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7:29 AM 11/18/2005

DEVITTS

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FUNERAL RITES
ATTY. W.C. DEVITT

The funeral for Atty. Wm. C. Devitt, who died at his summer home in Stone Harbor, NJ, Thursday, was held from his home, 214 Centre St. Ashland, on Monday Morning with a mass in St. Joseph's church celebrated by Rev. Neal J. Devitt, son Of the deceased, assisted by Rev. P.K. Hoey, deacon and Rev.Edward J. Boyle, subdeacon.

Father Devitt gave the absolution of the body, and Msgr. Bernard McKenna, assisted by the other priests, conducted the committal services in the parish cemetery. The following priests were present in the parish sanctuary during the mass: Msgr. Bernard McKenna, Revs. Daniel J. Feeley, Henry McNutley, Leon Klassen, all of Phila.; Vincent Burke, Pottsville, Cornelius Burke, Harrisburg, Albert Suter, Fabian Anderko, Chas. Cassidy, Wm. Toonig, all of Ashland.

The honorarey pall bearers were: Cyrus Palmer, Harold Paul, Chas. Staudenmeier, James Curran, Vincent Dalton, G. E. Gangloff, W. E. Triebly, L. E. Enterline, Franklin Kehler, L. S. Franks, Z. F. Rynkiewicz, Edwrard J. O'Donnell, P.J. Groody, D. J. Ferguson, Cletus Kilker and Nicholas D'Alessandro.

The active bearers were: Dr. Wm. B. Carey, Thomas Pepper, John Goyne, Charles Daley, John Murray, Harry Cockill, Carl Waters and Charles Noone. M.J. Burke was the funeral director in charge."

I am currently tring to identify all the names in the articles, looking for relatives and/or aquaintances...the names appear exactly as written.



***A FAMILY FARM

It recently came to my attention that the Kerns lived on a farm "near Orwigsburg", and at least one Kerns child, Catherine, was born on that farm. The family still lived there in 1880, where the town of Landingville had sprung up. On the same page in the 1880 Census, there was a family of Sterners there too. By that time however, son Thomas F. Kerns had already married, and settled and prospered in Pottsville, where he worked as a prothonetery in the courthouse. We learned that Thomas had married Ellen Murphy, and had two children, Edward and Anna Francis Kerns. In 1883, Thomas, a widower, remarried, Clara E.Sterner, whose family lived next door to the Kerns in Pottsville. Ellen remembers her aunts speaking of a Clara, their grandmother, but never realized who she was.  After Clare Devitt was born, Thomas Kerns purchased a new home for his daughter's family, at 214 Centre Street, in Ashland, and the Devitts moved from the "house on the hill" to Centre Street.

I now believe that that same Kerns farm served as a respite for the Devitts as they spent summers away from the unhealthy air in Ashland.

Cousin Ellen Paladine Peterson remembers the Devitt sisters talking about a farm, where the family spent many summers. When questioned, Ellen wrote:

"I think the farm was in Orwigsburg. I'm not sure who it
belonged to- probably some other relative. It was there
that Bunny was injuried when she was around 3 years old,
I think. I remember her talking about the accident in
the kitchen around the old coal (or wood) stove and how they didn't think she would live. The whole family would move their for the summer months. I think it had to do with trying to stay healthy during the hot season since the town was notconsidered healthy - a common thought in the early 1900s."

Back in town, the Devitts lived in a rather large house- and William's sister, Mary and husband John E. Noon, lived next door, at 216 Centre St. In the home at 218, was William's widowed father, Neil. who lived there until 1924, and in the home with him were his 2 unmarried daughters, the seamtress- Annie Devitt,and schoolteacher- Susan P. Devitt. I think the Noons switched homes with Neil Devitt during their stay in Ashland.

In 2004, I purchased an item from Dennis Kane, of Ashland, who upon hear- ing that I was related to both the Noons and Devitts, told me he grew up at 218 Centre Street, one of the old Devitt row of houses. The very same home rented by the Noons. It certainly appears to be a very small world! Dennis proved to be a wealth of information as he and his mom used to visit Bunny and Clare quite often, spending hours chatting and reading and exchanging books. Dennis told me of Father Neil taking out the passenger seat of his Volkswagen, just to fit in it. Clare even tutored him in Spanish, in high school and college! In fact, he was such a good friend that he was one of the pall beareers at all the Devitt funerals, and apparently all the Devitts were laid out in the front parlor; he tells of the funeral director having trouble hanging curtains when Bunny was waked.

Writing of the home, Dennis told me that the Devitt home was sold twice in the span of some 3 years, and the old wroght iron fence that abutted Centre Street, was a remnant of the old Schuylkill County Prison- the very same fence where the Mollies walked past, on the way to their executions. Of course, as fate would have it, the fence was removed and simply discarded- and a simple stockade fence replaced it. What a shame!

Dennis and his mom remembered the Staudenmeiers, and Bunny's best friend,  Mary McMurtrie! It is indeed Mary McMurtrie in the 1950 Mothers' Day Photo!

And to boot, Dennis might be related to the Centralia Kanes- though his family lived in Mt. Carmel, but then again, our Kanes stemmed from there as well.

Now the house at 214 has been sold again, to Dennis Kane's brother, who has restored it to its Victorian beauty!

I know Dennis to be honest, as he brought up the fact that the basement in the row houses was shared, and one could walk from one home to the others! This was offered before I even told Dennis of the lease I have, dividing up the basements between the Devitts and the Noons!




****CHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND ANNA fRANCIS KERNS DEVITT

Daughter Clare Marie Devitt was born in 1902, followed by Edward, (aka Ned), Cornelius, William, Thomas, Anna Francis, Ellen, and Bernadette, in Feb.1916.

I have had contact with several former students of Miss Clare Devitt, from the Mahonoy Township High School, who remember her fondly as a teacher and extra=ordinary individual, teaching not only Spanish, but History, English, Latin and guiding students in their Senior plays. Cousin Ellen Paladine remembers both Clare and Bunny telling stories of Clare's successful students, as well as Bunny's work in the Pottsville Library. Often, students would visit the home in Ashland on the Ashland Boys' Day/Labor Day Weekend, where the Devitts would hold "open house", a welcome to all.

Here are a few comments made by Clare Devitt's former students:

"1 My name is Ginny and I am Julia McGroarty's niece. I read the e-mail to her from Ms. Devitt's relative. Ms. Devitt taught Julia either French or Spanish and Julia was very fond of her. Julia came back as the school nurse after graduation in 1928 and Claire was still teaching. Julia said everyone thought very highly of Claire. --- Ginny

2 Frank Pappert - Class of @ Jul 3rd 2003 11:50PM
Sophia, Received your e-mail on Miss Devitt and was glad to hear from you. I was in Miss Devitt's home room for my senior year. I also had Miss Devitt for my English teacher my senior year and learned more in that one year than I learned in my other three years. She was a
very good teacher and a wonderful lady. I wish there were more like her. That is all for now so keep up the good work. Francis

3 Sophie Kornock Klemic - Class of 1938 @ Jun 26th 2003 9:26AM
She was a very special teacher who left so many good memories with her students. Her talent for educating and getting the attention and cooperation from even the liveliest students was impressionable...


4 Ann Henkel Corinchock - Class of '51 @ Jun 25th 2003 11:36PM
Enjoyed the photos and comments on Miss Devitt. Besides teaching Spanish she also directed our senior plays. "Mother was a freshman" was our class play and we had great fun staying after school to practice. Years later Miss Devitt and I met at the Pottsville court house, we were both serving on jury duty. We had a chance to reminisce and I was flatter-ed she remembered me.

5 Jim Kopp - Class of '37 @ Jun 25th 2003 5:12PM
Como esta usted, amigos. Ah, yes, I remember Miss Devitt.Taught me Spanish as a freshman and sophomore, I believe. As a teacher she was perfection personified. What a great lady.

6 Dorothy (Osadchak)McCarthy - Class of 1938 @ Jun 25th 2003 1:04PM
Thank you Sophie for sending the photo's of Miss Devitt. I would remember her anywhere. She was a beautiful lady with her hair always beautifully styled with waves. Thank you Robert for sharing the photo's. Dorothy

7 Jackie Haddock, Re: Miss Devitt - Class of @ Jun 24th 2003 11:42PM
She hasn't changed a bit!! I always remember her directing me for the Sr. play. I had the lead with George Thompson, my cousin. Thank you for sending the picture. Jackie

8 JIM CRELLIN - Class of 1938 @ Jun 24th 2003 9:20AM
*****Sophie; I very vividly remember Miss Devit she taught the commercial classes and was a very favorite teacher of mine. Perhaps many years ago my brother Tom used to take some of the teachers to I beleive Bloomsburg teachers college when they were working on their degrees and Miss Devitt could have been one of them. I remember her and she was a great teacher and friend. Thank you for sending this to me...

9 Dorothy (Osadchak) McCarthy - Class of 1938 @ Jun 23rd 2003 9:17PM
Though I didn't know of the Noon Family, I'm pleased to meet Robert Noon via our WEBSITE. Robert, I also was an admirer of Miss Devitt. I had her in Civics, and it was in her class room where our class learned of the abdictation of King Edward in 1936 and that his brother King George VI would be enthroned. To this day whenever I hear of any reference made of King Edward, or Wally Simpson, I think of Miss Devitt and how eloquently she presented the class with  current events. May she rest in peace.

10 Tom Donahue - Class of 1955 @ Jun 23rd 2003 4:31PM
Thanks Sophie for sending the picture of Miss Devitt. It brought back many memories. She was a great teacher. I had her for 3 years of Latin & learned a lot. [There] was no nonsence in her class...

[Special thanks to Sophie Klemic for reaching out to all those alumni for their responses.]


Sophie also sent me two photos of Clare, one from the nursing home in Frackville, dated 1986, and another dated 1979, when Clare was a special guest at the 50th class reunion of the Mahanoy Township High School Class of 1929!

In November, 2005, Sophie again ontacted me for pictures of Clare to post on the website for the Mahanoy Twp HS.

*

Edward K. Devitt was born in 1904. He was given the middle name "Kerns", after his mom's family name.We all knew Edward as "Ned", an old dyed-in-the-wool Irish batchelor. We would go up to his favorite haunts, on Broad Mountain for day-long hikes, and to fire off his .22 rifle into the stream. I learned from Ned's obituary, that he worked for tye Budd Company, Philadelphia, and later worked in the Upper Darby Post Office.

*

Cornelius Nevitt was born in 1905. He bacame a parish priest, having 14 years of post- high school education, and was pastor of the R. C. parish in Tower City, Pa. In 1965, Fr. Neil was installed as pastor of St. Mary's I was contacted by the daughter of one of his parishioners, who said her mom and dad remembered Fr. Neil well, and remained friends with him until his retirement from the priesthood.
One of the things that struck people was how Fr. Neil could get into such a small Volkswagon Bug, being such a tall man!

I vividly remember the email that started this all, from Pat Bennett, sending me a picture of Neil on his retirement from the priesthood- and how much he looked like one of her Devitt relatives! Since then, we have explored the connection between the families, but have not made the definite connection yet. Neil came back to the old homestead in Ashland, to live, and was, for a time, like Bunny and Anna Francis, cared for by a home- care nurse, Margaret Scully, before each Devitt sibling needed extra care in a nursing home. Neil died in 1994, and is buried in St. Joe's Cemetery.{Pat sent me Neil's death certificate along with Bunny's.)

*
William and Thomas Devitt were born in 1907 and 1908 respectively. The boys are found in the 1910 census as 3yo and 2 yo. But by the 1920 Census both boys were not enumerated.

Ellen Paladine Peterson remembers it this way:
"Tommy and Billy died within weeks (days?) of each other from influenza (Ihink) They were 8 and 10 (I think). "
That would have been when the Flu epidemic surfaced in Ashland in the latter part of 1918.
*

In 1910, another daughter was born- named after her mother, Anna Francis. I often speculated how Anna Francis might have met Vince Paladine, of Girardville,son of Italian immigrants, Frank and Anna Paladine. Vince had two sisters, Philamena and Dolorus. Philomena married Charles Daley, from Connerton, and later lived in Ashland, owners of Daley's Clothing Store. They were seen at Mass in St. Joseph's Church many times- accompanied by a nun, Sr. Mary Josina, I believe, who was Philomena and Vince's sister, Dolorus. As of the year 2000, Dolorus is residing at Immaculata, Pa, being taken care of by the nuns there, after her retirement. A brother of Charles Daley was an ordained priest, the Most Rev. Rev. Joseph Daley, who was elevated to the position of Bishop of the Harrisburg Archdioces in the 1960's.

Mary Daley, Charles' sister married James Barrett, and has lived in Ashland for many years until her death in early 2005. Another Daley was a Nun, Sr. ??, so maybe it was she who was spotted in church with the Ashland Daleys.

The Cherbys, Paladines, and Capparells

In 2004, I recieved info that Uncle Vince's mother's maiden name was Cherby.
Also, they lived in Hazleton, before arriving in Girardville. Anna, married Frank Paladine, and her sister, Mary married Joseph Capparell, who also came from Hazleton, where they lived next door to the Cherbys. I learned that a mine strike caused the families to move south, into Schuylkill Co.- the Cherby's and at least some of the Capparells made the move. Vincent Paladine was actually born in Shenandoah, according to his marriage document.

Joseph Capparell owned and operated a hardward store in Girardville for many years, and after Mary died, he remarried Columbia Yori-Facinelli, and raised a few of her children as well. One son of Coumba's, from an earlier  marriage, was Marco Ritro- who at the time I am writing this, 2 2005- is still living in Girardville. When asked, he responded that he knew the Frank Paladines.

*

In 1914, Ellen Devitt was born. Ellen Paladine recalls:

"I was named for Ellen. She died in the late 30's (1939?) from
pneumonia. She had married Bill Carey, a dentist from Girardville and was about 3-4 months pregnant at the time of her death. Mom and Dad postponed their wedding because of Ellen's death."

Careys

From that small bit of information, I learned a great bit of information on the Careys of Girardville! Dr. William Carey, indeed was a dentist, and had an office in Girardville by 1930- when he was only 25. I learned that he was a graduate from Temple University School of Dentistry, and after he and  Ellen Devitt were married in 1935, William opened an office in Shoemakersville, Pa, as well. We tracked down the obituary for Ellen, and in it, it states that Ellen was off visiting her family in Ashland for a week, contracted pneumonia, and died in the hospital a few days later. She is buried in Ashland, and William immediately closed both offices, and mourned his wife and unborn child for an entire year, at the home of his sister, Anna Carey and James Jordon. One child, Joan, remembered how much the couple loved each other-and how devestated all the family was. After the grieving continued for a year, all the Carey boys took their brother on a long fishing trip, and the mourning period was over.

It was such an interesting time, talking with Joan Jordan Kinter, who currently resides in Maryland, in an assisted living facility. She has sent me documents and pictures, including records from the family bible, leading me to information about the life and career of William's older brother Michael Carey. Michael was a music professor, and according to Joan played with the Dorsey brothers band in NYC. Mickey was homesick though, and returned to play at both the Pottsville Club and McGrath's Tavern in Lost Creek.

When I relayed this bit to Peg Scully, she told me that her mom was a singer,and sang with Mickey at McGrath's! Little had I realized that Mickey was married to a Margaret Scully of Girardville- a distant cousin to Peg from Ashland!!! It all fit perfectly! In fact the two Margaret Scullys were both Registered Nurses...

In 2005, I was looking through old emails and posts, and found one from a man who told me he was a boyhood pal of Micket Carey, and recalled Mickey playing the organ at the Temple Movie house in Ashland, (later known as the Roxy) and recieving lifetime tickets to that Theatre, for both himself and his family... Will wonders never cease? No, indeed, read on...

And yet another sibling, Mary Carey, married John F. Grady, from yet another Girardville family. Their son, Claire, married Evelyn Lally, whose parents were Anthony and Mary Kleeman Lally, from my Noon side of the family. With the help of fellow researcher, Christine Caruher, we found the marriage license  for Evelyn and Claire..giving us assurance that indeed, Evelyn was the daughter of Mary Kleeman.
I guess just about everyone in Schuylkill County is inter-related.

*

Shortly after the birth of Bernadette, on Feb 10, 1916, the last child to be born to this Devitt family, William was chosen by the Democratic Party to represent the county at the Democratic Convention in St. Louis in August, 1916, to nominate Woodrow Wilson as canditate for US President.
(This information comes from the website:www.politicalgraveyard.com. (The site states that the burial place for William is unknown, but I am sure it is in St.Joes, right in the heart of Ashland.)

*

A summer home was purchased in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and many summers were spent there with the entire family. Several pictues of the Devitts and Noons on the shore attest to their summer vacations.

In 1927, William, a member of the local Ashland Elks' Lodge made the motion to purchase the Hooven Merchantile Building on Centre Street for the sum of $19,000. The motion was seconded, renovations proceeded at a cost of  $11,000, and its building used as the lodge's new meeting house.

William Devitt died at age 80, at his summer home, in NJ, just at the conclusion of WW2, August 30, 1945. His body was brought back to his  hometown of Ashland, and is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

A dear friend, Pat Bennett sent me information she gathered in the library, from the shortened versions of obituaries for Neil and William C. Devitt,  but the full copies must be located in the Pottsville Library or the Historical Society of Schuylkill County.

The home at #214 Centre Street remained in the Devitt name, where daughters, Clare and Bernadette- the oldest and youngest Devitt siblings, lived for the remainder of their lives. Annie Devitt was bed-ridden in the upstairs room of #216 until her death in 1960. She was lovingly cared for by her nieces; I remember delivering food to Annie in the upstairs bedroom. The home was sold after Annie's death, and the old Devitt homestead at 214 Centre Street was also sold after the death of the last of the Devitts, Anna Francis Devitt Paladine. Contents of historical significance are held by Ellen Peterson, William's grand-daughter, in Indianapolis, Indiana.


****WILLIAM DEVITT'S SISTERS

William had 5 sisters- Annie, Catherine, Theresa, Mary (Maizie) and Susan P.Devitt.

1 Annie

Annie was the oldest of the sisters, She never married, and was in inheritor of her father's estate, and continued to live in the house on Centre Street in Ashland, after her father died in 1924. Annie was a seamtress, and had been living with her father and sister, Susan P. In fact,Annie was the only Devitt child of her generation whom I met, as she was bed-ridden in the late 1950's, and we would visit and bring her food when we were up at Ashland in the late summers. I believe Annie died in 1960, and my sister, Kathleen made the trip to Ashland for the funeral.

2 Theresa

Theresa was born in 1874, and was christened in Minersville, Pa. Sponsors were Sarah Mohan, and Thomas Brennan, and the Baptism was performed at St.Vincent de Paul's Church, on Sunbury Street. Ellen, again recalls: "I wonder if Theresa was Aunt Tess (my great aunt). I remember Bunny and Clare talking about her with kindness and I think I have a picture of her with them. It was a picture that hung in my room - the front room.

She was a BIG lady with a very kind look about her - she looked like she would love and hug any troubles away."

Theresa was a dressmaker, like her sister Annie. It was Aunt Tess who married John Maguire, and was found living in Asbury Park, Nj, as listed in her brother's obituary in Sept 1945. I now believe that her daughter Susan was our Sue Sauer, who also lived in Asbury Park, and recently found SSI document for a Norm Sauer, of Allenhurst, Monmouth Co.,NJ, dates for him givin as 5/5/1908-7/1979.

Perhaps we could find an obit for him? Norm was a dentist, as I recall, and had two sons: John Jay, and Ted Sauer. We used to recieve Christmas cards from  Sue, with photos of the boys, and a hand written poem inscribed on the front!

3 Susan

Susan P. Devitt was a schoolteacher in the old Ashland High School for about 40 years. She also remained unmarried, living with her sister and father at #216 Centre Street, next to the William C. Devitts, her brother's rather large family. I believe Sue died in 1954, and is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

4. Catherine

On William Devitts funeral write up, it lists his sister Catherine as Mrs. John Hester. She I believe is the missing Aunt Kate, from the Anna Connelly wedding. Upon checking the Census records and the 1890 index, there was a Daniel Hester living in Ashland. Might he be the husband of catherine Devitt? Later, when I checked the 1910 Philadelphia records, I found a Daniel Hester and wife Catherine living in Philadelphia! Three children were also listed: Cornelius J, Mary and Anna. Cornelius J. was the same name given Father Neil at birth!!!

The snag in all this, is that I can't seem to locate any of the Hesters in any records past 1910! I'll have to check out the other Census records in Pa. as well as NJ, where they might have resided. After three tyears of researching... there is more questions than ever!

But someday, the mystery will be solved.

5. Mary (Maisie)


Mary or Maizie, as she was known, was my grandmother, and is listed with John E. Noon.


Hopefully, someday, Ellen will get a chance to go through the boxes in her base-ment and reveal their contents... Sincere thanks go to Ellen, i for all her help stirring up the old memories of the Ashland Devitts. She has been a treasure trove already, but I feel we've only scratched the surface.




Ellen did write this as well

"I don't know what mine Neil worked for. There was a relative that was an accountant for one of the mines that was attacked by the Molly Maguires and got away with his life (so the story goes). He was on mine business at the time of the attack."




EPILOGUE


When I started collecting all the family information, I wrote this recollection:


" THE DEVITT CHILDREN
Clare, Edward, Cornelius, Thomas, William, Anna Francis,
Ellen, and Bernadette

Clare M. Devitt followed the examples of a few of her family and pursued a career in teaching in the public schools, and for many years taught Spanish in the high school. She remained single her entire life and lived at 214 Centre Street until she became too ill to live at home, and was placed in a nursing home for her remaining years. Clare was always thought of as the family historian, and loved talking about the family and of our ancestors, recalling days gone by. She talked of politics too, and the goings-on in Ashland through the years. I remember vividly coming to Ashland each Labor Day weekend,entering the house, when Clare even at noonday, preparing the Friday evening meal,usually a large baked ham, and there would be that special smell... baked beans!
She was a very good cook as well! It would not be unusual, on the following morning to wake up at 5 am, and come downstairs, finding my dad and Clare in the kitchen, rehashing old times and personalities, Clare with her cigarettes, which she smoked incessently, and dad with a cigarette and morning coffee. There she was, beginning breakfast for the gang of Noon children, who had descended on the household for yet another holiday weekend. And Clare always insisted that mom was on vacation, and wouldn't let her lift a finger the entire weekend.
*
Ned, or Edward K. Devitt, was "a sort of old, dyed in the wool, Irish batchelor", and not too much is known of him. I remember the way he repeated everything he said, and always treated us very kindly, taking us up to Broad Mounbtain to fire off his .22 rifle in the creek,
or going on a hike in the woods. I never knew what Ned did for a living, as he was retired before I actually remember him, I just remember him being their, on those special weekends at summers' end.
*
Cornelius, or Father Neil, as we knew him, became a parish priest, and my  first recollection of him was in 1955, when I was 4 years old, at the Connelly wedding in Philadelphia. The entire clan was represented, and also gathered at father Neil's 25 anniiversary of the priesthood, and the reception at the church.
We also saw his rectory, in Tower City, and remember climbing the back stairs,over and over...
Fr. Neil would join us for Sunday dinner, in Ashland, after Sunday Mass , the day before Labor Day. So, we didn't see alot of Father Neil, but I just remember him very fondly. When my sister, Kathleen was to be married, how much she wanted to have Father Neil there, to say the nuptuals, but there was some last minute glitch, which prevented him from doing so. After being retired from the priesthood, Father Neil moved back to Ashland, where he died in 1994.
*
Little or nothing is known of the two boys, William and Thomas Devitt, as they show up on the 1910 census, but not found on the 1920 Census. In fact, I didn't realize there were 2 other Devitts until I started collecting data, in April, 2001. I later learned from cousin Ellen, how the two boys died within days of each other, in 1918, of the Spanish Influenza.
*
Anna Francis Devitt was born in 1910, and was named after her mother, Anna F. Kerns Devitt. She attended Immaculata College, and is shown on the 1930 Census, as living away from home. She studied Spanish and history, and later married Vince Paladine, from Girardville. Anna F. and Vince lived in Upper Darby, Pa for most of their lives, and had a daughter, Ellen, in 1949. Anna  F. worked for years in Philadelphia in the Federal Care Program, where she rose to position of super-visor. She and Vince are godparents to James Michael Noon, who was born in 1954.

I remember their visits to the old Noon residence in Levittown, NY, on James' first birthday, as well as subsequent visits, leading up to the wedding of Kathleen A. Noon to Robert Baker, in 1968. Anna Francis loved recieving long letters written by my dad and myself, and I remember her sitting in our Smithtown home, doing the NY Times crossword puzzle, which she was very good at, and eating lots of sweets from the bakery in town. Her favorite sports star, I remember, was Bill Bradley, who went to Princton. Boy, could she talk about Bill Bradley!
After Vince retired from selling pianos for the Wurlitzer Piano Company, the Paladines moved to Ashland, and Vince after a while had to stay in a nursing home, in Frackville.
A distant relative, Raymond Noon worked for Schuylkill Transportation. He was a bus driver, and writes that he remembers giving Anna Francis the ride to Frackville to visit Vince in the nursing home there... I often wonder whether Ray knew who Anna Francis was, that they were distantly related, or, just that he related the story after I wrote him and told him of the Noon-Devitt-Paladine connection.
I'm sure she would have much appreciated knowing him better.

After Vince died, Anna F. continued to live in the Devitt house at 214 Centre St. until after her sister, Bernadette died, and then in 1998, was convinced to move to Indiana, to be near her daughter, Ellen, and her new husband, David Peterson. Ellen told me that the trip back to Ashland to visit mom was taking its toll on her, and very much wanted her mom nearby. Anna Francis died in 1999,on December 11, and was brought home to be buried with her husband, Vince, in the Fountain Springs Cemetery, outside Ashland.All the other Devitts, I believe are buried in St. Joseph's Parish Cemetery, in Ashland, except for Anna Francis and Vince Paladine; Anna Francis was the last Devitt to survive, and the house on Centre Street was sold after Anna Francis died. The contents of all those years went to Indiana, to Ellen,where they remain in her garage, in several boxes.
*
Ellen Devitt was born in 1915, and little or nothing is known of her,
except the possible namesake for Anna Francis and Vince Paladine's daughter, Ellen. Ellen Devitt is found however, in the 1930 Census, still in the William C. Devitt home. I believe Ellen died before I was born, and to my knowledge,no one has ever spoken of her. I was surprised to find her listed in the 1920 census at all! I was later to learn that Ellen Devitt did marry, a dentist from Girardville, William Carey, and that they were expecting a child in 1939,when Ellen contracted pneumonia, and died before giving birth. Ellen Paladine was indeed named after Ellen Devitt, and she in turn was named after her grandmother, Ellen Murphy Kerns.
*
Bernadette Devitt was the last of the children to be born in the Devitt house. She was born, Feb. 10, 1916, and was named after St. Bernadette of Lourdes, whose feast day was Feb. 11. We all knew her as Aunt Bunny, and she too remained never married, in the old homestead at 214 Centre Street until her death on August 16, 1996, of liver failure. Bunny was a librarian at the Pottsville Library for many years, and worked in the basement on an ancient prototype of the internet, using her skills to answer submitted questions, by contacting the National Library of Congress when needed.
So. we all owe her a debt of gratitude for her small part in developing the internet as we know it today, in 2003.

Bunny used to tell us of her love for the cousin next door: my father, William Joseph Noon, and how the younger Devitt children would fawn over him.William was born 2 years after than Bunny, having been born in Feb. 1918. She often told of she and her older sister, Anna Francis, wheeling baby William in the family baby carriage.

Aunt Bunny was godmother to Robert Noon, and was very generous, leaving him with a slipped-in-the-hand $5.00 bill when the family left for home, afterthe Labor Day Parade.

Bunny remains in my heart as a very dear person to this day. My only regret was that we didn't keep in touch later on in life. In fact, I wasn't notified of Bunnys death until my own sister passed away in Oct, 1996, the same year as Bunny. After I called Ashland with the sad news of Kathleen's passing, I was inforned that Bunny had passed away the 1 month before! At that time Anna Francis had a hired nurse to look after her, whom I now know to be Margaret

(Peggy) Scully, a new found distant relative from the Michael Noon side of the family still lives in Ashland, tells of taking care of Neil, Bunny, and Anna Francis during each of their illnesses! Now nice it is to know they were in such good kind hands!

Peggy and I have become such close pen pals...
I'm not sure whether Peg ever knew Clare; she would have felt right at home with her."


Now, many months later, and a family tree which is growing by leaps and bounds, I am so greatful to have the many contacts over the internet- and cousin Ellen, who has helped tremendously...



-Robert A. Noon

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