lubec maine – Voices of Ancestors

Does anyone know where this is? I assume it’s a sardine factory in Lubec, Maine.

This photo was in my grandmother’s photos. Her name was Lizzie Keegan Rier. She was born in 1892 in Trescott and died in 1985 in Lubec at age 92. She worked in the sardine industry in Lubec from the 1920s to 1980s. Perhaps this photo was taken in the early 1900s judging by the clothing? I can’t see anyone who resembles her. Does anyone know what factory this is or anyone in the photo?

In my grandmother’s younger years, I was told by my Uncle Barney that she worked at the Union Sardine company owned by the McCurdys and her Uncle Thomas Keegan.

Family Photograph Circa 1940s

Lubec, Maine. Grammy (Elizabeth Keegan Rier), three of her daughters, and two sisters.

Pictured above L to R: Patricia Rier, Marion Rier, Grammy, Carollee Rier Dinsmore, Mary Keegan Foley, Teresa Keegan.

My Grandmother’s Sisters, Teresa and Mary Keegan.

Searching for Grammy Rier’s Parents and Siblings.

A Young World War I Sailor: Pete Foley?

Recently, I found these old photos of a handsome, young sailor in family photos kept by my grandmother and her sisters, Mary and Teresa. There was no name on the back but many of the other photos were labeled with names. I learned that my grandmother’s sister Mary was married to Pete Foley. There are photos of Pete in later years. He has such distinct facial features, I believe this young sailor in a World War I navy uniform must be him. What do you think?

These are photos of Pete at an older age for comparison.

Next time I’m in Lubec, I must look at the Lubec Veterans Honor Roll Memorial to see if Pete Foley’s name is there!

My Grandmother’s Sisters, Teresa and Mary Keegan

Pictured above L to R: Pete Foley, Mary Keegan Foley, my grandmother, Lizzie Keegan Rier, and Teresa Keegan on the lawn in front of Grammy’s house in Lubec.

Grammy Rier (Elizabeth Keegan Rier) was the fifth of seven children, born in Trescott to James Keegan Jr. and Margaret Murray. She had three elder sisters: Winnifred (born in 1887), Teresa (born in 1889) and Mary (born 1891); one elder brother, James (born 1890). Winnifred died at the age of 31 in 1918. James went off to fight in World War I and was never seen again, according to stories handed down in the family.

From family stories I heard growing up, Teresa went to Boston to live, possibly in Charleston; Mary lived in Massachusetts, perhaps Leominster or Charleston. My Aunt Marion, Dad’s elder sister, went to live with Teresa when she was young and did not return to Lubec to live until the 1950s, in her late 30s.

I found Grammy’s siblings in birth and/or census records. But, there were many gaps. Teresa and Mary disappeared off the map because I have not been sure if they married or where they lived most of their lives.

Newly discovered photos may aid tracking them down. Some photos of Teresa have “Teresa and Max” written on the back; Was Max Teresa’s husband? Alas, no surname was on the photo.

Mary is often pictured with Pete Foley, names written on the back. One photo of her is labeled: “Mary Keegan Foley.” A discovery!

Mary married Pete Foley. Mary had a daughter, also named Mary, indicated in one photo with “Aunt Mary’s daughter, Mary Keegan,” written on the back. I’m not sure whether this Mary was born out of wedlock, or the person labeling the photos made an error.

I’ve searched for documents to no avail, lacking a defined location for marriages and census records. But, there are labeled photographs of Teresa and Mary, some with Grammy Rier. I now know what these sisters looked like and I can identify them. It’s a start!

There are lovely portraits of My Dad’s Aunt Mary

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Mary’s daughter Mary

Mary with a baby, perhaps her daughter Mary pictured above.

L to R above: Mary Keegan Foley, Pete Foley, Lizzie Keegan Rier and her youngest daughter Carolee.

Marion Rier and her Aunt Mary

Teresa Keegan and Max

Teresa and her niece, Marion Rier

L to R below: Teresa Keegan, my grandparents, Frank and Lizzie Rier. Circa 1940.

L to R below standing: Lizzie Keegan Rier, Teresa Keegan, Patricia and Evelyn Rier. Far right: Carolee peaking around Evelyn’s dress. (Patricia, Evelyn and Carolee are Lizzie and Frank’s children.) Sitting: Frank Rier. Circa 1940.

Searching for Grammy Rier’s Parents and Siblings.

Marion Rier, Circa late 1930s

My Aunt Marion was born January 5, 1913 in Leominster, MA, the first child of Frank and Lizzie Keegan Rier. She lived in Lubec at 28 Main Street from sometime in the 1950s until her death January 11, 1974 at the age of 61.

1913 Photograph in Lubec or Trescott, Maine

Seven women on an outing. What makes this photo so special to me is my grandmother’s elder sisters are in it: Winnie Keegan (Winnifred; 3d from right sitting) and Teresa Keegan (2nd from right sitting). One other name is written under the women sitting 2nd from left: Kate Knulty? I can’t make out the last name very well.

Winnifred was born in 1887 and died in 1918 at the age of 31, perhaps during the influenza flu pandemic. Teresa was born about 1888; date of death yet unknown. The Keegan women were born in Trescott but Winnifred lived and worked in Lubec by the age of 23. She was a domestic servant in the household of the Trecartin family. My grandmother, Elizabeth Keegan Rier, was their younger sister in a family of seven children.

It’s apparent these women love to be outdoors, one holding binoculars!

Dad and Aunt Evelyn. Circa 1943.

This week my Aunt Evelyn, 95 years young, passed on to join her husband, mother, father and all her brothers and sisters. She was loved by so many and will be dearly missed.

Voices of Ancestors

Stewart Field, Newburgh, NY. Dad‘s “little” sister Evelyn visited when he was stationed at West Point during World War II. There Evelyn met her husband, Stanley Marcinek and they raised their family of eight children in Lexington, KY. Aunt Evelyn and her family visited Lubec and Machias often when I was growing up and I got to spend time having fun with my cousins.

They are cute together. Love their smiles!

This is another photo of Dad and Aunt Evelyn. L to R. Evelyn, Aunt Lillian, Dad, my grandmother, Harriet Means Johnson, her son, Uncle Bob. Kneeling: Uncle Warren Johnson (married to Lillian) with their son, William (Bill) Johnson.

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Book Recommendation: “Vital Records of Lubec, Maine Prior to 1892”

compiled by Patricia McCurdy Townsend. I searched for my Rier ancestors. My grandfather, Frank Rier, was born April 30th, 1890. Grandfather Frank’s parents were Burpee and Emma Batron Rier. I knew these names and dates but it is nice to have them verified.

In previous research I found my My Great Great Grandparents, Ingraham and Mary Rier, had four children born between 1860 and 1868: Burpee, Bertha E, Alice A and Ida May. Ingraham and Mary were born in Nova Scotia as were their children. They immigrated to Lubec, Maine between 1868 (the date their last child Ida May was born) and 1876, the year Alice died in Lubec. Ida May died there in 1883.

Then, I found a record that I had not seen. Emma Batron was Burpee Rier’s second wife. His marriage to Hattie E Williger of Whiting was published on February 13th, 1883. This book lists their marriage date by Reverend Thomas T. Smith as March 13th, of 1882. There must be an error in one of these records. Burpee’s marriage to Emma Batron of Pembroke was published on February 18th, 1888. There is no record for their marriage. I wonder what happened to Hattie Williger. There is no record of her death in this book.

Bertha Rier’s marriage to Norman A. Gavaza of Annapolis, Nova Scotia was published on September 23d, 1889. They were married September 30th, 1889.

I knew that Burpee’s two younger sisters died young. According to the vital records, Alice died on May 15, 1876 at 16 years of age. Alice’s date of death and age on the Rier gravestone is May 14, 1876, age of 13 yrs. two months. Ida died October 26, 1883 at the age of 15 years and 9 months as recorded in the vital records and on the Rier gravestone. Burpee and his three sisters were all born in Nova Scotia so perhaps the dates of birth for Alice and other family members were not accurate in Maine records.

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To read more about my great grandfather, Burpee Rier, and his parents Ingraham and Mary Rier, see this post:

Visiting the Gravesite of My Great Great Grandparents.

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The History of Catholic Churches in Lubec and Trescott, Maine

From the book 200 Hundred Years of Lubec History, 1776 – 1976 by Ryerson and Johnson, published by the Lubec Historical Society. It can be found at the Lubec Memorial Library. It includes the history of all the churches in Lubec.

This summer, the Lubec Historical Society will be selling this book. It’s a great resource!

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Saint Mary’s Catholic Church was built at the corner of Rte 189 and Chapel Hill Road in 1852 when there were about 50 Catholic families in Trescott. My great great grandfather, James Keegan Sr., and his family attended church there. The church was razed in 1882. A new church, Saint Patrick’s, was built at the corner of Rte 189 and Crow Neck road, two miles away from the Keegan home. The people had begun to move into West Lubec and Lubec and it was necessary to centralize a church. In 1887, Reverend Cornelius O’Sullivan became pastor of Machias and traveled to Lubec for 35 years.

Saint Mary’s Church At Chapel Hill Cemetery in Trescott. Painted by Bertha Calkins Walton from memory.

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