My Family Story : !960s

We are leaving the 1950s behind and are entering the 1960s.

"Middesex County AOH

St Gabriel's Retreat House

Jan 22-24, 1960"

My father is in the third row behind the priest - in front of the men in the dark suits - 2nd from the right.

My father used to run the 60 Club drawing for the Hiboes. My mother's friend Virginia Studley #178 won $10!

I think this was a birthday party for Patty and Jimmy- probably on Patty's birthday in February. Johnny, John Fahey, Joanie, Nancy probably standing on a chair, Patty, MEM holding Jimmy, Diane, Alice Nelligan, Mary Patricia and Kathy Navien.

I love the pants Patty and Diane are wearing under their dresses - Patty has on her summer dress - Diane probably does as well. Those flannel shirts on Johnny and Kathy!

Johnny, MEM, Patty holding Jimmy.

"Fur Cats Sake!

Be My Valentine"

"Ma

From Jimmie & Christine"

"Just Between Us Two

I Love You"

"from

Patty"

"Valentine

You're Really Swell"

"To Mom

From Johnny"

"Don't Tease"

"To Ma,

From, Mimi"

"Palmer Method Handwriting Award

This Certifies That

Mary E Manning

has studied and practiced Palmer Method

Handwriting in Grade 4, and having

passed the prescribed test is hereby awarded

this Certificate.

Teacher Board of Awards

Sr Rose Margaret Mae E Burke

Richard C McLean

The Palmer Methodology For Better Writing"

It wasn't easy getting that award. We practiced every day - we had fountain pens in those days - we had ink holes in the desks. We used to unscrew the pen and squeeze the inner tube-like device to draw the ink into the pen - then we would dip it into the ink and let go of the tube - suction would pull ink into the pen - then we would screw it back together. The fountain pens could make a mess of the paper with blots of ink. Sr Rose Margaret would walk around inspecting our work. She carried a big silver ruler. If you made a mess or a mistake, she would rap your knuckles - and not gently. Some poor kids - especially the boys - would get a good wallop with that ruler - I felt sorry for them.

Sr Rose Margaret was one of the nuns that my father would drive home on the weekend. She was tough but I learned a lot from her. I remember when Jimmy was born, she had my mother bring him down to the new convent (it is now the headquarters for Catholic TV.) Sr Rose Margaret took Jimmy and placed him on the altar. We all said some prayers - I was afraid that Jimmy would roll off the altar - he might have been a month old?

The old convent was located right on Chestnut Street - steps from the sidewalk. I remember going over there to tell Sr Marie de Montfort that I was having a cyst removed from my neck so I would be out of school for a couple of days. I don't know where that took place.

When the new convent was built, it was set back off the street - there was a driveway in front of it. The chapel used the old altar from St Pat's downstairs church and the pictures of St Patrick and St Bridget.They also took some of the benches. I used to love to go over there - sometimes the nuns would pick a couple of girls to go over to the nuns' chapel or to the upstairs church to clean. When I lived there in the nineties, I would go to the chapel for daily Mass during Lent - I certainly didn't go every day - I wasn't that good!

"MOTHER"

"Especially For You

This is just a little note,

Made with all my love,

To wish you a happy Mother's Day

That's filled with lots of love.

Spiritual Bouquet

Masses 5

Holy Communion 5

Visits 5

Station (of the Cross) 5

Ejaculations 500

Mimi and Jimmy"

Spiritual Bouquets were a big deal when I was young. It was important that people made it to Heaven and a Spiritual Bouquet was a way to help them lead good lives. You received grace when you performed any of the actions listed above then you offered it up for whomever was receiving the Spiritual Bouquet.

We often made Spiritual Bouquets in school - the nuns provided the paper to make the card and other older cards to cut out decorations - some times they would also have stickers. We used colored pencils or crayons to write down what we were offering up for the intended recipient. I had cut out the birds and flowers and glued them to my card for decorations - I cut out the picture of Mary and Jesus for Mother's Day - if it was Christmas, I could have cut out a picture of the Holy Family or Jesus in the manger - anything to signify the holiday.

I think Ejaculations were short prayers to God or making the sign of the cross - you received God's grace whenever you performed certain actions or recited certain prayers. I was into all this religious zeal when I was young. Not so much now.

"To Mother with Love, from her Little Girl"

"Someone hopes

your Mother's Day

Is happy as can be,

And someone

loves you, Mother.

(P.S. That someone's me!)

from Mary Ellen"

I'm not sure when this card was from - but I had basic Palmer Method so it had to be around 1960.

MEM's second grade picture

"St Patrick's School

Watertown, Mass.

Grade 4 1959-1960"

This was Sr Rose Margaret's class.

Top row: Jimmy Piscatelli, Kathy Brown?, Kevin Clifford, Arlene O'Donnell, Paul Geary, Linda Mahoney, Quinn Central, Maria Gregorio?, Michael Rooney.

2nd row from top: ?, Henry Hoten, Roberta Green, Paul Regan, ? Eddie Vacca, Ellen Operaz, James Clarke, Donna Bagarella.

3rd row from top: Michael Fitzgerald (Michael Rooney's cousin,) Paul Cameron, ?, Martha Melican, Thomas Brennan.

4th row from top: Wilma Jones, ?, MEM, Joseph Staten, Mary Power, Andy Nardone, ?, Frank Cerrati, Kathy Furey.

5th row from the top: John Brady, ?, John Calleva, Frannie Joyce, Kathy Femia, ?, Elizabeth Powell, Susan Munhall, Maria "Buttons" Miranda.

Bottom row: Maureen Steinhart, ?, Linda Nardone, Sandy Mosca, Barbara Ryan, Pamela Martino, Diane McClellan?, Judy Rossi, ?.

Alston Studios, Inc.

That's about 50 pupils in Sr Rose Margaret's classroom - how did we all fit! How did she manage? There were no Teacher Aides or any kind of support. If you misbehaved, down to the principal you went.

"St Patrick's School

Watertown, Mass.

Grade 4 1959-60"

The other 4th grade was Mrs Fenton's - she had about 30 students in her class.

Top row: the faces are familiar but I can only name Billy Hughes on the right end.

2nd row from the top: ?, Peter Regan, Donna Caldon, Jay Navien, Susan Sliney, Kevin McNamara, Sally Sadler, Mathew Beirne.

3rd row from the top: Again I recognize the faces but can't produce the names.

4th row from the top: ?, Eddie Wallace (his mother Mary Blackburn was best friends with my aunt Hannie,) Sandra Murphy, ?, Claire Milmore, ?, ?, Patty McCurley.

Bottom row: Roberta Fuschetti, ?, ?, ?, Susan Cook, Gail Shutt, Elizabeth Craig, Marcia Durkin.

Here are some of the papers I did in school - they are probably the earlier grades - they are self explanatory.

"Mary Ellen Manning.

Baby Jesus bless me.

Baby Jesus bless me."

This next paper is from the 3rd grade - March 18, 1959:

"Mary Manning

tenth John Manning

dressed St Patrick 's School

letter 90%

Present March 18, 1959

Already

led 8124 90810

west - 13 +6731

bite -----------------

white 8111. 97541

drive

five St

side

riding St

life

pipe John

shine

smile John

Christ John Manning"

"Mary Manning

Sunday.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednessday. 1

Thursday.

Friday

Saturday.

Mister.

Misstis. 1

Avenu. 1

Me 100

seen

saw

seen

seen"

I think we moved to 59 Marshall Street in May - with 4 kids

we had outgrown Green St. Before the move, Johnny, Patty and I shared a bedroom - Jimmy was in a crib in my mother and father's bedroom. We had bunkbeds - I had the top, Johnny was in the bottom. Patty at first was in a crib and then on a studio couch. We used to jump from the top bunk into the crib and later onto the studio couch.

When we first went to see the new house, our voices echoed in the big empty rooms. It seemed so big - so many rooms - so many floors! My grandfather came over from Dorchester to scrap wallpaper - we all helped by soaking the wallpaper with wet rags to loosen it - this made it easier to scrap. My grandfather and my father later papered the rooms. My grandfather also planted a garden in the back yard - I don't really remember what he planted except for corn.

We used to have a cookout sometimes but no plastic utensils or paper plates for us! We would haul out a tablecloth, dishes, silverware - even the kettle to put on the grill for tea! But we thought we were in heaven. My father must have had a long extension cord to plug in his radio because we had music as well. I want to say that we toasted marshmallows but I'm not sure that is accurate. I know we had smores at the beach but I don't remember them at home.

We also had grape vines in the back yard - my mother used to make grape jelly every year. We used to have to go out and cut the grapes off the vine - there were always mosquitoes flying around and biting us. There was also rhubarb growing on the side of the garage near the Wetherbees. Sometimes we would cut a piece and put salt - not sugar - on it and try to eat it. It was so sour! My mother used to boil it up in a little water and some sugar to make a syrup with it - I didn't like it that way either although I love it now. There were big tall sunflowers growing along the Mrs Green's side of the garage - I hated them - I kept telling my father to pull them out. He did eventually but I'm not sure why - I can't imagine it was because I didn't like them.

We had a clothes lines in the backyard - there were always clothes to hang out. I was the oldest so I think I hung out most of them during the summer when we on school vacation. I used to love to hang out the diapers - there were loads of diapers. I used to love seeing the white diapers all lined up blowing in the breeze! I still love to hang out clothes - I love that clean fresh smell. I didn't have a dryer for most of my married life. At one point when we were living in Ireland, there were 3 kids in diapers - we couldn't afford disposable diapers for any of them. I used to enjoy hanging out rows of white cloth diapers that everyone brought when they came to Ireland or my mother would mail them to me. The Irish diapers were made of terrycloth - I didn't want that rough material on my babies! It was a break to go out to the clothes lines - feel the sun and breeze on my face - I could watch the tour buses going by on the Ring of Kerry road.

Back to Watertown, we used to walk home for lunch after we had first moved - we would just get home, gobble something down, then rush back to school. Then St Pat's had us eat at our desks - eventually we had a "cafeteria" - a room where long tables were set up but no food was served - we brought our lunches - but the school served us cartons of milk.

That reminds me of the excitement I felt when we had a hot dog day at school - that seemed like just a treat - was it $.25 for a hot dog, a drink, and a bag of chips? We never had chips or tonic at home. There were also the movies in the old hall - another $.25 - I think we got some popcorn and a drink - maybe the money went to pay for the movie. I remember seeing "The Song of Bernadette" at the old hall which should probably have been condemned - the hall not the movie. We had gym in that hall through high school - we also had dances and proms.

Alice Nelligan's father died very young at 52. I don't seem to remember much about it. It happened at the end of June, and we headed to Falmouth Heights shortly thereafter so we were all pretty distracted by vacation. I'm sure all the adults went to the wake and funeral - he was a neighbor after all, and I was close friends with Alice.

"My Jesus have mercy on the Soul of

Francis B. Nelligan

Died June 29, 1968

Age 52

O gentlest heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls, have mercy on the soul of Thy departed servant. Be not severe in Thy judgment but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames, and do Thou O Merciful Saviour, send Thy Angels to conduct Thy departed servant to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Jesus grant eternal rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donald J MacDonald

funeral Home

270 Main Street WA 4-4700

Watertown, Massachusetts"

"We have loved him during life: let us not abandon him, until we have conducted him by our prayers into the house of the Lord. St. Ambrose.

My Jesus have mercy on the Soul of

Francis B Nelligan

died June 29, 1960

Prayer

O Gentlest Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory have mercy on the should of Thy departed Servant.

Be not severe in Thy judgment but let some drops of Thy Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames, and do Thou O merciful Saviour, send Thy angels to conduct him to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto hime, O Lord! and let perpetual light shine upon him. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on him. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for him. St Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for him.

(100 days for each aspiration.)

Looks like Howard Johnson's again! Patty, Dad, MEM holding Jimmy, and Johnny.

Patty, Dad, Johnny, MEM, Jimmy

There was one trip to Falmouth when Christine was a baby. My mother was holding Christine in the front seat - I was holding Jimmy in the backseat with Johnny and Patty - no car seats/booster seats or even seatbelts in those days! All of a sudden my lap began to feel hot - then wet! Jimmy's diapers had leaked! I suppose my mother changed Jimmy's diapers but our clothes were packed in the trunk so we probably wore wet clothes to Falmouth!!

The following is a letter I sent home from Hampton Beach - I went away with the Nelligans - I suppose as company for Alice.

"Dear Mommy,

I'm having a nice time. I bought a sweat shirt. We go swimming 2 a day, we go to Hampton beach almost every day. we went to a circus Thurs. or Tri. We I mean me, Alice, and and Jerry went on the tilt a whirl. And when we were going back to the cottage Jerry and Alice's aunt Mary went on the tilt a whirl. we had a drink of tonic on the way home from the circus. I don't eat much in between meals, all week we had tuna fish for lunch, one night we had toast and tuna fish for sandwiches. I had 2 of them. Thurs. we had hot dogs and guess what. Jerry cooked them. I got a good sunburn it lasted 4 days. We are having good weather but the first 3 nights we had rain it poured. Oh and when we were at the circus Jerry got a teddy bear and called it Timmy and it looke just like him.

Well that's it for this week. I'll write next week.

love

Mimi"

I'm not sure when Eileen Cooney got married - it was just before or during 1960. My mother was a bridesmaid. I believe the church looks like St John the Evangelist Church in North Cambridge at 2270 Mass Avenue.

The following are pictures of all the cousins - Eileen must have been very brave to invite all of us!

MEM standing in front of Bobby Smith, Terry Smith, Jay Navien, Mary Navien, Peggy, Kathy Navien - is that Nancy in front of Terry Smith?

Chris Navien, Johnny, Bobby Smith, Terry Smith, Jay Navien - Kathy Navien in front. In both of these pictures, there is someone between Bobby and Terry Smith - I wonder if it is Kevin Smith?

MEM squinting from the sun, Patty, and Johnny

Mum as bridesmaid - I don't know anyone else.

Eileen and Arthur Griffin

The dining room looks quite decorated. I think it is Maureen and Nancy Huliston on the left side of the table, MEM holding Jimmy, Johnny, Patty, and Diane Huliston.

"Daddy's 40th birthday.

Sep 11 1960"

Nancy Huliston, Jimmy, MEM, Dad, Johnny, and Patty

Maureen, Nancy, MEM, Mum, Jimmy, Dad, Johnny, Patty, Joanie

Diane, Jimmy, MEM, Dad, Nancy, Johnny, Joanie, Patty

"Daddy's 40th birthday

First birthday on Marshall St."

I had Sr Marie de Montfort in 5th grade - we were in the attic of the old grammar school.

"Grade 5

Honors

This Honor Certificate is awarded to

Name Mary Ellen Manning

Average 87%

School St Patrick

Teacher Sr Marie de Monfort

8 Dec 1960"

Christine was born in December. I remember Dad telling me at some point - I want to say the morning - to help Ma take care of Jimmy because Mum had gone to the hospital to get a baby. I don't know if Dad was going to work or what - I think those were still the days that the husbands did not go into the labor and delivery rooms. They waited outside in a waiting room with the other fathers.

Patty, Jimmy and Johnny with Christine probably in the bassinet in the kitchen.

MEM and Johnny in back then David and Ricky Walsh - Rita and Dickie Walsh were Christine's Godparents. Patty and Jimmy with baby Christine/"Teenie" on the sofa after her christening.