Vintage photos 117 Walter Street West Roxbury Boston Roslindale MA massuchusetts

 

Katherine "Kay" Cummings at the beach

 

Mary Gertrude (McNamara) McIntyre , 117 Walter Street Roslindale MA

This is my maternal Great Grandmother, Mary Gertrude (Mcnamara) McIntyre. She is standing on the original front steps to the porch of her home at 117 Walter Street, Roslindale, MA.

I learned just a couple of years ago that this home built approx 1905 was purchaced by my great grandparents and only occupied by their decendants until it's recent sale a couple of years ago.

  Mary and her husband Daniel were both born in Boston to parents of each who were all born in Ireland. I have not so far found any records of land ownership for thier parents and this new home that Mary and Daniel purchaced may very well have been the first property owned in a new land for both of thier families.

   Maybe I'm just imagining a great sense of pride in Mry's smile in this simple snapshot but somehow I don't really think my imaginings are really all that far off...        

New Calvary Cemetery Walk Hill St, Dorchester/West Roxbury, MA

 A month or so ago I was breezing down Walk Hill Street on my way back home from something or other and passing New Calvary, I remembered that even though my mother and i had gone to the cemetery the day her Aunt Catherine McIntyre was buried, we had arrived a little late and the workers (having seen other family come and go) thought it best that we not get too close to the actual burial site as they were filling it in.
   So, I figured on the day I was breezing through that I should seek out Auntie Kay's final resting place and give my regards as I was already in the neighborhood anyways...
    

 I had some trouble finding a stone with her name on it, I had an idea of where to look though and found many others that had familiar (and not so familiar) first names to go with the sur names that I was sure I'd see on at least a couple of stones.

    During my generation people tend to travel and spread with some quickness so I would not think it so common to see groups of the same families in modern cemeteries but since Auntie Kay's parents traveled from Ireland  lived thier lives here and most were buried here amongst their own, who am I to say my generation travels more. perhaps we are simply less inclined to care if we are as close to each other in the ever after, who knows...
   What I do know is that this particular cemetery is PACKED with familiar names from my ancestry and even though i could not find a stone with Catherine Cummings McIntyre's name on it, I did find many others that I was happy to give my regards to.  

 Somewhere in left side of the cemetery Auntie Kay is here, as I continue to research my ancestry, I am sure I will be back and find her.    

For now,

She has pleanty of company amongst friends and family.

And about a billion other Irish families whose journeys all ended together at the same place.

    

It really was a beautiful place smack dab in the middle of a bustling city. Kind of makes me think that although there are plenty of beautiful suburban cemetaries full of wide open spaces and sounds of silence, perhaps I'd like to be buried somewhere like New Calvary.

You can almost hear the chatter of the ghosts over the sounds of the city,

"Didja see that accident over on Columbus?"

"Didja see that hootchie comeing out of the wig shop? Where are her parents?" 

  "Hey! That kid just tossed litter over the fence! In my day that never would have ahppened..."      

In praise of wild women wherever they may be found.

When I first found these snap shots I was unsure if the woman in the snow was Catherine or Cecelia (Claire/Celia) Cummings-McIntyre. (Cecelia's name shows up on various documents as 3 (so far) different variations) After some converse with my Mother (Kathleen, "Claire's" Daughter) we believe the woman pictured in the snow to be Catherine "Kay" Cummings, Claire's sister. The Child is most likely Thomas (mother Claire Cummings) McIntyre and these were most likely taken (judging by his approx age) sometime between 1947 and 1949. The location is a definate as the houses can still be spotted on Walter Street in Roslindale today. These were taken right across the street from 117 Walter Street where perhaps lighting conditons were better than on Cotton Street (the same corner). Tho why anyone whould have chosen that major thru way as a good photo spot to pose a child in is anyone's guess. As my Mother said, "What the heck is she doing out there in the middle of the road?!?" We have to kind of remind ourselves that photography in the 1940's - 1950's is not what it is now. These were more than likely taken on a camera that took 120 cartridge film, (the predecessor to the 110 cartridge) and after these were shot they probably had to wait a week or two to get the paper pictures back and see what actually came out. My guess is that they chose the spot because it was the "sunny side of the street". The house at 117 Walter Street was built on a corner and the Cotton Street side is tree lined and decidedly darker than where Catherine and little Tommy are standing. I still wonder tho, what kind of fun were the two of them having, he dressed for play and she dressed for dinner out in the snow? I have a very vivid memory of my Uncle Danny dressed as Santa riding a sled (that I still have) own the hill to the side of the same house at 117 in the mid 1970's , I suppose there is a reason that uncle's always seem so much more fun than aunties and this reason must be somewhat clothing related. Tho that can be debated, the woman in the background of this (below) snapshot is for sure my maternal Grandmother (Catherine's sister) "Claire", and she seems to be having a fine old time. But then that is what the summer in New England is all about, tho it's April 1st and actively snowing here (Randolph, MA) right now. I really can't wait for the summer, when even washing cars seems like fun....

Katherine Eileen Cummings

Katherine Eileen (Cummings) McIntyre (second from right with her sisters Mary, Claire and brother, Charles) passed away Monday January 10, 2011.

She was born in 1911 and leaves behind a long legacy of adventures and accomplishments,

not the least of which are thousands of documents, newspaper articles and photographs.

The history of any society is directly tied to the history of the families that reside within it, I am forever grateful that Auntie Kay left behind a very well documented history of her life and the lives of those close to her.

I only wish she had dug the photos out of the cedar chest more often, if she had we may know who the other 2 young ladies pictured with her in this shot from her teenage years are.

Always a stylish woman she would probably not be pleased to have anyone reminded that like most of us, she was not born immpecably polished right from the start, none the less, it's the less than sophisticated saddle shoes she is wearing that make this snap shot one of my favorites...

Michael Comer (Conner?)

I found this in an envelope with family birth certificates, death certificates and military records.
I find it interesting as this is an entirely new name.
Comer? (Conner?)
I really have no idea who this guy is or why my family would have kept a record of his grave.
The way the notes are worded makes it sound to me like the guy was still alive when these where written.

"Michael Comer OWNS one grave" not 'owned' or 'presently resides in'.

Why would he need a document to prove this (was he using it as colateral for another purchace?) and if these are a real documents, why do they look more like casual notes than an official proof of purchace?

I looked up North Cambridge Cemetary and with the plot directions so clearly noted, it should be an easy enough grave to find.
I may even head over there today, I really would love to see if there is a stone on that grave and what other info that stone might have carved into it.

Running on the ragged edge of posting a truely tasteless joke,
my first thought on reading these notes was,

"The plot thickens...."





I'll post more as I make inquiries.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this geneology stuff?

: )