Nanny and Mom were each married at the age of 22 (or nearly so) and had their first child at age 23 (or nearly so). Amy's 23. When I was 22, I started working in Harpursville so it's kind of a nice transition between the generations. I was almost 40 when Mary Jane died. We moved to Walton when Mom was almost 40 and I don't think her life was ever the same again after that. All other events seemed to be categorized "before" or "after" these points on the lifetime line.
Other kinds of life events help fill out the details of the lives of those that have gone before us. Did you realize Weenie was our closest bloodline first generation American? Both his parents were immigrants and he was their first child. Born in America. Born in Emporium PA among members of his mother's family. I don't know if Weenie ever met his German grandmother but I do know his Irish grandmother had died before he was born. This demographic must have impacted his life and I truly wish I'd realized that many many years ago when I could have asked him about it. He's been gone almost 30 years now yet the memories still seem rich and detailed to me.
Anyway, I had a bit of a breakthrough with the Irish Ryans! I finally found a birth record for the first of our Ryans born in America! Catharine Ryan was born in Boston in 1856. She had two older siblings born in Newfoundland so that helps me place the family prior to their journey to America. I'd been looking for them in Gloucester but on a hunch, I tried Boston and there they were! Just waiting for me to find this one little line buried in the record books over 150 years ago. Now that I know they were in Boston in 1856, it helps piece together the puzzle of the old fisherman Timothy (the furthest back Ryan I've found so far)--it appears that perhaps the naturalization record I have does actually belong to him. NCIS has nothing on me. So I know you're just praying I'll share it with you. Wish granted:
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