My father Cyril DeFever grew up on a dairy farm near Detroit, Michigan. His parents had immigrated to the U.S. from Belgium. My mother, Marie Clancy, the daughter of an insurance man, was Irish. Her grandfather grew up on Turbot Island off Connemara. Her uncle Robert Clancy was a U.S. senator. Dad boxed as a young man (Joe Louis’ manager wanted to manage him). He won the … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Dad and J.F.K.
Photo Album
Photo Album: A Visit to Santa
Christmas, 1959 One Christmas was so much like another in those years, to borrow a line from Dylan Thomas. Mother began the preparations in late autumn. The plum pudding was stirred one final time for good luck and steamed in a bowl on top of the wood-burning Stanley stove. The big square Christmas cake, heavy with fruit, raisins, sultanas and glacé cherries, was baked until … [Read more...] about Photo Album: A Visit to Santa
Photo Album:
As My Mother Would Say
I can hear her now – “If I weren’t Irish, I’d be ashamed of myself!”
Yes, my mother Annie Burke was Irish, and full of Irish sayings, and they came out whenever she was provoked by a situation requiring a fast one-liner. They were usually preceded by, “As my mother would say.” After hearing them for all those years, I will quote one when my situation requires, and attribute … [Read more...] about Photo Album:
As My Mother Would Say
Photo Album: Who Was My Grandmother Kate?
My maternal grandmother Kate Whalen and I were very close. As a child, I would go to Jersey City to stay with her for two or three weeks during the summer. As I got older, she was as much a friend as a grandmother. Over the years, I learned bits and pieces of the story of her early years and wanted to know more. Many years later, I realized that my interest meant dredging up … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Who Was My Grandmother Kate?
Photo Album: The Old Irish of Burlington, Vermont
My family never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at our house. When I got older and realized how Irish I was, I asked my mother why. She said she did not approve of all the drinking and she wanted her children to identify with their English background. Also, my father’s Protestant relatives from Boston were very prejudiced against Irish Catholics; they had a false sense of … [Read more...] about Photo Album: The Old Irish of Burlington, Vermont