I was delighted to come across this 1939 news clipping recently from the Windsor Star.
It made me think about the life of my great-aunt Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940) and her niece Mary whom she raised.
 |
| Source: Clipped from The Windsor Star, 11 Apr 1939, Tue, Page 16 |
When Nellie's sister Clara (Moynahan) Broderick died in 1919 at the young age of 37 years (after a lingering illness), her five children (aged 18 months to 15 years) were sent to live with relatives. As the story goes, my great aunt Nellie Moynahan took two-year-old Mary Aileen Broderick (above) to live with her.
 |
| Bernard Broderick pictured with his mother Clara (Moynahan) Broderick in 1918 Picture taken at John Moynahan's Parent Ave. home when Clara was visiting with her brother. (Clara died December 1919) |
About Bernard Broderick's mother Clara (Moynahan) Broderick (1882-1919):
"although my mother was a
Moynahan - I never knew her - she died too young, um, although I do
remember incidents that happened......."...."She was - what do you call?
- a seamstress making hats and dresses..."
"She (Clara) had eight children, but in those days, there was not the medical facilities they have today. If you had ten children you were lucky if you had five that continued you know. So I think that they had five that lived. A number of them died, and it was an interesting thing - there was the oldest of the Moynahan girls (your grandfather was the second oldest) but the oldest was Nellie, her name was Ellen but they called her Nellie. She was like the godfather...she acted as midwife, and she took over. She was....domineering..""
"She (Clara) had eight children, but in those days, there was not the medical facilities they have today. If you had ten children you were lucky if you had five that continued you know. So I think that they had five that lived. A number of them died, and it was an interesting thing - there was the oldest of the Moynahan girls (your grandfather was the second oldest) but the oldest was Nellie, her name was Ellen but they called her Nellie. She was like the godfather...she acted as midwife, and she took over. She was....domineering..""
About Bernard Broderick's sister Mary Aileen Broderick (1917-1990):
Mary: "then my baby sister, she must have been only five, old Aunt Nellie took her in and kept her from the time she was five until she was about twenty...."......" Mary was a clever girl - she had finished high school and she had started nursing and so forth and she just loved this guy and he is a wonderful man." ........"That has been a wonderful marriage"
Mary: "then my baby sister, she must have been only five, old Aunt Nellie took her in and kept her from the time she was five until she was about twenty...."......" Mary was a clever girl - she had finished high school and she had started nursing and so forth and she just loved this guy and he is a wonderful man." ........"That has been a wonderful marriage"
Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940)
Nellie Moynahan raised her niece Mary Aileen Broderick (1917-1990) for twenty years (from 1919 to 1939)
 |
| Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940) |
- Nellie decided to never marry (women teachers were not allowed to be married).
- Nellie chose to live with her parents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan and care for them her whole life
- Nellie and/or her brother John Moynahan taught their mother Mary (Brennan) to read (See my post "Revisiting the Censuses")
- 1887-1932, Nellie taught school in Essex county for forty-five years (teaching the longest according to Thomas McCloskey, of all the Essex county teachers in the late 1880s).
- She was remembered as a strict disciplinarian by students.
- In 1892, while on her way to teach at S.S. No. 8, Nellie's "horse became frightened at the cars, and she was thrown out of the buggy and sustained painful injuries.: (Source: The Amherstburg Echo: 30 December, 1892)
- In, 1904, Nellie is riding a bicycle and sprained her knee in a fall ( The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) 27 May 1904, Fri • Page 7 )
- In 1908, Nellie resigned as teacher of R.C.S.S. No.7, Maidstone and left on a trip to England, Ireland and Italy
- In 1912, Nellie traveled to Ireland and Scotland and spoke to the Oldcastle Women's Institute about it (Source: The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 22 Jul 1912, Mon · Page 3)
- In 1913, when her parents, Jeremiah and Mary, celebrated their golden anniversary, Nellie was living with them at the Maidstone Moynahan farm ("Talbot St. a mile west of the Cross")
- In 1916, the Maidstone Dramatic club presented "The Shannon Boys" with a cast of 30 people. "The success of the drama was largely due to the untiring efforts and able management of Miss Nellie Moynahan under whose supervision the play was presented." (Source: The Windsor Star, 20 Mar 1916, Mon • Page 5 )
- In 1920, following the death of her sister Clara (Dec 1919), Nellie decided to raise 3 year-old Mary Broderick (1917-1990)
- In 1921, Nellie moved to 432 Hall Avenue, Windsor with her parents( Jeremiah and Mary and her niece Mary Broderick after the Moynahan Maidstone farm (298 South Talbot Rd) was sold.
- In 1922, Nellie's father Jeremiah died and in 1926, Nellie's mother Mary died
- In 1939, Nellie announces the engagement of her niece, who she has raised since two years-of-age to Edward Francis Lyons (1914-1991)
- According to Bernard Broderick, my grandfather Ernie Moynahan (1900-) would stop at Nellie's house on Hall Ave. on his way to work at Fords to take care of her furnace (Source: Oral History) and my grandmother Rhea would sew her curtains for the house (Source: Handwritten thank you from Nellie Moynahan to Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan)
 |
| Nellie Moynahan's Class of 1911 |
Raising Mary 1919-1939
 |
| Source: Photo archive of Michael Lyons |
Mary Aileen Broderick was born November 5, 1917 the youngest child of Patrick Francis and Clara (Moynahan) Broderick.
Mary lived with Nellie Moynahan at the Maidstone Moynahan farm and later on Hall Avenue in Windsor, Ontario.
 |
| Mary Aileen Broderick (Source: Lyons Family archives) |
My grandparents, Ernest and Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan, hosted their wedding shower at the Moynahan home on Marentette Ave.
 |
| (Windsor Star, 11 Apr 1939, Tue, Page 16) |
The wedding took place at the Immaculate Conception Church in Windsor
 |
| Mary Aileen (Broderick) Lyons (1917-1990) (Source: Lyons family photo archives) |
 |
| Mary Aileen (Broderick) Lyons (1917-1990) (Source: Lyons family photo archives) |
 |
| Mary Aileen (Broderick) Lyons (1917-1990) (Source: Lyons family photo archives) |
 |
| The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 24 Apr 1939, Mon · Page 13 |
Previous Blog Posts
About Mary's Brothers and Sisters:
- Agnes (Broderick) Casey (1904-1984)
- Genevieve (Broderick) Wheeler (1908-2003)
- Lorraine (Broderick) Workman (1910-1975)
- The Workmans of Indiana (a future post)
- Francis Bernard Broderick (1916-1992)
I am one of Mary's grandsons. I've seen some of these photos but never knew about her life prior to becoming a mother. This is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you enjoyed the post Joe. Thank you for taking the time to comment on this blog.
DeleteThis is amazing. I am also another grand child. I love the way articles used to be written. So glad my cousin found this
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing. I am also another grand child. I love the way articles used to be written. So glad my cousin found this
ReplyDelete