C1: Mary Gertrude Connelly(1895-1972)

Mary Gertrude Connelly

Mary Gertrude Connelly (1895-1972) (C1)

Birth: June 6th, 1895 in Needham or Boston, MA


Father:  Frederick Patrick Connelly (1859-1921) (C2)

Mother: Mary Ann Weatherby (1862-1939) (C3)


Married: Ervin Earl Putnam (1893-1988) (P1) in 1926 at Leeds, MA

Children:



Died: May 4th, 1972 in Houlton, ME

Mary was born on June 6th, 1895 in either Needham or Boston, MA.  the Massachusetts vital records list Boston, but that could mean Needham.  Her parents Frederick Patrick Connelly (C2) and Mary Ann Connelly (C3) where from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Frederick was a carpenter. 

The 1900 U.S. Census shows her at age 4 living with her parents and siblings in Cambridge MA.  In all the census records, Mary Ann is listed as Annie M.


The siblings were:


The 1910 U.S. Census shows she is still living with the entire family at age 14.  We get a bit more detail here, including that they were living at 50 Cedar St in Cambridge, MA.  She is marked as attending school and being able to read and write.  

Mary Gertrude Connelly, 1924 

Between 1918 and 1923, Mary Gertrude Connelly worked at the US Veterans Hospital No. 44 in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. She was the secretary to the President of the Hospital. In the 1920 U.S. Census, she is still living at 50 Cedar St with her mother, brother Edwin (Edward), and sisters Jueannette, and Madeline.  It is interesting that her father doesn't appear because the information I have says he died in 1921.  This could be in error, or could be explained by the fact that Frederick traveled back to Canada a lot.   The family is marked down as renters.  Mary Gertrude is marked down as being employed by the U.S. Civil Service as a stenographer.  The terms stenographer and secretary were interchangeable at that time.

In November, 1920 Mary Connelly played the part of Joan of Arc in a play that may have been performed in Washington, D.C. During this time, Mary stayed with her sister Helen Connelly who lived at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C. During one of her trips to Washington, D.C., Mary encountered General John J. Pershing who allowed her to photograph him on the steps of what looks like a government building.

In 1926 she married Ervin Earl Putnam (P1) in Leeds, MA.  When the new veterans’ hospital opened in Northampton, MA, both Mary and Ervin were transferred there from West Roxbury. Mary continued as secretary to the hospital President and Ervin became both the X-Ray Technician and the Lab Technician.  They honeymooned at Togue Pond in Maine.  After this, much of the rest of her life is obscured in the records and I wont repeat the information I posted under Ervin.

Ervin, Mary and family would have experienced the flood that took place in the Connecticut River Valley in the spring of 1936.   Here are some pictures of that flood.

 Mary and Ervin took a trip to Europe in 1961 and Mary kept a journal of it which I have transcribed.

Mary Anne Weatherby and Mary Gertrude Connelly at the 50 Cedar St house

50 Cedar Street Cambridge MA-Bed Room

50 Cedar Street Cambridge MA-Odd and End Room

50 Cedar Street Cambridge MA-Living Room

General John J. Pershing, Washington, DC

Washington Monument, Washington, DC 1920

Mary in a play costume Cedar St Living Rm 1918

Mary Connelly, Unknown, Unknown, Maud Connelly, Helen Connelly

Mary Connelly (Center) at the front of the US Veterans Hospital, West Roxbury, MA

Mary Connelly at work Veterans Hospital No. 44 Roxbury, MA, 1922

Entrance to US Veterans Hospital No. 44, 1922

Ervin Putnam and Mary Connelly, 1922

Mary Connelly Putnam at a cabin on Togue Pond, 1926

Mary Connelly Putnam at Togue Pond, 1926

Mary with son, Robert Ervin Putnam, 1927

Mary with son, Robert Ervin Putnam, 1927

Mary with son, Robert Ervin Putnam, 1927

On boat trip to Plymouth, MA 1932

Mary Putnam, Robert Putnam, Unknown Child and Richard Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Mary Putnam, Robert Putnam, Unknown Child and Richard Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Ervin Putnam, Robert Putnam, Unknown, Mary Putnam, Aunt Jean Connelly, Richard Putnam, 1931

Ervin Putnam, Robert Putnam, Unknown, Mary Putnam, Aunt Jean Connelly, Richard Putnam, 1931

Robert, Mary, Richard Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Robert, Mary, Richard Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Mary Putnam, Unknown, Robert Putnam, Unknown, Richard Putnam, Unknown, Unknown at the Beach, 1931

Mary Putnam, Unknown, Robert Putnam, Unknown, Richard Putnam, Unknown, Unknown at the Beach, 1931

Robert, Ervin, Richard and Mary Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Robert, Ervin, Richard and Mary Putnam at the Beach, 1931

Richard Putnam, Mary Putnam, Robert Putnam, and Unknown, 1931

Richard Putnam, Mary Putnam, Robert Putnam, and Unknown, 1931

Richard, Mary and Robert Putnam at the camp, 1931

Richard, Mary and Robert Putnam at the camp, 1931

Mary, Ervin, Robert and Madge Connelly at the beach, 1931

Mary, Ervin and sons at camp, 1931

Mary and son shooting at the camp

Mary and son, Robert

Putnam Family at Camp, 1935

Putnam Family at Camp, 1935

Mary Connelly

Mary Connelly

House in Leeds

Mary Gertrude Connelly Putnam

Mary died on May 4th, 1972 in Houlton, ME.  She is buried along side her husband in Evergreen Cemetery, Houlton, ME

Mary Gertrude Connelly's Gravesite

Countries of Origin

Currently based on information back to my 7th Great Grandparents

Branch

Sources

Mary, Robert and Richard Putnam with others, 1932-1935

Mary, Robert and Richard Putnam with others, 1932-1935 

Mary Putnam in a greenhouse

Mary Putnam in a greenhouse

Mary Connelly at Highland Lake, 1925

Mary Connelly at Highland Lake, 1925

Mary sitting at the dam near the camp

Mary sitting at the dam near the camp

Ervin and Mary Putnam at the camp

Ervin and Mary Putnam at the camp

Ervin and Mary Putnam at the camp

Ervin and Mary Putnam at the camp

Robert Putnam with a plane and Mary Putnam

Robert Putnam with a plane and Mary Putnam

Mary, Richard and Ervin Putnam at the beach

Mary, Richard and Ervin Putnam at the beach

Mary Connelly and Ervin Putnam with friends, Mary is third from right

Mary Connelly and Ervin Putnam with friends, Mary is third from right

Mary Connelly Putnam washing a pan

Mary Connelly Putnam washing a pan

Ervin Putnam and Mary Connelly with friends, around 1925

Ervin Putnam and Mary Connelly with friends, around 1925

Northampton Veterans Hospital, Leeds MA, abt 1926

Northampton Veterans Hospital, Leeds MA, abt 1926

Mary, Ervin, Robert and Richard, abt 1941

Boat, abt 1941

Mary sunbathing, around 1941

Mary and Ervin, around 1941

Mary and possibly Richard in Tent, around 1941

Richard, Robert and Ervin fishing, around 1941

Richard, Robert and Ervin fishing, around 1941

Aunt Madge, Jim, Joan, Mary Putnam, Kay, Houlton, ME, 1927

Aunt Madge, Kay, Jim, Mary Putnam, possible Joyce, Houlton, ME, abt 1926

Mary and Ervin Putnam with Friends, Northampton, MA, abt 1927

Mary and Ervin Putnam with Friends, Northampton, MA, abt 1927

Member of VA Hospital's Original Staff Honored At Testimonial

Member of VA Hospital's Original Staff Honored At Testimonial

BERKSHIRE GAZETTE, NORTHAMPTON, MASS, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1956

Shown, left to right, are Edward and Mrs. Clauss, Mrs. Robert Putnam, Mrs. Ervin Putnam, Ervin Putnam, Dr. O'Neil, Mr. Blackwell, Mrs. O'Neil, Mrs. Blackwell and Rev. Daniel Crowley of Leeds.