About Thomas McIntyre and Ellen Walsh

About Thomas McIntyre and Ellen Walsh

Thomas Joseph McIntyre was born on April 14, 1878 in the townland of Lislea, County Sligo, Ireland. He was the oldest of six children born to Lawrence McIntyre (1854-1931) and Mary Ginty (1850-1930). Ellen Walsh was born in Knockahoney, a townland very close to Lislea, on October 12, 1881. She was the youngest of nine children born to Jack Walsh (c1830-b1901) and Bridget Cawley (c1840-a1911). It is not clear if Thomas and Ellen knew each other in Ireland, though it is very possible since they lived only a few miles from each other. Thomas immigrated to the US on April 14, 1904 arriving at Ellis Island on the Steamship Majestic on April 21, 1904. Ellen immigrated around 1905. They were married on September 4, 1910 at Nativity of Our Lord Church in Chicago, Illinois. Thomas and Ellen were naturalized on October 7, 1910. They raised five children, Mary Cecelia (1911-1994), Lawrence Francis (1913-1995) see also McIntyre/Sullivan Genealogy, Blanche Catherine (1914-1978), Helen Patricia (1916-1982) and Thomas Joseph (1919-2009) on the west side of Chicago. Thomas Sr. was a streetcar motorman on the Chicago Surface Line, now the Chicago Transit Authority, for most of his life. Ellen was a homemaker. Thomas died on Christmas Eve 1939 at the age of 61. Ellen died less than two years later on November 28, 1941. Her family said she died of a broken heart but her death certificate said it was kidney failure aggravated by influenza.

What this Blog Includes

You will find pictures, comments, documents, and stories about Thomas J. McIntyre and Ellen A. Walsh of Ireland and their children born in Chicago, Illinois. Where we have information about Thomas and Ellen's parents, that information is also included. Additional information about the McIntyre/Walsh family is available on my website at http://McIntyreGenealogy.com Please add your comments and stories of the McIntyre/Walsh Family here too!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Chicago to Ireland and Back Again

Fr. Tom McIntyre, CM, provided Elaine Beaudoin with the following story via an email on  May 5, 2003. 

CHICAGO TO IRELAND AND BACK AGAIN

I WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD THAT SUMMER OF 1923 WHEN MY FOLKS DECIDED TO MOVE BACK TO IRELAND TO FARM MY GRANDFATHER'S FARM.  HE WAS A SICK MAN WHOM RECENTLY HAD A STROKE BUT DECIDED TO FARM IN IRELAND SINCE HIS EYESIGHT IN ONE EYE WAS AFFECTED.  IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS ON A TRAIN IN MY LIFE, AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE TRAIN RIDE TO NEW YORK.  I THINK I WAS GLUED TO THE WINDOW FOR THE WHOLE TRAIN TRIP WHICH TOOK A COUPLE OF DAYS OR CLOSE TO IT.  IT WAS A STEAM ENGINE AND DIDN'T GO VERY FAST, BUT WE SAW PLENTY OF FARM LAND AND ANIMALS, the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.  I WAS FASCINATED BY ALL OF THE SCENERY. 

WE DEBOARDED IN NEW YORK, AND EMBARKED ON OUR VOYAGE TO QUEENSTOWN, IRELAND (PRESENTLY CALLED COBH).  SINCE IT WAS 80 YEARS AGO, THE SHIP WAS NOT VERY MODERN, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU.  IT WAS MORE LIKE A TUB THAN AN OCEAN LINER OF TODAY.  THE VOYAGE WAS A LONG ONE.  ABOUT TWO WEEKS BUT WHO WAS COUNTING.  IT WAS A GRAND EXPERIENCE FOR ME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP.  THE NEW EXPERIENCE OF BEING ON AN OCEAN LINER, SUCH AS IT WAS IN THOSE DAYS.  THE TRIP TOOK ABOUT TWO WEEKS, AND THE MOST MEMORABLE PART OF IT WAS THE STORMS.  THE SHIP HAD NO EQUALIZERS OR BALANCERS AS MODERN SHIPS DO, AND AS A RESULT DURING THE STORMS WE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ON DECK.  I CAN STILL REMEMBER THE BOAT ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, TO THE POINT THAT ALL THE DISHES AND FOOD SLID OFF THE TABLES.  YET THERE WERE OTHER DAYS WHEN THE SEA WOULD BE RELATIVELY CALM.  ON ONE OF THESE DAYS, A GIRL'S HAT BLEW OFF AND LANDED NEAR ME.  I PICKED IT UP AND RAN TO THE RAILING, AND THREW IT OVERBOARD.  IT THRILLED ME BUT I CAN STILL REMEMBER MY MOTHER GIVING ME A GOOD TALKING TO, AND LETTING ME KNOW HOW BAD A BOY I WAS.  I CAN STILL REMEMBER HER JUST ASKING ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN: WHY???   THE OTHER EVENT I CAN STILL REMEMBER VIVIDLY IS ARRIVING AT QUEENSTOWN.  THE GREENNESS OF THE ISLAND WAS VERY VISIBLE FROM THE SHIP, AND I WAS IMPRESSED.

I REMEMBER THE FARM OVER IN IRELAND.  MAYBE BECAUSE IT HAD NOT CHANGED MUCH IN THE 50 YEARS AFTER THAT WHEN I WENT BACK AGAIN AND SPENT SOME TEN OR TWELVE VACATIONS THERE FROM 1971 UNTIL THE LATE 80'S.  THE FLOOR OF THE COTTAGE WAS OF HARD EARTH, COLD AND DAMP FOR BARE FEET.  THE CHICKENS AND SOME OF THE OTHER CREATURES ROAMED FREELY ABOUT THE "GARDEN" AS THE YARD IS CALLED IN IRELAND.   AS A RESULT THE GARDEN WAS NO PLACE TO GO WALKING BUT I LOVED IT, AS I WOULD GO OUT AND WALK AND RUN ABOUT WITH ALL THE ANIMAL DEBRIS RUNNING BETWEEN MY TOES.  THE THING I DO REMEMBER -- MAYBE I SHOULD FORGET??????  THEN THERE WAS THE DAY THE DONKEY KICKED ME DOWN AND WAS ABOUT TO STOMP ON ME BEFORE SOMEONE PUSHED HIM AWAY PHYSICALLY.  I GUESS HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME IF HE KICKED ME IN THE HEAD.  I REALLY DO NOT REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT THE TRIP BACK.  I FORGOT TO MENTION THERE WAS NO RUNNING WATER INTHE HOUSE, ONLY BARRELS OF RAIN WATER THAT WOULD RUN OFF OF THE ROOF.  BATHING WAS DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR MY SISTERS.  TOILET FACILITIES WERE IN AN OLD BUILDING OFF OF THE GARDEN, WITHOUT EVEN TOILET BOWL OR SEAT.  PRIMITIVE, IT WAS. 

WE MADE THE TRIP BACK TO CHICAGO WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND I DO NOT REMEMBER IT.  BUT I DO REMEMBER MOVING TO 171 N. LEAMINGTON TO AN APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE WE LIVED FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE MY FOLKS PURCHASED THE HOME AT 4737 GLADYS IN RESURRECTION PARISH.  MY DAD WENT BACK TO WORK ON THE STREET CARS UNTIL HE SUFFERED ANOTHER SEVERE STROKE IN 1937 THAT LEFT HIS ONE SIDE PARTIALLY PARALYZED, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO WALK AND TALK BUT NOT WORK.  IN 1939 HE SUFFERED HIS THIRD STROKE, AND I VIVIDLY REMEMBER MY MOTHER WARNING ME THAT THIS ONE WOULD PROBABLY BE FATAL, AND SO IT WAS.