My Moynahan Genealogy Blog: September 4, 1944 - Evelyn Pucino & Her Coughlin Cousins

On September 4, 1944, Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) visited her Coughlin cousins in Ontario and Michigan and created a photo journal of her travels.

I am so grateful that I have been entrusted with these precious photos so that I can share them with the many Coughlin descendants still living in Michigan and Ontario.

Evelyn is pictured above holding on to a baby. Left to right are: William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952), Lawrence Coughlin (1916-1992), her aunt Ruth (Gray) Coughlin (1907-1987), her mother Margaret R. (Coughlin) Pucino (1899-1964), Art Schofield (1901-1981) and Elizabeth (Annal) Coughlin (1884-1953).

Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016)

Evelyn was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on March 20, 1925, the daughter of John C. Pucino (1895-1953) and Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino (1899-1964).

Evelyn grew up in New Paltz, New York, and moved with her family to Connecticut, living most of her life in Coventry.

Circled in Red: Margaret, Ruth and Evelyn visited Ontario and Michigan in 1944

There are four pages of photographs with photos on both side.

The Photographs

"Eileen and Billie" (Van Huyse)

Eileen Margaret (Demarse) Van Huyse (1921-1990) is the daughter of Joseph Demarse (1896-1981) and Mary Madeline Coughlin (1900-1929)

"Billie" Van Huyse

Lawrence Coughlin (1916-1992), and Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016)

Marguerite (Coughlin) Schofield (1904-1984) and Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016)

"Uncle Willy" William Coughlin (1872-1952) and Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016)

William Coughlin (1872-1952), Margaret R. (Coughlin) Pucino (1899-1964), Ruth (Gray) Coughlin (1907-1987) and Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016)

William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952), Ruth (Gray) Coughlin (1907-1987), Lawrence Coughlin (1916-1992), Margaret R. (Coughlin) Pucino (1899-1964), Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) (holding Billie Van Huyse), Elizabeth (Annal) Coughlin (1884-1953) and Marguerite (Coughlin) Schofield (1904-1984)

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Ruth (Gray) Coughlin (1907-1987), Art Schofield (1901-1981), Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) , Margaret R. (Coughlin) Pucino (1899-1964)

Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) , Art Schofield (1901-1981), Ruth (Gray) Coughlin (1907-1987)

Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (1925-2016) with Canadian soldiers at the barracks

September 4, 1944 - Labor Day

I love that these three women embarked on "women-only trip to Canada" to visit their kin in Michigan and Ontario.

September 4, 1944 was Labor Day and, globally, World War II had been raging for five years and would continue for another year before ending.

The Windsor Daily Star Sept. 4, 1944

A Special Bond With The Schofields

The majority of photographs in Evelyn's September 4, 1944 album show William, Lawrence and Elizabeth Coughlin and Art and Marguerite Schofield.

Michigan cousin Gail had written to me that "Aunt Marguerite was very good about keeping in touch with Evelyn and Jim"

And I learned from our Connecticut cousin Dan Coughlin that:

"In the 1960’s I visited some of the Michigan relatives (Margaret Schofield) and the Coughlins in Windsor, Ontario during a summer vacation trip with my parents and again with Evelyn (Pucino) Shea (daughter of Margaret Coughlin Pucino), her husband Jim Shea and daughter Margie Shea. "

And from our Connecticut cousin Kathleen I learned that she remembers her grandmother (Margaret (Coughlin) Pucino 1899-1964) speaking often of Marguerite (Coughlin) Schofield (1904-1964). It seems that Margaret and Marguerite had a special bond.

Our Connecticut cousin sent us additional photos from other visits.

I have written about Dan Coughlin's (1874-1948) trip to Michigan in May 1941 when the Coughlin family recorded the vinyl record that was labelled , "Mom & Dad & Uncle Danny & family" and dated Sunday, May 4, 1941 and I wonder if that's when this photo of the two brothers was taken?

Thank you Connecticut Cousins

and Thank you Evelyn

I have said many times how the highlight of 2018 has been breaking through my Coughlin/Poughkeepsie genealogical "brick wall" in my family history research, but the greatest highlight of all has been connecting with our long lost cousins who have shared so much of our family history with us.

Thanks Kathleen. Thanks Daniel. Thanks Evelyn.

From Evelyn's 2016 Obituary:

"Evelyn had a strong faith in God and was an active parishioner of St. Mary Church in Coventry where, at every event, she could be found in the kitchen cooking and making fried dough. She lived her faith through service including as a Eucharistic minister.

She was proud of her Italian heritage. Long after she prepared the family recipe for meatballs for the last time, she continued to share the stories and music of her childhood. She will always be remembered by those whose lives she so lovingly touched.

In addition to her husband, James, Evelyn is survived by many nieces and nephews including Daniel Coughlin and Kathleen Hutson. She was predeceased by her daughter, Marguerite (1953-1976); and two brothers, John J. (1920-1983) and Daniel A. Pucino.(1923-1960)"

Evelyn is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Coventry, Connecticut