Category: Family and Grandkids

Parents, kids, and grandkids

TJ Kennedy: Family and Union Mattered

“The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.” Thomas Donahue Dad was always proud of us kids.  As an independent truck driver working in construction, he had his own way of doing things. He handled his operation by purchasing and maintaining equipment, estimating jobs, billing, marketing, and advertising.  Customer feedback was immediate upon the completion … Continue reading TJ Kennedy: Family and Union Mattered →

John and I Find Irish Relatives

“Curiosity is what separates us from the cabbages. It's accelerative. The more we know, the more we want to know.” David McCullough (Taken from my journal notes) My first trip to Ireland in 1994 merely whetted my appetite in the search for relatives, any relatives, from Europe. The trip had been a terrific success and a … Continue reading John and I Find Irish Relatives →

Into Ireland the First Time

Tom, Carole, and Kenny From the time that Elmo O. Barnes, itinerant writer for the Wilmington Advocate, asked me about certain of my relatives in that city and I had no idea how they were part of my personal history, I was moved to learn more about tracing my ancestors. About 1972, I spent considerable … Continue reading Into Ireland the First Time →

Searching for a Missing Great Grandfather

“Ik werd verkrqacht doorde dokter.” (Translation: "I was raped by the doctor.")Evy Klaver These words might have been said in 1888 by my great-grandmother, Evy Klaver, an immigrant from Holland.  Evy was probably a domestic worker who spoke very little English. My Search for a Missing Link: Background Not many people get into genealogy research at … Continue reading Searching for a Missing Great Grandfather →

No Social Security, no Medicare, no Health Insurance: My Parents’ Lives in 1920s and 1930s

 “Your grandparents came of age in the Great Depression, when everyday life was about deprivation and sacrifice, when the economic conditions of the time were so grave and unrelenting it would have been easy enough for the American dream to fade away.”  Tom BrokawTom Brokaw The best way to study history is to start with our parents. … Continue reading No Social Security, no Medicare, no Health Insurance: My Parents’ Lives in 1920s and 1930s →

“You’re Telling Me We Lived in a Former House of Prostitution?”

“It is true, son, but it was only for a little while.” A little explanation is needed. I lived in Braidwood my first 21 years with the last four of those years being mostly on the campus of Lewis College (University). After Dolores and I were married in June of 1962, we lived in Joliet … Continue reading “You’re Telling Me We Lived in a Former House of Prostitution?” →

Braidwood Saloon Society in the 1940s and 1950s

"There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern." Samuel Johnson The Riviera, Braceville, Illinois Why did dad and other men go to the bars? (And it was mostly men.) While I can’t speak to all men, I have enough experience to … Continue reading Braidwood Saloon Society in the 1940s and 1950s →

Learning Through Books, Music, and People

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  Alvin Toffler Still have some of my old library. Learning and Unlearning When we are young, we are sponge-like, soaking up all that surrounds us while we are formed into the people … Continue reading Learning Through Books, Music, and People →

Moving to Colorado: How a Decision was Made

“If your world doesn’t allow you to dream, move to one where you can.” Billy Idol A move, no matter the distance, is artless once the decision is made.  The hard part is actually arriving at the decision. I used to think that, for my parents, it should have been fairly easy to move from Walker Street … Continue reading Moving to Colorado: How a Decision was Made →