The Quest for Al's Birth Parents

As his daughters grew older, Al began to grow concerned that he did not know his birth family and where they might be living.  He set out to find the truth about his birth parents in the 1930s. I do not know how much he knew when he started this quest, but he eventually found his maternal grandfather still living in New Castle, Pennsylvania. But his mother had died just a short time before he found his grandfather. As for his father, according to Ethel, Hazel, and Lois, Al did not find out who he was. However, there is no doubt in my mind that his grandfather whom he visited with several times knew the identity of Al’s father.

Al also learned that the circumstances of his birth.  Al's birth mother was a young, unmarried girl who was "taken advantage of" by the man who likely lived next door. I will refrain from passing judgement on what "taken advantage of" means here since all parties are long since gone and cannot speak for themselves and there is no record of what happened.  That said, there are other records relative to the lives of Al's birth parents that can help paint a picture of these two people and their character.

Al learned that his mother was Catherine Biddle, the daughter of John Wesley Biddle, who was living in New Castle. Al developed a relationship with his newly found grandfather and got to know several of his Biddle uncles, aunts, and cousins. I will come back to Biddle family in a future post, but for now will focus on Catherine.

Catherine Biddle was born in New Castle in September 1879, the daughter of John Wesley Biddle and Mary Virgilia Lloyd. Catherine was 17 years old when Al was born. In about 1908, Catherine married James Pemberton who was a laborer in the tin can factory in New Castle which was where Catherine’s father also worked. Catherine worked as a bookkeeper at the same factory. Catherine and James lived with her parents in New Castle’s 5th Ward. By 1930, Catherine and James had moved to Youngstown, Ohio where James worked as a laborer in street construction. Catherine died in Youngstown on 8 April 1934, at the age of 54. She had no other children.
All that Al passed on to his daughters concerning his father was that his name was Gardner which was not much to go on. There were several Gardners living in New Castle around 1897 who could have been Al’s father, so positively identifying him is nearly impossible. However, extremely strong circumstantial evidence leads me to believe that Al’s father was Victor Marcellus Gardner. The evidence is very simple but compelling. Victor and his family were the very next door neighbors of the Biddles at the time Al was born. Victor’s sons were too young to have been Al’s father, but a look into Victor’s life also strengthens the likelihood.

Victor Marcellus Gardner was born on 5 July 1864 in Butler County, Pennsylvania, son of William M. Gardner and Euphemia Jane (Effie Jane) Ralston. Victor, a Catholic, married Amanda Ott, a Protestant, in 1884. Victor and Amanda had 7 children who were raised Catholic. Victor was a carpenter by trade. He died of typhoid fever in 1907 at the age of 42 in New Castle.

So those are the facts of Victor’s life, but fortunately we can know more about the character of Victor from a couple sources. From court reporting in the New Castle newspapers we learn that Victor was arrested in 1902 for non-support of his family and in 1906 was in jail again for abandonment and non-support. There are also a number of newspaper accounts of violent fights between members of the Gardner family and with neighbors—involving Victor’s mother (again a subject for a future post)! From a grandson with whom I have been in contact, we learn that Victor was a chronic alcoholic. According to grandson George Gardner, Victor “was also a kind, hard worker, and sentimentalist who loved his wife and children, even though he made their lives difficult by his drinking.”

Of course George Gardner knew nothing of Al Redmond until I contacted him, but he was not surprised. He believes as I do that Al was Victor’s son. Unfortunately since the DNA trail is passed from father to son and Al had no sons, unless someone has a lock of Al’s hair or some other bit of his DNA, there are no DNA tests can prove the connection beyond question. Based on what Al passed on to his daughters and the evidence above, I think that we can say that it is likely that Al was Victor’s son.

It is true neither Victor Gardner or Catherine Biddle played a role in the upbringing of Al Redmond, but beyond the circumstances of Al’s birth and Victor Gardner’s flaws and despicable actions, there are two colorful families that are branches of our family tree. We cannot ignore that Al likely had seven half-brother and sisters and a large number of nieces and nephews.  There are a number of interesting stories from both Victor and Catherine's families that will come in future posts.

Raising Al

By all accounts, Al Redmond had a typical childhood for a child raised in rural Pennsylvania at the turn of the last century. But what was typical in the early 1900s would look very different from those of our family being raised in the early 2000s. It is interesting to note that Katie, Perry, Amanda, Josie, Chloe, and Kyle are being raised almost exactly 100 years after their Great-great Grandfather Redmond! So what was typical for the child born in 1897 and growing up in the early years of the 20th Century? Hopefully, this post will give you some idea.

[Before I go on with the story I want to make two points--one, for the purposes of clarity throughout, I will refer to Grandpa Redmond as Al; two, the circumstances of Al's birth where not so typical and will be the subject of a future post, but suffice it to say that Al was born to an unwed mother and was raised by an unrelated couple named Albert and Mary Redmond.]

Al was born on February 15, 1897 in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. I don't know how Al came to be a part of the Redmond household. It has been suggested that Al's birthmother was related to Mary Redmond, but I have not been able to find any connection between the two. So what do we know of this couple that raised Al as their own?

Albert Redman (Redman would evolve to Redmond) married Mary Margaret Haggerty in 1889 in New Castle. Albert was from Neshannock Falls, a small village near New Wilmington, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Mary was born in Pennsylvania, but was living in Youngstown, Ohio when she was married. It appears that they had a rocky start to their married life. In 1891, it is recorded in a New Castle newspaper that Albert was thrown in jail. According to the report, Mary claimed that Albert had beaten her and "otherwise abused her." She also claimed that Albert had abandoned her. I don't know how this act of domestic violence was resolved or what this might tell us about the type of household Al was raised, but Albert and Mary did remain together the rest of their lives.

Albert and Mary lived in Neshannock Falls.  Albert had no particular trade or skill, but was a day laborer, and in 1910 he was working in a quarry which was certainly not easy work. While not much more is known of Albert and Mary, it is clear that they were a couple of little means, but generous hearts. While Albert and Mary did not have any children of their own, they took in several children over the years. However, as far as I can tell Al or Allie, as they called him, was the only one they gave their name to and raised truly as their own. Albert and Mary most certainly did not adopt Al in a legal sense, and in modern terms, the arrangement could probably be described best as foster parents.

Neshannock Falls School, 1909

Albert Redmond, back row, 3rd from left

As far as a typical childhood is concerned, Al went to school, had friends, and played ball as evidenced in the photographs left behind. The class photograph proves that Albert did attend rural public schools. At that time in Pennsylvania, school was compulsory through the 8th grade. Passing the 8th Grade test was mandatory for graduation and/or to enter high school. However, continuing on to high school was not mandatory and a great number of children upon graduation from 8th grade went to more "practical learning," that is learning a trade and contributing to the family income. It appears that Al finished 8th grade in 1909 and went to work, earning money that no doubt was contributed to the family household.

Allie Redmond (right) and friend Billy Buxton

In 1910, at the age of 13, Al was working as a laborer at the Neshannock Falls Creamery, a place where dairy products are processed, and in 1910, the main products would have been cream, milk, and butter (although butter was still churned at home at that time). Remember that this was a full time job and early in the development of Child Labor Laws.  Forty hour, 5-day work weeks are largely a post-World War II phenomenon.  I do not know how many hours he worked a day, but it was likely at least 8 hours and he most certainly worked 6 days a week. 

By the time Al married Myrtle in 1916, at the age of 19, he was working as a laborer for the brickyard, Youngstown Clay Product Company, in Volant, Lawrence County. The Volant plant produced fireproofing and hollow brick for construction.

Within three years of Al's marriage to Myrtle, Al's "adopted" parents had died. Al and Myrtle would find their way in the world for themselves and their three daughters over the 58 years that would follow. From his humble beginnings, Al would go on to be a hard-working, successful business man, a leader in his church and his community. But that is a story for another time.

February Birthdays in the Redmond-Reese Family

February is a unique month for the Redmond-Reese Family.  In this one month of the year, we celebrate five birthdays in our family, but what makes it unique is that all five generations of our family are represented in these five February birthdays.  A special shout out to Kim who celebrated her birthday on the 4th.  Kim's daughter Katie will be 15 on the 20th of February!  Sharyn will celebrate her birthday on 24 February.  And in between those special days, our family remembers Grandpa (Al) Redmond's birthday on the 15th and Grandpa (Bob) Reese's on the 17th.  If you consider that Grandpa Redmond, the originator of our Redmond family, was born in 1897, these five generations represent 113 years of our family.  Below are baby pictures of Bob, Sharyn, Kim, and Katie.  While I don't have a baby picture of Al, the earliest picture I have is from a class photograph taked in 1909 when he would have been about 13.

Albert Redmond, b. Feb. 15, 1897

taken 1909

Robert Norman Reese, born February 17, 1916

Sharyn Colleen, born February 24

Kimberly Jane, born February 4

Katie Nicole, born February 20

So whose birthday is January 6th?

Ninety-one years ago on January 6, 1919, Ethel Geraldine Redmond was born in the small village of Volant, near New Castle, Pennsylvania, the oldest daughter of Albert and Myrtle Redmond. Gone from our lives way too early, we are left with many memories. Whether daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, or friend, I would say that Ethel was a very special person. I remember many things about her from her great smile, her amazing laugh, her love for her family, her dedication to her friends, her church, and her community, or positive outlook wherever life or Bob would take her. Not that she didn't have disappointments, troubles, or hardships, because she surely did, but often times she was a model of how to come through the difficulties of life with grace and dignity. What I remember and loved so much about her was how she treated each one of us as uniquely special, worthy, and loveable--what I would say is the true picture of how Christ taught us to love each other. And I think that was the rare gift that she had.

It would be great to hear your memories of Ethel, what she meant to you, and what impact she might have had on your life. Take a look at the attached collage of photos of her life, roughly in chonological order going clockwise, starting in the upper left-hand corner. Also, I have tried my hand at my first "multi-media" video, a slideshow of those pictures which you can find at the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0XzW1TsKM (or go to youtube.com and search on Ethel Redmond Reese; it is also on my Facebook page and I think it looks better there). The music might not be the best choice, but everytime I hear the song I can still hear her voice singing it. I will probably be refining the slideshow so if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know. I hope you enjoy the photos and the slideshow!

Give someone special a yellow rose in memory of Ethel...

Ghost of Christmas at Rocky Grove

Well, it has been quite a jouney, from Grandma Redmond's house on Grandview Road; Grandma Redmond's silver Christmas Tree on Park Avenue; opening presents at Grandma Reese's house in Seneca; the family gathering in 1979 at Bobbie's in Seneca which began the tradition of the neighborhood open house on Christmas Day. But that is not where is ended. Our family Christmas gatherings continued when Bobbie moved to Rocky Grove and it was there that we ushered in the next generation of our family. And while the 4th picture was not technically taken on Christmas Day--it was Christmas time as evidenced by the tree in the background.

Our family has come along way and while many are no longer with us, those memories remain, and we now have the hope of a new generation. So Merry Christmas Eve to all of you!

Ghost of Christmas at Bobbie's in Seneca

In 1979, the family Christmas celebration transitioned to Bobbie's house. That Christmas, the three Redmond sisters and their husband were together, possibly for the last time. We started the day opening presents at Grandma Reese's house and then later in the day reconvened at Bobbie's for a meal and a great time together. In the first picture, back, left to right, Ethel, Bob, Lois, and Dick; front, Hazel and Paul.

The other three pictures are snap shots of the family throughout the day. Note that Grandpa Green was there.

Ghost of Christmas in Seneca

Bob and Ethel moved to Main Street, Seneca in 1942. A lot of Christmas' where celebrated in that house over the years. So many memories. One of my favorite Christmas pictures is the one of Bob, Betsy, Todd, Bobbie, and Terry at the Christmas Tree, taken around 1956.

Jumping to a Christmas which I guess was in 1973 with Grandpa and Grandma Redmond. Around the table from left to right, Bob, Dick, Lois, Ethel, Betsy, Todd, Grandma Redmond (Grandpa Redmond must have taken the picture). The second picture is of Grandpa Redmond, Todd, Ethel and Grandma Redmond.

Next we move ahead to about 1977 (based on how old Kory was); it was the advent of the artificial Christmas tree with the gold silk ornaments; remember the silver velour couch and love seat (although it looks gold in the picture); the "cherry picker" picker lamps that Grandma Reese made; and the fire place which had the changing season's picture above it--although it looks like Grandpa didn't change to the winter scene that year; and Betsy's dog Buffy and Todd's dog--what was his name? Was it Dusty--not to be confused with Dukie, that black dog of Todd's which as I remember it only snared at us kids...

Ah, memories...

Ghost of Christmas on Park Avenue

In the 1950's Al and Myrtle built a new house on Park Avenue in Oil City. That house always held a great deal of interest for me, from the pink flamengos in the bathroom; the lake scene with the girl in the bikini in Grandpa's bedroom; the great basement with the pine paneling, and the ping pong table; the satin pillows on the back of the gold sofa in the living room; and at Christmas the amazing silver Christmas Tree with the rotating multi-color spot light! It is funny that I have seen those silver trees for sale in stores this year. Like bell-bottoms, I never thought I would see those come back into style! But the sight of them brought back very fond memories of Grandpa and Grandma Redmond!

The pictures of the Christmas meal at Grandpa and Grandma Redmond's house probably took place in the early 60s after Terry and Bobbie were married. Going around the table from left to right, Grandma Redmond, Ethel, Todd, Sharyn, Betsy, Dale, Lois, Dick, Grandpa Redmond or Bob.

This wouldn't be complete without pictures of Grandma and Grandpa Redmond's silver Christmas Tree.

Childhood Memories of Thanksgiving

I have looked through all of the photographs that I have for the perfect Thanksgiving picture to share with all of you. I have lots of family birthday parties, picnics, Christmases, but only one that is of a Thanksgiving gathering taken in 1993 at Aunt Lois and Uncle Dick's. Cherie and I did not make it home that year and Aunt Lois noted on the back of the picture that Gregg and Malinda were there but had not arrived when the picture was taken. I have also included one of my favorite family pictures, a picture of a Redmond family gathering taken probably about 1957. I don't really know the occasion or were the picture was taken--Great-grandma Redmond's? But everyone was there (Grandpa Reese must have taken the picture). Enjoy!

I thought the lack of Thanksgiving pictures strange because when you think of Thanksgiving, I believe that more than any other holiday--even Christmas, we think of family. So why so precious few pictures? I didn't really have an answer to that, but it got me thinking of the Thanksgivings of my childhood. I have lots of memories, but surprisingly, they don't seem to be of any one Thanksgiving, but collective of all of them:
I remember Thanksgivings at Grandma Reese's--always at Grandma Reese's;

I remember Great-granddad and Grandma Redmond being there, and Aunt Lois and Uncle Dick, Todd, Betsy, Terry, Donna, Gregg, Brian, Kim, and later Kory;

I remember sitting at the kids' table in the living room or at that old light green picnic table and benches placed at the end of the dining room table (it was crowded but we were all together so it didn't seem to matter);

I remember Grandpa saying the prayer "...bless this food to the good of our bodies", but Thanksgiving was special so unlike every other Sunday dinner prayer, we held hands;

I remember Grandma's homemade rolls and pies (I don't recall anything specific about the turkey or the stuffing or the potatoes--Brian, didn't you like the stuffing?);

I remember that there was always a big deal made by the bottle of Heinz ketchup on the table for my dad to put on his mashed potatoes;

I remember coffee being served with the meal and Grandma's white teapot "with the diamonds" that was on the table for dessert (and how the tea was never strong enough--the first cup always got poured back in);

I remember how the women cleaned up in the kitchen afterward, while the men went to the living room to watch football--but it wasn't too long before they were asleep in the recliners (now we know that triptephan in the turkey is a natural sedative so they couldn't help it, right?);

I remember how Grandpa fell asleep with a cigar in his mouth;

I remember how Kim, Gregg, Brian and I would find something to do whether it be games, climbing through the closet in the living room that went into Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom, or "exploring" in the upstairs (I don't remember ever going outside?);

I remember picking at the leftovers when we eventually got hungry later in the day--I always went for another piece of pumpkin pie.
Thanks for indulging me while I recount of my childhood Thanksgiving memories. I would really love to hear your memories of Thanksgivings whether they be from Great-grandma Redmond's, Grandma Reese's, or elsewhere. Feel free to share with everyone on the email--it might bring back a good memory to someone else in the family.

I pray that you all have a most blessed Thanksgiving with pleasant memories from the past and future memory-making moments this year!

Seventy Years Ago--November 9, 1939

November 9 [2009] is the 70th Anniversary of Bob and Ethel Reese' wedding. The first picture is their wedding picture and the second is a picture taken for their 30th Wedding Anniversary. They were married in the home of Grandpa and Grandma Redmond by Rev. Hazlett of the Hasson Heights United Presbyterian Church at 12 noon. The second photo includes the attendants Aunt Hazel and Bob's cousin Don Reese. Grandma's wedding dress was "wine transparent velvet" and her flowers were yellow rosebuds and trailing arbutus. (Somewhere there is a colorized copy of the wedding picture--if anyone has it I would really like to get a copy of it!)

The photo below was taken for Bob and Ethel's 30th Wedding Anniversary.

At the time of their marriage in 1939, Ethel worked at W. T. Grant's in Oil City. For those who remember old northside Oil City, Grants was the "5 and 10" store that was located where Northwest Saving building is now, next to Woolworth, the other "5 and 10" in town. Bob started our post-high school life as a chemist at the United Refinery located just outside Oil City on Route 8 going to Rouseville. Yes a chemist. Going through Grandpa's papers when we cleaned out his house, I found several certificates for correspondence courses he had taken. It appears that he was interested in going to school (a college or some technical school) for chemistry or engineering. But as we know he established a very successful radiator repair business in Franklin.

So who is this handsome family?

This is a great picture of the Redmond family taken about 1930. 

From left to right: Al Redmond holding Lois, Ethel, Hazel, and Myrtle.