Auntie

     Ma's aunt Ellen O'Connell Ronayne was known to many in and out of the family as "Auntie".  She was the daughter of John G. O'Connell and Mary Ann Pyles.  She was born on 2 Aug 1864 in Ohio and came to Minnesota with the family about 1870.
     She married Cornelius Ronayne on 8 September 1884 at the Church of St. Thomas.They had four children.  The daughter's photo appeared previously on this blog in the 4 generation picture.

     When Auntie's sister Mary Agnes O'Connell Ronayne died just after childbirth in 1899, Ellen  took over the care of Mary Agnes' 8 children as well as her own. This earned her the respect and admiration of many.
      Ma told a story about one of her cousins, I think it may have been Madge Ronayne, who was getting ready for a dance.  She went out and bought a very nice blouse to wear and was quite excited about it.  Auntie didn't approve of this frivolity and took the blouse and threw it in the fire!!
     In her later life she lived with her brother Daniel, who never married.  Ma said they had an altar set up in their home and they prayed together.
     At the end of her life, she spent some time at the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul.  Evidently, she became too hard for them to handle, and was moved to a facility in Rochester, Minnesota where she died on 11 April 1961.  She was 96 years old!!  Those O'Connells have the longevity gene.
     The father of Mary Agnes' children was James F. Ronayne.  James and Cornelius were brothers.  This can be very confusing because another sister--Lizzie--also married a Ronayne.  His name was Dennis.  He may have been a cousin to the other Ronaynes.  Dennis' sister Catherine married into the Burns family.