The prompt this week is “longevity”
which brought my maternal grandfather to mind since he achieved the venerable
age of 92 years before his death in 1953.
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| Michael Joseph Connery about 1880 |
Michael Joseph Connery was born on 15
June, 1861 in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland to Maurice Patrick Connery[i]
and Mary Leahy. Michael was baptized on the 16th of June 1861 in the
parish of Kilfinane with his mother’s brother and sister, Michael and Helena,
as his sponsors.[ii]
Figure 2 Baptism record of
Maurice Patrick Connery
Michael grew up as the fifth of ten
children on his father’s farm in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland. Michael received an excellent education, even
finishing high school which was unusual for the time.[iii]
In 1880[iv],
Michael Connery was told by his father to take a cow to market and sell the
cow. The money from the sale of the cow
was to be used to pay for an apprenticeship in butchering. Michael, who had previously thrown his
clothes out the window, picked up the clothes and cow, sold the cow, and bought
a ticket to America.
It appears that he went directly to
Chicago, although so far it has not been proven that he had any connections there.
Michael found work in the city where he proceeded to settle. By 1891 Michael
was a saloon keeper in the city of Chicago, an occupation he would follow until
at least 1906.[v]
According to family oral tradition, Michael returned to Ireland some time
around 1890 to return to his father the money from the sale of the cow that had
financed his voyage to the United States. Reportedly wearing a “fine suit” and
sporting a “gold headed cane”, Michael caught the eye of a young lass names
Alice who determined then and there that they would marry.
Michael married Alice Fleming on 28
June 1893 in the Port Huron home of her sister, Mary Walsh. Michael and Alice
settled in Chicago where they raised their family of nine children on the west
side. By 1910 Michael had left the saloon industry and was employed in
building construction.[vi]
By 1913, Michael was involved with Real Estate and eventually opened his own
company “M J Connery & Sons, Inc. Beginning as a Real Estate company
serving the Garfield Park area of Chicago, M J Connery & Sons eventually
added insurance and travel services. Over the years, in addition to his sons
and daughters, several of Michael’s grandchildren worked for the company.
Speaking of her father, my mom
related the fact that during the depression, my grandfather walked to and from
work every day with only a nickel in his pocket. He went home for lunch daily
and during the depression, sold half of his real estate holdings to pay off the
loans on others. Other stories, so far undocumented,
include Michael leading the Chicago St Patrick’s Day parade on a white stallion.
Michael was a staunch Catholic and
pioneer member of St Mel Parish in Chicago where he and Alice donated a stained-glass
window in memory of their son Leo, who died days short of his eighth birthday.[vii]
Michael Joseph Connery died 16 March
1953 in Chicago and is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Cook,
Illinois.
[i] Catholic
Church Records (Bulgaden Parish, Limerick, Ireland), Diocese of Limerick
Baptisms, p55, Baptism of Maurice Connery; Microfilm 02428-01, National Library
of Ireland, Dublin Ireland.
[ii] Footnote:
Catholic Church Records (Kilfinane, Limerick, Ireland), Diocese of Limerick
Baptisms, page 31, Baptism of Michael Connery; Microfilm 02429 / 05, National
Library of Ireland, Dublin Ireland.
[iii] 1940
US census, Cook County, Illinois, Population schedule, Ward 30, ED 6, 9B, 721,
Michael J Connery.
[iv] 1900
US Census Chicago Ward 28, Cook,
Illinois; Roll: 279; Page: 12A; ED 0851; FHL microfilm: 1240279
[v]
Chicago City Directories 1891 and 1906, online images viewed at fold3.com
[vi] 1910
U S Census, Cook County, Illinois, population Schedule, Ward 34, ED ED 1459,
Sheet 11B, , occupation of Michael
Connery.
[vii] Leo Connery entry, Cook County Deaths, source
reference 1375, record number 82, FHL film 1,239,714.
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