By his own hands

 As seen in the Lowell Sun, Wednesday, November 15, 1898 a man took his own life.  This man has come to be known as Adam Cunningham of Paisley Scotland and Lowell Massachusetts.   Adam came to this country about 1860 his wife Mary Henderson.  Sometime in the late 1890's Mary passes away and Adam begins to struggle.  Due to the difficult clarity of the original article (see below) the following is a transcription as it appeared in The Lowell Sun, November 15th.

"Adam Cunningham whose attempted self destruction was briefly reported in yesterday's latest edition of the Sun, died last night at St. John's hospital.  His  wounds were inflicted with a pocket knife instead of a with a razor as first reported.
At the time the unfortunate man committed the deed he was alone in the home.
He had evidently been very deliberate in his preparation as a wet whetstone was found lying near the knife which was on the floor close to a large pool of blood.
His first attempt not proving successful, other than to cause a great loss of blood, he endeavored to make a second attempt but his hand was so unsteady that he could not wield the knife.
He then staggered out of the house and across the yard to the house of his daughter, a Mrs. Sullivan, and attempted to tell her what he had done.  But, the wound and the flow of blood so affected his speech that he could not articulate distinctly.
A teenager was sent at once to the **** **** stone yard and the police notified. Deputy Moffat then called the ambulance, but it had already been notified and was then on the way.
When Dr. Durham arrived the man was in a semi-conscious condition and the doctor gave it as his opinion that the second wound prove fatal.
The cause of the Cunningham's sad set was prompted by a combination of troubles, which produced melancholy or temporary insanity. He had recently buried his wife and was out of employment.
The remains have been removed to his late home, 43 Anderson Street by Undertaker Currier.
Mr. Cunningham was born 53 years ago in Paisley, Scotland and came to Lowell 30 years ago and lived here until his death.  His family consists of three sons and three daughters.  He was a cabinet make by trade and had been a hard and industrious worker."

The original article posted to the left is a little difficult to read, so I transcribed it the best I could.  There is one piece that included two words that I just couldn't make out.  I replaced the two words with asterisks (*).  So, if you can figure out what stone yard is mentioned, I would love to know.

While investigating more about Adam, the death of his wife was discovered to be just months earlier this same year.  Mary died 15 April 1898 and both Adam and Mary are resting in the Edson Cemetery, Lowell Massachusetts.

Also, while researching Adam and Mary, I was able to find the names to their parents.  So, another generation found. Adam's parents;  Thomas Cunningham and Mary Reid, both of Scotland.  Adam was born 1845 in Scotland.

Mary's parents; Robert Henderson and Catherine Graham, both of Scotland.  Mary was born 1847 in Scotland.

Adam and Mary Cunningham are connected to my family tree through an October 1903 marriage of  their daughter Catherine G Cunningham to John Heaney.

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Thanks!

Update!

To date, Feb 2020, I have not been able to identified who Mrs Sullivan might be.  As far as I know, Adam and Mary had three daughters; Ida b. 1879 mar 1898 to John Hoare, Catherine b. 1868 mar 1901 to John Heaney and May b. 1870 mar. 1893 Ralph Gould.  Ida and May are with their husbands and be found as such after 1898.  Catherine, not yet married in 1898, can be found living with siblings Ida and William at 43 Anderson Street.  So, who is Mrs Sullivan?  Or, is the name just an error?

McLeese in the Heaney House

Recently, I found a Neil McLeese with a 1953 connection to Agnes McComb of 557 Chelmsford Massachusetts.  The connection was a U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 form, which listed Agnes McComb as the point of contact.  The house on Chelmsford street was the home to William Heaney prior to his move to 60 Cosgrove street Massachusetts in the 1920.  Many of William's family, children and siblings, lived at this house one time or another. So, who is this Neil McLeese and how is he connected to the family, if at all? Well, I know he is some how connected for he shares a given surname of another before him and the previously mentioned connection to Agnes.  But, how is the question?  These questions opened up some more research and discovery into my family tree.

U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
Click me

First, let's discover a little of  what is known about the Heaney and McLeese lines. The McLeese name comes from Ireland as many of my ancestors did and this is where I find that a McLeese has married into the Heaney family.  My great great grandfather John Heaney and Ellen McLeese started their marriage in 1845 Antrim County, Ireland prior to coming to the states in the 1870's. After finding out Ellen Heaney was a McLeese, which added a new name to the tree, I naturally became interested in finding out more.  Well, believe it or not, Ellen's father is a Neil McLeese, my 3x great grandfather, but I am sure the Neil I am seeking is not my great grandfather, for he didn't come to the states, as far as I know,  and if he did, he would be well over a 100 years of age in 1953. Not impossible, but I doubt it!

Obituary
Click Me

So, the question remains!  How does this Neil McLeese connect to the my tree.  The story starts to unravel with the discovery of two pieces of information; an obit for Neil in the Lowell Sun newspaper 1953, in which reveals a little about Neil's military time and his final resting place.  And a copy of Veteran's Compensation Application stating that Neil was name after his mother's father; Neil McLeese my 3x great grandfather.  Neil's mother is Sarah McLeese and father James Jinkins.

Veteran' Compensation
Application
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In June of this year I requested some information from the Edson Management Cemetery management office in Lowell Massachusetts about Neil.  Yesterday, Aug 13 2013, I  received information back from the Edson staff that relieved the connection to the family.

Update:  Neil's relationship trace to Agnes;  Neil's mother is Sarah McLeese who is sister to Ellen McLeese Heaney,  who is the mother to Annie Heaney McComb, who is the mother of Agnes.  So, they are cousins and both 1x cousins 2x removed to me.



Neil McLeese resting in McComb's family plot in Edson Cemetery, Lowell MA.

Neil McLeese served in the U. S Army K 5 Infantry from 1900 -1903.  This unit seen active duty in the Philippine, though Neil's records indicate no time served in any fire fight.

Rest in Peace

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Grandfather found!

George H. Reynolds
circa 1940

I've been looking for my grandfather, George Henry Reynolds, since beginning this ancestral quest started ten plus years ago.  Recently, I was given a newspaper clipping of an obit that had some details about my grandfathers passing, from which I was able to extract a few hints. 

First, George was the second son to George H Reynolds and Elizabeth A Waters, of whom I have written about in earlier posts.  His date of birth is 27 April 1891.  It is said that he was born in Providence Rhode Island, but there is no records confirming this as of yet.  I did find his folks in Woburn Massachusetts where his sister Flossie was born in 1892.  At the turn of the century, George's father was no longer in the picture.  At this time, the family unit consisted of Elizabeth, James, George and Flossie and were now residing in Lowell Ma.   You can read more about Elizabeth Watters Reynolds; Waters or Watters. This seems to be starting point of the this Reynolds family in Lowell.  However, there are other Reynolds of similar first names living the area.  I wonder if there was a reason for the move to Lowell, either family or ethnicity. I was able to track the family forward to the year 1907, where Elizabeth is remarrying to a James McArdle of Lowell Ma.  And then again I found them in the 1910 census, where young George and Flossie are with their mother Elizabeth and step-father James in Lowell.  Then, in the winter of 1916, George gets married to Edith Ruby Heaney.  Edith is daughter of one William Heaney and Margaret Caldwell of Chelmsford Ma and Ireland.  This is George's second marriage according to the marriage certificate of 18 Nov 1916.  I have no record as of yet of George's first marriage, but I would think it would be in Lowell also, more research needed. Updated Aug 2012, read more about first marriage here; Hodge.  Well, shortly after my grandparent marriage, my uncle George came along.  Yes, another George!! Then in 1919 uncle E. Arthur and then my father William Caldwell in 1920.  I am sure you can figure out where my father got his name from... So, all the way up through to the 1930 the family is together, then George (my grandfather) is out of the picture.  Why,  I don't know, divorce I guess.  The three boys were were enumerated in the Ayer home for boys in Lowell on, 2 April 1930 as Wards of the state.  Then, but a few days later on the 8 of April 1930 they were enumerated again at home with their mother on Bleachery street in Lowell. 

So, what happen to George H Reynolds?  Up to this point, I found bits and pieces, some possible hits, but nothing to solidify his where abouts. Then a week ago or so, a cousin told be that he had moved to New York state and was working in a hospital.  Quite a change in careers, as George started or at least for awhile was a railroad man.  He worked for the Boston and Maine Railroad company at the time of his marriage to Edith.  Did he start there cause of his father?  Hmm, something to ponder!  Ok, back to the hospital job.  I had discovered a George years ago working in New York as an Orderly.  Is this him?  Then, the same cousin sent me an obit for George that she dug up in her files.  The obit didn't have a date or a newspaper name, but it did have a funeral home name, a city and state, and a cemetery name. I was had enough to start digging again for George.   All weekend I searched and searched the city records, but nothing except dead ends.  The cemetery didn't have a contact point like the Edson cemetery in Lowell, so I moved onto the funeral home.  This morning, after some simple digging for a Burnette Funeral Home of Middletown NY, I found a reference to a Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home.  They had change their name from Burnette in the early 1960's.  I found a contact email address to which I sent a request for record and confirmation that it was the same funeral home.  I was told that it was and that the records back int he 30's 40's and 50's were sparse.  So, at this point I am waiting for something more from the funeral home.  But, in the meantime, I chatted with a few genealogy researcher from the Middletown area and we came up with the same obit that was earlier mention, plus another clipping from a different newspaper that reported the death of George.

I have three clippings below.  

Middletown Times Herald

 Thursday 17 Oct 1946

Middletown Times Herald

Friday, 18 Oct 1946

Middletown Times Herald

Friday, 18 Oct 1946

Funeral Announcement

There are no markers for George in the Hillside Cememtay according to the management office. The grave is located at Section 5, Single Grave 310 in the Hillside Cemetary, Middleotown NY.

Get photo of plot

More information updating record for George.  According to the above mentioned death, George passed away in Middletown New York.  The death accouncement suggests that George worked in the Middletown State Hospital, as an ordealy I assume. During this period of time (1940s) George was documented in WWII draft records for older men.  His listed his mailing address as Camp LaGuardia Chester NY and living in a shelter in Middletown NY.  His place of death was in a restaurant on Centre Street in Middletown NY called Long's Restaurant.  I should mention that Long's Restaurant no longer exists.

Camp LaGuardia was a woman's prison 1914-1934 called Camp Greycourt prior to NY purchasing the prison an thus renaming it in honor of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

Get photo of camp

Through Death!

Recently, I found my Grandmothers resting place again, she is resting in the Edson Cemetery in Lowell Massachusetts!  I say again, because the last time I was there was 1968 when we laid to earth Edith Ruby Reynolds nee Heaney, I was about 12 years then.  What I didn't know was that Edith Ruby was buried in a family plot next to her father; William Heaney, her mother; Margaret J Caldwell and her son; E Arthur Reynolds and his wife; Daisy M. Reynolds nee Ritchotte.  Upon finding the resting place through the Edson Cemetery Management office, I was able to get copies of the plot records.  Nothing really out of the ordinary was found on the records, so I put them aside for future reference.  Shortly there after, a researcher for the Ritchotte posted an obit for Jeanne Reynolds, who was the daughter of Arthur and Daisy Reynolds.  While reading the obit a name popped up that I had just recently read on the plot record for William Heaney.  So, I started searching for a Wendi.  I found her in living in Lowell Massachusetts.  We started to correspond with each other about family history and just a reconnecting a lost family link.   Through our talks, finding my Great Mother Elizabeth Waters resting place is possible.  And a new mystery of  two unknown child who also buried the Heaney family plot.

Elizabeth was born in Nova Scotia Canada and came to this country in 1891.  I found Elizabeth and her family in St. Mary's River, Nova Scotia and again in the 1900 US census in Lowell MA, where she is a widow with three children. Her husband ,George Reynolds, apparently died between the years of 1894 and 1907.  I haven't found what happen to George as of yet.  But, in 1907 Elizabeth remarries to a James P McArdle of Lowell.  From there I loose her trail until now.   I hope to have the details of Elizabeth resting place later this week.

The children I didn't know about until Wendi asked me about them and she knew very little.  Not knowing, I again contacted the Edson Cemetery in hopes they had information.  Yesterday, I got a reply from their office.  The children, which there are three are; 

10/24/1876  Ann. J. Heaney    2years.7 months
11/30/1876 Walter Heaney     4 years 5 months
7/28/1980 Ellen May Heaney  2 months 16 days  Correction: 7/28/1880

What does this mean?  Well, it means more digging on who these children are and how the are connected to the Heaney family.  New stuff all the time.

And through death, a connection with lost family ties have started to reconnect.  I look forward to find more of the Reynolds family back east..  Thanks Wendi!

Remembering!

I don't know why! Or why now, but my thoughts are racing towards memories on my grandmother Edith Reynolds.  It has been a busy day here today as I finished off a major database move from one server to another.  Lots of updates, broken links, users not able to log in and now I am taking a break as the phones are quiet... This is when my grandmother came to mind and I don't know why!  I didn't know her very well at all.  I did meet her in the spring of 1968 when she came to visit us in Arkansas.  I don't recall her voice, her appearance or her eyes, it was such a short visit there just wasn't time.  I do remember that she could recite the alphabet backward faster that I could forward.  She taught me to spell Mississippi with humpback, dotted and crooked letters.  She tricked me into a game of  "Who could count to one hundred" the fastest!  She said start and off I started counting as fast as a 12 year old could.. 1,2,3...21,22,23.  But! But, she wasn't counting yet... I got to 90 and she rang out 10, 10, double 10, 45, 15. And then declared that she won...  Sitting there confused, she had me add up the numbers... we laughed!  She was with us for three or fours days before she passed away. She had seen me as a baby and a boy, as we traveled with the military to an oversea duty station and back.  She, however had not met my youngest sister to this point, who was now about 6 years old. Grandma made sure that she was able to see us all again and then left.  The only other memory I have of my grandmother Edith R. Reynolds is, she loved the song Old Rugged Cross, which was played at her Wake.  We laid my grandmother to earth in the Edson Cemetery in Lowell Massachusetts. One of these days I will revisit my grandmother and tell her that I love her.

Did you know....

Do you know who Passaconaway is?  I bet the answer for most is no! Passconaway is an anglicized translation of Papisse Conewa which means Son of Bear.  He was the Sachem of the Pennacook tribe of the New Hampshire and the Massachusetts area back in the 1500's.  Passconaway is one of the most important Sachem in the Americas, but few have ever heard of him.  It was his people that kept the early Pilgrims from starvation and from being over run by the powerful Mohawks.  For some time, the Europeans and Pennacook lived in peace, traded goods and knowledge, until the Europeans started to get land greedy.  

Back in 1899, the Improved Order of Red Men of Massachusetts erected a bronze statue of this great sachem, which others theft upon.  My first introduction to the sachem was 1968 when we laid my grand mother, Edith Ruby Heaney Reynolds to earth.  I was a 12 year old at the time. My elders (aunts and uncles) told me about the sachem's statues, that stands in the same cemetery where my grand mother rests; Edson Cemetery, Lowell Massachusetts.  They said that we are related to the sachem through my Great Grandmother; Elizabeth Anna Waters Reynolds.  Thus far, I haven't been able to prove this link at all, but it is an interesting story and possibility.  The sachem's statue over the years has been vandalized; tomahawk, spear, hand and other parts carried off to no regard at all who he was and what he did in life.  I can only imagine that on some bookcase somewhere a green patina hand, or spear standing in a corner collecting dust. And no more a thought!


Provided by
Edson/Westlawn Cemetery
2010

The good news is that the statue of the Great Sachem, Passaconaway has been restored this year 2010.  Though an incorrect depiction of the a Pennacook of the time, it is still a good thing.  It's a good thing to remember our past and those who made it possible for the rest of us.