October Reflections: Honoring the Women Who Shaped Me
There are many reasons why October is so special to me. The crisp air, the golden light, the colorful foliage is the season that feels alive with change.
But more than that, October holds deep personal meaning. It’s the birth month of two remarkable women who shaped who I am: my maternal grandmother and my mother.
Today, my mother would have been 106 years old. I often say that it’s their Irish working women lineage that most defined me. I carry many of their better habits with me every day, grateful for the foundation they built and the values they passed down.
Read More From Nancy
Marriage Certificate of James Hannigan and Margaret Dawson
Some family documents do more than record a moment in time—they mark the beginning of an entirely new story. This marriage certificate is one of those documents. On January 4, 1916, my grandparents, James Hannigan and Margaret Dawson, were married in Malden, Massachusetts. Both had been born in Ireland. Both had crossed the Atlantic seeking […]
Quarry Workers Union
This small card represents far more than membership in a labor union. It tells the story of an industry that shaped Concord, New Hampshire, and unexpectedly connected both sides of my family. Issued in 1930, this withdrawal card belonged to my maternal grandfather, James Hannigan. It certified that he was leaving the Quarry Workers’ International […]
Boot & Show Workers Union Dues Book
When I first picked up this small dues book, I thought of it as simply another family keepsake. The more I learned about it, however, the more I realized it represented one of the first chapters of my grandfather’s life in America. This was the 1915 membership book of the Boot and Shoe Workers’ Union, […]
