Hi, Ed,
Thank you for your message. Needless to say, I am flabbergasted and delighted to meet you online. Your connection might explain my family's "Chicago connection." My frst question is why did the family change the spelling of your last name? My Aunt Helen Crehan (my Dad's sister) told me that Ellen Byrne was from Bray, but evidently, this is not accurate. She also said it was considered good luck that the surname, Byrne, was part of both sides of the family as my Grandmother, Mary Jane, married a Byrne, my Grandfather, who was also named John Joseph. However, my brother did the big Y DNA test and we do not show that we are truly part of a Byrne clan. I am working on this, as this also surprised me as I had never heard of another surname for my Dad's side other than Byrne.
My Grandfather Byrne's brother, Lar (Laurence) came to the Chicago area first and actually worked in Libertyville, where my Grandfather and eventually, my Dad and brothers worked - on the Samuel Insull estate. My Grandfather came to the U.S. around 1920, before my Grandmother and their children came. My Dad did not come over until 1922 or so (I have the dates, but am writing this without the documentation). All of the family came to the U.S. via New York, but then, traveled to Chicago.
My Great Grandfather Thomas Byrne actually had come to Boston in the 1870's, as he had a foundry in Ireland and came to Boston to work with the Fire Department. At least, this is what I have heard. He married a woman in Boston named Hannah Ryan in 1875, but they returned to Fethard.
Anyway, all of my Dad's siblings grew up on the South Side of Chicago - Thomas, Helen (Ellen Mary), Rose, Hannah (Annie), Mary, and my Dad, Laurence (Lawrence). Helen and Rose ended up moving to California. All are deceased now. According to my Aunt Helen, she spent much time with her Grandma Walsh, as she was smaller and maybe, health compromised, compared to her siblings. She said Grandma Walsh raised her on goat's milk. I think Grandma Walsh was also known as "Nellie" or "Nell." My Aunt Helen really missed her when she came to America. My Aunt Helen was an amazing woman, with a very strong personality and told wonderful (and of course, some sad) stories about Ireland and growing up. She and her husband, Tom Crehan (from Ennis, Co. Clare) had a successful restaurant in Long Beach, CA. My Uncle Tom, worked for the telephone company in Chicago (Illinois Bell, now AT&T) and was the union leader for the employees. My Aunt Annie married James Hayes and had five children. My Aunt Rose married a Navy man, Joseph Olmstead, and settled in San Diego, CA after the World War II. My Aunt Mary married Al Plaza and retired to Maryland, where one of their daughters lived. My Dad, Lawrence, worked for John F. Cuneo of Cuneo Press, in Chicago. He startedf as Mr. Cuneo's secretary and then became his farm and estate manager, overseeing over 3,000 acres in Libertyville, Illinois. This is where my siblings and I grew up and it was a beautiful place to grow up. Mr. Cuneo bought the Insull mansion, after the Depression. Sadly, this estate has been subdivided and developed to the point that it is unrecognizable from what I knew when I was young. I live in Mundelein, which is the town next to Libertyville.
Anyway, there is a brief summary of the family. My question is I wonder if there was any contact with your Grandfather and my Grandmother's family, once they were here, as your Grandfather's parents would have already have been in Chicago. Maybe there was contact and I just never knew about it. I know my Dad's family grew up in St. Carthage parish on the South side (73rd St.).
Thank you again for contacting me and for the information you have provided. Keep in touch and take care.
Best regards
Mary Byrne
