Signing Off

Kermit the Frog (as Bob Crachit in the Muppet Christmas Carol) says something like "Life is a series of beginnings and endings." Wise words.  I've decided to stop writing the Dalpiaz and Ryan family blogs and concentrate my efforts instead on the Gathering the Cousins blog.  The original intent of the blogs was to share family history discoveries that you readers could take at your own pace.  This is post # 470 and after seven years, it's time to move that forward to a more public forum, which is what the Gathering the Cousins blog is.  I hope you'll find time to read that.

In the meantime, here's one last little stroll down memory lane for you.

Thank you for reading and for your kind words (especially Paula!).  Merry Christmas to All and To All a Good Night. 

Christmas Classic from 1966

You'd think all this bad weather that kept me home these last couple of days would have meant I'd be right on top of the blogging.........but, not so much.  I did, however, break through a brick wall with regard to converting my digitized home movies into a format I can share here on the blog!!!!!  So, here's an appropriate one for this time of year.  It's also CLASSIC.  I think you'll enjoy the trip down memory lane.

Alice May Brotherton Campbell 1887 - 1916

I am currently reading a book called The Black Flag written by Barry Stacks of Gloucester.  Though not exceptionally well written, I am enjoying Gloucester as a main character in the book.  The Black Flag refers to ships returning to harbor flying a black flag indicating a death on board while at sea.  It's an interesting coincidence that I'd been trying to verify that a William Campbell who died at sea aboard a Gloucester vessel in 1905 was the Campbell in-law that I was looking for.  My search led me to a new cousin and a new "view" on what the Ryans looked like back in the day.

This is Alice May Brotherton, daughter of Mary Ryan and John J. Brotherton.  I recently showed you a picture of Mary Ryan Brotherton I found on my last trip to Gloucester.  This young lady is just beautiful!  Unfortunately she died at a very young age due to kidney problems.  She did marry C. Angus Campbell whose father William is the aforementioned death at sea I was attempting to confirm. I got this picture from our new cousin who is a descendant of Angus and Alice Campbell. 

This cousin, Pam, was able to verify that the William Campbell I'd found in the newspaper as having died at  sea aboard the Schooner Senator was indeed Alice's father-in-law.  Pam was tickled that I could provide her with the verification of his death at sea and I was very pleased to obtain this picture--especially since most of those old Ryan ancestors weren't overly fair of face. I'm certain God blessed them with other qualities. 

Victims of the Prevailing Epidemic

The Ebola crisis recently in the news brings to mind the flu epidemic of 1918-19.  This pandemic killed 50 MILLION people, largely healthy young adults from age 20-50.  You could feel fine in the morning and be dead by midnight.  So I wasn't surprised to find a family connection to this crisis as a result of my recent Gloucester research.  Sadly, this is a particularly tragic story.

William Bentley is a first cousin of ours, William being the grandson of Captain John Bentley. 

You will note he married Blanche Wagner.  Blanche and her sister Margaret survived a horrific fire as children that killed two of their siblings.  Their father had recently committed suicide and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for their mother to move forward in her life.  Obviously she did and the girls went on to marry and have families.  I posted about this family and fire earlier. 

Tragically, you also notice that Margaret also died in the flu epidemic just one day after William died, leaving behind four young children including a 2 month old baby. 

Very tragic story all the way around.  Flu related news was all over the papers in this time period, in Gloucester and around the world.  Sometimes we don't consider that our families participated in the history of our country or world, but this is one small thread in the tapestry of world history. 

Just a reminder to check out the Gathering the Cousins blog once in a while.  I try to alternate Italian posts with Irish interests but you may find each interesting.  I usually update a post from the past with a little polish to make it more readable to a general audience.  The purpose is as "cousin bait" so that anyone with the same family history interests might come across it and make contact.  The more hits it gets, the higher it will appear in search results.  Let's hope we "catch" a cousin! :)

Birthday greetings

This blog was created November 2007 upon our return from a fall trip to Gloucester so it is celebrating its 7th birthday!  Wow! Seven years of following my ramblings and wandering.  Congratulations to you all for hanging in there.  I have a gift for you!

I was tickled to find a picture to accompany this obituary for Mary (Ryan) Brotherton.  Mary was our immigrant Timothy Ryan's daughter--she was born in 1866 and died 1943.  This Mary appears to have been named after a sister Mary who died when she was 2 a few years before this Mary was born.  This picture was obviously from later in her life but I see a little resemblance here to her brother William (who is our direct Ryan ancestor). 

This is William Ryan and his wife Catherine (Bentley) from whom we descend.  If you look at William and Mary I think we get a glimpse into what immigrant Timothy might have looked like.  But perhaps they favor their mother instead..........

In related birthday news, it was also Uncle Tim's birthday this week.  He turned 73.  Happy Birthday!

Paddy Ryan in the Flicker Yearbook Class of 1945

While in Gloucester, I visited the archives at the Cape Ann Museum.  I was looking for records pertaining to widows and orphans of lost fisherman, but what I found was Dad's high school yearbook: Flicker 1944-45.  This yearbook has been available on eBay for some time but I was not willing to pay $65 for something I was pretty sure we threw out when we emptied 42 Bruce Street.  The staff very nicely made copies for me.

This was in the "When They Were Young" section of the yearbook and I sure do wish we had this photo on hand.  I see Paula in this picture.  No wonder Paula is Uncle Tim's "favorite niece". 

As you know, Dad was a cheerleader in college as well as in high school.  He's the guy in the white pants here (you probably figured that out).  Look at the crowd behind them!

This is the Boys Glee Club.  I think these are ROTC uniforms. (Reserved Officers Training Corps) I do remember Dad was actively involved in such programs.  In the mid 1940s, it would have been very common as World War II raged overseas. 

I saw this senior picture and couldn't help but think there was a time when such a character would find himself stuffed in a locker every single day.  If you read his summary, you'll see his ambition is "to go around the world in the Merchant Marine with Umbriago at the wheel."  Umbriago was apparently an imaginary sidekick to Jimmy Durante.  I don't quite get it either, but I'll bet it's clever. 

A few days after I got these, Jim found another copy of the yearbook in a local bookstore.  Someone had very handily labeled all the seniors in the book and this verified that "Paddy" appeared several other times in the yearbook as well but I think these pictures are a fair reflection of Dad in high school.

A Nor'Easter for my birthday!

It's been an interesting weather week here in Gloucester.  A nor'easter hit with a bit more impact than I think was expected.  Though it didn't feel threatening in any way, the wind blew ferociously and the rain came in sheets.  When we went out to take the pictures, I had to anchor myself carefully.

It was pretty impressive and we did get to observe some of it from the Elks Club where we had lunch with Uncle Peter and his girlfriend Andrea.  It's been great to spend a little time with Peter, especially since we missed him the last time we were here.  He's full of great stories I can't wait to share.

Jim arrived last Saturday to start his extended stay (and finish mine:) ).  His brother Robert and wife Bobbie came also for a few days so we had a good time showing them around.  I had a very nice birthday--I've decided I very much like spending it here.  And Paula is on her way this weekend for a visit which everyone is looking forward to. 

Our time here is wrapping up and I feel very settled.  My bloodlines are full of sea air and family stories.  I've begun to recognize people on the streets and in the stores so it's probably time to return home!  See you on the other side.