An Unexpected Email is like a Great Gift - Shaws (52 Ancestors - #13)

The hobby of Genealogy to me is like an insatiable obsession. A day does not pass that I don't look up one if my ancestors in my tree, scout around for a "new" vintage photo, ask relatives for information or surf the net for any clues to where our family originated. Family research is like assembling an endless puzzle or trying to investigate a mystery that might never be solved. Admittedly I've been blessed by many friends and family around me who have been able to provide memories, stories, and advice for my quest to family research. Some of the people who have been my biggest role models are my dear friend Patty S., long lost cousin Tom G., new cousin Trooper Bob, cousin Pat C., friend Jean, and Aunt Mal to name a few. However, on occasion people come out of nowhere to help a stranger.  I've had the pleasure of a stranger coming out of the woodwork this week to help me.  Earlier this week I was doing my usual poking around websites to find anything I could about my husband's Shaw family.  In my search I found an a friendly, robust genealogy site for those seeking information about ancestors from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland,  http://ngb.chebucto.org/.  It had a virtual bulletin board where I could post a note saying I was looking for Shaws from Little Heart's Ease and Brendan responded to my post!  Here is what he said via a personal email to me:

Hi Karen

 

I saw your posting on the Grand Banks site and decided that I had to reply. My name is Brendan Doyle and I live in xxx, Newfoundland. My family came from nearby Grates Cove which is just across the bay from Little Heart's Ease in Trinity Bay. I am not a genealogist but I have been researching families of my area for quite some time now and the Shaw's come into my search because they were originally from Grates Cove. If you look at a map of our area you will notice that Grates Cove is located at the tip of a peninsula and right on the bountiful fishing grounds of Baccalieu Island. In the early 1800's it was a very inhospitable place especially in winter and it appears that it was quite common for many residents to move across the Bay to the more sheltered areas like Little Heart's Ease. Some settled permanently while others made it their winter living area because of the availability of plenty of firewood. Many would come back to Grates Cove for the summer months to carry on their fishing.

 

The Shaw surname dates back to at least 1800 in Grates Cove. James Shaw married Tamar Blundon from Bay de Verde about 1805 (no marriage date found) and had George in 1805, James 1816, John abt. 1818, Stephen 1824 and Anne in 1831. Your James Daniel (1886) line descends from Stephen who had a son Daniel in February 1859 by Hannah Duggan of Grates Cove (no marriage date found). It seems that this Daniel moved across the bay where he married Catherine Frances Flynn of Southport, Random Island on 6 Nov 1883 at Little Heart's Ease (Witnesses Thomas and Margaret Shaw). They had James Daniel 1886, William George 1887, Daniel Francis 1891 and Michael Thomas in 1892. Daniel is one of those who made the trip back to Grates Cove because their son Daniel Francis died there 3 June 1892 age 1 year and is buried in the RC Cemetery. 

This information is a gold mine and how nice was Brendan to go out of his way to email me this information!?  I'm certainly eternally grateful to him for this wonderful email.

As I mentioned, I did find the website http://ngb.chebucto.org/ and was perusing through the posts to see the various topics.  One person asked why so many Newfoundlanders moved to Boston and Edward gave the following explanation:

Emigration from Newfoundland to Massachusetts involved the push-pull factor.  From the 1850s until Confederation in 1949 life in Newfoundland was difficult.  Boston was the "Athens" of the New World, the epitome of culture, education, and opportunity.  By 1925 there were roughly 40,000 Newfoundlanders in the greater Boston area. They had their own newspaper, churches, and stores.

What is particularly fascinating is the impact of religion on emigration.  Catholic Newfoundlanders settled in South Boston, Gloucester, or Cambridge.  However Protestant Newfoundlanders tended to settle north of Boston in places like Chelsea, Everett, Malden, etc...

If you visit the old cemeteries in Newburyport or Gloucester many of the headstones say "a native of Newfoundland" or "a native of Carbonear" which is very interesting because the emigrant's family is embracing Newfoundland as an identity rather than merely being English or Irish in origin.  (Link to post: http://ngb.chebucto.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3214&p=9486#p9486)

Another member, Eileen (enobe), went on to say the following about hardships our ancestor's children experienced in Newfoundland which may have been another reason for the great emigration:

Starvation probably was a reason why many moved away. I hesitated to mention this before because I thought that maybe the people in my little area of NFLD weren't doing something right. While going through the death registers, I noticed that many young children had died of "marasmus". I'd never heard of that so I looked it up, then cried.  It means malnutrition and/or starvation usually ending in death. Often occurring in third world countries. Can you imagine the horror of losing a child that way, no wonder so many left.

Note: This week I've found a wonderful website and even better, a super email!  This goes to show you, never give up your search.  Something will eventually give!!

Emiel: From Geraardsbergen to Boston (52 Ancestors, #12)

This week we are going to get to know Emiel VanCauwenberg, not to be confused with Emily, Emiel’s daughter, who I wrote about a few weeks back.  Emiel was born in Geraardsbergen, Flanders, Belgium on March 20, 1866.  What makes this week different is that I do not have any photos of Emiel which is a first.  Many thanks to my friend and professional genealogist, Liz Barnett, for her amazing talent in composing this story basically from researching documents and her vast historical knowledge.  Everyone needs help from time to time and what makes “Getting to Know You” such a great blogging experience is all the help I’ve received from family and friends.  Contributions from family, friends and professional genealogists is so necessary and will make any budding genealogist’s work more enriching, exciting and successful!  So here is what Liz told me about Emiel…


Geraardsbergen, Belgium
(http://w0.fast-meteo.com/locationmaps/Geraardsbergen.8.gif)



The first record found for Emiel was the 1901 English census, which found him and his family living in the Hackney section of London, where Emiel worked as a cigar-maker. The family was still there in February 1902, when they welcomed daughter Mary Willhemina Van Cauwenberge (birth record 1902 Q2 v. 1b, p. 459, Hackney Registration District). Emiel left for the US soon after, arriving in New York on the SS "New York" from Southampton on July 5, 1903. He was described then as a married cigar-maker, aged 37, born in Belgium and of Flemish nationality, heading to a friend in Boston. Emiel was part of a wave of skilled Belgian and Dutch cigar-makers who came to Boston and other US cities in the late 19th and early 20^th century. Their presence upset other cigar-makers, whose union protested their influx, feeling they did not support the established unions. So many Belgians came to Boston that they formed a "Belgian Union" in 1907, and later a federation to support their countrymen at home in the wake of WWI.

Cigar maker photo

 Ref: http://www.cigarhistory.info/History_of_Cigars/History_1860-1960.html

Emiel's wife, the Netherlands-born Marie Wilhelmina Feller or Filler, followed Emiel with their children, arriving at NY on the SS "Kroonland" on June 7, 1904. (The purser's handwriting is so difficult to decipher that the surname was transcribed as "Coreabey" by the Ancestry indexers, and "Covebeity" by the indexers at Ellis Island's website.) The "Kroonland"'s passenger list shows Mary, "Alina", Frank, and little Mary were heading to "Emil", then living at 34 Highland St. in Chelsea, Mass.  Daughter Emelie was not listed with them, and may have arrived earlier or perhaps was inadvertently omitted from the list; in 1905 she married fellow-immigrant Casimir Bruyneel, who also lived on Highland St., at #93.

Kroonland

Ref:http://www.norwayheritage.com/gallery/gallery/Steamship_Companies/Red_Star_Line/02kroon-rsl.jpg)

 

Emiel found work in Boston as a cigar-maker, and by 1910 the family was settled in South Boston. Emiel's English was apparently good enough that he also worked as an interpreter for the Immigration Service.  They later moved to Dorchester, where Emiel and his wife raised their four children and at least 2 grandchildren. Although in 1920 Emiel claimed to have started the naturalization process, no record was found of his becoming an American citizen. At the 1940 census (in which he was named as "Amiel Vann"), his wife told the census taker that Emil had submitted the initial papers for naturalization but neither was yet a citizen. She and her husband then lived at 155 L St. in Boston, along with a great-grandson, Robert "Burnell", aged 14 (elder son of their widowed grandson, Oscar Bruynell). 

Emiel died of a cerebral thrombosis in the Boston City Hospital in 1943. He was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Roxbury (under the name Vann), as was his wife in 1957; their daughter Helena (Van Cauwenberge) Stephan, who died in the 1918 flu epidemic, is also there.  The informant for his death record was his son, Frank H. Vann, who said that his father's parents were "John Vann" and "Adelaide Vanderhooten", both born in Belgium.

Grave at St. Joseph’s Cemetary in W. Roxbury

The naturalization petition of Emiel's son, Frank, said he was born in "Grammont, Oost Flanderen" (East Flanders); Frank's WWII draft card also said he was born in "Gramont, Belgium", today more commonly known with its Flemish name, as Geraardsbergen, Flanders, Belgium. When Frank died in 1950 his death record said that Frank's's father was born in Brussels, but the informant was not a family member and may have been mistaken; Geraardsbergen is 23 miles from Brussels.  A logical place to look for Emiel's birth would be Geraardsbergen or one of the villages nearby. Frank gave a very specific age for his father at death: "77 years, 1 month, 10 days"; the year corresponds exactly with Emiel's age on arrival in the US in 1903.

Note:  If I could have a conversation with Emiel today of course I would like to find out more about his family in Belgium.  It must have been difficult for him to move from Belgium to London to Boston in a short span of time – what was it like to live in three different cultures? 

 

Gerald Boudreau: The Man on the Mirror (52 Ancestors - #11)

Growing up my brother and I often slept at Nana Amirault's house. Her quaint house was across the street from my house in Weymouth, Massachusetts. We slept in a room that was the size of a decent closet with a brown door that closed like an accordion attached to Nana's room. When we cut through her room going to bed we saw her giant off-white bureau with an enormous mirror and on this mirror she had the Mass card for Gerald tucked away. Unfortunately when Nana passed in 1997 Gerald's Mass card disappeared. Luckily Gerald's sisters, Claire and Alice Boudreau, my Canadian first cousins x2 removed, were able to fill me in on the man on the mirror.

Gerald in his Canadian Air Force Uniform

"We have no memories of what Gerald was like as a young boy. We were too young. Later on when he was older Alice and I recall how many times on Sunday mornings we would torment him to get up when this was his only morning to sleep in. He was so patient and good to us, of course, we were looking for a nickel!

Gerald joined the RCAF sometime in 1940 after Canada became involved in the 2nd world war. He was sent to Kingston, Ontario for gunnery training and then on to Montreal for radio training, which was a good part of one year. They were flying Wellington bombers and they crashed upon taking off the airfield. All were killed, the pilot and Gerald were Canadians and the other three were Australians.

Gerald is buried in Stratford-upon-Avon, on Evesham Rd. just down from Anne Hathaway's cottage. We have all been to his grave site in England. He was only 25 years old.

Gerald's Grave Stone in England - Source:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2714901

We have been told later that Gerald was interested in several of the local girls, but nothing serious or he would have married.

Claire shared with me a letter from the House of Commons and with that letter a copy of the pages from the House of Commons book."

After reading and thinking about my cousin Gerald it really makes my heart ache for all soldiers who have lost their lives no matter what war or what country. It makes me remember they have grieving parents and family who may never have a daughter-in-law (or son-in-law if it was a female soldier). It makes me wonder more about what was that person was like...did they play sports, did they have a hobby, what was their favorite subject in school, what did they enjoy for dinner, how many children might they have if they lived, how much do their families miss them.

What makes this story so additionally wonderful is that Claire and Alice are in their mid eighties and live up in Nova Scotia. We may have met once, but they embraced my request for stories about their family and there is more to come! Thank you!

Visiting with the Griffins: Southie was more fun than Disney! (52 Ancestors - #10)

Imagine sending your 14-year-old daughter to Boston to bring home your 2 year-old-daughter every week.  Imagine a loving sister who was happy to take your two year old daughter!  Imagine a spread of goodies that leaves deliciously vivid memories.  Family are wonderful!  When I was a child, I too had fond memories of Southie...visiting Aunt Cassie, despite being wheel-chair bound by the 1970s, put out a mouth-watering spread of goodies (bologna sandwiches and bake shop treats).  My Aunt Marilyn (Amirault) Lima, the writer of this story, tells us of how wonderful she felt when visiting her Griffin relatives in Southie!

Aunt Mal (white hat) with her mom and sisters (1939)

By the time I was born in 1934 and all my grandparents had died. Therefore, I have no memories of grandparents (Michael & Elizabeth (Leggett) Griffin and Lawrence and Mary Alice (Boudreau) Amirault).

I do recall going in to South Boston to visit my mother’s sister, Cassie, every Sunday. I was seven when my father died but I have heard we visited Cassie every Sunday before my father died and as he pulled his Dodge automobile in to Bolton Street, the street was so narrow, my Dad had to pull half of the car up on to the sidewalk to make room for other cars to get by.


Harry's car that would almost block the street in Southie!

My more vivid memories of visiting relate to after my Dad died and my mother, along with the five of us, took a bus to Quincy, switched to a trolley car which took us to Fields Corner followed by the subway train that took us to Broadway Station. We went up the stairs, out of the station to Broadway where we got a trolley to C Street. I can picture my mother with the five of us in tow.

Oh, what fun we had at 96 Bolton Street. We played with our cousins which consisted of Cassie’s kids and my mother’s younger sister, Nonie’s kids. Nonie lived in the next building. Rita, another sister, lived in the same building as Cassie in her own apartment. Rita was widowed when I was young and she had no children. My mother’s brothers, Tom and Buff also visited Cassie and that is where we got to know them. My mother’s maternal aunt, Jo Leggett used to come over also. It seems in looking back that Cassie’s was the focal point for all to visit.

Tom Griffin

Cassie’s husband was Charlie Hurl. I can recall his coming to North Weymouth by bus to do something for my mother in the way of yard work. He was a great guy.

Charlie Hurl

When Judy was about two, she moved in with the Hurl family where she lived until she entered the first grade in Weymouth. Cassie did not hesitate to add another little one to her family of seven kids. Cassie was the best. Joan, at a very young age, went to Southie every Friday to bring Judy home for the weekend. When we would leave Cassie’s on a Sunday late afternoon, my mother and Cassie would both be crying as it was so hard for my mother to leave Judy. At this point in time, my mother was only 38 years old.

My cousins were so good to all of us. We played outside until the gas lights came on and I can remember their listening to "The Shadow Knows" on the radio which I found very scary. I also remember McCarty’s store where I would get orange sherbet in a cone that was like paper but I thought it was delicious.

Uncle John and Aunt Cassie (siblings)

Every Sunday, Cassie put out the best spread a kid could imagine. There were boxes of pastries from the bakery shop plus rolls and cold cuts and soda (which we called soda "tonic"). Soda was a definite treat as we did not have that at home. Happiness is something we all experience in our own individual minds. Kids today go to Disney World and are happy. They are no happier than I was when visiting Cassie each and every Sunday when growing up in North Weymouth.

Letters from Caroline (52 Ancestors - #9)

Growing up I was always writing letters. Letters to my Aunt Ann in Pubnico, some to Cousin Cathy in Yarmouth and even one to the President of the United States asking him to not raise the price of a candy bar to .25 cents!!! After stumbling across my paternal grandmother's letters, I see where I get my enjoyment for writing. Family shared with me some of her letters, one letter I found at the National Archives and I've even had to the enjoyment of reviewing her diaries. One distinct difference about Caroline's letters is that they have neat tidbits of history tucked into them!


Caroline (O'Meara) Nickerson - 1937

On a warm June day in 1903 Caroline (O'Meara) Nickerson was born to Richard and Sophia (Farrenkopf) O'Meara. On another blog I'll write more about Caroline's life. Today I'd like to highlight some of her letters. The first letter was one that Aunt Doris had stored away dated August 8, 1927. This letter was from Caroline to her younger brother, Joe O'Meara. We are not sure where Joe was, but wherever he was, my grandfather Charles S. Nickerson, Sr. was with him. This letter was like a window into the past. Birth certificates went for just $.50 and that was a lot of money because my grandmother said "Joe first show it to them try and keep it as it cost 50 cents to get it."

To my surprise my grandparents were living together with Caroline's parents in Milton, MA. Prior to doing family research I just assumed everyone lived in their own homes, not together.  However, most likely for monetary reasons they lived together. Genealogy means some guessing involved, so I also wonder if Sophia, my great grandmother might have been sickly in the last few years of her life because she died just 2 years later.

After reading this short letter I discovered that Caroline's brother, my grand uncle Gene, was a police officer during the Sacco and Vanzetti murder trials. Boston must have been in quite a state because Caroline told Joe that "officers are to stay at their station houses and just allowed home for their meals and report right back again." She also said that "The people had quite a time over the Vanzetti & Sacco yesterday on the commons there was 4 arrests and one man slapped an officer in the face."

In 2012 while rummaging through Richard O'Meara's pension file (which was exciting in and of itself) another letter from Caroline brought me to the discovery that my great grandfather Richard O'Meara and Speaker of the House, John W. McCormack were "close friends."  Living near Boston and working in Boston brought me in and out of the McCormack Building and now when I go in and out of there I think of the person who was friends with my great grandfather.

 

 

Caroline continued to write.  She wrote two diaries full of interesting information.  In fact a childhood friend and I discovered that our ancestors were neighbors in Dorchester because Caroline had mentioned the street address and my friend's great grandfather upon his passing.  Caroline wrote to the Canadian Government looking first for her husband's WWII Canadian military pension and then she wrote to them again to discover that my grandfather did not have a birth certificate. 

Thank you to Caroline for all the writing she did - it makes me appreciate the letters I've written and I wonder if some day my granddaughter or great granddaughter will look through my letters and diaries!

Oscar (52 Ancestors - #8)

This week I knew I’d like to write about Oscar or Martha (Dauwer) Bruynell. I was sorting through all the information I have on my husband’s grandfather when I came across the most detailed obituary I’ve ever read. It was a wonderful story and tribute to Oscar. My husband’s late uncle, Robert N. Bruynell, previous Town Clerk of Braintree, had penned this obit upon Oscar’s death back in 1989. I’ve re-ordered the obituary’s facts, added a few additional dates and a few more facts, but total credit for this story goes to Uncle Bob who so obviously loved his dad Oscar.

Grandpa Oscar in 1971

Oscar William Bruynell was born on July 9th, 1905 in Chelsea, Massachusetts as Oscar William Bruyneel. He was the son of Belgian immigrants Casmir Bruyneel and Emelie A. VanCouwenberghe. Casmir was a cigar maker and Emelie worked for a time as a chocolate dipper in a candy factory. Casmir and Emelie went their separate ways when Oscar was but five. After Casmir left, Emelie left Chelsea and Oscar grew up in South Boston and stayed there until he moved to Braintree, Massachusetts in 1969.

In his younger days, Oscar, was an active athlete and was especially good at track. He ran track in high school. His cousin John Stephan, who was a few years younger than Oscar, said Oscar was sometimes required to babysit for him. The two of them liked the open streetcars operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and made several trips to Lake Street in Newton to board the open cars for Norumbega Park.

Oscar graduated from Boston High School of Commerce and worked as an electrician at the Fore River Ship Yard in Quincy, MA and at an aircraft plant in Baltimore. During WWII he also did electrical work for the Mobeco Sign Company of Watertown. Because of his earlier training he was able to take care of minor electrical chores around his home. One of his memorable earlier jobs was installing sound systems in movie theatres when “talkies” came in! Oscar worked as a collector at the MBTA Red Line stations for several years retiring in 1970, before the Red Line was extended to the South Shore.

He loved to putter in his kitchen according to his son Bob. Oscar was an excellent cook. In fact, he and John Stephan, at one time, operated boarding houses on Cape Cod for civilian workers at Fort Devens. They provided their meals and packed them a lunch to take on the job each day.

Oscar married the love of his life, Martha Dauwer, on a cold fall day, November 15, 1924. It was at this time that Oscar legally changed his name from Bruyneel to Bruynell. Together they had five children, Bob, Kenneth, William, Shirley and Marjorie. William died in 1928 as a baby. Sadly, Martha died shortly thereafter leaving Oscar widowed when their oldest was 7 years old. After these two losses, Oscar’s main concern for the rest of his life was to keep his family as close together, despite the fact that they were all sent to live with different relatives so Oscar could make a living. Thankfully Oscar’s grandmother, Wilhelmina (Feller) VanCouwenberghe helped keep his family together.

Wilhemina and Grandpa

Obviously there were rough times for the family during the Great Depression when Oscar was on Welfare and had to line up to receive milk and other good distributed by the U.S. Government. Thankfully there were even more good times and the benefit of a close family. Oscar often took his youngsters fishing at Head House Pier and on their way home they would stop for french fries or soda at Kelly’s Landing or Joe’s Spa or maybe drop in at Stahl’s, a South Boston icecream and candy shoppe. Oscar’s hobby really was watching his children grow up. He often said how proud he was that all four grew up without causing problems.

Oscar spent a lot of time around boats and fishing with his cousin John. Once he retired he enjoyed deep sea fishing and sometimes went out of Boston or Plymouth on boats which provided gear needed to go after flounder or other fish.

Oscar never remarried after Martha’s death, but he found a nice friend in Annie Pitts. He and Annie would often attend family events together. They were a very sweet couple and Oscar always had a smile on his face when they were together!

Grandpa Oscar and Agnes Moloney

Also after his retirement he enjoyed going to the races at Raynham/Taunton Dog Track with his daughter, Marjorie (Conroy) who was a librarian at Tuft’s Library in Weymouth. Saturday night brought him poker games which were a regular favorite feature of his later life when he and a half a dozen of his friends formed an informal club and rotated the game amongst their homes.

Oscar enjoyed occasional visits to Fenway Park and one of these games inclulded Carl Yastrzemski’s next-to-last game. Oscar, Leo and Bob said that was an emotional game for all of them. In later life he enjoyed watching the Red Sox on television if the game didn’ t start too late! He would say that the day games were fine but he would fall asleep during the late night contests! Oscar was also a fan of television quiz shows.

Sunday morning often saw him appearing at his son Bob’s house with the newspaper to visit the grand children while sharing coffee and donuts.

Oscar was described as a quiet man who helped people when he could. He was a practical joker as well when he used to tell everybody that he had 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchilldren with two more on the way!

Oscar William Bruynell, 83, of East Braintree, a retired electrician and retired MBTA collector died on June 21st, 1989 at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.

Original Obituary written by Uncle Bob about his Father Oscar 

Note: If Oscar was alive today, I’d ask him more about the boarding house that he and his cousin John ran down the Cape. This was something I found interesting.

Mary Jane (52 Ancestors - #7)

Mary Jane (Shaw) Shaw was born to John Thomas and Ellen (Meehan) Shaw on September 15, 1887. She was obviously very beloved as you can tell by the fond memories and loving way my brother-law, James (Chip) Bruynell tells us her story...

John, Mary Jane and Mary

Nanny, we pronounced it “Nah’-nee”, was born in a sleepy quintessential fishing village known as Little Heart’s Ease on Newfoundland’s Coast. Most villagers eked out a living there fishing the bountiful waters known as the Grand Banks.

Soon after marrying James Shaw (December 30th, 1909), Mary Jane and James, with their two sons Ronald and Anthony emigrated to the U.S. and settled in the predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood of South Boston known as “Southie” to those who took up residence there. James embarked on a trade as a carpenter while Nanny lovingly raised a family of three boys and one girl. John and Mary rounded out the family and were born as U.S. citizens. (Mary Jane naturalized on December 8th, 1952).

James and Mary Jane Shaw (1949)

They lived on the upper end of G Street historically known as Dorchester Heights even though it was located in “Southie”.  Nanny loved her Romany rye bread and could venture down to Doc’s one block away at the bottom of the hill for staples for her kitchen.  Sundays were a special day on G Street for “Sunday Dinner”. Her favorite meal to prepare was a boiled dinner consisting of either a daisy roll or smoked shoulder with carrots and potatoes with pot liquor on the side.

James and Mary Jane (1949)

In October, 1951, while working at his shop, James suddenly died of a heart attack. Mary, the youngest of the family, was already 7 months pregnant with their first grandchild and unfortunately James would never get to share that joy with Mary Jane.

Nanny was deeply religious. Every night at precisely 6:40, she would brew herself a cup of either Tetley or Lipton tea, butter a piece of toasted Romany rye bread and take a position at the kitchen table where an old style radio with a rotary tuner would be preset to her favorite and only station. Sitting around the table with whomever was staying or visiting, all were fervently glued to the radio as the familiar scratchy drawling voice of Richard Cardinal Cushing, a very predominant figure in Boston, would intone the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. There were to be absolutely no diversions to be undertaken until the last “Amen”. Bedtime prayer time would follow for any of the grandchildren present. The prayers typically would begin with a litany of “God bless … where they would list individually all those near and dear to them. On one occasion, the first and last of its kind, Nanny became a little upset when one of the grandchildren concluded his prayer with “God bless Sparky and Spooky”, the family household pet dog and cat. That was one of those religious taboos.

James (Chip) Bruynell with his beloved grandmother, Mary Jane (about 1957)

Nanny eventually moved to Chickatawbut Street in Dorchester where she shared a duplex with her daughter Mary and husband Kenneth and their five children. This was very advantageous for the grandchildren because they knew that she made a habit of “spoiling” them. Nanny always had a cache of nickels on hand and she doled them out like she meted out her prayers on those she loved. Back in the day, one could go to Ike’s and buy a candy bar for 5 cents. There were extra bonuses for those who would do her grocery shopping which usually consisted of a loaf of her favorite bread and a quart of milk to go with her tea. Both of these items could be purchased for under 60 cents.

Nanny possessed the benevolence of a saint and the patience of Job. Her three sons would often visit her. They were all considered “Masters of Tease” no doubt a Shaw trait passed down even to this day. Ron, the oldest, was the best at it. With him it came as second nature. On one particular occasion after Nanny had made sure that at Sunday dinner everyone was served, she would, at last, sit down to enjoy the meal after “Grace” had been said. She was still donning her apron in case she had to refill a serving dish besides kitchen duties were never concluded until the last dish was dried and put away. Ron made an excuse to momentarily excuse himself from the table and on his way back, unbeknownst to Nanny, stealthily sneaked behind her chair, unfastened her apron strings, and reattached them snuggly to the chair. It wasn’t until sometime later when she tried to get up to refill a platter that she discovered that she wasn’t going anywhere easily unless the chair was attached to her butt. Flustered, she would reprimand any of her sons if the occasion warranted with a phrase she would use quite often and you knew it was coming. On that and any occasion she would say, “Ron, ye ain’t got a grain of sense in that head of yours”. Nanny still had a trace of that “Newfie” accent and was very accustomed to the local vernacular which she never lost despite her years here.

When Mary and Ken needed a well-deserved break from the kids and decided to go out for an early night, Nanny would always come over and sit with the kids and made sure they were behaving. Rewards were always more predominant than admonitions.

Mary Jane's Prayer Card

Nanny’s health soon began to deteriorate. She became increasingly unsteady on her feet and her memory was starting to fade. On one summer morning shortly after rising for breakfast she finally succumbed. It was that day that the angels sang and she went peacefully and lovingly to her maker to whom she always remained faithful.

Note: If Nanny was alive today I would ask her about her parents. She also had a daughter Madeline who died young while in Newfoundland who I would like to know what happened to her.