I
am writing this time about FRANCES GRACE TIERNEY (AUNT FRANKIE) the second
oldest daughter of JOHN TIERNEY and MARGARET DELANEY.
AUNT
FRANKIE was born in March of 1888 in Brooklyn, New York. I have found her with her family in the 1892
New York State Census at the age of 4.
I
have found AUNT FRANKIE in the 1900 Census living with her Grandparents, Aunt
and Uncle and Sisters. So much has happened
in the family in the last 8 years. AUNT FRANKIE’S brother, JOHN was born and
died. AUNT FRANKIE’S Mother, MARGARET died giving birth to another daughter who
they named MARGARET. Her father, JOHN
left the family with a broken heart and died a few months later. At the age of 12, AUNT FRANKIE and her older
sister MAY with the help of AUNT KITTY took care of the other children.
By
the time 1910 comes around, the sisters are now on their own, Grandfather,
MICHAEL DELANEY, Grandmother, MARY DELANEY, and AUNT KITTY have died. UNCLE
MICHAEL DELANEY is not capable of taking care of five girls. They are found living with “cousins” (that is
what is listed in the census but I have not found how they are really related,
if at all). In this census AUNT FRANKIE indicates
she is a telephone operator. During a
recent conversation with AUNT FRANKIE’S daughter FRANCES (with her daughter-in -law)
she said her mother was a telegraphic operator so possibly she did both.
In
the summer of 1911 AUNT FRANKIE lived through one of the hottest heat waves,
the temperatures stayed around 110 degrees for about a week. I can just image working at the telephone
company with no air conditioning during that week. Sometime after starting work AUNT FRANKIE met
her future husband at a New Year’s Eve party.
He had noticed her walking by where he worked and wanted to meet her. WILLIAM
was a Linotype Setter and Proofreader for a variety of Newspapers over the
years. FRANCES TIERNEY and WILLIAM
STAUNTON MILLER married around 1917.
In
the 1920 Census AUNT FRANKIE and WILLIAM MILLER are living with their 9 month
old son STAUNTON EDWARD (known as ED) and AUNT FRANKIE’ sister, ALICE TIERNEY. In the 1930 Census they have two more
children, WILLIAM and FRANCES. The
census indicates that WILLIAM and AUNT FRANKIE have bought the house at 5105
Avenue L, Brooklyn, NY. They continued
living in that house for many years. The
1940 Census which is the last census available to view they are all living at
the same house in Brooklyn.
I
remember having Thanksgiving dinner at the house on Avenue L in the
1950’s. We lived in Hicksville on Long
Island and usually went to dinner at our grandparents in Brooklyn, but this
time we all went to AUNT FRANKIE and UNCLE BILL’S. During the day many children came to the door
dressed as vagabonds or hobos asking for handouts. AUNT FRANKIE would give them
an apple. It was a custom my sister and
I had never heard of. The only dressing
up and going door to door we knew was on Halloween.
When
my Grandfather, JOHN MOORE died in 1980 and ALICE TIERNEY’S husband, JACK
FARRELL was living in the house on Avenue L.
I believe he and ALICE lived with AUNT FRANKIE for many years after
WILLIAM MILLER died.
During
all these years AUNT FRANKIE and her husband were always having fun with their
political discussions, one was Democrat and one Republican. They said they cancelled out each other’s
vote. My Grandmother, ISABEL TIERNEY also was very interested in politics. I believe because they were young women on
August 18, 1920 when the 19th Amendment was signed giving women the
right to vote, they were much attuned to making the right choices when voting.
AUNT FRANKIE always had a great sense of humor.
AUNT FRANKIE loved to read and was very organized. She did very fine needlework and did French
Stitching. AUNT FRANKIE made a beautiful
long christening gown, slip and hat that was worn by all of her Daughter, FRANCES’
4 children and 8 grandchildren and probably her 6 great grandchildren as well.
AUNT FRANKIE’s husband, WILLIAM STAUNTON MILLER, died January 13, 1961 in New York. They had been married 44 wonderful years.
The
last one or two years of AUNT FRANKIE’S life she lived with her daughter in
South Carolina and at her son’s in Durham, NC.
AUNT FRANKIE died in Durham January 3, 1980 at 91. Her daughter and one son are both in their
90’s today.
