What a wonderful and heart warming story from the lady from Kentucky who found her sister In Ireland. I think I have an idea of how she feels. When I was very young, about 6 years old, I over heard my parents talking about a situation and being very upset. I heard the name Robert......seems this Robert was in the US Navy during WWII and had been wounded. I later found out this was my Father's son I had no idea of the time of separations of families, divorce etc. but I did wonder often where he was and why I never knew him. Seems my Father was married in 1922 and this Robert was a product of the marriage, and he and sister stayed with the Mother while my Father went on his way.......I still "didn't get it", until years later when one day while visiting a cousin in Yonkers NY, with my new baby son, she told me that my Father had called and was stopping by, he was in the neighborhood. The words weren't out of her mouth when in walked my Father and this man..........I was introduced for the first time to "my brother". I was 28 years old!!!!!!! A year later my Father asked me to take him for a ride to Long Island, from NJ , where we lived. It seemed I drove forever on the Long Island Expressway , got off at wrong exit and wandered around until we could find a phone booth ( remember when there wee phone booths on corners?) He gave me a phone # to cal and ask for directions and shortly after we arrived at this nice well kept house not far from where we had got off the LIE........I rang the bell while my Father and my children got out of the car and was greeted by a lady a bit shorter than I.......with a smile, until she saw my Father. He then introduced me to my sister.......a shock to say the least. I found out a little of the history between Father and his "other children, months later. he had kept tabs on them as to where they were but rarely saw them growing up. He did get the phone call from his ex wife about the wounding of Robert during the war as the notice was in the newspaper before she was notified. I only saw them a few times from then on and it was never a very friendly visit, too many unanswered questions on all sides I think. The reason for the separation of that family was Father was on NYPD. I was told many years later, but I understood to a degree the feelings of separation, as it wasn't to long after first hearing about Robert that my parents separated and i was placed in a home until I was 16. My Father and I did have a relationship, but I was never sure if it would last or he would disappear again, by then he was ill and needing caring so I was elected. I tried to get info from him about his parents, the rest of his family etc. but he took most of the info to the grave, and so I started digging in 1965 for it. Just today, I finally found their marriage info which had been it seemed a military secret until now. All I knew was Father and his first wife married in 1922-or 23, probably in Manhattan. Charles Sulilvan who was a great producer of information to the NY lists had provided a 6 page list of RC churches with addresses and when they were built. I had gone to archives, checked almost everywhere and today was THE DAY. I finally found out where the "Wife's" Father had lived, got his death cert. with address- figured it out for churches in that neighborhood that the wife would have lived at the time, called the church and met a wonderful lady who found them on her computer since all the records had been computerized. She is sending me a copy and I am sending the church a nice donation. What a DAY!!!!!! Now I have to find where my Fathers parents married, I have an idea of where grandmother lived, finally, if this info is the right Nora. When you have little info keep digging!

Congrats Pat!!! What was the name of the church you found? Kelly ---------------------------------------- > To: NY-IRISH-D@rootsweb.com > From: carmodyp@bellsouth.net > Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:49:49 -0400 > Subject: [NY-IRISH] Wonderful story > > What a wonderful and heart warming story from the lady from Kentucky > who found her sister In Ireland. I think I have an idea of how she > feels. > When I was very young, about 6 years old, I over heard my parents > talking about a situation and being very upset. I heard the name > Robert......seems this Robert was in the US Navy during WWII and had > been wounded. I later found out this was my Father's son I had no idea > of the time of separations of families, divorce etc. but I did wonder > often where he was and why I never knew him. > Seems my Father was married in 1922 and this Robert was a product of > the marriage, and he and sister stayed with the Mother while my > Father went on his way.......I still "didn't get it", until years later > when one day while visiting a cousin in Yonkers NY, with my new baby > son, she told me that my Father had called and was stopping by, he was > in the neighborhood. The words weren't out of her mouth when in walked > my Father and this man..........I was introduced for the first time to > "my brother". I was 28 years old!!!!!!! > A year later my Father asked me to take him for a ride to Long Island, > from NJ , where we lived. It seemed I drove forever on the Long Island > Expressway , got off at wrong exit and wandered around until we could > find a phone booth ( remember when there wee phone booths on corners?) > He gave me a phone # to cal and ask for directions and shortly after we > arrived at this nice well kept house not far from where we had got off > the LIE........I rang the bell while my Father and my children got out > of the car and was greeted by a lady a bit shorter than I.......with a > smile, until she saw my Father. He then introduced me to my > sister.......a shock to say the least. > I found out a little of the history between Father and his "other > children, months later. he had kept tabs on them as to where they were > but rarely saw them growing up. He did get the phone call from his ex > wife about the wounding of Robert during the war as the notice was in > the newspaper before she was notified. > I only saw them a few times from then on and it was never a very > friendly visit, too many unanswered questions on all sides I think. > The reason for the separation of that family was Father was on NYPD. > I was told many years later, but I understood to a degree the > feelings of separation, as it wasn't to long after first hearing about > Robert that my parents separated and i was placed in a home until I > was 16. My Father and I did have a relationship, but I was never sure > if it would last or he would disappear again, by then he was ill and > needing caring so I was elected. I tried to get info from him about his > parents, the rest of his family etc. but he took most of the info to > the grave, and so I started digging in 1965 for it. > Just today, I finally found their marriage info which had been it > seemed a military secret until now. All I knew was Father and his first > wife married in 1922-or 23, probably in Manhattan. > Charles Sulilvan who was a great producer of information to the NY > lists had provided a 6 page list of RC churches with addresses and > when they were built. I had gone to archives, checked almost > everywhere and today was THE DAY. I finally found out where the > "Wife's" Father had lived, got his death cert. with address- figured > it out for churches in that neighborhood that the wife would have lived > at the time, called the church and met a wonderful lady who found them > on her computer since all the records had been computerized. > She is sending me a copy and I am sending the church a nice donation. > What a DAY!!!!!! Now I have to find where my Fathers parents married, I > have an idea of where grandmother lived, finally, if this info is the > right Nora. > > > When you have little info keep digging! > ====NY-Irish Mailing List==== > Don't forget to check out the NY-Irish mailing list website. Also, check/add your NY-Irish surnames on the Surname Registry: http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/NYIrishList/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-IRISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos. http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery