My beloved Auntie Ellen....

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:29 pm

I am feeling very happy and nostalgic tonight as within the last 24 hours I have received 3 unexpected, long distance phone calls from loved ones from my past....

* My Dad's younger friend, who lives in another state, met someone I knew who gave him my phone #. This friend and I spoke for hours talking about my parents and all the good times we had....

** I've been trying to locate my childhood neighbors for years and Carol called me yesterday. Her family has been searching for us for years and she located us throught a peoplefinder search. We spoke for hours....

***My cousin in Alaska sent some old pictures of our Auntie Ellen when he visited her as a college student....

I'd like to tell you a wee bit about my Auntie Ellen....She was my Nana's only sister, and I was named after my Nana, my Mom and Ellen ....thus.....Kathy Ellen...That's why I love my name so much as it always reminds me of the strong women in my life that I've lost and remember with such passion.

Auntie Ellen was selfless....She raised her sister and 2 brothers and wouldn't leave Ireland. My nana moved to the States and the 2 brothers moved to Toronto, Canada and sneaked into the States settling in upstate NY across from the Canadian border.

I first went "home" to Ireland when I was 19 yrs. and was determinded to find Ellen in Donegal....Unfortunately, our relatives didn't always keep in touch at that time. All I knew was where she lived and there was a fair going on....I knew she was a shorter rendition of my Nana.

And I found her.... by Jausus I did......I walked into the field and saw her and knew who she was immediately. My nerves, I was beyond thrilled:-4 I slowly walked up and stood beside her very quietly. She turned to me with a smile and then looked into my face knowing that I was Katherine's daughter...she just knew who I was....bless her sweet heart. Mom used to spend the summers with her as a child. Ellen introduced me to all the villagers who were all my cousins.:yh_rotfl

My journey began then meeting all of my parent's loved ones. Ellen lived in a wee cottage that was in such disrepair but wouldn't let anyone help her except my Mom's family. She was a very proud woman indeed....just like me...stubborn as a mule....thick as a double ditch I am...or so I've been told..dunno:yh_rotfl

I spent every summer for years with Ellen until she passed. We finally made contact and realized that she wouldn't move away from her home. So we brought electricity and running water into her home and our friends from Louth to adopt her. Our friends loved her and helped to take special care of her for the rest of her life:-4

I should really write a journal and tell you some stories about our times in Donegal....I'll post some pics for now.

These pictures are of Ellen and her niece, Lake O'Donnell where we used to swim and bathe with the fishes and midgets:-5 and a picture of her wee cottage that she wouldn't let anyone help her to rebuild...damn she was too proud....:rolleyes: and the road that led to her home.

Thank you for listening to my story:-4 I'll post the pictures in the next post.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:36 pm

Here are pictures of my Auntie Ellen and her home in Donegal, Ireland...I'm so thankful to my cousin Neil, from Alaska, for sending us these treasures...

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:48 pm

Kathy Ellen;1225372 wrote: Here are pictures of my Auntie Ellen and her home in Donegal, Ireland...I'm so thankful to my cousin Neil, from Alaska, for sending us these treasures...
Kathy, you got me all weepy again. Precious memories :-4

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:06 pm

Ok KE how facinating and heartwarming

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:08 pm

minks;1225384 wrote: Ok KE how facinating and heartwarming

Isn't it lovely?

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:11 pm

oscar;1225385 wrote: Isn't it lovely?

Very much so.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:53 pm

Oh, what a glorious story! Your Auntie is a gem!

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:39 pm

oh gosh, now I am all sentimental to.

your aunty looks so sweet!

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:00 pm

KE what a lovely story I so enjoyed it, very heartwarming and touching thank you for sharing with us.. :-4

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:36 pm

Very nice Kath. Just what you needed I think.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:52 pm

Thank you so much Oscar, Minks, Chonsi, Odie and Carla for posting in my thread about Ellen. I really appreciate your thoughts...

Whenever I visited Ellen I made sure to bring her loads of ciggys and booze and was often questioned why I would ever bring her those things since she didn't smoke or drink.

Silly people...pfffffff....they didn't understand that Ellen would give the local men who helped her cut and place the turf on her property and do odd chores for her some cigs and whiskey for payment of their kindness towards her.

She indeed was a very smart woman:-4

Post by **Sunshine** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 10:27 pm

Kathy, what a heartwarming story. It must have been wonderful to know your Aunty Ellen. I love her cottage. :-4 She must have been a lovely lady and of strong will to carry on the way she did. God love her.

kazalala · Post by **kazalala** » Wed Aug 05, 2009 4:39 am

Oh what amazing pics Kathy ,,, what a very beautiful place to live:-6:-4

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:13 am

Thank you Nomad, Sunshine and Kaz....I loved my Auntie Ellen so much. She was the most innocent and sweetest women who was a big part of my life.

I laugh when I look at the way she dressed. Our friend Paddy often said that Ellen was like an onion.....She would put on an undershirt, then a blouse, then a sweater, a dressing gown and then another sweater. She'd have to peel the clothes off when it got too hot.

She just wasn't comfortable leaving her home in Donegal. The only time she left her home was when we brought her for a visit to Co. Louth for a few days. We had to take her home as she was just so shy and unfamiliar with all the hub bub of city life.

She indeed led a peaceful yet difficult life:-4

Post by **Peter Lake** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:32 am

Kathy, your beloved aunt Ellen's way of life and cottage is what my wife and i very much envy. It is a way of life where people are real people and not living in this world where it's felt we must be the high flyer in all that we do. Julie's father was Irish and was born into a similar life as your aunt. I am sure that if we ever did win the lottery, your aunt's life would be one that we would seek away from this greedy world. She is the one that is blessed and so are you for having her. :-6

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:22 am

Peter Lake;1226238 wrote: Kathy, your beloved aunt Ellen's way of life and cottage is what my wife and i very much envy. It is a way of life where people are real people and not living in this world where it's felt we must be the high flyer in all that we do. Julie's father was Irish and was born into a similar life as your aunt. I am sure that if we ever did win the lottery, your aunt's life would be one that we would seek away from this greedy world. She is the one that is blessed and so are you for having her. :-6

That is so beautiful what you've said about my Auntie Ellen Pete and so very true indeed.....Thank you so much.

I had loads of fun living with Ellen during the summer months when I was younger.We'd sit around the turf fire at night chatting, swim in the O'Donnell lake, go to all the ceilis and crossroads dances and hike through the hillsides:-4.....simple times were the best;)

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:28 am

Kathy Ellen;1225416 wrote: Thank you so much Oscar, Minks, Chonsi, Odie and Carla for posting in my thread about Ellen. I really appreciate your thoughts...

Whenever I visited Ellen I made sure to bring her loads of ciggys and booze and was often questioned why I would ever bring her those things since she didn't smoke or drink.

Silly people...pfffffff....they didn't understand that Ellen would give the local men who helped her cut and place the turf on her property and do odd chores for her some cigs and whiskey for payment of their kindness towards her.

She indeed was a very smart woman:-4

Great way to pay off the local workers:wah:...hubs does sewer work for a friend down the road & they repay him with a case of beer. He doesn't mind.:wah: But what a neat story about your auntie...what part of Donegal was she from?