Saturday, October 31, 2015

SISTERS OF MY GRANDMOTHER ISABEL TIERNEY MOORE






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.


Friday, October 16, 2015

SISTERS OF MY GRANDMOTHER, ISABEL TIERNEY MOORE



SISTERS OF MY GRANDMOTHER ISABEL TIERNEY MOORE

My Grandmother ISABEL TIERNEY was born January 1, 1892 in Brooklyn, New York.  She lived her whole life in Brooklyn except for a couple of years in California while my Grandfather, John Nelson Moore opened branch offices of the brokerage firm of Jackson Paine.

ISABEL was born to JOHN TIERNEY and MARGARET DELANEY.  They also had five other daughters and one son.  The son, JOHN JR. died at 4 years old.  The youngest daughter, MARGARET died at birth (February 24, 1900) along with her mother.  The remaining sisters all lived very long and wonderful lives.  The sisters were, Mary (known as May) was born July 5, 1884, Frances (known as Frankie) born March 23, 1888, Rosalie born June 10, 1894, and Alice born August 9, 1898.


Frankie, Alice, Isabel, May & Rose
About 1955

MAY TIERNEY was the oldest daughter and when her mother died became the one the others girls looked up to.  Their Aunt Kitty took over the care of the family.  They all lived in the same house with the grandparents, Michael and Mary Delaney, Aunt Kitty Delaney, Uncle Michael Delaney, and their father John Tierney.



Aunt Kitty with the five sisters in the center
In the back l-r Frankie and May
In front in white l-r Rose, Isabel and Alice
About 1902
Unknown who the other 3 are

As you can see from this picture, MAY is quite grown up.  I haven’t found the family in the 1905 Census but I do find them in the 1910 Census.  The girls are all living with cousins in Brooklyn.  MAY is 18 at this time and is working as a telephone operator. In 1914 MAY marries THOMAS E. NEWMAN who she met while working for the telephone company.  THOMAS continued to work for the telephone company the rest of his life.

MAY TIERNEY and THOMAS NEWMAN married October 19, 1914 in Brooklyn, NY according to the New York, Marriage Index 1866-1937 on Ancestry.com.

I have traced this family through the New York Census records for 1915, 1920, 1930 and 1940.  They always lived in Brooklyn until MAY was quite old and went into a Nursing Home in Westbury, New York..

MAY and THOMAS had two children, WILLIAM JR. born 1916 and MARGARET born September 9, 1917.

WILLIAM join the service during WW11 and died around 1945.  I haven’t found his death certificate yet.

MARGARET married WALTER MORGENTHALER in the 1940’s and had 3 children.
WALTER died October 27, 2000 and MARGARET died November 18, 2008 both are buried in the MORGENTHALER plot in St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, NY.
THOMAS NEWMAN died August 22, 1954 in Brooklyn and is buried in St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.  MAY NEWMAN died December 28, 1982

There are still questions to answered with this family, I will keep searching.