Time will tell

I've recently been back in touch with a distant cousin, Sharen Ryan Elliott.  She is a twin granddaughter of Grampie's oldest brother Richard.  See, twins on the Ryan side of the family!  In the couple of times I've been in touch with her, she's given some interesting Ryan tidbits that I think help round out the story of Grampie and his siblings. 

Sharen sent me this picture of Grampie's parents William H. Ryan and Catherine Bentley Ryan.  I do not have a date for this picture but he died in 1934 and their last child was born in 1910 so we can assume sometime between those dates.  Catherine's long dress makes me think it's in the 1910s, but this needs further research.   This is the Catherine (Katherine) found dead in her bed by Grampie in 1945.  I feel very fortunate to have this picture.  He certainly appears to be an "old salt", doesn't he?

To briefly review their family, lives seemingly full of misfortune, tragedy and dysfunction:

Richard Sr.  and his wife Ida had 4 children including Richard Jr --Sharen's father.  She says Richard Sr. died in 1948 at the age of 57 of heart trouble and complications of alcoholism.  Ida was the runaway wife I've posted about in an earlier post. 

Richard Sr. is sitting on the dock here int his picture also from Sharen.

Arthur B. was second in line.  He married Gertrude Gordon and they had at least one daughter, Elinor.  There are a number of Eleanors in this family!  Sharen says he left Gloucester at the age of 16 to live with his aunt and uncle Bentley in a nearby town.  She also notes that Uncle Art was "quite the character....seems he had problems with the Mob and ended up down in Mexico for a while hiding!"  I don't have it confirmed but it appears from the local funeral home records that he may have died in 1955 perhaps in Florida.

William H. Ryan Jr. died as a young father in New York City of acute chronic alcoholism.  He worked at Ellis Island Immigration station and had two daughters.  I haven't yet been able to track that family but he was only 38 when he died in June 1933.

Everett B. Ryan died about a year later of a broken neck while attempting to hang himself.  Everett was clearly troubled and was being treated at the State Hospital for some time prior to this.  He also had a wife and children (6).  It was only a month before this incident that his father William Sr. died also at the Danvers State Hospital.  It was a very difficult year or so for the family.

Chester was "mentally deficient" according to his draft registration and Dad's stories.  It appears to me he lived with his family until he couldn't any more.  I don't have his death confirmed either (yet).

Grampie was next in line, the 6th boy in a row in that family.

Aunt Bud, Viola (or Violet) was the 7th child and the first girl!  She never married and was Dad's favorite aunt (the only Ryan aunt!).  She was a dance instructor and beautician before she moved back with her brother Grampie ill with cancer.

Here's Dad with Aunt Bud and his mother.  I think this young man is Peter, probably at Dad's college graduation at St. Bonaventure--so Aunt Bud thought enough of Dad to take that trip.  I love her purse!


John "Jack" Ryan was the youngest boy, shot accidentally by a friend and died of complications several weeks later.  I am working to locate those two children as well.  It's especially sad to note he died only a week or so before Christmas with two young children at home. 

In 1910, an infant girl was born and died on the same day.  She is listed as Dala but I don't know if that's some kind of abbreviation or her name.  Isn't THAT sad?

Overall, it seems a pretty sad tale to me.  But perhaps it only seems so from the distance time creates.  Time will tell our tale as well.