Elizabeth Flynn

This is a photo of Elizabeth Flynn Morey with Roy Thomas Flynn taken abt 1930 while visiting her brother Patrick and his family in Hamilton, Ontario. I obtained this photo from Roy's Daughter Susan.  Elizabeth was my Grandfather Stephen's sister making her my Great Aunt.  She was the sixth child of Stephen Sr and Mary Ann Flynn.

Elizabeth was born Oct 23, 1892 in Harbour Main, Newfoundland. She left Flynn's Hill when she was 18 years old,  moving to New York City, USA around 1910 with her older sister Mary Ellen. An U.S. Naturalization Document found through Ancestry.com shows her married to Robert John Morey in 1919 living in Boston, Mass. Robert was from Sandy Cove, NFLD

An U.S. Social Security Death Index found also through Ancestry.com documents her death in Feb 1973 at the age of 81 years.

This is all the information I have found regarding my Great Aunt Betty. I remember the story Uncle Ray shared about when he was young and receiving barrels of clothing from his Aunt Mary and Aunt Betty from New York.

I am hoping this post will bring forth more information about Elizabeth Flynn Morey.

                                                             Elaine

Louise (Lucy) McGrath Flynn

 My Great Uncle, Patrick Flynn from Harbour Main, NFLD married Louise (Lucy) McGrath in March 1912 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Harbour Grace. Lucy was born in 1889 and was raised in Harbour Grace, a town 30 miles North of Harbour Main in Conception Bay.  On the Rt, is a photo of  Lucy's son Roy at the house Lucy was born in, during a visit  to Newfoundland years ago.

In 1918, Patrick and Lucy along with their two oldest children moved to Hamilton Ontario, probably for the prospect of better work opportunities.  Lucy was pregnant at the time of the move and gave birth en route to Ontairio while in Nova Scotia.

 Lucy's grand daughter Susan states she has not found very much information about the McGrath Family, she knows her grandmother did have alot of siblings but wonders if the spelling of the last name was changed. Some say it was McGraw and was pronounced as such.

According to Susan, Lucy was a "little thing" at 4 ft 11 inches while Patrick stood tall at 6 ft 2 inches. Susan goes on to describe her grandmother as a very religious woman, she would kneel to say the rosary every morning and attended mass each day. She had beautiful red hair (later auburn) which was that colour til she died,with only one little patch of grey.  She would braid her hair and put it up in a bun.

Susan remembers her father Roy telling her, that her grandmother was a great cook.  She would bake 3 pies for her brood of 12 and since her granfather Patrick worked long 12 hour days, she would keep a piece from each pie for when he got home.

Susan states her Grandmother was a quiet, soft spoken woman who did not like gossip and never
believed in heresay unless she heard it straight from the "horse's mouth" as she she would call it.

Lucy died in 1968 at the age of 79  of Kidney Cancer. ( five years after her husband )

Thank You Susan for the Beautiful Story about your Grandma Lucy!

Elaine

                             



A WWII Story

Stephen Flynn b 1921, has just returned from Overseas - WWII
Lt - Rt, Danny ( Gert's Fiance), Steve, Fred, Roy and Vince ( Roy's Best Friend)

My 2nd cousin, Susan shared a story with me about her two uncles Steve and Fred, who both served in WWII.  Uncle Steve was in the Canadian Air Force and Uncle Fred served in the Canadian Army.  Fred was wounded when shrapnel hit his leg while in a fox hole.  Susan's father Roy, remembered how upset Grandma Lucy was when the letter from the Army came to the house, since she was not sure if he survived.  Fred was taken in by a family in France and hidden from the enemy.

Also while in France, Fred and Steve met once during active duty, by accident.  There was a baseball game going on in the field and Fred looked over to see a tall, blond man resembling his brother Steve.  Sure enough, it was Steve and they spendt the afternoon together.  Susan states she thinks her Uncle Fred returned home first and Uncle Steve stayed til the war was over.  The above photo was taken shortly after his return home and the war was over, about 1945-46.

Susan's father Roy, was too young to join but tried several times telling a lie about his age. He was only 17 years old and tried different locations to enlist so he could be with his brothers.  His best friend Vince was in the Navy and Roy missed him as well.

Thank You Susan, for sharing this Flynn Family Story!

                                              Elaine

Patrick Flynn's Children

Patrick and Lucy Flynn had a family of 10 children, 4 Boys and 6 girls.  The above photo was taken in the early 1990's at Patrick Flynn's Grand Daughter Lori Ann's Wedding.  Eight of Patrick and Lucy's children are in this photograph.

 

 

Front Row - Lt to Rt

          Fred, Madeline (Dolly) (Mother of the Bride), Rosaleen, and Roy

 

Back Row

          Gertrude, Ellen ( Nell), Al Feeney and Lori Ann, Kathleen and Genevieve ( Sr Bernadette)

 

I came across this photo in my mother's collection, it was protected in a large envelope, labeled " Patrick Flynn's Family". I put the envelope aside and several years later filed it in my Family History Book.  I knew my grandfather had a brother named Patrick but never knew any of his family until I recently made the connection with my second cousin Susan from Ontario.  Not until she started sharing stories about her Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles did I begin to understand this branch of the Flynn Family Tree.

 

The photo below is of Patrick Flynn Sr and 3 of his sons.

Susan shared with me that her side of the family has been "cursed with cancer" and asked if other Flynn relatives have also.

Birth order of Patrick and Lucy's Children
       Patrick Joseph 1913 - 1980 born in NFLD died age 67 of Stomach Cancer
       Rosaleen          1914 - 2000 born in NFLD died age 86 of Throat Cancer
       Ellen (Nell)      1918 - still living, born in Nova Scotia
       Gertrude           1919 - still living, born in Hamilton, Ontario
       Stephen Michael 1921 - 1970 born in Hamilton, Ontario died age 48 of Hodgkin's Lymphoma
       Kathleen            1923 - 2002 born in Hamilton, Ontario died age 79 of Breast Cancer
       Fred                   1924 - 1996 born in Hamilton, Ontario died age 72 of Colon Cancer
       Genevieve         1926 - still living, born in Hamilton, Ontario
           (Sr. Bernadette)
       Roy Thomas      1927 - 2011 born in Hamilton, Ontario died age 84 of Lung Cancer
       Madeline            1931 - still living, born in Hamilton, Ontario
             (Dolly)

Susan states the remaining four sister Nell, Gert, Sr Bernadette and Dolly are in good health.

Patrick Thomas Flynn Sr

 Patrick Thomas Flynn Sr was my grandfather Stephen Flynn Jr's older brother,  making him my Great Uncle.

 

 Patrick was born July 11th, 1890 in Lakeview, Harbour Main Newfoundland, Canada.  He was the 5th child born to Stephen Flynn Sr and MaryAnn Tubrett.

 

Recently, I made contact with his grand daughter Susan, who shared with me that her Grandfather  Patrick and her Father Roy Thomas were Hoist Engineers. She also stated that she was told by her Aunts that Stephen Sr was a Hoist Engineer also, working in the Mines in Newfoundland.     

 

In March of 1912, at the age of 21, Patrick married Louise (Lucy) McGrath from Harbour Grace, NFLD. Susan informed me that her Grandfather never fought in WWI, as I had stated in a previous entry. A son Patrick Jr was born in 1913 and a daughter Rose born 1914 while they were still living in Newfoundland. Another daughter Ellen (Nell) born 1918 in Nova Scotia en route to Hamilton Ontario where they settled and raised their family of 10 children total.

 

I believe this photo is of a young Patrick Thomas Flynn Sr,. through process of elimination and comparision to the below photo and others sent to me by my 2nd cousin Susan.  She will have her Aunts confirm this in the near future.  (Notice the Steel-toed shoes he is wearing)

 

 

The photo on the right is of Patrick and Lucy Flynn taken May 1962 at their 50th Wedding Anniversary.     Patrick Thomas Flynn Sr died Apr 14th 1963 of cancer at the age of 73 years. Susan states she believes he sufferred from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.




I look forward to meeting Patrick and Lucy's family and learning more about their life.

Stephen Flynn Sr's Family

This my Great Grandfather Stephen Flynn Sr and six of his eight children. I have posted this photo before but not with all of his children, I now have the photo of my two Great Aunts Mary Ellen and Elizabeth confirmed and have received the photo of my Great Uncle Patrick. The two children I am missing are Michael, the 1st child born in 1884 and died in 1917, and Thomas the 2nd child born in 1885 and died in 1903, both of Typhoid Fever

                      Stephen Flynn Sr. and Stephen Flynn Jr.       

                             1845-1920                                            On the Rt - Patrick Flynn Sr.

Above on the Lt, is Esther Flynn Lahey.

 In the next photo, standing is Mary Ellen Flynn Holden  and sitting is Elizabeth Flynn Morey.

In a "Holding Pattern"

Entries for my Flynn Family History Blog have been somewhat in a "Holding Pattern". Just like an airplane put in a "Holding Pattern" waiting to land at a busy airport or waiting for bad weather to clear.

So here are a few updates that have been on hold over the past month.  First of all, regarding my connection with second cousin Joe Flynn and his tape recording of his visit with Great Uncle Martin Flynn in New York in 1994. I learned from his brother John, that Joe does still have the tape recording and will bring it with him when he comes home to Newfoundland around August 10th.  I must say I am very excited to hear this news,  so excited that I took all the Canadian money I had  and mailed it to John to help with the expense of copying the tape and for sending me a copy. I knew that money would come in handy one day. So today is August 13th, I imagine I will be hearing something soon.

Regarding my recent connection with my grandfather's brother Patrick Thomas Flynn's grand daughter, Susan Flynn Francis, she is now back from her month-long get-away at her cottage and will be getting together with her Great Aunts ( Uncle Patrick's daughters) in a couple of weeks. At that time, I hope to have a few questions answered and to have some photos confirmed.

There are no new developments regarding my connection with my possible 5th cousin Gerry thru my 2nd Great Grandfather Michael Flynn.  I have learned with researching ancestry, that things don't always fall into place and that waiting is part of the process.

Another bit of news I am waiting on, which might only provide information on my father's side of the family ( The Dollens) are the results of a recent DNA Test through Ancestry.com.  My 2nd cousin, Linda Dooley had the idea and my brother Michael was willing to help in our research project.  I am not sure if the results will give us any information on my mother's family  (The Flynns).  If that is the case, I may need to find a male Flynn cousin who would be willing to share his DNA!   Hmmmmmm????