When we had the sibling (Mary Jane Mescall, Jerome Sullivan, Timothy Sullivan, Peter Sullivan) reunion at Janie’s house on 2/12/13, we talked about starting a Wikipedia-like narrative of our family history with everyone adding to the narrative pieces that they recall. Here were some from yesterday (plus someothers) :

Jerry recalls that in the 1940’s, possibly from Cuba NY or from Williamsville, the family traveled to see old Aunt Mary Flanagan (Flannigan) (of Wainfleet). Janie and Jerry remember seeing Sarah Flanagan’s brothers John and Ed at the Flanagan home not far from the Bird road farm (these brothers were born 1851 and 1854–before American the civil war—grandmother Sarah Sullivan was born c. 1858, married our grandfather James when James was c. 36 and Sarah was c. 17). On these visits in the 40’s, the farm may have been occupied fully by tenants as there was no recall of staying at the farm at that time.

Janie is quite sure that Aunt Mary was Ed Flanagan’s wife, and they had a son John who married Marie Burke, this couple lived in Toronto. One time on a trip to see them, Tim got stuck coming out of the bathroom. There was a sense of intrigue about this couple—they did not have children and may have been separated at some point.

Tim and I remember visits later to see Aunt Mary—dad (William J. Sullivan) was quite devoted in making these visits, almost like pilgrimages—Aunt Mary was large and very deaf—conversation was all at the level of virtually shouting, and Tim and I were expected to say hello and then we could go out and play, or go to the car in the driveway. One time while Tim was sitting at the driver’s seat, a large dog came out (or down the road?) and Tim stepped out to admire the size of the dog, at which point it stood up on its hind legs and its head was at about the level of Tim’s and as I recall it would not get its paws off Tim’s shoulders for some time. Harmless but huge.

When Janie saw my email about finding the name Alice Fry in a 1911 Canadian census, then 27 and listed as granddaughter of Great Uncle John Sullivan (brother to James Sullivan), both of whom, John Sullivan and Alice Fry, living on the farm with dad and his parents at that time, she immediately remembered dad (William J Sullivan) talking about wanting to visit the Fry’s in Buffalo. Alice’s mother must have been one of Uncle John’s daughters who married a Fry. When we looked at the 1880’s James and Sarah Sullivan family bible (the Big Leather Bound Bible) the name Fry is noted in pencil in the front cover, something I had never noticed before and that previously made no connection/sense to me.