In honor of St. Patrick's Day...

Dear Miriam and Sarah,

Well, you can just tell by looking at your mom that you've got a bit of the Irish in ya.  Lucky girls!  Where does all that fabulous Irishness come from? Well, let's see. Where to start. My grandmother and your great-grandma (Grandma Dorothy's mom) was named Margaret Mary Sweeney (you don't get more Irish than that!).  She was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1924.  She died when I was twelve, but I remember her vividly. 

Her mom and dad, Frank Sweeney and Isabelle McGoldrick, were both born in Nebraska in the late 1890s.  Frank's parents, Thomas Sweeney and Margaret Hefferman, were born in Illinois and Isabelle's parents, Peter McGoldrick and Johana (last name unknown) were born in New York and Illinois respectively. One more generation back and you find a whole lot of ancestors that emigrated from Ireland during or just after the Great Famine.

I like the story of Peter McGoldrick. His father, Thomas, came to Canada in 1850 or so and moved down into upstate New York, where he married Margaret Ann Loftus (another Irish gal) in Highmarket, Lewis County . Around 1880, the family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania (where lots of Irish immigrants lived), I assume to work the coal mines.  Thomas and Margaret, in good Irish Catholic fashion, had 13 children. Peter, your great-great-grandfather, worked for a while as a slate picker in the coal mines when he was young, but he got out of Scranton around 1890 or so and moved to Omaha, where he established himself as a grocer. A step up, I would say! Good for him.  If I have learned one thing from this genealogy business it is that your ancestors were mostly not afraid to head off west in search of better things. I am afraid you are as far west as this land will take you, but maybe you don't have to be so literal about it.  Go West in your minds and spirits.

Your Grandpa James (my dad) has also imparted some good Irish genes to you.  His grandmother was a woman named Ellen Marnin. Ellen's father, Michael, was born in Ireland in 1820. Ellen's mother, Ellen Hearn, was born in Fermanaugh, Ireland in 1834.

There's more, but I think you get the point.  Like it or not, the Irish is runnin through your blood.  Enjoy!  You can always use it to excuse your wild side. Just say, "It's the Irish in me."  Everybody will understand.

Love,
Mom