Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Wednesday's Walk: St. Patrick Cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts

Yesterday, upon finding my great-great grandmother, Rose Ann Moran nee Kelley's obituary and funeral write up at the Pollard Memorial Library, I decided to go to St. Patrick cemetery to find her grave.

St. Patrick Cemetery is located at 1251 Gorham St., in Lowell. Established in 1832, it is Lowell's first Catholic cemetery.

According to her marriage record, Rose Moran nee Kelley was born abt 1873 in England. A daughter of Patrick and Rose, she was married to Michael Morran [sic] on 11 April, 1895 in Lowell, MA, by a Jms. J. Dacey [Mass Archives - Morran Michael, Lowell, 1895, 452, 212 Marriage]. Rose and Michael had six known children, Arthur, John, Robert, Francis, Rose and Della. After her husband Michael dies in 1906 [Mass Archives - Moran Michael, Lowell, 1906, 56, 278, Death], Rose is listed in the 1907 Lowell Directory as Rose A widow of Michael 32 Cross. Rose remained in the Acre through out her life. Moving around quite a few times, in 1950 she is listed in the directory as living at 14 Dutton. However, her 1951 obituary write up her residence is noted as being at 125 Mt. Vernon Street. I can only surmise that she moved to Mt. Vernon St. to be with her son, Francis Moran, and his family at the time. Perhaps she moved in with him because she was sick, as the obituary then goes on to state that she died at the Delaney Nursing Home.

Published on Thursday, 20 Dec., 1951, page 3, her obituary reads:
MRS ROSE A. MORAN
Mrs. Rose Ann (Kelly) Moran, widow of Michael Moran and a well known resident of this city, making her home at 125 Mt. Vernon street, died last evening at the Delaney Nursing home after a lingering illness.  She was born in England, the daughter of the late Patrick and the late Rose (Dacey) Kelly, but early in life came to this city. She was an attendant of St. Patrick's church. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Francis J. Boyle and Miss Frances Moran of Chicago, Ill; four sons, Arthur P. Moran of Westford, John Moran of Brooklyn N. Y., Robert M. Moran and Francis A. Moran of this city; many grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
According to cemetery records, Rose A Moran, age 72, was buried on 21, Dec., 1951 in section R, lot 16.  Section R is right behind the chapel on the right, her grave was easy to find. Buried with her daughter, Rose E. Boyle nee Moran, and her daughter's husband, Francis J. 'Phinney' Boyle, as well as with her grandson, Francis J. Jr. There is a flat marker at the grave, but Rose's name does not appear on it..


Moran, Rose, A., 72, 12/21/51 19, 2
Boyle, Rose, E. 77, 02/27/73, 19, 2A
Boyle, Francis, J.,  80, 12/11/73, 19, 1
Boyle Francis, J., 84, 10/12/05 (Francis J. Jr.), 20, 1A



After finding Rose's grave, I decided to go see if I could find her husband, Michael Moran's grave. According to the cemetery records Michael Marin [sic] was buried on 17 Dec., 1906  in yard 3, range 41, lot 38. I could not locate the grave because there's still snow in the section where I believe it to be. Michael is buried with a Mary J. McHugh, Thomas, McHugh, Thomas Carmody, Margaret Carmody, and two other Mary J. McHughs.


McHugh, Mary J., 0, 08/07/96, 18
McHugh, Thomas, 0, 04/05/98, 18
Marin, Michael, 39, 12/17/1906, 19
Carmody, Thomas, 72, 11/04/1915, 19
Carmody, Margaret, 64, 10/16/1916, 19
McHugh, Mary J., 64, 6/25/1930, 19 1A
McHugh, Mary J., 64, 01/27, 1940, 1A

1 comment:

  1. Cemeteries with snow are no fun. Scary that we even think cemeteries are fun...

    ReplyDelete