- 20191009HAv-
Lanny Nunn?Potter/McKean County, Pennsylvania Genealogy
Visual Storyteller · October 6 · 2019
July 28 1987
Irish Descendants Have Reunion by Margo Perotti
[group photo]
DESCENDANTS of early settlers on Sartwell and Newell Creeks and Rock Run enjoyed a get-together at Indian Echo Country Club. Left to right, 1st row: - Anna McCoy,
- May McHugh
- Sally summerson.
2nd row: - Lucille Turner,
- Rhonda Anderson,
- Joan Stromberg,
- Pansy summerson.
3rd row: - Dorothy Hardes,
- June Rothrock,
Betty DeLong. R-A (Perotti)
PORT ALLEGANY -- A dozen descendants of the Irish settlers in the Sartwell Creek, Newell Creek and Rck Run valleys and their guests had a luncheon and memory time at Indian Echo Country Club in Port Allegany on Monday, July 14. Those in attendance represented family names such as Brooder, Sullivan, Cooney, Fitzsimmons, Murphy, Phelin and Phelan. All considered St. Mary's Church on Sartwell road as the old family church, although they do not all attend there currently.
During and after a luncheon featuring chicken salad, fruit and sherbert, stories were told of family doings, questions asked about kinship and present-day locations and doings of cousins twice removed and friends from the past. Betty DeLong brought a map that she had drawn of St. Mary's Church property, showing the location of the original log cabin church, the original rectory, the site of the second rectory and the original rectory, the site of the second rectory and the current church building. She had also noted that Rev. Peter J. Donahue had five gas wells drilled on the property.
Sally Summerson told about Christmas at her grandmother Fitzsimmons' home on Newell Creek. "Grandma Fitzsimmons had 13 children, most of whom were married with children of their own. They all came home the day before Christmas and stayed overnight. People slept all over the house. Grandma cooked for two of three days before. I don't know if the married children brought food with them to help out or not."
"On Christmas Day," Sally continued, "Everyone went to church (St. Mary's) and came back home for Christmas dinner. Adults rode to church in sleighs and the kids walked. We often had snow fights, but they were in good fun."
"When we moved onto rock Run in 1929, everyone was kind and accepting of us, something we greatly appreciated," Dorothy Sullivan Hardes shared. Others then told how helpful neighbors usually were to each other. Not having televisions and VCRs put people in a position of depending on getting together with others for fun and games.
Betty DeLong told about her grandfather, Will Brooder, who was the first tax collector for Ceres Township. He bacame a road superintendent for Annin Township and later a county commissioner and a jury commissioner for four terms. No matter what his position out in the world, he always went over the hill to light the fires and sweep the church before the services. Father Murille was the priest at first; then Father Peter Patterson took over the parish. Ella Brooder was the last child that Patterson ever baptised, according to Betty.
Sisters, June Rothrock and Lucille Turner, formerly Murphys from Driscoll Hollow, were at the luncheon.
Anna McCoy, a Phelan from upper Newell Creek, and her daughter, Ronda Anderson, also attended.
Sally Summerson's daughters Joan Stromberg and Theresa Evens, attended.
Dorothy Hardes' daughter Mary Tanner, and Mary's daughter, Bonnie Herndon, were present. Bonnie lives in Longwood, FL. Dorothy's father was a Sullivan from Rock Run, and her mother a Cooney, an Irish family who settled in Newell Creek Hollow after immigrating from Ireland.
Judy Crowley and Philamena Lane, wives of Rock Run Irish descendants, came to the luncheon. Sally's sister-in-law, Pansy Summerson, came as a guest as did May McHugh, who came from Ireland herself.
13You, Tina Johnson Daughenbaugh, Patricia Neilly Vella and 10 others
Like
Comment
|
