Saturday, April 30, 2016

Sunday's Obituary - Rita Dermott nee Brown

The Standard Speaker,  26JUL1965 pg22
Continuing the posts on my Zombie-Brown line with Neal and Bridget Brown nee Brown's sixth child, Rita. This article brings me no revelations although I know know where Rita is buried and that we had some of her siblings spreading out past the confines of Hazleton. I had created a FindAGrave memorial for her last year so everything is updated and looking good.

I was a bit cautious when I first came across this obituary and started reading. Starting out calling her "Mrs. William R. Dermott" made me cringe a little because far too frequently in women's obituaries would that be the end of it. No other information would be important because her identity was lost at marriage and she became one with the identity of her husband (apparently). Luckily, that wasn't the case and not only was it a proper obituary, but they included a nice chunk of family data.

"Mrs. William R. Dermott

Mrs. William R. Dermott, 47, of 112 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, the former Rita Brown, this city, died at 3:10 a.m. Sunday in Allentown General Hospital where she had been a patient for the past two weeks.

Born in this city, she was a daughter of the late Neal and Bridget (Brown) Brown. She lived in Jim Thorpe for the past 20 years.

She was a member of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Jim Thorpe.

Surviving are her husband, William; two daughters, Mary and Rita, and a son, William, all at home; four sisters, Mrs. John (Nancy) Harkins, Newark, Del.; Mrs. Eleanor Prosser, Mrs. Clyde (Mary) Barth, and Mrs. Charles (Joan) Cann, all of this city.

Also surviving are six brothers, Neal, James and Charles Brown, all of this city; Paul Brown, Leadville; Eugene Brown, Levittown,  and John Brown, Philadelphia.

Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday from the Ring Funeral Home, 218 Centre street, Jim Thorpe. A high mass of requiem will be celebrated at 10 o'clock in Immaculate Conception Church. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 p.m. Tuesday until time of the funeral."

So another obituary down. Neal/Neil and Bridget had 11 children and Rita was only number six. I don't have obituaries for all of them, and some I've already shared, but the end of this search is near. Nothing is out of place so I'm really beginning to believe that the 1940 Census was just an erroneous fluke.

1 comment:

  1. Oh you are certainly lucky with this one and it provides some great detail! Like you said, so often the women are essentially invisible.

    ReplyDelete