"March 2 - Got very brave today and took a trip over to John's mother's house. It was the first time since before Xmas that we had all been any place. The baby was very good - slept on the way over & on the way back. Was very quiet & well-behaved the whole time we were there. It's a pleasure to take him any place. Mary Ellen was always a problem when she was his age. Mary Ellen made herself right at home over there- investigated everything, demanded pots & spoons to play with her meekies, walked upstairs to the bathroom & sat up at the table & drank tea. She was also very good. Maybe we can get out more when the weather gets warmer. Stopped in to see Ma on the way home. Everyone thought 'John John' looked like Mary Ellen in her pink prom suit. It was the first time he wore it."
"Mar 9 - didn't get out today - wasn't a very nice day & the babies slept late. Mary Ellen & I took a walk up to the store around five o'clock. She took one of her babies & stopped in the middle of the street to rock it.
March 10 - Nice out today. John had Mary Ellen out in the morning & in the afternoon we all took a ride up to Waltham, Hannie included. We left John minding the baby & took Mary Ellen in to Grover Cronin's - she was amazed at the store - first time she was ever in a large store. She loved to drink water out of the fountain & kept saying 'more'. Hannie bought a new dress. Me nothing. Baby was asleep when we got out.
March 11 - Rain."
"March 12 - It was sunny today but very windy - took Mary Ellen out this morning but thought it was too cold for the baby. Mary Ellen had her doll carriage full of babies & insisted on taking it when Hannie & Chris asked her to go down to the Stop & Shop. Chris was down here tonight when she was going to bed & what a miracle she went without any trouble - just said 'bye bye Cake' & off we went. I had Mary Ellen & the baby both on the bed changing them & getting them ready for bed & had two bottles heating on the stove - Chris asked me very seriously why didn't I wait till Mary Ellen was grown up before I got the other baby - . Good question. I'm glad I have the two now cause the hardest time with the baby is over & already he's company for Mary Ellen. She'll stay in the bedroom if he's in the crib & she'd never stay in there alone before. The baby weighed 18 pounds yesterday & went on plain milk also. He's getting very big & strong. He rolled on his stomach Monday but couldn't quite pull his arm out from under him. He makes a lot of noises & yells a lot, chews his fingers & toes, holds toys (and screams when he drops them), and laughs if anyone looks at him. He smiles to everyone but startles very easy and cries if anyone seems strange to him. One day I came in from hanging up diapers & had on my coat & kerchief. He looked at me & screamed blue murder.
Mary Ellen is also getting very big - she weighs almost 28. She talks a lot now - can say almost everything or makes an attempt anyhow - sometimes I have to be the interpreter. She plays with her babies a lot feeding them out of pots, jar & cups, reads & writes a lot, hangs diapers (face cloths) on the clothes rack. In fact she does everything I do. If I dust she has a face cloth going around like mad wiping doors, chairs, everything in sight. If I mop, she mops - rugs included - shakes out her mop also, even shakes her vacuum cleaner. Gives her babies baths, bottles & burps them. We're very busy most of the day. Now if only we'd get some good weather so we could get out.
Mar 13 - Little warmer today. Loaded the two babies in the carriage & took off like mad for the square. Did a lot of errands. Mary Ellen walked around the stores - said 'hello bow wow' & 'bye bye bow wow' to every dog we met, also greeted all the babies and even turned around a couple of times & said 'bye bye lady' to complete strangers. Both good. When we came out of the Star Market some lady was rocking the baby - said he had been crying but stopped when she rocked him - thought could be he was spoiled ? Poor John John that no one ever rocked.
Eileen and her sister were here today. I burnt the lamb chops talking to Eileen. John picked Rita up at the hospital tonight (seeing Dickie.) Said he looked tough after the operation.
Mar 15 - John, Hannie, Norman & I went to a St Pat's Party over in Dorchester. Ma & Rita were the baby sitters. Mary Ellen was sleeping like a log when we left but the baby was wide awake. He just got over a fit of screaming - he was afraid of Ma and Norman & even me all dressed up. He seemed to recognize John & Hannie. Finally quieted him down. Had a good time at the party."
"Mar 21 - Took John John into bed with me this morning after his bottle. All was quiet till all of sudden out of a clear blue sky he said 'ba ba' his first words. He evidently surprised himself cause that was the extent of his talking for the day.
Mar 23 - John John hasn't said a word since Friday morning but today he talked like mad - wawa, baba and dada. Ma even heard him in the cellar. Mary Ellen was amazed and kept saying 'Baby talk' and repeated his phrases after him.
Mar 24 - Mary Ellen & I went visiting today - up to Rita Rady's (I should say Hatch) up in Weston. Mary Ellen was wonderful - so good she even amazed me. She screamed when we got in the car and kept calling Daddy. She couldn't figure out where we were going in the strange car. Daddy took care of John John & said he was good.
Mar 25 - Took the babies down the square - Hannie came along & was exhausted at the slow pace Mary Ellen set. Met Madeline & her babies & her mother.
Mar 26 - Beautiful day. Mary Ellen was out for an hour & a half this morning playing with Chris - gave me a chance to do something. Took them both out this afternoon. Met so many people - Mrs Bachman & Mary Ellen called her 'Bacha'. Every one was out with babies. Mary Ellen walked all the way today - down to the bake shop & back. She does very good. She's getting so big & grown up it amazes me. She still copies my ever move. I have to watch her now that John John is in the teeter chair - she's always feeding him - crusts of bread or anything she finds - also rocks him in it and almost bounces him out on his head. She hardly ever sleeps in the afternoon any more altho I make her stay in the crib for a couple of hours to rest. When I go in to scold her & tell her to go to sleep she says 'hear me?' I always used to say 'go to sleep, do you hear me?' Now she finishes it off for me. She's talking very plainly these days & puts two or three words together such as 'Mummy burp John John'. Baby's getting big also.
April 1 - John John said 'MaMa' today for the first time. He gets spells of talking - baba, Wawa, etc, and keeps it up for a while, then a couple of days go by without a word, and he starts up again."
"Apr 10 - John John had his picture taken today - in my chair in the front room. He smiled like mad & was very good. He has been very good lately anyway. He's getting two teeth and they're almost thru - maybe by the time he's six months he'll have them.
Mary Ellen has had a cold for a few days but it seems to be getting better. I took them both out this morning but didn't dare take Mary Ellen out this afternoon. We were planning on visiting some churches but gave up the idea. I went for a visit tonight from 9:00 to 9:45 and John went when I came back. It was funny. I saw the nurse that met me at the hospital both times - she was in church too. I was so happy to be meeting her in church - not the hospital.
Mary Ellen's baby - Jay Jay - fell apart tonight and she was bawling until John told her he was gone to the hospital to be fixed. When she found the arms & legs later she said 'Jay Jay's leggies all broke.' She talks so plainly now. At least it's plain to me altho I have to interpret what she's saying to others sometimes. She put four or five words together and if you add a verb or a word here & there you can make sense of it. She sings 'Tennessee Waltz' with me putting in the words she knows. She should know it by heart all the times I sang it to her rocking since she was two weeks old.
She loves the baby & its really funny to see them rolling around in the bed or crib. He pulls her hair & she rolls him & pulls him & does everything to him. The rougher you treat him the better he likes it."
" Apr 17 - A corner of one of John John's front tooth came thru today.
April 19 - John John's two front bottom teeth are there.
April 20 - Dressed Mary Ellen & the baby in their Easter finery and went to visit Aunt Hannah. It was a short visit as Mary Ellen was scared to death of Stephen. I thought sure she would throw up she cried so hard. We left in a mad hurry. It was the shortest visit we ever had with no time for questions, etc.
April 21 - John John had his first shot - screamed!
April 23 - Took Mary Ellen & the baby to Chris' birthday party today - 22 children - what a mad house! My two behaved very well. John John slept out in the carriage thru most of it. Mary Ellen went around eating candy out of everyone's basket and all the popcorn she could find. Everyone was surprised at the difference in the two of them - one so light and one so dark.
John John rolls around like mad on the bed now. He rolls easily from his back to his stomach but has a little trouble getting back. Eats everything in sight, especially paper bags when I put bundles in the carriage.
April 24 -Went down the street with Hannie, Eileen & the two babies - what a day! Hannie left us to go to the cleaners & Eileen took Mary Ellen's hand. For some reason she was afraid of her & started screaming crying. Just then the fire engines went roaring out & the noise scared the baby & he started screaming. I was trying to hold Mary Ellen & hush him up at the same time. Eileen finally threw her cake in on top of him & pushed him off up the street like mad. Her with her two lame legs. After that she said she'd never get married. Went over to Madeline's tonight & John was the baby sitter & both babies slept the whole time I was gone so he had a peaceful night. Everything started up when I got home - the baby woke up & I had to give him a bottle - he woke up again at 1:45 and again at 5:30. Finally at 6 oclock I gave him a bottle, burped him & took him in to bed with me. After he kicked the life out of me we both fell asleep til Mary Ellen woke up at 9 oclock. I really shouldn't take him into bed with me after he fell out last week. What a fright!"
I found this letter from Father Houlihan:
"Saint Patrick's RectoryWatertown, Massachusetts
April 21, 1952
Dear Parishioner,
Herewith, we are enclosing a report of your personal parish-financial standing with us for the year 1951. I call it your 'parish-financial standing' because it entails three major offerings of the year from the heads of families and each working person. Of course, we realize that there are many other offerings and many other occasions when parishioners give.
There are nine Diocesan collections, in which you give generously to Diocesan charities and causes, and to purposes that are national like the Negro and Indian Missions and Catholic Education; some that are world wide in their appeal like the Foreign Missions, the Bishop's War Relief and the Holy Lands. To all these our Catholic people are, year after year, most generous and never stint in their Catholic good will. But for our Parish needs - the up-keep of the school, the support of the good Dominican Sisters and the constant needs for improvement and repairs - for these, we rely on three major sources; your monthly parish collection the third Sunday of each month, the Grand Annual Parish Collection each October, and the Fuel Collection early each year. It is the importance of these three that we would bring to your attention in this letter with your report.
If you have been delinquent in the past, won't you try to do your share. If we have made mistakes, we will gladly rectify them in our Parish records. Let us know, as we try to let you know. Let us have the names of new parishioners that you know about. The local 'Welcome Wagon' unit helps us a little, but many new comers escape us. Let each and every one put his or her shoulder to the wheel and make 1952 a banner year of support of OUR OWN PARISH.
Sincerely.
Your Pastor
Michael J Houlihan"
There was no report included with this letter so we don't know how much my folks had contributed.
Michael Houlihan was born in Haverhill on September 8, 1887 - his father John was a carpenter - John and his wife Annie Sheehan were both from Ireland. The year prior to his marriage in October, John made a petition for US citizenship - he swore that he was living in Lawrence and was working as a carpenter - he was born in Co. Kerry, Ireland in 1859. He arrived in Boston from Ireland in 1877. He was admitted as a US Citizen on October 9, 1886.
The family was living at 86 Sixth Street in Haverhill in the 1900 US Census. John was still working as a carpenter. His wife Annie was not naturalized because she was not married to John when he became a citizen and apparently had not applied on her own. Michael was 12 and in school.
By 1910 the family was still on Sixth Street in Haverhill - John was still doing carpentry, but 22 year old Michael had no occupation - he was attending school. In 1917 Michael Houlihan registered for the WWI draft - he was living at 790 Salem Street in Malden - he was a clergyman at St. Joseph's Church in Malden - he had no family members to support. He was tall, slender with blue eyes and fair hair. By 1930 Father Houlihan was pastor at Most Precious Blood in Hyde Park. He made a couple of trips to Ireland over the years - at least once with his father. By 1940 he was pastor in Revere - his Maple Street address isn't too far from St Anthony of Padua Church.
We know he was pastor at St Pat's by 1950. There were 3 other priests in the rectory - Reverend Joseph Leahy, Reverend John Sullivan, and Reverend George Carrozza - now we are lucky to have one priest in a parish! There were 3 housekeepers - I suppose one was a cook - one was born in Canada, one in Ireland, and one in Massachusetts. I remember some of the housekeepers in the rectory when I was a kid - we used to go sledding in the Church yard - or cut through on the way home - they would call us in for cookies and something to drink.
"April 25 - Poured rain today all day. No outing. Hannie, Eileen & Chris came down this afternoon & Hannie told Mary Ellen to take him in the bedroom & show him her things. She came running out holding her Easter dress on a hanger. They play together good. She loves him & tries to do everything he does. Seemed more friendly with Eileen showing her babies, etc. Calls her 'Teen'. Had John John in the play pen - he rolls all over it & kills himself on the bars.
I get a boot out of Mary Ellen now - she always tries to put on my pants or John's shorts over her overalls whenever she can get ahold of them. One afternoon I went in when she was supposed to be having a nap - she had reached into the clothes basket in back of the crib & got a pair of John's shorts & had them half on. When she saw me she smiled & said 'Daddy's boom booms.'
April 26 - More rain - busy housecleaning & minding babies all day. Almost had a riot here tonight. John had the two kids on the bed & I went in with the wet dish cloth in my hand. However it happened Mary Ellen got a hold of it & tried to throw it at John. Naturally it didn't hit him - no, it landed smack on the poor baby's face. He screamed blue murder. We put him in the crib while we made the bed and John gave him one of Mary Ellen's babies. What a mistake - she cried for it & he cried when we took it away from him. Mary Ellen gave him another one (Sue) with a hard head & the head hit him in the face & he cried again. They were both screaming together - John holding the baby & me holding Mary Ellen. It was pathetic but funny and we couldn't help laughing.
April 27 - More rain! Fideles Club Communion Breakfast - I went & Daddy took over the household chores. Everyone was so glad to see me come home. Daddy went over to his mother's tonight & both babies fussed & howled till about 9:30. Baby was still up at 11:00 when John got home.
April 28 - Still raining. Hannie woke us up at 8:30 pounding on the back door for a ride to work. All worn out after hectic yesterday. Spring cleaned living room - pulled everything out & did a good job. Mimi was in the middle of everything with her doll carriage, high chair & babies, up on chairs, under our feet & in our hair. Hannie took her upstairs for a while & she came down with a frosting bowl & piece of cake which she spilled all over floor & bedroom rugs. What a day. Now 12:20 (midnight) just heard Mimi talking about babies in her sleep.
May 19 - ... - John put in a hedge today - he had all kinds of supervision from Mary Ellen & Mary Courtney. Mary Ellen was out digging & pouring water, etc & was as dirty as a ditch digger. John John was out most of the day in his carriage - very good but bad tonight. I can still hear him rolling around & grunting in there & it's 12:20 now. John told me to go out & water his hedges in the middle of the night if I thought of it. Guess I'll be up for hours more from the sounds coming from inside. John John's shots have really got him all fouled up - he was fine till then but since then he's been fussy like mad. He was seven months old last week and started clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. For a couple of days that's all we heard day & night but he's forgotten about it again. He doesn't say much, makes lots of noise but only says a few - baba and mama when he cries. Sits up good now & jumps like mad when anyone holds him.
Mary Ellen has developed something new - she's got very strange & bashful lately - won't stay out by herself & screams if she sees anyone new."
MEM and ?? - perhaps Florence Walsh's granddaughter from doubledecker?
