Losing our last member of the “Greatest Generation"….

I am sure that Tom Brokaw would not mind that I borrowed the title of his book, “The Greatest Generation” for this post. If you haven’t read this, you really should. Willie and all of our parents made this country what it is today and that is what Brokaw’s book is about. When we lost Willie, it made the 13 of us remaining cousins the older generation now. When Richie started the blog back in 2007, it was about our parents, grandparents, great aunts and uncles….all gone to their eternal reward. I sincerely hope that as life goes on, our kids will have some interest in all of this family history. I was unable to attend Willie’s funeral service, but I understand from Rich and Barb that they gave him a good ‘Irish’ send off over a couple of days. You know Willie was up there looking down and saying “I want a shot and a beer”! Everytime Rick and I came to Erie, we would go see him. One time it was near his birthday. We stopped and got him a cake (Boston Creme Pie) and a box of chocolates from Steffanelli's. He was like a little kid at Christmas. Willie, as all the other aunts and uncles, loved us all…..a very sentimental man. When we had our reunion in 2006, I remember Willie standing and watching the slide show with tears in his eyes. I am sure he was flooded with wonderful memories. I also remember about 10 years ago (he would have been about 83 or 84) he sent me an email at work….”Remember, when life hands you a lemon, ask for tequila and salt and make a margarita!” I burst out laughing….my co-workers thought his comment was funny, but were even more amazed that at his age he was able to use a computer. When Lucille died, Nancy and I took Willie back to the St Joseph Apartments after the luncheon. I teased him about being the Lithuanian patriach of this Irish family. He got the biggest kick out of that. God Bless and rest in peace to the last of our Greatest Generation.

Marbles

Yikes - 57 years ago this spring!

Cauley Memorial

The Cauley Memorial was built in 1957 the year after I graduated from St. Patrick's School. Parishioners made a pledge towards it's construction, and would then make monthly payments as I remember mom and dad doing.

Uncle Harry used to coach basketball, and his sons David and Billy (aka Bumpy), and cousin Mike R. played when they went to St. Patrick's. I know that they had championship teams, but I don't know any details.

When Tommy and I were in high school we would go with our friend Joe to the Friday night record hops. Father Plunkett hired us to clean up afterwards, so we got in for nothing. After we finished he would sometime drive us home in his Imperial. It seemed his car just glided over 4th Street which was brick between German and Parade.

We used to watch wrestling on TV around 6 PM on Saturdays. We liked to see the Gallagher Brothers, the Miller Brothers and Bobo Brazil who was famous for his "coco butt". One time the Gallagher Brothers wrestled at the Cauley. We peeked in and saw them as we couldn't afford to buy a ticket.

The famous rhythm and blues/rock and roll group, the Coasters, also performed at the Cauley. I remember that they each drove up in their own Cadillac. Again, we couldn't afford to buy a ticket, so we missed the show.

In the 80's the church had an October fest. They would show movie clips of horse races and you could place a bet on each race. Then there were the St. Patrick's Day dinners. I think Barb and I went about three times with mom and dad.

Recently the Cauley was sold to Erie Insurance.

Dr. Anne E. Sullivan

On December 18, 2010, several of us cousins had the opportunity to join our cousin Anne in celebration of her earning her Doctorate. Lucy was able to be there and actually observe the ceremony on December 16. Anne had a graduation party on December 18. Patty Crotty was in Florida from Dayton to spend Christmas with Mike, Chris, and family. I drove from Jacksonsville to Satellite Beach and met up up Mike and Patty. Mike so graciously was our driver to Jupiter, several hours south.

It was wonderful to be able to be there and share in her joy as she reaches this milestone. What an accomplishment!!

Anne had organized the festivities in true 'Anna' fashion.....the food was wonderful and enjoyed by all. The only casualty was a stone crab shell 'attacking' Mike while he tried to crack it! That thing bled like crazy. Funny post scrip to that little accident is there were doctors and nurses there and it seemed like they discussed it for the longest while....then somebody found the gauze and wrapped it.

As usual, when you get a bunch of us together, we dont lack for anything to talk about!! One thing we did discuss is trying to get the cousins (only 13 of us now) together perhaps this summer....dont know if it will happen or where it will happen.....we are open to suggestions....I think we put Lucy in charge of this? Lucy?? A good time was had by all....

Blackboard

I remember that we got our blackboard from the old one-room schoolhouse that Lucy Crotty had bought out past Northeast. Before she had it remolded she told the family that anyone who wanted a blackboard could go out and get one. So one summer evening after supper we went out to pick one out and bring it home. I guess uncle Mike also went because Nancy also had one in her back shed. Anyway, it would have taken two guys to remove them from the wall and carry them to the car. I wonder how they fit them into a car.

Dad put our blackboard on the kitchen wall, but before he could do that he had to cut a couple of inches off the side of it. He used hacksaw blades and it took quite a while.

Tommy remembers that sometimes we would run our fingernails down the board to entertain anyone that needed entertaining. He also remembers playing a lot of tic-tac-toe, and that we'd use the chalk until there was nothing left.

I remember writing at the top "57 days till Christmas", and then changing the number each day.

Also, sometimes Nancy would drop-in for a short visit, and on her way out the door she would write her full name - always on a 45 degree slant.

For a number of years, mom would draw a Santa on the board. No one would put anything else on the board at this time. Nancy remembers lining up chairs in her back shed and playing school with her board.

Our blackboard in now in Julie's garage in Katy, Texas.

The Florida Family

On Friday, October 29, several members of the Crotty family gathered here in Jacksonville, FL for dinner and lots of visiting.


I now live in Jacksonville, and my sister Nancy was coming down here for a visit. My daughter Robin, husband Anthony, and daughter Aubrey also live in Jacksonville. Mike and Chris Crotty only live a couple of hours drive south of here and they drove up for dinner. Their daughter Maggie, brother Tim, and Maggie's boyfriend Matt all live here in Jacksonville. Plans were made to go out to dinner. We chose Culhane's Irish Pub in Atlantic Beach. Two members of the 'Florida Family' were unable to make it. Anne from Jupiter and John Crotty (Mike and Chris' other son)


In the meantime, I heard from a cousin on the Jackson side of my family. Pete Tormey and his girlfriend Kate Coleman were coming from California to JAX to visit an old buddy of Pete's.

Pete and Kate joined us for dinner.


It is really a wonderful thing that people that haven't seen each other in a lot of years, or have no clue as to who they are eating with can sit down and there is never a lull in the conversation! We all truly had a good time.


I knew it at the time and was going to remind all....that day was Uncle Willie's 94th birthday! Happy belated birthday, Willie.



I have not figured out this picture 'tagging' thing. So: left to right starting at the bottom: Kate Cornwall, Nancy, Maggie Crotty, Chris and Mike Crotty, Matt Anderson, Anthony Grosso, Robin G., Aubrey G., yours truly, Tim Crotty, and Pete Tormey.

Out with the boys

One Saturday when I was young I remember my dad, my brother, me, and uncle Willie (we called him Woody) and his friend Paul went over to the peninsula. My dad took a couple of pictures with his Kodak 616 camera. In the first one we are at the Perry Monument.

The second picture shows the USS Wolverine, which had been beached at Misery Bay in 1927. It was the first iron-hulled warship and was built in 1842. In 1949 it was cut up and sold for scrap.