I Know Dead People

Have you ever researched your family genealogy? I have. You know what I found out - There are like 5 generations of the same story.... tragic lives.
Do you see the light gray stone in the bottom right of the picture by all the gnarled roots? That is a mark stone. When they bury people without headstones they have to put a mark stone to be able to find the foot of the caskets. Sometimes they bury 3-4 people in one plot. That Mark Stone you see in the picture is the stone that marks my Great Great Grandfather's grave. His name was Henry "Harry" Joseph Cassidy. I can tell you ALOT about Harry. He was a MAJOR thorn in my family's side.

Harry was born on Sept 16, 1876 in Reading, PA. He was the 3rd child of 11 (4 sets of twins). He was the son of Irish Railroad Engineer that moved the Reading, PA after the breakup of the railroad monopoly. Harry married Grace Allwein in 1903. Grace was the beautiful daughter of German settlers. It was a huge family slap that Grace would marry a lowly Irish boy, but she did. Grace and Harry lived with Grace's father in Reading. (The grey one with the red trim in the middle of the picture.) Harry and Grace had 8 children. 3 boys died at birth, one boy died in a bicycle vs. car accident and 4 girls. Harry grew up into the family business and became a railroad engineer like his father. My GG Aunt told me stories of how she would walk down the street to the PUB with a pitcher and buy some beer and run it home. She would get to eat the foam from the top. Harry would tie one on and steal the town trolley for joy rides. The bad news.... There was one trolley car and one line... The good news ~ all the cops were Irish.
One afternoon in 1917 Harry was in the hall way in the second story of the gray house when he collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm (35 yo). My GG Grandmother was 3 months pregnant with their 8th child. Harry's service was at St. Joseph's Church, just down the hill from where they lived. Father Kelley conducted the service. To the shock and dismay of all present, a woman with 6 children showed up for the service claiming to be the wife of Harry Cassidy. After the dust settled the family found out that Harry had a wife at BOTH ends of the railroad line he worked. Since this OTHER woman had married Harry a few months earlier than he had married my GG Grandmother, she would get all the railroad benefits. So the funeral proceeded. Father Kelley stood at the podium to give the eulogy and all he could say was "Harry Cassidy lived, Harry Cassidy Died" and sat down. They dropped Harry in the ground and a pregnant widow had to face a reality of continuing life without a provider. To this day, the three people in that grave don't have a headstone and only a few know there story. For generations, the women in that family grew up with a "blackwidow" attitude about men.

Reading Eagle, Pg 7 Wednesday July 11, 1917
Reading Engineer Dies Came from a family well-known as railroaders
Harry J. Cassidy, aged 35 years, well-known railroad engineer, died suddenly as the result of heart disease at 4:30 PM Tuesday, at his home, 922 North Eleventh Street. Deceased followed railroading nearly all his life. He came from a family most of whose male members were firemen and engineers employed by the Reading Railway Co. His father, Michael Cassidy, who died many years ago, worked for the company for years. Mr. Cassidy had not been working since last Saturday. He did not complain of feeling ill and only a short time before he died was about the house as usual and in a cheerful frame of mind. He was seized by a stroke while on the second floor. Members of the family went to his assistance but he had already passed away when they reached his side. His sudden end was a great shock to members of the family who said he was never known to be seriously ill before. Deceased was employed by the Reading Co. ever since he was 17 years old. At one time he enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest freight engineer in the company's employ. Prior to his demise he worked on the freight run from Reading to Catasauqua via Allentown. Mr. Cassidy was a lifelong resident of this city. He was a Member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the P&R Relief Association. He leaves his aged mother, Margaret; his widow Grace B. (nee Allwein), and four Children, Mary, Henry Helen and Beatrice at home.

I have no idea WHY I felt compelled to write this all down.