Aunt Kathleen

 

My Aunt, Kathleen Anastasia Conners, was my father's older sister by several years. She was younger than my Uncle Matt who was the oldest surviving sibling of the children. Aunt Kathleen was the family historian. Most of the background about my father's family came from my Aunt Kathleen. She was the typist and editor of all my high school papers as well as for my older siblings, Marianne, Jimmy & Eddie. Kathleen could type as fast as you spoke while editing your ideas on the fly, turning out a nicely finished product.

 

Aunt Kathleen was my annual companion as we went Christmas shopping in Boston. We would take the streetcar on Belmont Street a half block away from our house on 23 Lawndale Street. It was fun seeing the Christmas displays at the Boston Department stores, both Gilchrist's and Jordan Marsh. Afterwards, we would always eat at a seafood restaurant called Dini's. It was a fun time and something I could do somewhat independently outside of my immediate family. Once at Dini's, another group was called ahead of ours and Aunt Kathleen sprang into action because we were there earlier. However, it turned out that the available table was for a larger party.

 

It was my Aunt who indicated that she was one of 6 siblings. From Ancestry research and my recollections of my conversations with her, the other children were Edward (died from a fall in infancy) and twins Mary Ann & Thomas (died from meningitis). Only my aunt would talk about her departed siblings.

 

My Aunt talked fondly about her growing up. My father, James, was apparently the comedian of the family. He used to do Liberace impressions and would have both my Aunt and grandmother laughing. My grandfather worked for the railroad. My father said my grandfather used to measure train cars to make sure they were not too high so as to avoid smashing into bridges. My father said his father went on strike in support of the sleeping car porters (“Pullman”) strike and never returned to work. My father's father died of cancer of the descending sigmoid colon. My brother Jim recorded my Uncle Matt speaking about the visit to the doctor's office. My Uncle said my grandfather was so busy putting his clothes on that he didn't accurately hear the diagnosis. My mother said my father slept in my grandfather's room for months during my grandfather's final illness.

 

My Aunt talked about my Uncle Matt's graduation from High school, Boston College High school. The theme was "Tenting Tonight" and My Aunt would hum a few bars from the song.

 

I remember one time my brother Jim was speaking to my aunt Kathleen who had gotten a new pen. My brother Jim started clicking the pen off and on. My Aunt said he would damage the pen. My brother Jim indicated it would show the pen was sound and not damage it. It was a good-hearted exchange and Jim returned the pen.

 

Another time my Aunt Kathleen said she wanted to go into Boston from Belmont. She would take the streetcar in. I was about 12 years old and visiting my aunt and grandmother. My grandmother told my Aunt that she shouldn't go into town. At this point my Aunt was about 55 or 60. My aunt Kathleen got into her coat at which point my grandmother, about 80 or so, ripped the coat off her back and sat her down on a chair. It stood out in my memory.

 

Another time apparently a salesperson rang the doorbell and my grandmother took an iron from the fireplace to answer the door. My Uncle Matt took it away from her.

 

My Aunt, grandmother and father had a very nice quality or tenor to their voice. It was very smooth and continuous and made one feel comfort. Aunt Kathleen had a great sense of humor and of all my father's relatives was most easy to laugh. I think my father made her laugh the most.

 

Aunt Kathleen told me that her father James had 2 brothers, Matthew, who was a priest and traveled the world. Matthew had been to India and spoke several languages. James had another brother, Michael, who was a lifelong bachelor and went to mass every day. Michael apparently lived to his 90s.

 

Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Bill and My grandmother lived on the second story of our house on Lawndale street. Aunt Kathleen was constantly redecorating. She would start with the living room, then the dining room, and when she finished she would start all over again. One time, my aunt had just finished refinishing her dining room table. A week or so later, she was painting the ceiling. She put newspaper down to catch the paint. However, the strain wasn't still quite dry since it transferred from the newspaper to the table.

 

Once, while getting ready for Thanksgiving, my uncle stepped on a mousetrap, and I had to take him to the hospital for stitches. My aunt was baking  3 pies at the time. And although she was concerned with my uncle, she still checked to make sure her pies didn't get burnt. One of the pies was pecan. I told her my best friend Frank loved pecan pies. Actually, he hated them, but that was my little joke with him.

 

Recollections of other relatives

 

 

 

 

My nephew, Mike O'Malley, shared the following memories of Aunt Kathleen, after I circulated an earlier draft of this biographical sketch. Aunt Kathleen. Thanks Mike. My niece, Erin, commented on this bio sketch. Thanks Erin

 

"I loved Aunt Kathleen— she was such a great aunt, and I have so many memories of her— she was so loving and I remember her kindness and always her laughing and when she laughed, her tears coming to her eyes and she would laugh and laugh and laugh. She would often tell a story about when I was a little guy probably two years old or three years old and she said something or I did something and everyone laughed, but especially Aunt Kathleen and I turned around to her and said “Not funny!” That’s all I could say was “Not funny!” and I was very mad when I said it to her, which of course made her laugh and laugh and laugh. She told me this story probably three times a year, every year I knew her. I would often go upstairs to their apartment and she would make me breakfast or especially let me eat the little mini cereals that came in the little packages. And she loved to make soft-boiled eggs so she taught me how to eat a soft-boiled egg and crack it and she always made one for me whenever I went up there and asked. She could play the piano and I remember her playing the piano with Papa and the three of us saying “Home on the range.” It was one of my happiest memories of them both as I was probably only seven or eight and I would sing with Papa, and Aunt Kathleen would play the piano in the hallway or upstairs and the three of us singing “Home on the Range.” I didn’t even know what a range was. Lol. I am getting dusty-eyed just thinking about it now.

 

After Uncle Matt and Papa both had died (some years apart) she would often tell me of a dream—that wasn’t a dream it was more of a vision where she saw the two of them embracing clear as day—like apparitions in front of her—appearing to give her great comfort they were United in the hereafter—and she probably of course told the story to other people but she told me that she couldn’t tell anyone else but me because people would think she was crazy. So I didn’t until after she passed.

 

But of course, I didn’t think she was crazy; I just thought she was a lovely aunt who felt things very deeply and missed her brothers. And who knows, maybe they did appear to her. 

 

She would also always tell me the story about how she was really good at kickball and running races and how the person who ran a race or kicked the ball best—I may not be remembering the game correctly but they would win a pickle to eat. I don’t know who the heck was given our pickles to kids who played kickball games or ran races in the street but apparently she grew up around a place where pickles were the winning medal. I don’t know who the Heck was giving away pickles to kids running races in the street or playing kickball but apparently this is something that was happening in her childhood Shanghai-la.

 

But she’d always cap the story that her mother told her she could eat only the FIRST bit of pickle because kids who then pass around the pickle and everyone was eating it was not gonna be very healthy. 

 

This is likely around the flu epidemic Maybe so maybe it was good advice. 

 

I’m sure everyone’s heard that story too.

 

I remember she loved Lawrence Welk and she just loved all us kids and she was just so nice and fun and she would always talk about how little she was in comparison to everyone as we grew up but she was always so full of love and always remembered us at birthdays and Christmas.

 

My niece, Erin McGuire, added

 

I loved reading all the stories about Aunt Kathleen it made me miss her so much and also want to pass down memories of her life to Ellie and Rowan, so thank you so much for putting this all together.

 

I fondly remember going for visits to see Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Bill. I would climb up those back stairs to their kitchen. I can still recall the way those stairs had a distinct aroma that made it feel so “homey “. Going up for breakfast was such a special treat. As Mike already mentioned in his memories, the mini cereal boxes they offered for breakfast were fantastic. It was so fun to get to choose from a wide variety of different cereals, and then the magic started, using the box as your cereal bowl. My mind was blown, how could you eat cereal out of a box with milk in it? They cut the box right down the middle and opened the plastic bag the cereal was in down the middle too and poured the milk right in. I had never eaten cereal out of a box ever until I did with Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Bill. I only ever got to eat cereal that way with them and it was such a sweet time spent together. 

 

Aunt Kathleen had such a zest for life and she was always fun. Yes, we did play dress up in her closet, but we took it a step further, we did a fashion show together, modeling her clothes walking down our runway in the living room to a cheering crowd of Uncle Bill and his brother Art, if I remembered his name correctly. We sashayed down the middle of the living room, rotating between Aunt Kathleen going first or me going first with quick wardrobe changes in between. She was such a great sport, letting me put her looks together.

 

I remember how much Aunt Kathleen loved music too and how she would always sing to me  When Irish Eyes are Smiling  and look me right in my eyes which always made me feel so special like the song was about me.

 

I loved how petit she was and great grande in personality. She took her size in stride with all of her grand nieces and nephews measuring up to her and feeling like they hit the big time once they peaked past her stature. 

 

She is always near and dear to my heart. Thank you for bringing back such fond memories and a few tears.

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