Coincidence?

I was reading an email from a cousin of mine. She'd found an obituary for a Thomas McHUGH, who died at the age of 65 in the year of 1904 in Pittston Pa. This email reminded me of something.

I then went browsing through my "Speculations" folder in my maternal McHUGH file. I was in search of an obituary I'd found for a Thomas J. McHUGH, who died at the age of 73 in Pittston PA. He lived on North Main Street. He was the son of William F. and Mary (KEARNS) McHUGH. Finally, he was a sacriston at St. Mary's Help of Christians Church.

Why did this catch my eye? Because my maternal great grandmother's name was McHugh/McCUE. And she lived in Pittston, PA. Because Jane McHUGH married John J. DOYLE and they lived on North Main Street. Because the DOYLEs are connected to the O'ROURKEs who are buried at St. Mary's Help of Christians Church. And the O'ROURKEs are connected to a KEARNS family via my mother's paternal grandfather.

And because my father is a McHUGH from Nanticoke, PA, about 15 miles from Pittston.

An awful lot of coincidences from one little obituary, don't you think?

I Can't Believe

I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since my last post! I've been so busy I haven't had enough energy left to devote to genealogy. I'm hoping my latest conquest will spur me on again.

I learned through a guest book entry that another cousin has "found" me. I emailed the person who stopped by my guest book and have once again been blessed with information and a few pictures.

You might remember my struggles to learn the members of the William and Mary (DEVER) DOYLE family. The three mysteries were: Where was Margaret Doyle (my gr-grandfather's sister) in 1880 that precluded her being listed with her family on the 1880 U.S. Census?; Who was Mame Doyle?; and Who was Anastasia Doyle? You may also recall that I was able to deduce that Mame was Mary Ann and Anastasia was actually Alice.

The information I got from Linda in her response to my email to her confirmed these speculations. And how perfect is it t hat she included a picture of the very women who caused me such genealogical grief?!

Left to Right: Margaret, Mame, Alice, Johanna Doyle, ca. 1940.