Adventurous Mason Gal

Courtesy of Jody Marie MacKeil

Courtesy of Jody Marie MacKeil

A couple of maritimers named Charles L Mason & Charlotte Arbuckle got married in 1882 at New Glasgow, NS.   

Together they had 5 children: George, Mary, James, Charles & Henry.   

They all remained in Nova Scotia except Mary.  Somehow, she met a New Yorker in Nova Scotia.  What a story it must be, how they met and fell in love, and making the decision to follow her husband - perseverance was a family affair.

William Joseph Mullane of New York, the son of Thomas Mullane and Katherine Potts, married Mary Izella Mason in 1905 at Manhattan, NY.  He was a Health Inspector and the pair relocated to New Milford, NJ where they had 5 children – Norma, Audrey, Mary, William and Edwin.

courtesy of Ginny M

New York Times, 11 Mar 1967
Mullane - William J, Sr, of 113 Pine Ave, New Milford, NJ, on Friday, March 10, 1967.  Beloved husband of Mary Mullane.  Devoted father of Audrey Behan, William J, Jr, and Edwin J Mullane.  Friends may call at the Lyons Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm.  Requiem Mass St Joseph's Church, Oradell, Monday, 11 am.  Interment at St Anthony's Cemetery, Nanuet, NY.

New York Times, 10 Oct 2000

Mullane, Edwin J - It is with deepest sorrow that we announce that Edwin J Mullane, President of Mullane Ford of Bergenfield, NJ, and President and Founder of the Ford Dealers Alliance, died at his home on Saturday, October 7, 2000 of pulmonary complications, the residual effects of polio, a disease he contracted as a youth.  Ed was a man of strong character and strong convictions.  He lived his life by those convictions, always trying to make a difference in the world in which he lived.  Upon graduating from Fordham University in 1935, Ed and his brother Bill ran Mullane Brothers Appliance Business in New Jersey from 1935 to 1955, except for the time spent in the Army during WWII.  He became a Ford dealer in 1956.  In 1969, upon successfully challenging Ford on a warranty issue, he and the Newark and New York dealers realizing what could be accomplished as a group, founded and incorporated the Ford Dealers Alliance.  Over the past 30 years, Ed became best known as an outspoken protagonist for dealers' rights.  He had strongly and consistently espoused the rights of dealers and the consumer and unstintingly criticized the factory encroachment of those rights.  His message has been carried in The New York Times, NBC National News and many other major news media, and has been mentioned in such books as Emma Rothschild's "Paradise Lost" and "Iacocca's Autobiography" in which he was the only dealer mentioned by name.  In 1993, he was named one of the one-hundred most influential people in the history of the automobile industry by Automotive News, a trade publication.  He believed in the words of Edmund Burke, who he often quoted, "The only thing for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  This is the motto by which he lived his life.  He was a good man who never tired of working towards ending factory injustices.  With Ed's passing, we lose the staunchest supporter of dealer rights, a devoted leader, but most importantly, we lose a good friend.  We will all miss him terribly.  Ed's wife Ruth passed away in 1996.  He is survived by his brother Bill, his daughter Mary Alice Hill, and his son Michael, and by seven grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Crawford - Misleading Obit

Obituaries are a researchers dream, right?  Maybe not so much…..

Samuel ‘Ashford’ Crawford married Annie Mabel Vincent, the daughter of James Edward Vincent & Nancy Annie Heather.  Ashford and Annie went on to have 5 children, one being Ernest Murray Crawford.

I found this obit for Ashford and Annie's grandson

New Glasgow Evening News, Mon, 27 Apr 1987
NINE MILE RIVER - Cecil M. Crawford, Nine Mile River, 28, died at home Friday. Born in Springhill, he was a son of Marien (Vandenberg) Crawford and the late Ernest M. Crawford. He was a resident of Nine Mile River most of his life, was a labourer, and most recently worked in Halifax. He is survived locally by a sister, Sadie (Mrs. Daniel MacLeod), Piedmont, Pictou County. The remains are resting in Withrow MacMillan Funeral Home, Upper Nine Mile River, where funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Interment will be in Sand Hill Cemetery, Upper Nine Mile River. Donations may be made to East Gore United Church, Sand Hill Cemetery, or IWK Hospital for Children.

Yet, research isn't always linear, clean, straightforward.  We usually get yanked off course more than once because we go chasing threads, possibilities.  Or we move on thinking we were finished only to make a new discovery later on.....

WHAT HAVE WE HERE?

Chronicle Herald, 27 Jul 1982

Upper Nine Mile River - Ernest Murray Crawford, 64, of Upper Nine Mile River, Hants County, died Sunday in Colchester Hospital, Truro.  Born in Hartford, Cumberland County, he was a son of the late Ashford and Annie (Vincent) Crawford.  he retired from construction work in 1976 due to his health.  Surviving are his wife, the former Marien Janette Vandenberg; four daughters, Margaret (Mrs Alvin Hunsley), Masstown; Sadie (Mrs Daniel MacLeod), Piedmont; Eileen (Mrs Gary Scothor), Hardwood Lands; and Murna (Mrs Brian Sears), Shubenacadie; six sons, Vernon, Neil, Lester, Dennis and Cecil, all of Upper Nine Mile River; and Douglas, Belnan; 18 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  He was predeceased by a son, Gilbert Angus; two sisters, Janie and Saide; and two brothers, Lovell and Russell.  The body is in the Withrow-MacMillan Funeral Home, Upper Nine Mile River.  Funeral will be 2 pm Wednesday in East Gore United Church, Rev Kevin Dingwell officiating with burial in Sand Hill Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nova Scotia Heart fund or the East Gore United church.

From what I can see, all the siblings remained in Nova Scotia yet only one sister was mentioned?

As addicting as catnip, obituaries are the cat's meow for us genealogists, but this proves they aren't always the end of the story or the only story!

Russell Crawford & Serena Carter

Last August I wrote about Serena losing her son Curtis & his family in a car crash in 1985 after losing her husband Russell Ash Crawford in 1977 - he too had died in a car crash.  She outlived another son, Blaine who died in 2003.

courtesy of Jody Marie Mackeil

Serena G. Crawford, 90, of Victoria Manor, Amherst, formerly of Oxford, passed away peacefully at the High Crest Nursing Home, Springhill on Monday, February 15, 2010 in the comforting presence of her family.  Born in Millvale, NS, she was a daughter of the late Warren and Annie (Crowe) Carter.  Serena was a strong woman with good family values. She loved her husband, children and grandchildren and took pride in providing them with great care. She worked for several years at Oxford Frozen Foods.  She will be sadly missed by her daughter Isabell Lewis, Fenwick and son Lloyd (Karen) Crawford, Wentworth; grandchildren Karen (Jeff) Lewis, Calvert (Lynn) Lewis, Everett (Elizabeth) Crawford, Darlene (Doug) Goodal, Alan (Allison) Crawford, Lee (M.J.) Crawford, Justin and Brian Crawford; 12 great grandchildren; 3 great great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband Russell; daughter Madelene; sons Curtis and Blaine Crawford; grandsons Joey and Darrin Crawford; daughter-in-law Pancy Crawford; son-in-law George Lewis; sisters Viola Carter, Effie Dobson; brothers Lawrence and Basil Carter.  Arrangements have been entrusted to the W Allen Funeral Home, 60 Water St., Oxford (902-447-2167). Due to the current renovations at W Allen Funeral Home, visiting hours will be held from the Trinity United Church, Oxford on Thursday from noon until 2 pm. The funeral service will be held at the Oxford United Church on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 2 pm, Rev. Gary MacDougall officiating. Burial will take place in the Riverside Cemetery, Wallace in the spring.  Those wishing to make a donation in Serena's memory may do so to the Kidney Foundation or the charity of your choice.

courtesy of Jody Marie Mackeil

Unknown Paper - April 1977
Russell Ashford Crawford
Oxford - Russell Ashford Crawford, 69, of Oxford, formerly of Hartford, Cumberland County, died Monday as a result of a car accident.  Born in Hartford, he was a son of the late Ashford and Annie (Vincent) Crawford.  He was an adherent of the United Church and was engaged in the lumber industry all his life.  He is survived by his wife, the former Serena Grace Carter; a daughter, Isabell (Mrs George Lewis), Fenwick; three sons, Lloyd and Curtis, both of Prince George BC; Blaine, Oxford; a brother Ernest, Upper Nine Mile River, Hants County; seven grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by two sisters; a brother and an infant daughter.  The body is at the Allen Funeral Home, Oxford, where funeral service will be held Thursday at 2pm, Rev Maynard Rector officiating.  Burial will be in the Wallace River Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any charity. He was buried on 14 Apr 1977 at Riverside Cemetery in Wallace River, Cumberland Co, Nova Scotia.

courtesy of Jody Marie Mackeil

Halifax Herald, 26 Jul 2003
CRAWFORD, Blaine Ashford - 46, Clarenville, NL, formerly of Oxford, Cumberland Co., passed away Saturday, July 19, 2003, in The Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital, Clarenville, NL. Born in New Glasgow, Pictou Co., he was a son of Mrs. Serena G. (Carter) Crawford, Oxford and the late Mr. Russell A. Crawford. Prior to his retirement due to illness, he was employed as a truck driver and was also employed in the lumbering industry. He will be remembered as an energetic and outgoing person. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoyed every aspect of the outdoor life. Surviving besides his mother are his wife, the former Marie Adams, Clarenville, NL; sons, Justin Crawford and Brian Crawford, both of Truro, Colchester Co.; stepdaughters, Brittany Drover and Breanna Drover, both of Clarenville, NL, and Sarah Casey, Truro, Colchester Co.; sister, Mrs. Isabelle Lewis (George), Fenwick, Cumberland Co.; brother, Lloyd Crawford (Karen), Wentworth, Cumberland Co.; a number of nieces, nephews, cousins. Besides his father, he was predeceased by brother, Curtis Crawford; sister-in-law, Pansy Crawford; nephews, Darren Crawford and Joey Crawford; a sister in infancy. Cremation has taken place at the request of the deceased and a funeral service was held in Clarenville, NL, on Monday, July 21. A graveside committal service will be held in Riverside Cemetery, Wallace River, Cumberland Co., on Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m. Donations may be made to ALS Society of Nova Scotia.

A Little Dennehy

As mentioned in an earlier post, Levi Vincent married Catherine Quillivan and had 5 children – of those, Catherine Agnes married George Francis Dennehy.  Although both his parents were from Ireland, they met and married in Massachusetts in 1855, and like his father, George was a shoemaker.

courtesy of Maeve_in_mass

Catherine and George had 5 children all in Brockton, MA: Grace married George W Scott; George F never married; Kathryn married John Harrington; Edward married a girl named Evelyn; and Rena married Charles Galligan.

courtesy of Rick Bart

Rena and Charles settled in Taunton and raised two children, Jean & Charles.

Taunton Daily Gazette, Tues, 30 Nov 1976
Mrs. Rena C. (Dennehy) Galligan, 74 of 38 Hodges Avenue, widow of Charles D. Galligan died Monday morning at Morton Hospital after a short illness. Born in Brockton, daughter of the late George F. and Catherine (Vincent) Dennehy.  She was educated in schools of that city and had resided in this community for 45 years. She was principal clerk for the Taunton Park Department for 15 years until her retirement in 1972.  Mrs. Galligan was a communicant of St. Mary's Church and a member of the Queens Daughters.  Surviving are one son Charles D. Jr., of this city; one daughter Mrs. Frank J. (Jean M.) Kimball of Fairfield, CT. Also surviving are two brothers, A. Frederick of Long Island, NY and Edward J. of Abington; two sisters, Mrs. George M. (Grave M.) Scott of Abington and Mrs. Kathryn A. Harrington of Brockton; and one granddaughter Tracey A. Kimball of Fairfield, CT

Taunton Daily Gazette, Wed, 24 Jul 1968
Charles D. Galligan, 70 of 18 Hodges Avenue, husband of Rena C. (Dennehy) Galligan died Tuesday morning in St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport, CT after a week's illness. He had been visiting at the home of a daughter Mrs. Frank J. (Jean M.) Kimball of Fairfield, CT. Born in Taunton, son of the late Charles D. and Lena (Lombard) Galligan, he had lived in this city all his life, was educated in Taunton schools and was a communicant of St. Mary's Church. He was an observer of natural resources before his retirement. Surviving in addition to his widow and daughter are a son Charles D. Jr., and two sisters, Katherine B. Galligan and Mrs. William (Lena) Hoye all of Taunton, and one granddaughter Tracey Kimball of Fairfield, CT. He died on 23 Jul 1968 at the age of 70 in Bridgeport, Fairfield Co, Connecticut.

Taunton Daily Gazette, Tues, 27 Oct 1983
Charles D. Galligan Jr., 50 died Wednesday in St. Benson's Medical Center, Fairfield, CT. Born in Taunton, MA, he lived in this city until 1971 before moving to Fairfield. Funeral service will be held at 8 p.m. in the Potter Funeral Home, Bridgeport, CT. Interment will be at the convenience of the family in St. Joseph Cemetery in Taunton. He died on 25 Oct 1983 at the age of 50 in Bridgeport, Fairfield Co, Connecticut.

Jean married Francis Joseph Kimball and relocated to Bridgeport, CT where she died in 1985.