52 Ancestors No. 36: “Working for a Living.”

This week's theme for Amy Crow's 52 Ancestors is "Working For A Living" and I thought that I would do a review of various occupations in my family tree.

Our ancestor's "Working For A Living"

Most of the information on our ancestor's occupations can be found through reading census reports (1825-1921) or by looking at voters lists (1935-1980).

The last Canadian census report that has been published was 1921 (and is available on ancestry.ca) (Note that all Canadian census reports prior to 1921 are available for free on the Library and Archives Canada website)

Below is a list of links to pages where I have previously spoken about our ancestor's occupation:

Auctioneer

• William Moynahan (1878-1980)

Autoworker

• Ernest Joseph Moynahan Sr (1900-1974)

Carpenter

• John Annal (1875-1960) 
• Ole O. Hegna (1855-1935)

Parke Davis Clerical

• Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan (1902-1992)
• Gretta Marie (Coughlin) Langlois (1911-)

Detective

• Leo William Broderick (1879-1920)

Dressmaker

• Hannah (Hegna) Foreman (1885-1965)
• Clara (Moynahan) Broderick (1882-1919)

Expressman

• Jeremiah Moynahan (1849-1905)

Farmer

• Martin Broderick (1839-1915)
• Jeremiah Moynahan (1841-1992)
• Matthew Moynahan (1770-1860)
• Timothy Moynahan (1813-1902)

Feather Renovators

• JamesAnnal and Joseph Hess (1906)

Fire Chief

• James Annal Jr (1873-1921)

Glassblower

• William Henry Coughlin (1872-1952)

Ice Dealer

• James Annal Jr (1873-1921)

Ironworker

• Frederick Douglas Creighton (1907-1976)

Labourer 

• Patrick Moynahan (1853-1909) (Windsor Gas Co.)

Lawyer

• Joseph Foreman (1933-1999)

Midwife

• Mary (Brennan) Moynahan (1841-1926)

Miner

• James Moynahan (1842-1919)

Nun

• Sister Madeline Demarse (G.S.I.C) (1928-2010)
• Sister Marie Clarice Lennon (1904-1999)
• Sister Marie Gertrude Lennon (1901-1995)

Nurse

• Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton (1909-2000)

Olympian

• Joseph Foreman (1933-1999)

Politician

• James Moynahan (1842-1919)
• John Moynahan (1866-1933)
• John J. Plaus (1912-1966)

Priest

• Reverend Raymond Moynahan (1904-1980)
• Brother Berchmans (Bernard Broderick) (1916-1992)

Railway Worker

• The Chapleau Donivans
• Thomas Conlon (1870-1928)

Sailor

• James Henry Allan Annal (1849-1930)
• John Annal (1875-1960) 
• Martin Broderick (1839-1915)

Soldier

• Leo Joseph Martin Broderick (1919-1943)
• Martin Broderick (1839-1915)
• John Miller Moreland (1882-1940)
• Dawn Maureen (Creighton) Moynahan (1936-1981). 
• Thomas Bernard Moynahan (1909-1974)
• Gerald John Moynahan (1908-1961)
• James Moynahan (1842-1919)

Teacher

• Ellen "Nellie" Moynahan (1865-1940)
• John Moynahan (1866-1933)

Union Leader

• John Moynahan (1934-1987)

Other

• Donald Jennings Foreman (-1967) Hydro Superintendent

52 Ancestors No. 15: Sister Madeline Demarse (G.S.I.C) (1928-2010)

This is the fifteenth of 52 blog posts for the 2015 edition of the 52 Ancestors challenge. I have been blogging my family history for the #52Ancestors challenge since it began in 2014.  

#52Ancestors asks genealogy bloggers to "have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.”

No. 15 is about my 1st cousin 1x removed Sister Madeline Demarse who was a Grey Sister of the Immaculate Conception (G.S.I.C.), Pembroke, Ontario.

Sister Madeline Demarse

Sister Madeline was born on October 18th, 1927, in Windsor Ontario. Her mother, Mary Madeleine (Coughlin) Demarse, died suddenly in 1929  from cerebrospinal meningitis.

Source: Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 1 Jun 1931, Mon · Page 11

Following her mother's death, Madeline's Godparents Napoleon and Leda Demarse raised her from the age of two.

Source: Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 2 Sep 1964, Wed · Page 32

Her father Joseph Demarse died the 6th of February 1981.

She entered the religious Community on July 12th, 1950 at twenty-two years of age, pronouncing her final vows on August 24th, 1954.

Source: Ottawa Journal (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) · 29 Aug 1953, Sat · Page 16

A music teacher by profession, she taught in Ottawa, Timmins, Eganville and Midland for many years. Other assignments involved bookkeeping and leadership positions as well as her primary ministry - teaching piano. Many former students will remember her competency, dedication and kindness.

Source: Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 17 Jun 1947, Tue · Page 14

Standing left to right: Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan and Viola (Coughlin) LeFaive
Sitting: Sister St. Paul of the Cross (Madeline Demarse)
(Taken in the living room of Viola (Coughlin) Lefaive)

 Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan and Viola (Coughlin) LeFaive, Sr. St. Paul of the Cross and Marguerite (Coughlin) Schofield.
(Taken in Viola (Coughlin) Lefaive's backyard)

Marguerite (Coughlin) Schofield, Viola  (Coughlin )Lefaive, Sr. St. Paul, Bessie  (Coughlin) Harrison and Rhea  (Coughlin) Moynahan
(Taken in front of Gretta Langlois' apartment in Brockville, Ontario 1958)

2007

In August 2007, a family reunion was organized in Pembroke to celebrate

 the life of Madeline Demarse.

Sister Madeline Demarse
(2007)

2010

Sister Paul of the Cross died in Shalom Residence on Sunday 16th day of May 2010 at 82 years of age. She was in her 60th year of her Religious Life.

Murphy Funeral Home

Bachelors, Spinsters, Priests and Nuns

As a family historian and genealogist, I find myself particularly drawn to researching and learning more about the lives of the many bachelors and spinsters that come to me through my research.

I cannot explain the satisfaction I felt at locating the service records, a photo and the final resting place of Leo Broderick; or locating the whereabouts of a son sent to an asylum due to illness like Timothy Moynahan; or finding the obituary for an auctioneer relative like William Moynahan; or receiving in the mail the service records of an uncle like Bernard Moynahan; or hearing more and more about the life of a strong unmarried woman like Nellie Moynahan.

I also want to honour the many relatives who were nuns and priests and who devoted their lives to serving God. Most often these relatives moved to communities far away from their families.

I have created this page to honour and remember them all and to share some of their unheard stories.

The Spinsters:
Note: The term "spinster" is seen as derogatory in the present context. I use it here in the historical context where it was a legal term used on legal documents to denote someone who was single and never married.

• Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940)
• Daisy Broderick (1877-1945)

The Nuns:

• Sister Clarisse Lennon (top of page)
• Sister Marie Lennon (lower on page)
• Sister St Paul of the Cross (Madeleine Demarse) (1927-2010)

The Bachelors:

• John Annal (1875-1960) (married at 51 years)
• Leo Broderick (1919-1943)
• Bernard Moynahan (1909-1974)
• Patrick Moynahan (1853-1909)
• Timothy Moynahan (1861-?)
• William Moynahan (1878-1950)
• John Lennon (1843-1933)
• Col. Timothy J. Moynahan (1870-1935)

The Priests

• Raymond Moynahan (1904-1980)
• Bernard Broderick (1916-1922) (Part I)
• Bernard Broderick (1916-1922) (Part II)
• Brother Berchmans F.S.C (aka Bernard Broderick)

52 Ancestors #12: Priests and Nuns

Reverend Raymond Moynahan (1904-1980)

Father Ray was the former assistant priest of St Mary's Woodstock; Pastor of All Saints' Church, Stratford; Pastor of St Peter's Church, Goderich; then retired to Glengarda Convent in Windsor Ontario.

Sister Madeline Demarse (1927-2010)

Sister Demarse was a Grey Sister of the Immaculate Conception. She died in 2010 the 60th year of her religious life. She entered the community in 1950 and took her vows 1954. A music teacher by profession, she taught in Ottawa, Timmins, Eganville and Midland for many years. Other assignements included bookkeeping anmd leadership positions as well as her primary ministry - teaching piano.


The Lennon Sisters

Bernard Broderick (1916-1992)