Not every photo we take is a good one or one worth keeping. I would bet that most of us have cell phones filled with mediocre photos. But every now and then there is a photograph that is special — a family favorite, destined to be kept and passed down to future generations.
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How is it we are here, walking this path in life? What circumstances had to happen in order for our great grandfather Henry Mattimore to be born in Renovo, Pennsylvania in 1862 in the midst of the American Civil War? His parents, unknown to each other, had come from different parts of Ireland on different ships at different times, and had somehow ended up in proximity to each other in the same American city.
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I’m sure Kate O’Rourke never imagined that she’d spend her life raising her sister’s children. She probably had her own hopes and dreams of marrying and having a family one day. But when her sister Mary Mattimore died at 27 leaving two young boys, Kate became a caretaker and stand-in mother to Harry and Joseph Mattimore. When the boys’ father died, she became their guardian as well.
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Do siblings have the same DNA? It seems like brothers and sisters should have the same ancestry background. After all, they have the same parents, right? While biological siblings DO have the same family tree — parents, grandparents and so on, their genetic code might be different. Because of how DNA is passed on, it is possible for siblings to have differences in their ancestry at the DNA level.
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Our deepest sympathies to our Chicago Mattimore cousins on the passing of their dad, Richard. He died peacefully at home last night surrounded by the wonderful memories, laughter and love of his family. Sadly, Uncle Dick was the last of his generation. He now joins all his siblings and Mattimore cousins in the corner of Heaven reserved for our big-hearted, good-natured, spirited and loving Irish Mattimore family.
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He was born to Irish immigrants in Renovo, Pennsylvania. He came to Buffalo as a young man working the trade of a boilermaker. Among his seven siblings, he had a sister who was a nun and a brother who was a professional baseball player. His wife Mary died at 27 from tuberculosis. Through his two children, Harry and Joseph, he left a legacy of generations that carry on. He was our great grandfather Henry B. Mattimore, and here is some of his story….
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When our grandfathers — Harry and Joseph Mattimore — lived with their Aunt Kate after their own mother’s death, they became close with Kate’s family living in Oswego, New York. Postcards were a quick and easy form of extending greetings between families. As our Mattimore clan prepares to celebrate Christmas, I share with you a couple of these sweet, throwback Christmas wishes.
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We lost one of the best. One from our Greatest Generation. Hank Mattimore died peacefully at home yesterday, surrounded by those he loved most. His daughter Laura and son Sean and their families were there to hold him. My sister Elaine said exactly what we are all feeling when she shared with her friends: “My mom’s youngest brother, my dear, dear Uncle Hank died today. I don’t have the heart to tell you how good he was. Just trust me that the world has dimmed.”
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If you read my last post, you know the story of our great grandmother, Mary O’Rourke Mattimore, and how she died young from tuberculosis in Arizona in 1901. This follow-up is the story of the search for her burial site in Tucson. Son Harry Mattimore was almost six when his mother died — old enough to remember, and likely be somewhat haunted by her death. So it’s no surprise that many decades later Harry journeyed west in search of his mother’s grave. He never found it. In 2015 I learned why.
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Mary Ellen (O’Rourke) Mattimore, mother of Harry and Joseph, died tragically young. She was 27 when death took her near Tucson, Arizona in 1901. Her husband Henry Mattimore was left a widow with two young boys, Harry, then almost six, and Joe just three. How did Mary die? What was she doing in Tucson so far from Buffalo? Read on for her story…
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