I was walking my dog early Saturday morning when I saw a spill of cards under a tree. There was also a slippery plastic laundry type bag nearby, as if maybe someone didn't know they had lost the cards they were carrying in the bag. This was not near a garbage bin. I got closer and noticed that the cards and letters were not wet from the sprinklers, nor dirty or smelly, though clearly near a well used path. "It must have been recently that they were lost," I thought! No one was around, so I decided that before they could get wet, dirty, or smelly, to take this all home, look at it, and see if I could determine the rightful owner!
The genealogy detective in me was enthralled as I saw that most of the stack were MOTHERS DAY CARDS, with Maureen's profuse love for her mom expressed in so very many handwritten notes inside. There were envelopes without corresponding cards in them, from Rossmore, California, Sparta, New Jersey, La Crescenta, California (the Flynns) and Hopewell, Virginia, as well as older yellowed correspondence from a male writer based in Saint Louis, which were all about theatrical events, as well as a large envelope that had once contained a will. I noticed an envelope from Saint Charles Church and an address in No Ho, but I suspect that the O'Toole family has not lived at the address since 2005, the last postmark in the collection.
THERE IS A 25th Anniversary card from Ollie to Millie. From this, I know that they married on June 23, 1937 and the card is from 1962. At the time, either Ollie or Millie's own mother was still alive as she sent a card. Thus I believe that Ollie and Millie, who were probably born 1917 or before, have likely passed away and that the person I'm looking for is their loving daughter Maureen or a close relative, such as a grandchild, niece, or nephew.
Another clue is a Christmas card to "Aunt Millie" from Jerry, Randy, Jeffery, and Julia Rose. Either Millie or Maureen were sometimes called "Mo."
There are some cards handmade by Maureen in the pile, an old photo of a young man. That white card below is Ollie's Silver Wedding Anniversary card to Millie and the card with the orange stone on it is a handmade Silver Wedding card from Maureen to her parents.
UPDATE OCTOBER 13th. Progress. A short letter has been delivered to the church.
But more amazing than that is that when I went to drop off the letter, I picked up a bulletin, and flipping through it, saw that there was a Mass being said for a Maureen O'Toole, on October 9th! So I asked the desk clerk and confirmed she had died. So on the Internet I found an OBIT with a picture of Maureen, and some other information. Ollie was a character actor who had worked in cowboy films. Maureen had an acting credit too. And there was a funeral Mass for her on August 31st, 2016, plus mortuary information. She had died at 73! I called the mortuary and will be sending a letter they may pass on. Between the church and the mortuary, I feel certain that we will locate SOMEONE who may be a close family member, eventually, if they are responsive. Besides a feeling of synchronicity that in dropping off the letter I thought to pickup and read the bulletin, this morning yet another synchronicity occurred. I waited outside a library for it to open, and got into a conversation with a man sitting on the bench next to me. So though this library is miles from the other locations, when I told him about being out with my dog so early that it wasn't quite light out yet, and being attracted by the envelopes, he said, "I was riding my bike and saw those a few days ago, wondered what they were, but didn't stop!"
THE COLLECTION HAS MANY CARDS TO MILLIE FROM MAUREEN,
especially Mother's Day cards, with her great love for her mom expressed in handwritten messages on large, beautiful cards.
I can just imagine Maureen shopping for the perfect card to send!
HERE IS A PICTURE OF MAUREEN
THAT IS ON THE INTERNET ASSOCIATED WITH HER OBITS.
1939-2016
ACTOR OLLIE O'TOOLE on IMDB (the movie database) HER DAD WAS BORN IN PITTSBURGH and he actually worked as a character actor in more films than on this list.
UPDATE! ONE WEEK AFTER THIS POST, though the church, a connection was made. I'll be delivering the collection to a go between any day! So, Maureen RIP!
