|
Use the free genealogy search to quickly discover your family history or share your own!
Searching for great-grandparents
Add this story to your own online album
with a Family Space...
|
Once upon a time in the early 1900's, there was a nice young Irish Catholic boy from Brooklyn named Charles A. Nolan. He was a clerk at the New York Stock Exchange. In the Wall Street neighborhood there was a pub owned by one August Wich, of German Lutheran descent. He was nicknamed "the Kerry Dutchman," because the Irish Longshoremen from the nearby docks had taught him Gaelic, and he was a great friend of theirs. Charlie, the young man, would come to the pub to have lunch or a pint after work. Mr. Wich had a lovely daughter named Adelaide, who would help her father out in the pub in her spare time after secretarial school. Addie and Charlie fell in love, and Charlie asked her to be his wife. Mr. & Mrs. Wich blessed the couple, but when Charlie's family found out, they wanted nothing to do with him because he wasn't marrying a nice Catholic girl (you know how those Catholics are!). Even though Addie converted to Catholicism, the family didn't want anything to do with Charlie or her. Now why would I tell you this little story, you ask? Because, Charlie and Addie Nolan are my Grandpop and Nanny, and I have not been able to find any information about my Nolan ancestors. I really want to find out who they were, because they must have had strong stubborn characters to stand their ground so staunchly in such a situation. When you think about it, they must have been truly devoted to the church to have made such a decision. Not only that, but when Addie was widowed in 1929, with 6 of their 11 children at home, I know that Charlie's 2 brothers, Frank and James, stepped in and helped during the funeral. Other than that, I know nothing about my father's father's family except the names and ages of the 2 brothers and that there was a 3rd brother named George who disappeared after 1900. So please, if you have a Frank Nolan, born in 1876, who was a supervisor at the New York Stock Exchange, or a James Nolan, born in 1882, who was a supervisor at the New York Stock Exchange, in your family, please let me know - we are probably cousins! Thanks!
You must be logged in to post a comment regarding this story.
Nothing can replace a family story or legend of the past.
Share your story so that future generations may profit from what you know!
|
