C- Collect and Collate
I collect as many facts as possible for each person - births, marriages, membership of organisations, any census data and so much more to build a picture of a person's life. At times information is limited to the newspapers of the day. There are sometimes surprises when a known person from the past turns out to be a relation. Sr M Stanislaus was one of those surprises.
On this day - April 3
1907 - Marriage: Thomas Benjamin COCKSHELL and Catherine Frances (Kitty) O'DEA,
COCKSHELL—O'DEA.—On the 3rd April, at St. Michael's and St. John's Church, Terowie, by the
Rev. W. Doyle, Thomas B. Cockshell, of Broken Hill, to Catherine F., second daughter of T.
O'Dea, Terowie
Rev. W. Doyle, Thomas B. Cockshell, of Broken Hill, to Catherine F., second daughter of T.
O'Dea, Terowie
- 1907 'Family Notices', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 23 April, p. 1. (4 o'clock.), viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208908730
Kitty O'Dea as she was known, a 2nd cousin once removed, was the fifth child born to Thomas and Margaret O'Dea in Terowie, South Australia. Two of her older siblings had died as babies. Three more children were born after Kitty. Thomas, a younger brother only lived for 4 days, so Kitty grew up with four siblings.
- When she married in 1907 Kitty was 23. The Catholic Church in Terowie had originally been built as a Wesleyan place of worship in 1877 but in 1882 was sold to the Catholics when the Wesleyans built a new church.
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| St. Michael and St. John Catholic Church, Terowie |
- Thomas and Kitty had five children but the two baby girls died in their infancy leaving three boys. In 1939 Kitty, her husband and the two older boys were all still living at Terowie.
- Kitty died in 1959, her husband Thomas had predeceased her in 1945. They are both buried in the Terowie Cemetery.
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1907 - Johanna Horgan - Reception into the Dominican Order as Sister Mary Stanislaus
- Johanna Horgan, a first cousin twice removed, was born in 1883. She was the sixth child of eight born to Thomas Horgan and Mary Carroll. Johanna's family were devout Catholics who lived at Manoora in South Australia. Johanna was named after her grandmother Johanna, who had brought her father and his two brothers John and Daniel to South Australia in 1852.
- When she joined the Dominican nuns in April 1907, Johanna took the religious name Stanislaus. Eighteen months later she took her final vows.
The impressive ceremony of the reception into the Dominican Order of three young ladies took place at St. Mary's, Cabra, on Wednesday, April 3. The Right Rev. Monsignor Byrne, V.G., assisted by the Very Rev. Archpriest Nevin, presided. The names of the young ladies received are Miss Kinnane, in. religion Sister M. Francis; Miss Horgan (Sister M. Stanislaus); and Miss Ryan (sister of Rev. J. Ryan, Snowtown), of Limerick, Ireland, in religion Sister M Vincent de Paul.
- During my years at Cabra Convent in Adelaide in the late 1960s, we viewed her as a very old nun, but I had no idea she was related to me on my paternal side. After many years of teaching, Mother Stanislaus as she was then known, died at age 94 in January 1978.
- 1907 'Reception at Cabra Convent.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 12 April, p. 11. , viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167038162
- 1908 'Profession at Cabra.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 23 October, p. 11. , viewed 02 Jan 2025, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article166973318
I wonder if Sister M. Stanislaus knew of the relationship to you? Perhaps as a teacher she did not want to embarass you.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, I really don't know she was 85 at the time.
DeleteSuch a shame that you didn't unearth your connection to Mother Stanislaus until too late.
ReplyDeleteThere were some other Horgan nuns there too, the next generation down.
DeleteWhat a great coincidence. You would have loved to know about the connection earlier. I'mchasing up a coincidence in our tree at the moment that is looking like being a big surprise.
ReplyDeleteLike many teenagers I just wasn't interested in family history.
DeleteCollect and collate are great word choices! here from the A-Z and enjoyed reading your post. All the very best for the Challenge.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by.
DeleteI wonder how many relatives we share time and space with and have no idea we're related. I had the same experience with a cousin when I was in high school. She was the same age and knew the connection, but never said anything. I found out years later on facebook.
ReplyDelete