An assortment of Flanagan items came to me by accident and effort. When Margaret Flanagan Kent, above, died, my grandmother, Alice Flanagan Roper, received photo albums, newspaper clippings and other items that had belonged to her elder sister.
Grandma planned to organize them, but they remained unsorted at the time of her death in 1988. She stored them neatly, probably in one of her closets or in the giant hope chest at the foot of her bed.
Thanks to Sr. Carol Flanagan, above, I was able to identify people in all the black and white photographs. And now thanks to Facebook and this blog, I can share them, with a little explanation.
This first clipping comes from one of the family albums. It was glued on to black paper, with nothing written about to what paper it came from, though it was probably published in 1913. I suspect it was an out-of-town paper because a local one would not have to give the dateline, "Rockland, Me." It incorrectly calls Carol Flanagan "Carroll" and says that Mary Cushing Flanagan came from Brockton, not Hingham, Massachusetts and lived in Summerside, N.H., not Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
Top Row, Left to Right -- Margaret, 11; Kathleen, 15; Frances, 13; Eileen, 8; William, 9. Lowe Row -- John and James (twins), 4; Judson and Carroll (twins), 3; Agnes, 6.
Seated -- Alice, 20 months
THE FLANAGAN FAMILY
Rockland, ME, July 26 -- Just to show that good, old-fashioned families are not yet obsolete, the friends of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Flanagan of 41 Willow St. had their 11 children photographed.
The father of these children is well-known to the citizens at large by virtue of having been a clerk in the local post office for the past 20 years. He was graduated from the University of Maine in 1891 and worked in Providence for a steam engine company a year or two between returning to Rockland and taking what has proved a permanent position with Uncle Sam. His college fraternity was Alpha Tau Omega. He is a prominent member of Knox Aerie, F.O.B.
Mrs. Flanagan is a native of Brockton, Mass., but prior to her marriage had spent most of her time at Summerside, N.H. They were married Sept. 8, 1896, and their union of not quite 16 years has been marked by the advent of 12 children, including three pairs of twins. One of the twins died in infancy.
The 11 living children are all rugged and active, and when the goes to worship at St. Bernard's Catholic Church it is one of the most interesting spectacles that the city affords.
The parents inherit the desire for a large family, the father having been one of nine children and the mother one of six children.
The father is so modest that he could not be induced to face the camera. There are persistent rumors at the Post office that he will be "putting out the cigars" again before long.
I found the above document in the archives at Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono. It shows that John H. Flanagan was a charter member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity on campus. The archives had a folder of a few items, including a alumni update postcard in which he wrote that he was superintendent of mails.
Another item was his thesis for graduation, above, which was about how to build a steam engine. It is written in neat handwriting and starts with, "In designing a steam engine, the first thing one wants to know is what horse-power is needed to do the work required."
The archives folder also held his obituary. I have included his and his eldest child Kathleen's obituary together.
John F. Flanagan's obituary came from the Portland Press Herald in September, 1933.
John H. Flanagan Dies At Rockland
John H. Flanagan, 63, father of the Flanagan family which for many years dominated both boys' and girls' athletics at Rockland High School and a former widely known athlete, died Saturday morning at his home on Willow Street, following a long illness.
A prominent citizen of Rockland, Mr. Flanagan had been in the employ of the Rockland Post Office for 35 years and at the time of his death was superintendent of mails. He was a close follower of sports and by his interests contributed much to the success of his sons and daughters.
He is survived by his widow, Mary E. Flanagan; five sons, William, James, John, Judson and Arthur Flanagan, and six daughters, Mrs. Frances Rich, Mrs. James Kent and the Misses Alice, Agnes, Rose and Carol Flanagan.
The larger obituary to the left was a photocopy of Kathleen Flanagan's obituary and was among the family photos my grandmother received. Kathleen Flanagan died of tuberculosis in 1919. The clipping does not say from what paper it came from, though I suspect it might be from the Courier-Gazette. It incorrectly refers to Eileen Flanagan as "Irene."
Kathleen Flanagan
Miss Kathleen Flanagan of this city died Friday night in Lewiston, whither she had gone 10 weeks before in the vain hope that a long rest and a change might prove of benefit. Those final weeks were spent with her grandmother and aunt from whom she received the tenderest of care. Her mother was also with her part of the time, and when the end came.
Miss Flanagan's death marks the second break in the large family of children born to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Flanagan. She graduated from Rockland High School in 1916 and would have been 22 years old July 13. Soon after graduation she entered the employ of A.C. McLoon & Company as stenographer, later joining the office staff of the East Coast Fisheries Company. Early in October of last year she was taken with a severe cold, which developed into bronchial pneumonia. She suffered a relapse while convalescing from this attack, and in this manner began her fatal illness. In her school days the deceased was an exceptionally popular student, and affection for her came naturally to all who came in contact with her gentle, sunny disposition. Miss Flanagan is survived by her parents, five brothers, William. John, James, Judson and Arthur; and seven sisters, Frances, Margaret, Irene, Agnes, Alice, Carol and Rose Flanagan.
The funeral services were held at St. Bernard's Church yesterday. Rev. Fr. Flynn officiating. The burial was in Thomaston. The bearers were John and Edward Sansom, Thomas H. Chisholm and Fred Carini.
