Funeral Card Friday - Mary A. Harrington

 I came upon this funeral card today. The dearth of information imparted is testimony that she had no living relatives to provide such.  I remember clearly the early October day this card arrived in our mailbox. We were living in Newfield, New York at the time, and although I had not seen her in over ten years, we exchanged birthday and Christmas greetings.  But in 1983 my greeting for her 15 September birthday arrived too late.  I am thankful to the kind gentleman neighbor who intercepted the birthday card and then mailed me the funeral card with a note that Mary (Mae) had passed away.

There were too many Marys – Mary A. Harrington’s maiden name was Mary A. Conlon. She was my grandmother’s (Mary Doyle) cousin.  By 1920 Mae b: 1902, and her three brothers, Edward b: 1897, George b: 1899, and Lawrence b: 1901 were living with the Doyle’s in their Manhattan apartment. I suspect since my grandmother was “Mary,” they nicknamed Mary Conlon, “Mae.”  And that is how we knew her.

In the 1920s Mae started work in the fire department as a stenographer. She married in the early 1930s, and lived in the Bronx for the rest of her life. The 1940 census shows John and Mary A. Harrington living in the Bronx. John works as a “typest” for the fire department; Mae is not working. At some point she went back to work as I remember so well how proud she was of her position as “Secretary to the Fire Chief of New York.”

Mary (Nana) Doyle Nunn and Mae Conlon Harrington
1486 Taughannock Boulevard, Ithaca, New York
late 1960s 

During my growing up years Mae spent her two-week vacation at our Taughannock Boulevard house, visiting my grandmother, her cousin, Mary Doyle Nunn. 

Cousins - Mae and Nana on Anna Maria Island

Upon retirement she then could join us during our time on Anna Maria Island, Florida, again, able to spend time with her favorite cousin.

A kind gentle soul, Mae was a wonderful lady, soft spoken, and with a very sweet smile. 

Mystery Monday - Margaret Conlon

Margaret “Maggie” Conlon is a mystery.  She was born May 1865 in Ireland, and may have arrived in New York in 1888; she married Patrick Doyle in 1893. Because Patrick was naturalized in 1887, Maggie automatically was naturalized at the time of their marriage. 

The Doyles had six children; only two survived - Mary “Mamie” Doyle (1899-1971) and Winnie Doyle (1903 -?).  Maggie also cared for the Conlon “cousins,” Edward, Lawrence, George, and Mae. Additional Irish immigrants seeking refuge with the Doyles were the Gormley brothers and Catherine Murphy.  Although “None” was the common census notation for women who kept house, in reality, with such few conveniences, women worked very hard every day to keep their families fed and clothed. They had to shop, cook, clean, wash clothes, and care for children and extended family. It is unfortunate the term “Domestic Engineer” was not available for the 1900-1930 census years.

Maggie Conlon Doyle

One day Mamie asked her mother if she missed her, and Maggie’s reply was, “If I did I had ease.” And despite their economic status, the family enjoyed many summer weekends on Coney Island.

I think Maggie died in the early 1920s of diabetes, but at this point I cannot confirm that, nor do I know her parents and exactly how the Conlon “cousins” were related.  I would love to learn more about Maggie Conlon Doyle – any Conlon cousins out there?