:05): Compilation of songs; starts with folks talking -this makes it my favourite because of the jovial banter and the mention of euchre, then "Betty Harrison speaking" and more banter and someone asks "Did you lock the chicken coop door last night?" a woman says "we are going to sing in a few minutes hang on", a man says "Let's sing a little song here "We Won't Be Home Until Morning"then they start singing "East side, west side, all about the town...." then Uncle Danny leads in "We Won't Be Home Until Morning"; "The Old Grey Mare"; this track ends with "This is a bunch of rowdies at the Schofields: the Harrisons, the Coughlins, and the Coughlins." then "This is the first Sunday that Uncle Danny has been here" and ending with "This is not going to be the last"
    • Track 7 (2:55): Betty Harrison and Margarite Schofield; songs: "There'll Be Some Changes Made" by Betty Harrison; "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" by Margarite Schofield; then Margarite says "This is for you Mom from Betty and I.""M-O-T-H-E-R" then Betty says, "That was for you Mom and we mean it from the bottom of our hearts. This is Betty and Margaret signing off""

    The Coughlin Family
    I uploaded all of the files to my SoundCloud:


    The Coughlin Sisters

    Uncle Danny Coughlin





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