I took a day trip to Boston on Saturday to search old newspapers for obituaries and announcements relating to my Massachusetts relatives. I had five hours in the Microtext room and managed to find a few articles. Apart from their intrinsic value, they also provided a few clues for me to follow up. After the library, I rejoined my traveling companion Dave Almond, who had spent the afternoon sightseeing, and we went to the North End for a delicious Italian dinner, spaghetti alla vongole.
So I have two projects to concentrate on. Tracking down Monte Pio Society and their archives (which they better have!) and finding the families of Paul, Lucy, Grace and Hester O’Brien. Wish me luck.
Skimming through microfilm (especially of old newspapers with their tiny, headache inducing print) can be laborious, but it’s exhilarating when you spot a familiar name and hungrily scan the surrounding words for anything new and unknown.
My search turned up obituaries for three generations of the Paul-O’Brien family, gt-gt-gt-grandfather Frank Paul, his daughter Mary Ann Paul O’Brien and her daughter Hester O’Brien Smith.
Frank Paul is an intriguing character, and my most exotic forebearer. I am very proud of my Azorean/Portuguese roots. According to the article, Frank was a founding member of the Monte Pio Society of New Bedford. The society was founded in 1882 and is still listed in the phonebook. Surely they have a commemorative photograph of their founders.
My search turned up obituaries for three generations of the Paul-O’Brien family, gt-gt-gt-grandfather Frank Paul, his daughter Mary Ann Paul O’Brien and her daughter Hester O’Brien Smith.
Frank Paul is an intriguing character, and my most exotic forebearer. I am very proud of my Azorean/Portuguese roots. According to the article, Frank was a founding member of the Monte Pio Society of New Bedford. The society was founded in 1882 and is still listed in the phonebook. Surely they have a commemorative photograph of their founders.Mary Ann’s obituary provides no new information other than the church where her funeral took
place, however, this is a very moving tribute to what sounds like a lovely lady. Now, I did think that perhaps all these obits contain the same patter about loving wife, devoted mother, sure friend, blah, blah, blah. But it also occurred to me that if she’d in reality been a miserable so and so, they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble and expense of having such a long write up in the paper. So I’ve decided to take it pretty much at face value.
My first thoughts on reading this were of how much these words reminded me of my own mother.
Mary Ann’s youngest daughter Hester, Alfred O’Briens littlest sister, had proved somewhat illusive, but when I was preparing last week for this trip, I had a brain wave and managed to find Hester under her married name in the social security death index, which pointed me to the Hyannis, MA newspaper, the Cape Cod Times.
I mentioned how important it is to find photographs and the best source is of course other living relatives. Finding them has become my newest quest. It says Hester left two nieces (this could be my grandmother and her sister Mary) although it seems more likely the two nieces and three nephews all come from those sisters and brothers listed, along with the next youngest sister Grace O’Brien Hamlin who had died just two years before.
place, however, this is a very moving tribute to what sounds like a lovely lady. Now, I did think that perhaps all these obits contain the same patter about loving wife, devoted mother, sure friend, blah, blah, blah. But it also occurred to me that if she’d in reality been a miserable so and so, they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble and expense of having such a long write up in the paper. So I’ve decided to take it pretty much at face value.My first thoughts on reading this were of how much these words reminded me of my own mother.
Mary Ann’s youngest daughter Hester, Alfred O’Briens littlest sister, had proved somewhat illusive, but when I was preparing last week for this trip, I had a brain wave and managed to find Hester under her married name in the social security death index, which pointed me to the Hyannis, MA newspaper, the Cape Cod Times.I mentioned how important it is to find photographs and the best source is of course other living relatives. Finding them has become my newest quest. It says Hester left two nieces (this could be my grandmother and her sister Mary) although it seems more likely the two nieces and three nephews all come from those sisters and brothers listed, along with the next youngest sister Grace O’Brien Hamlin who had died just two years before.
So I have two projects to concentrate on. Tracking down Monte Pio Society and their archives (which they better have!) and finding the families of Paul, Lucy, Grace and Hester O’Brien. Wish me luck.
1 comment:
Wwell done Genevieve. Glad you had an successful and interesting day. I know the thrill of finding names and the anticipation of where they might lead. Dad says while in Lisbon he got Euros from the ATM at the Monte Pio bank.
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