| Marriage:
Occupation: |
John Joseph Smith November 10, 1907 Manhattan, New York [Source: New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937] Janitor [1920 Federal Census] |
| Children: | Louisa Viola | Aug. 8, 1909 | † June 27, 1977 |
| Mary Frances "Gertrude" | May 21, 1913 | † October 8, 2003 |
| Notes: | On her daughter Louise's birth certificate in 1909, Mary is listed as being 30 years of age. She and her husband John lived at 935 Oakland Place, in the Bronx |
| borough of New York City. This
address no longer exists.
At the time of the April 16, 1910 federal census, May stated her age as 30 and she was living with her husband John and 8-month-old daughter Louise at 117 E. 119 St. in New York City. She stated that she was born in Ireland of Irish parents. She immigrated to the United States in 1898. She and John had been married for two years. She said she was the mother of one child who was still living. Her husband was working as a tile layer in the building line. During this time "May" was often used for "Mary", quoting a popular song of the era, sung by Lydia Barry: "Her Christian name was Mary / But she took the R away / She wanted to be a fairy / With the beautiful name of May." In 1917 her husband John was working at the Arrow Head Garage located at 4162 Broadway. They and their family were living at 220 W. 69th in New York City at the time. [Source: 1917 NYC Directory.] Mary's husband John died in late January 1918, at which time she had to go to work to support their little family. According to the 1920 census, as of January 6 Mary and her two daughters lived at 620 W. 135th St. in New York City (in the area now known as Spanish Harlem) where she worked as a janitor for the building. She gave a different version of her immigration information in 1920 than what she stated in 1910. She now said she immigrated to New York from Ireland in 1906 and became a naturalized citizen in 1910. In the 1920s she worked at the Academy of the Sacred Heart's dining room at Manhattanville College. She also cleaned the St. Pius X School of Liturgical Music in Gregory Hall behind the college. Her boss was Mother Georgia Stevens, a pioneer in the revival of liturgical chant. In the 1925 New York City Directory Mary was listed as the widow of John and residing at 504 W. 131st St. At the time of the January 6, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Mary was 38 years old and living with her daughters, 11-year-old Louise who was attending school and 6-year-old May at 620 W. 135th St. in New York City, New York. Mary was working as a janitor at the home address. She immigrated to the United States in 1908 and become a naturalized citizen in 1918. Leo Stimmler talks about his grandmother Mary: "Mom told me that her mother worked for Dr. Royal S. Copeland (1868-1938) at Flower Hospital (later Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital) in NYC. She spoke of him in glowing terms and said 'he later became involved in New York State or New York City politics.' He sure was. He was the U.S. Senator from New York, 1923-1938. (A member of the Democratic Party I am happy to report.) He was also the NYC Health Commissioner. . . . While reading a biography of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia a while back I learned that, late in his career, Copeland ran for Mayor of NYC and was trounced by LaGuardia. I suspect that our grandmother worked for him prior to his entering politics. Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital was located at 106 and Fifth Avenue. It had a reputation for serving people who couldn't afford to pay. I wonder if our grandmother went there to get medical care and saw the opportunity to work for Dr. Copeland." [From his e-mail dated January 25, 2003 to brother Paul T. Stimmler] |
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