The McManamy Name

Grandpa Joe and me on my baptism

When I was little I used to hear my grandpa Joe talk about the family in NYC and how he was born there. When he was a few months old his father passed away.  Grandpa Joe lived with his older sister, Anna and their mother for a short time in Brooklyn after his father passed. She ran a boarding house on 412 Clermont Street in Brooklyn to support them.  Before then the three brothers had a corner grocery and tea store.

148th 8th Ave. New York City

James Hand, also of Ireland, heard the widow McManamy was raising two children in NYC, so he came back to NYC, having moved to Ellensburg, WA, and started farming, to ask her hand in marriage.  They had known each other in Ireland before coming at different times to America.  She said yes and that is how the McManamy family moved out west to the great state of Washington. 

My grandpa made many trips to NYC growing up and knew the family as well as could be expected living across the country from each other.  I have managed to collect most of the pictures from my Grandma Mary, before she passed away, of his visits to NYC and Washington DC both alone and when they went together.  Grandpa used to want a long layover in NYC on their way to Europe so he could visit the cemetery and family.  I have always loved NYC, from the first time I stepped off a plane on a layover in 1992, to our most recent trip there in July.  Piper is the same way, which makes me happy since her middle name, McManamy, was given to her to carry on this side of the family. 

The Stern side of the family is the only ones I have met that are on the East Coast, actually living on Long Island and working in NYC.  Mildred McManamy Stern was an older 1st cousin of my grandpa and her family visited Ellensburg in the 60's.  I have many pictures from a trip in 1939 of my grandpa and Mildred and her family and other members all gathered around the living room, piano and touring the city.  I think Grandpa Joe was there to attend the World's Fair.  I have quite a bit of paraphenalia from that trip. That trip was just prior to my grandpa marrying my grandma, the former Mary Oechsner of Ellensburg.  They had almost 50 years together before Grandpa Joe passed away in October of 1988.  During the trip in 1939 my grandpa visited his fathers grave in Queens.  Until a few months ago I had no idea where it was, just this picture.

I was able to finally find some old papers I had missed that listed the church they all attended, my grandpa was baptized in, others like Thomas W. and Mary (his wife) had funerals in.  It was and still is St. Francis Xavier on West 16th Street in New York City.  It makes sense, back in the early 1900's it was a huge Irish area and the grocery store was around there as well.  We were able to visit this old beautiful church and this is what it looks like today.   Piper and I said a prayer there for the family, walked around and admired the recent restoration of the church.  We look forward to going back and attending mass there some time.

When I found the papers, the picture of my grandpa at the headstone in the cemetery and other pictures of the grocery store I realized all along I wanted to find the headstone and see where our family was buried. Luckily there was enough on the headstone to read that I could apply for a death certificate and find the correct cemetery.  I had it narrowed down to Calvary but which one, there are four areas started in the early 1800's.  Imagine how happy I was to receive the death certificate of my great uncle Thomas and call Calvary to get the location! 3rd Calvary in Queens off of 52nd street, section 22 range 16 plot C 8 and 9.  It turns out Mary McManamy (Mary was very popular among Irish Catholics, still is) owns 10 and 11 but there is no headstone there and no one buried there.  Another mystery for another time.  Here is the youngest 'McManamy' at the cemetery where a part of her family is buried.  She made a little wood cross and put it up next to the large stone one.  Here I am in almost the same spot as my grandpa in 1939. 

Three years ago we met Zach and Terrie Stern for dinner in the city, it seems like it is time to again, now that we've found a little bit more of our family history.  I think it is important to hold onto the past so you know where you've come from. I know I am from Ellensburg, WA but I wouldn't have started there had it not been for my great grandparents coming over with a dream like so many other Irish immigrants and landing in NYC.  Now my daughter, Piper, will have know that a little piece of her is in NYC too.  No wonder she calls it 'our favorite city'.