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The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 407 Today's Topics: #1 Letters: Lynch-McNeil, 1910-1915, [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] ----------------------------- X-Message: #1 Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 18:15:23 -0400 From: WendyL5971@aol.com Subject: Letters: Lynch-McNeil, 1910-1915, Cuyahu Mary "Mollie" Lynch McNeill 1881-1915 Ten Letters From Her Last Five Years (transcribed from photocopies of original letters 6/12/1999) Letter #1: Postmark Cleveland April 13 Trip 9 1910 Ohio McNeill, 10307 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland Ohio Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman Grove, New Jersey April 13 1910, Cleveland Ohio My dear Brother, Answered your letter some time ago but have not received any reply. What is the matter, I trust you are all well? Now Charles I am going to ask you to do me a favor. I have been sick with tonsilitis and Bronchitis since Easter, have a terrible cough and am very weak had to have the doctor but his bill must wait. I need something very bad, and so does the children. I have to give what I can toward their support or they will be adopted out. So you are the only one I can turn to Charles if you can loan me a little money till I can get on my feet. I shall pay it back with interest as soon as I go to work. Don't turn me down Brother if it is in your power to help me for I need it worse than I can tell you. I never thought it would come to this. If it were not for my little ones I believe I would end it all. Have heard nothing from Harry since the last time I wrote and don't know where he is. Chief of Police told me I could do nothing with him while he is out of the state. Give my love to Verna and the children. Answer just as soon as possible whether you can grant my favor or not. With love and best wishes to you and family. Believe me always, Your loving sister, Mollie Please answer Letter #2 (No Envelope) April 18, 1910 10307 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio My dear Brother, Your letter received was pleased to hear from you, would have answered at once as you asked but had taken another relapse. I am suffering untold agony with my right eye. The Doctors don't seem to help me any and then besides I have to take other treatments if I don't get any better this week I must go to the hospital if my Doctor can get me in. I can not do anything I suffer so. The only thing that worries me -- I am apt to loose my eyesight. I am bad enough now but to try and make a living and not be able to see is pretty tough. If it were not for Harry's Mother I would not have a place to stay. I have been with her most of the time since I left Fremont. She has to work for a living herself and of course it earns up expenses a little with me here so that is why I shall have go to the hospital if I don't get well but I hope and pray with God's help I soon shall have better health. Charles if you have anything to spare by the time this letter reaches you send it at once and if you have not write anyway. I know I should not ask you as you have a family to support as well I know what it cost to live, but you surely see how helpless I am. I shall pay you back at my first opportunity. You asked me if I carried any Insurance. I am sorry to say I don't. I had a policy in the Prudential on myself when single, but dropped it when I got married. I carry nothing on the children either I could not have kept them up if I did with the luck I have had. I don't see why it is that good girls get such good for nothing men and visa versa. Well dear Brother must bring this to a close as can hardly see my right eye is bandaged up. Give my love to Verna and the children and God Bless you all. Sincerely your sister, Mollie Letter #3: December 11/[19]12 Cleveland, Ohio My dear Brother: No doubt you will be surprised to hear from me, and to learn I have been in the hospital for nearly 3 weeks and can't say for how much longer. Have been very poorly for over 1 year. I have been thinking of you constantly of late so thought I had better write although I am sure I was the last one that wrote will explain more if I hear from you. Please write love to all. Mrs. Mary McNeill, 2173 East 49th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, c/o J. G. Eppele Letter #4: M. A. McNeill, 2173 East 49th Street, Cleveland Ohio Postmark: Cleveland Ohio 1913 Apr Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman, New Jersey, Box 673 c/o J. G. Eppele, 2173 East 49th St., Cleveland Ohio April 9/[19]13 My Dear Brother: I shall make one more attempt to see if I shall get an answer to my letter. I received one letter from you in the five months I laid helpless in the Hospital, in your letter you told me to write and tell you all about my illness and myself which I did months ago, but never received any reply. Now Charles you cannot be so terribly busy that you can't spare at least a half hour to write to the only near relative you have living. God only knows how long it will be I am out of the Hospital nearly two weeks and do not gain very much strength I am very weak and unable to do anything, have lost 5 3/4 lbs. In a little over a week. Last year at this time I weighed 150 lbs. And now only weight 114 lbs. It is a terrible thing to be sick and helpless and to be left without a home and have to depend on the Mercy of your Friends, but I thank God I have a few very good and true ones or I don't know what would become of me. Give my love to Verna and the boys, not forgetting yourself. With best wishes, trusting to hear from you very soon. You sincere Sister, Mollie McNeill Letter #5: Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman New Jersey, Box 673 Address 2124 West 41st Street, Cleveland Ohio, May 15/[19]13, c/o McIntyre My dear Brother: Your letter received was glad to hear from you and to learn you were all doing so nicely. I would have written sooner only I have been somewhat discouraged as the Doctor claims I am not doing as well as he expected - He told me today I would have to be very careful, my disease might take me off without a minutes warning and then again I might live for years. I tell you Brother it is pretty hard to be left without a home and be in my condition. My dear little ones are all doing very nicely for which I thank the Almighty God - I certainly wish you would take a trip to Cleveland as I would be delighted to see you - I suppose both of us have changed and would look different to each other. I suppose your boys are getting big. "Have you no pictures of them"? We are having very changeable weather here, a few days very cold and then very warm. "How do you like the Insurance Business?" Better than keeping a store I suppose you are more sure of your money. I do not know of anything more to tell you at present - so will close with fond love and best wishes to Verna and you. Write soon again as I am always pleased to hear from you. Sincerely, Your Sister Mollie Kiss the boys for their Aunty Letter #6: 2057 West 47th Street, Cleveland Ohio July 1/[19]14 My - dear Brother, Your long looked for letter rec'd - and indeed I was very much surprised to hear from you, for it is - over one year since I wrote, and never rec'd any answer. It certainly seems to me no matter how busy you are, you could find time to write a few lines to your only sister. Now to answer your questions - as to how I am getting along and what I am doing. My health is very poor, and at times I get so discouraged, I am almost desperate, if it were not for my little ones it is hard to tell what might happen, I am still under the Doctors care and have not done anything for several months; I worked a short time in the winter but had to give it up and I have been making my home with a Lady that was a neighbor when I was keeping house. I do what I can around to help pay for my keep but I can tell you it is terrible to depend on strangers, you know people get tired of you after a while. The Dr. talks some of having me go back to the Hospital, but I have not decided yet what I will do. I only weigh 100 lbs. And I used to weight 155 lbs. I don't seem to have any strength. I suppose you have read in the papers about the Mothers Pension, well I put in my application for it and they have investigated my case and found out I was very worthy, but on account of not having any furniture or money to start on I could not have it granted. It certainly made me feel very blue to think I could not have a home and have my little ones with me, they told me at any time I could get enough together to start a home I would be granted it so I trust to God that my health will improve so I shall be able to get to work. At present I am penniless once in a while my Mother in law sends me a little change for carfare and the rest of things I get comes from charity, I hope and pray you shall never go through what I have or be left in the circumstances I have been, when I see other families how happy they are, it nearly tears my heart to pieces, nobody can sympathize only those that have through it. Well Dear Brother I must close as this letter is breaking me - all up and I cannot stand very much. I am still a young woman but I have gone though a great deal. Margaret my oldest girl made her first Communion June 11th and their Grandma had their pictures taken so as soon as I get them will send you one. Give my love to Verna and the boys and a good share for yourself. Trusting to hear from you very soon with love and best wishes. Sincerely, Your Loving Sister, Mollie Please excuse writing Letter #7: Postmark: Cleveland Ohio, February 9, 12-p.m. 1915 Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman Grove, NJ Box 673 February 8, 1915 Mr. C. J. Lynch, Mrs. McNeill is very sick in bed, the doctor has ordered her to go to the hospital again. The doctor told me she is failing very rapidly which she does not know altho [although] she realizes her condition is pretty bad. Her case has puzzled the physicians as they cannot get any good results with all the treatments and they say her case of Sugar Diabetes is one of the worst. Naturally she worries constantly over the children and of course it makes her condition even worse Margaret (her oldest girl) is now [not] to [too] well and is in the infirmary of the home. Mary has been with me since last summer and we think a great deal of her and feel so bad. Have tried to have her stay here but the doctor says no She has been wanting to send the picture of her children to you for some time and as I just found it I told her I would send it on and tell you of her sickness Yours Truly, Mrs. P. G. Wiegert 15700 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood Ohio (Over) Mary would be glad to hear form you as she has spoken of it so often. You can address her here. Letter #8: Postmark: Cleveland Ohio February 26 1 am 1915 Mr. Chas. Lynch Box 673 Pitman Grove, New Jersey Cleveland 2/26-[19]15 Mr. Chas. Lynch: It grieves me very much to notify you of your Sister Mary A. McNeill's death. She went to her last sleep Feb. 15 at 1:50 a.m. at Charity Hospital where she was but a very short time. I took here there on the evening of the 9th, she had taken a very bad spell on the 5th I tried to locate you by wire but was told that there was no Tel Station at Pitman Grove so I did not know what to do I just got your address the other day, so I thought I would let you know what has happened. The last two days she was in a state of Coma and did not recognize any body, I notified her Mother in law but she could not come on account of sickness so we, that is, Mrs. Finegan and myself as friends done all we could to put her away as best we could, I will tell you it is a mighty hard thing for a person to be left all alone in a strange city, and no relatives near at hand, it was mighty hard for her and only for her grit, would have gone long ago, had she not placed herself close to her God and children, its a mighty hard thing for them to be left all alone in a strange city, and she: the poor soul done all she could for them and now it is up to charity to take care of them. I will do the best I can for them to make them feel happy, but what can a stranger do in such a sorrowful plight, I only hope and pray that she is with her maker as she certainly dose [does] deserve, I will write you more later on, so hoping you will excuse me for not writing to you sooner. I remain her sincere friend and companion. John G. Eppele, 2619 E 63rd Street, Cleveland Ohio Excuse my spelling P.S. if there is any thing you would like to know about her children let me know and I will gladly inform you to the best of my knowledge. Letter #9: Cleveland March 3, 4:30P 1915, Ohio Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman, New Jersey Box 673 Thursday Mr. Charles J. Lynch, Pitman, N.J. Dear Sir: Just received your letter and am answering at once as I'm glad to know you wish to hear of your sister but regret terribly that word did not reach you before she died. Mr. Eppele was a friend of Mary's whom she has known for about four years and as far as I know, what I have seen of him and now of him he is a fine man ?? altho knowing about Mary's husband deserting her and that there was no chance to marry her unless she got a divorce (and which she would not hear to) proved to be a great comfort to Mary and her children. Guess if it had not been for him Mary would not have seen much pleasure. He proved to be her true friend after death in the way he left nothing unturned to see she had a proper burial. Mary came to me last July and altho not very strong from the last attack of her sickness (Sugar diabetes) she was a lovely housekeeper and an exceptionally fine woman around my children which I have three, one born last November. She had complained so much of her stomach a couple of months before her breakdown and had just begun doctoring again, having her stomach pumped which seemed the only relief she got. About ten days before she died she went to the doctor and told me he treated her and told her she was in pretty bad condition and would have to go on a diet. This was on Thursday. Friday she felt pretty bad but was up and around. I made her sit down and watch the children and I did the work as Mary was very valuable to me and we surely appreciated her very much and paid her more than any girl I ever had 7.50 per week and ?? Mary had just had her teeth attended to and found it hard to pay for the children who are in St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum 6431 Woodland Ave. Cleveland. Saturday morning Mary called me and said she could not stand and I knew she had had a restless night as I had been in to see her during the night. I called the doctor Saturday afternoon and it was then he said she was failing rapidly but we did not think the end was so close, I don't think he did either as I asked him if there was any immediate danger and he said one could not tell if she would last a month or five years. Everyone who knew her expected it was just such a spell as she had before and that it meant a long illness but recovery. She hated to go to the hospital so badly that I told her we would try to keep her home but the doctor insisted she be moved to hospital as soon as he could get a bed in the ward so on Saturday evening they took her in the ambulance. She suffered frightfully. The day she went to the hospital she asked me to write you and her mother in law which I did but as I say we did not know the end was near and to tell you just what the doctor said. When she left for the hospital I told her I would be over to see her (about ten miles from here) as soon as I could get someone I could trust the children with. As a rule I had kept a nurse maid too but had such a time trying to get one that could do as we wanted that Mary and I decided about a month before she took sick to do without one and we ?? together them when Mary took sick I was practically alone and had to take of the children and Mary too, leaving our laundress do the housework and not being very rugged since the baby came I was naturally pretty tired out and Mary said "Now Mrs. Wiegert you have your hands full so don't be in a hurry to come to see me until you get help and rested up." John was a faithful visitor each day and night at the hospital also took Mary's place in going to see the children when she was unable, the children called him Uncle John. He surely has been very kind to them and Mary never ceased telling me of his kindness, a great deal of which I had seen. Well Sunday afternoon John called me up and said "Well I guess poor Mary is going as she has passed into coma and the doctor said it might be an hour possibly a day but no longer." I was shocked and got some neighbor in to take the children and Mr. Wiegert drove me over pretty rapidly thinking each minute might be too late. We were there about 7 p.m. and Mary was rapidly sinking and unconscious. I called her and her eyes opened although she seemed to look and know I hardly believe she did. It was pitiful to see such a lovely, smart woman and a model mother so devoted to those little girls go so early in life. She was buried from McForray's undertaking establishment. John said if it took his last cent he would see she was properly laid away and I said I too would not want it otherwise was willing to help if some of her own family would not take care of it but I wrote her mother in law and she replied very kindly and has agreed to pay the bill of 75.00 sending some each month until paid. When John got to the hospital Sunday afternoon and saw conditions he called me at once said he would wire you and her mother in law. He called me later and said the telegraph office said they could not reach that place which I said at the time was mighty funny and told him to try again and then said they could not wire there but could wire some place distant if you had phone that they could phone from the nearest place to you. I'm sure if we had known it would have done any good to have you come ?? ?? even thought you would we would have spared nothing to reach you ?? but not knowing her family affairs only knowing that she had not received any aid from anyone on either side when she was in very bad circumstances and poor health naturally we wondered but I'm sure Mr. Lynch Mary had made many friends here and we saw that she was very nicely buried in Calvary cemetery, a single lot of course and no doubt if you want the deed to the lot it should be yours to save for the children. Mrs. McNeill (mother in law) said they intended to take the children later on but of course we don't know what the future will bring. The home they are in is alright I guess but its pitiful to have them brought up without some one near and dear to care for them. Poor Mary would break down and cry after coming from the home and say how the children begged of her to make a home for them. Mary had $250.00 insurance which Father LeBlond is appointed administrator over, no doubt if they remain in the home it will go to the home but you might correspond wit him and find out all particulars. He was very kind to Mary I know. She had all the rights of the church and a requiem mass. Mary often spoke of you to me and said how she wished to see you and hoped you would come to see her sometime as she could not see her way to go and see you. I notice your address is Pitman we had it Pitman Grove and possibly that accounts for not reaching you. Father LeBlond's address is 506 O'Brien Building, Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. McNeill said or intimated that a son of hers in Brooklyn would take one of the children as he has a good home and a child of 4 years. If the children are like their mother and I understand they are in their ways, they surely would be a credit to anyone. I saw them for the first time at the funeral and my heart ached to see those little tots and I'm sure they could not realize their loss and this was the first person they had seen in death. They were not permitted to go to the cemetery as the nuns thought it best they should not see their mother put into the ground. I guess I have gone into details and can assure you that if I can be of any more service to you or answer any more questions I would be glad to as I'm so pleased that you want to know all. Must add that the home where the children are does not keep them after 14 years of age. Margaret has just passed her eleventh birthday. Ruth her ninth and Helen her eighth. Yours truly, Mrs. P. G. Wiegert, 15700 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio Letter #10: J. G. Eppele, 2619 E 63rd, Cleveland Ohio Postmark: Cleveland, Ohio March 9 12:30 a.m. 1915 Mr. Chas. J. Lynch, Box 673, Pitman Grove, New Jersey Cleveland March 8 1915 Mr. C. J. Lynch, Dear Sir: in reply to your letter of the 27th you must excuse me for not answering sooner but sickness must be looked after the first thing, you see I was away from my morning place for a week and that is why I did not get your letter as soon as you expected. Now Mr. Lynch I will try to give you all the information I can about your Sister Mary. To start with, it was about 4 years ago this coming May that I got acquainted with her and she told me something about her husband that he had left her with 3 small children the youngest was about 6 or 7 weeks old and from that time never heard from him any more so according to that he is missing going on 8 eight years as Helen is 8 years old the 26th of Feb. And that is all I know about him I never saw him, but Mrs. Finegan on West 47th Street can tell you more about him Your Sister Mary was buried from St. Patrick's church with a Requiem High Mass and her remains are at rest in Calvary Cemetery. This was done by myself and her friend Mrs. Finegan, the children are all together at St. Joseph's Orphanage and are getting the best of care as I was with them about 4 hours yesterday afternoon it is a very sad thing for the poor little ones they call me Uncle John and you can take it from me that I am glad that I am so well acquainted with them when they see me they let all others go. Mary and myself you my see went to visit them every chance she got and often during the week and I certainly do and did give her credit for the great interest that she had in them, she was a good little mother and a very good women as no one in this city to my knolage [knowledge] can say one word bad about her, Now Mr. Lynch I will tell you how it was about notifying you about your Sisters illness and I hope you will not put the blame on me when I went to the Telegraph office and told them where I wanted to send a message they took out a book and told me that there was not a place called Pitman Grove but they had Pitman alright so I was puzzled not knowing any different as it was a Suburban Town with no Stations so I hope you will not put any blame on me as I done the best I knew how and besides your sister passed away sooner that I thought she would. So may God give her everlasting rest, and may her soul rest in peace, I will write you more in my next to you my best wishes to you and Family. I remain yours, John G. Eppele, 2619 E 63rd, Cleveland Ohio -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #407 *******************************************