Family Ties

As I mentioned before, Stephen Flynn Sr married Mary Ann Tubrett of Holyrood in 1883.  They had eight children , the story of their first born child Michael, is a sad story. He was named after his grandfather, and born in 1884. He lived on Bell Island ( not too far from Harbour Main) as a grown man.  He died 12/23/1916 at the age of 33, of Typhoid Fever.  His wife Catherine Kent died a couple of months later 03/29/1917, one month after giving birth to a daughter, of Typhoid Fever as well. They left a family of five children, Molly, Elizabeth, Thomas, William and Catherine.

My Grandfather Stephen Jr, who was Michael's younger brother was 21 years at the time of his brother's death. Stephen took William who was 7 years old to live with him and his parents on Flynn's Hill.  I remember my mother telling me, William's brothers and sister went to live with their mother's family on Bell Island.  Stephen Jr went to Sydney, Nova Scotia to work and sent money home for his elderly parents and nephew William.  Bill grew up to be a man, married and built a house for himself on the Flynn Estate.

"Uncle Bill", is what we called him, he was really my 1st cousin once removed, he married Ellen (Nell) Frances Healy, they had 13 children, Michael, Mary Elizabeth, Gloria, Catherine Aurelia, John Tarisus, William, Helen, Joseph, Mildred, Claire, Anastasia, Frank, and Isabel.  My mother told me Uncle Bill was a Carpenter.  He died at the age of 87 years in 1997 and is burried in Chapel's Cove Cemetery. This photo is of Uncle Bill taken possibly in the 1940's on Flynn's Hill with 9 of his 13 children. This is a favorite photo of mine, he looks so proud and happy sitting on Flynn's Hill with his children.

I have fond memories of my Uncle Bill as a lively, jovial, hardworking man. I remember sledding down the hill behind his house with his younger children.  I plan to get in touch with them ( my second cousins ) during my trip to Newfoundland this coming spring, with high hopes of gathering more stories of Flynn's Hill.  I do have alot of "Flynn Cousins".

Note - Correction made 04/16/3013, Michael Flynn's wife was Catherine Kent not Catherine Sweeney, per my 2nd cousins Joe and Frank Flynn.