The Genealogy Happy Dance

My happy dances are all about reconnecting with long lost relatives. I can think of 2 major happy dance events. The most recent was connecting to cousins in Lithuania. I've written about that here.

My best previous happy dance was about connecting with relatives on my dad's side, through the Chicago Genealogical Society's "Chicago Genealogy Finder." A long lost cousin wrote a letter to me after seeing me listed with our common ancestor, Timothy Whelan. Unfortunately, the address listed was over 10 years old, and I had moved from San Diego back to the Chicago area by then. My distant cousin is a librarian, and a very resourceful person. When her letter was returned, she found my current address in more recent membership lists, and tried again. We connected, exchanged packets of information and had some nice get-togethers including her mom and my Aunt Rita. Both sides of the family knew my great aunt Frances Whelan (also known as Sister Delphine.) I also have an autograph book that belonged to my grandmother Jennie Whelan, which was signed by Jennie's half sister Mary, the great grandmother of my long lost cousin.

Armistice Day

Today is the 90th anniversary of the first Armistice Day--the day the armistice was signed in 1918 to bring an end to World War I. Here is a photo of my grandmother, Jennie Whelan Brady, and her co-workers on the first Armistice Day. The photo was taken outside the factory where they worked, on the north side of Chicago. I don't know the name or location of the factory. If you recognize a relative in the group, or know the company's name or location, please let me know.




Today is now known as Veterans Day, to honor those who have fought for their country. I'll be posting photos of some of the veterans in my family tree this week, beginning with my dad, Edwin F. Brady, a veteran of World War II.

Garrett Leo Brady and Friends

This is a photo of my grandfather Garrett Leo Brady and two of his friends. Garrett is the one on the left. The names of his two friends are not known. I received the photo sealed in a frame, so I don't know if there is additional information on the back of the photo.

Garrett worked for the Post Office Department in Chicago, as a letter carrier. His uniform included buttons with the initials P.O.D., which he told his daughter stood for "Poor Old Dad." By 1914, Garrett was earning $900.00 per year (according to a 1978 letter from the Civil Personnel Records Dept.) If you recognize these other two guys, or had an ancestor who was a mail carrier on the north side of Chicago in 1907-1916, let me know. I'd like to hear from you.

Garrett Leo Brady was born in Newark, NJ on 5 November 1874. His parents were Garret Brady and Mary A. Bestick. Garrett Leo was one of six siblings. He married Jennie Whelan on Wednesday, 22 February 1905. It was Washington's Birthday, so they had a day off work.

Garrett's death on 22 March 1916 was caused by a skin disease, Facial Erysipelas, also known as St. Anthony's Fire. He was buried at Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, IL.

Jennie Whelan Brady, 1876-1922

This is a photo of my grandmother, Jennie (Whelan) Brady. Her parents, Timothy Whelan and Catherine Markey, were survivors of the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. Jennie, a widow with three children, died in Chicago on 14 March 1922 of bronchial pneumonia with malnutrition as a contributing factor.

Aggie Donahue

This picture is a tintype of Aggie Donahue. I received it from my aunt, in a photo envelope from the 1970s. The envelope is labeled "Aggie Donahue back pocket--Ma's friend." "Ma" was Jennie (Whelan) Brady of Chicago. I believe I have found Aggie Donahue in the 1880 census. She was most likely Agnes, age 4, daughter of Daniel Donnahue. Daniel, his wife Mary,and seven children lived at 161 Chestnut St. in Chicago, across the street from Tim Whelan's family, which included his 3 year old daughter Jane (aka Jennie.)