Jan. 23, 1887 Condolence Letter from Sr. M. Joseph (1863-1959), RSM, in Savannah, GA
February 20, 2018Sr. M. Joseph wrote John F. Armstrong a condolence letter on 23 January 1887 after the death of his wife, Sarah McAndrew Armstrong. It was evident from her comments that Sr. M. Joseph was Sarah’s relative, most probably a cousin. In the letter, she also mentioned the death in 1886 of her “dear friend”, JF’s cousin, Mary Ellen Smith McKeon. Mary Ellen was the daughter of JF’s paternal aunt, Catherine “Kate” Armstrong Smith.
Marie and I both thought Sr. M. Joseph might be a daughter of Sarah McAndrew Armstrong’s uncle, James McAndrew (1820-1904) and his wife, Mary Mulherin (1832-1879). In the 1870 US census, the McAndrews had five children: sons Michael and John, and daughters Mary, Ann, and Sarah, also known as Sallie. Mary married James Daly, JF”s business partner at Daly and Armstrong, and Ann died in 1890.
Sallie T. McAndrew was mentioned as living in New York in her father’s 1904 obituary. In Mary McAndrew Daly’s 1916 obituary, her sister Sallie was named as Mrs. P. J. Kavanaugh of Brooklyn, New York.
A Mystery Solved: The Identity Of Sr. M. Joseph
To find out Sr. M. Joseph’s identity, Marie contacted the archives of the Sisters of Mercy at the Mercy Heritage Center in Belmont, North Carolina. Sr. M. Joseph did, in fact, turn out to be Sallie McAndrew.
Exactly when Sallie left the Mercy Sisters in Savannah is not known. However, according to the Augusta Chronicle, she sang in a choral concert at Sacred Heart Church in June of 1889. Some time between the death of her father in August of 1904 and the death of her sister, Mary, in January of 1916, Sallie married Patrick J. Kavanaugh, a widower with a young daughter, in New York. Patrick died on 2 December 1916 in Brooklyn. At some point, perhaps years later, Sallie moved back to Augusta. In the 1938 Augusta city directory, she was listed as “Kavanaugh, Sallie T. (wid Patk) r2569 Oglethorpe av”.
Memories Of Cousin Sallie
Mary Van Sant Wheeler remembers Sallie McAndrew visiting her grandmother, May Morrison at 1259 Ellis St. in Augusta. Sallie lived at the Mary Warren Home, a rest home for older single women next to the fire station on Oglethorpe Ave. Every first Friday, Sallie took the streetcar to Sacred Heart Church for Mass. Afterwards, May invited her to dinner, the big meal that was served in the middle of the day.
Mary remembers that Sallie had white hair and smoked cigarettes, which shocked all of May’s children, except Nippy. Mary Cornelia “Nippy” Morrison was May’s daughter from her second marriage. Nippy smoked and didn’t think it was odd for an older woman to enjoy a cigarette.
Mary says her grandmother always referred to Sallie as Sallie McAndrew, not Kavanaugh. Sallie was about seven years older than May. May died in Augusta in 1950 at the age of 80. Sallie died in 1959 at the age of 95 in Savannah, Georgia, where she lived in a home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
For more information on Sallie T. McAndrew Kavanaugh (1863-1959), see the references with attached research notes below.
A special thank you to archivist Emily Reed, MLIS, at the Mercy Heritage Center in Belmont, North Carolina, for her assistance in identifying Sr. M. Joseph.
Marie Van Sant Hudson contributed a significant portion of the research for this post.
References
1870 US census, Richmond County, Georgia, population schedule, Augusta, p. 71, dwelling 425, family 506, Jame McAndrew household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T132.
1880 US census, Richmond County, Georgia, mortality schedule, Augusta, p. 2, entry no. 3, Mary McAndrew; consulted through “US Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880”, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2018); citing “Federal Mortality Census Schedules, 1850-1880, (formerly in the custody of the Daughters of the American Revolution), and Related Indexes, 1850-1880,” NARA microfilm publication T655.—-Notes: Mary McAndrew, 47, died from heart disease. The 1880 mortality schedule said she was born in Georgia, but she was born in Ireland.
1910 US Census, Kings County, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, sheet 15A, Patrick J. Kavanaugh household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication T624. The 1910 census erroneously stated that PJ and Sallie had been married for ten years and both had been born in Ireland. Sallie was stepmother to PJ’s daughter Regina, named “Ray” in the 1910 census.
“Kavanaugh,” Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, NY), 4 December 1916, online archives, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 March 2018), citing original p. 20. Kavanaugh’s daughter Regina was not mentioned in his obituary.
“Music at Sacred Heart,” Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, GA), 11 June 1889, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 4 March 2018), citing original p. 5.—-Notes: Sallie McAndrew sang in a choral program at Sacred Heart Church in Augusta. She was no longer in the Mercy order.
“Mr. James M’Andrew [sic] Passes To His Rest,” Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, GA), 13 August 1904, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 28 February 2018), citing original p. 8. James McAndrew was survived by two of his children, Mrs. James Daly of Augusta and Miss Sallie T. McAndrew of New York.
“Mrs. Kavanaugh,” Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, GA), 26 March 1959, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 28 February 2018), citing original p. 6. Obituary for Sarah T. McAndrew Kavanaugh (1863-1959).
“Mrs. Mary Daly Passed Away On Wednesday – Widow of Late Mr. Jas. Daly Will Be Buried Thursday,” 20 January 1916, online archives, Genealogybank (https://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 28 February 2018), citing original p. 10. Cites one surviving sibling, Mrs. P. J. Kavanaugh of Brooklyn, NY.
Platt’s Funeral Home (Augusta, GA), “Record of Funeral,” no page no., for Sarah McAndrew Kavanaugh entry, 25 March 1959; digital image, Platt’s Funeral Home, Augusta, GA to Marie Van Sant Hudson, email, 5 March 2018, funeral record for Sarah McAndrew Kavanaugh, citing original image. Sarah McAndrew Kavanaugh was living at the Little Sisters of the Poor home for the elderly in Savannah, GA at the time of her death. Her date of birth was incorrectly entered as 30 November 1874. She was listed as 6 years of age in the 1870 US census, which was taken in August of 1870. She would have turned 7 in November of 1870.
“Polk’s Augusta (Richmond County, GA.) City Directory, Vol. XXXII: 1938,” (Richmond, VA: R. L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1938), p. 306, Kavanaugh, Sallie T.; digitized in “U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2018) path Virginia > Richmond > 1938.
Reed, Emily, MLIS, Digital and Audiovisual Records Archivist, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Mercy Heritage Center, Belmont, NC to Marie Van Sant Hudson, emails, 28 February 2018 & 2 March 2018, identity of Sr. M. Joseph, RSM, at Mercy Convent, Savannah, GA, 1887.—-Notes: Data was extracted from records by Emily Reed at Mercy Heritage Center (above). According to records at the Mercy archives, Sr. M. Joseph was Sallie McAndrew, born in Augusta, GA on 30 November 1863. Sallie became a novice in Savannah, GA on 29 January 1882. No dates for final vows or death or information on place of burial, which led the archivist to conclude she may have left the order.
Sr. M. Joseph (Savannah, GA) to “Dear Brother” [John F. Armstrong], letter, 17 October 1886, privately held by Tulie Wheeler Taylor, Tallahassee, FL, 2017.
Wheeler, Mary Van Sant, granddaughter of Mary Ellen “May” Armstrong Casey Morrison (1870-1950), address restricted, phone interview by Tulie Wheeler Taylor, Tallahassee, FL, 28 February 2018.—-Notes: Mary Van Sant Wheeler remembers Sallie McAndrew when she lived in Augusta, GA in the 1940s. She lived at a rest home for older single women in Augusta. Every first Friday, Sallie took the streetcar to Sacred Heart Church for Mass. Afterwards, JF’s daughter, Mary “May” Ellen Armstrong Casey Morrison, would invite her to 1259 Ellis St. for dinner, the big meal that was served in the middle of the day. Sallie had white hair and smoked cigarettes, which shocked May’s children, except Nippy. Nippy was a smoker and didn’t think it was weird for an elderly woman to smoke. Mary was May’s granddaughter. She says her grandmother always referred to Sallie as Sallie McAndrew, no Kavanaugh.