Sheila Mullen Langlois

January 30, 1949 —  May 2, 1982

Exactly 42 years ago today, my cousin, Sheila Mullen, died as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile crash. While I’ve known about this tragic death all these years, it is only today that I feel compelled to write about it. Here’s why.

A few days ago, another cousin, Pete, emailed to ask if I had any pictures of Sheila. This was somewhat of an odd, out of the blue request, so I asked Pete what had motivated it. He responded saying he had recently been talking with a friend and a memory involving Sheila had popped into his head. Here's the gist of it:

In the mid-60's, Sheila's entire family (Uncle Jack, Aunt Kathy and their four girls) traveled to the Philadelphia area to visit the relatives. By all accounts, visits like this were rare. As such, the girls were never very close with any of their cousins. Sheila, the oldest, was remembered as being somewhat shy and quiet. But since Pete and Sheila were about the same age, Pete was "encouraged" by his parents to take Sheila to a dance at the local Catholic Church. When Pete arrived at the dance accompanied by this beautiful young woman, his friends were shocked. They asked Pete why he had been hiding his girlfriend from them. Pete replied, "She's not my girlfriend, she's my cousin from Connecticut, so she's available!".

I didn't press Pete for further details, but that little story was more than I had ever heard about Sheila in my life. Although she was only six years older than me, I don't remember ever meeting her. She was born in Jersey City in 1949 and moved to Connecticut in the mid-50's (about the same time I was born). In 1972, she married Ken Langlois and moved to Michigan in 1978. The fatal car crash occurred four years later. Here is a copy of her obituary from the May 5, 1982 edition of the Hartford Courant:

As expected, the obituary provides only minor insights into Sheila, so I asked Pete if he had any other memories of her. He provided one more small anecdote. 

Our grandmother, Bridget Agnes McHugh Mullen, died in July of 1975. I was 20 years old at the time and attended her funeral. Everyone did, including the Connecticut Mullens. After the final gathering at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, Pete and his wife Marie went back to their car – an AMC Matador – and discovered it wouldn’t start. Sheila and her husband, Ken gave them a jump-start and followed them back to Pete’s parents’ house in Rockledge to troubleshoot the problem. Somehow, I  managed to be at the event where this happened without meeting or talking with Sheila or her three sisters.

At this point, I knew I wanted to write something about Sheila, but I was stuck. The post would be woefully incomplete without a photo of her.  I was now in the same boat as Pete, only worse, since I had no idea what Sheila looked like. I began by searching through Ancestry's genealogical databases. Their yearbook collection is my go-to place for photos of people in their teenage years, but I faced two difficulties: I didn’t know where or when Sheila went to high school. My best guess was that she attended East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut, graduating in either 1967 or 1968. Sadly, Ancestry’s database only had East Catholic yearbooks for 1975, 1980 and 1982. 

Discouraged and ready to give up, I decided to search the entire web to see if any site other than Ancestry had East Catholic yearbooks on file. In football terms, this is known as a Hail Mary pass. Unbelievably, this Hail Mary was caught for a touchdown! I found a site dedicated to the East Catholic High School Class of 1970 that contained East Catholic yearbook photos from 1965 through 1969 as well. And that's where I found Sheila Mullen's 1967 senior year photo, displayed at the top of this post.

That’s about all I’ve got, except for one personal observation. Starting at around the time my parents died in the late 1980’s, I became very disdainful and dismissive of organized religion. For the most part, I'm still that way. I continue to believe in a Supreme Being and an afterlife of some sort, but the ability to communicate with God and those who have gone before us is, to me, a childish fantasy. There are no ghosts. God and our ancestors do not intervene in our lives.

These last few days, though, have put a few tiny chinks in that armor. Why did that story about Sheila suddenly pop into Pete’s head? Why did I feel compelled to spend hours researching a cousin I never knew in order to commemorate her death in a blog post? Why, after hours of fruitless search, did a photo of Sheila fall into my lap, dare I say, miraculously? And why did I carefully re-read Sheila’s obituary, looking for any tidbit of information I might have missed, and discover that today is the 42^nd anniversary of her death?  I can't explain any of it, but it all seems a tad eerie and way too coincidental.

If anyone else has any other memories of Sheila, feel free to add them by clicking on the comment button. If you feel like it, add your name; otherwise your comments will be attributed to Anonymous, which is also fine. 

Rest in peace, cousin Sheila.

   

Whatever Happened to Putnam Park?

Back in 1963 when I was mid-way through the third grade, my family moved to Poughkeepsie, NY.  One of the best things about living at our new location on Dwight Street was a park about 300 yards away.  There was no sign indicating the name of this park, but none was needed. Everybody called it Putnam Park, and it was fantastic. My grade school friends and I had epic two-on-two football games there. My older brother and I hit hundreds of fly balls to each other there. My younger brother skated there in the winter when the city turned a natural depression in the southern end into an ice rink. Most important, I fell in love with basketball there, playing on a black-topped full court in its northern end.   

Sometime in the early 1970's, though, some city official decided that the park simply had to have a sign. Accordingly, a cheap wooden sign was installed at the corner of Hooker and Hanscom Avenues. To our amazement, the sign read "Bartlett Park" which totally mystified us. Why did they rename our beloved park, and who the hell was Bartlett? For that matter, who the hell was Putnam?  These and many other questions remained a mystery for over 45 years until a high-school friend challenged me to figure it out. So here you go, Tom. This blog's for you!

Brooks Seminary for Young Ladies

 

The story of the park begins back in the 1800's when Poughkeepsie was a thriving city chock-full of impressive schools.  According to this publication from 1937, Poughkeepsie was actually referred to as the "City of Schools".  One of these schools was the Brooks Seminary for Young Ladies, also informally known as the Brooks Institute or the Brooks Seminary.  According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1871:

"Mary Bryan Johnson was its founder.  She and her future husband, Edward White, erected a building on six acres of elevated grounds in the southeastern section of Poughkeepsie at the corner of what then was Southeast and Hanscom Avenues."

At its peak, the Brooks Seminary was advertised in newspapers across the United States and was regarded as one of the best schools of its kind. Per this review in 1872, the New York Times wrote that, in many respects, it was even superior to Vassar College, a highly regarded institution only a mile away from the Brooks Seminary:

"While there are a great many schools of a high order in most respects, probably there are few that equal, and fewer still that as a whole excel, the Brooks Seminary at Poughkeepsie, New-York, a city on the Hudson, of extraordinary advantages in many respects, more especially as to health.

"Next door to Vassar, both in location and standing, and in some sort a preparatory school, it in some respects excels, and many would deem it superior to, that great institution."

Despite reviews like this, the Brooks Seminary found it difficult to compete with Vassar's preparatory school. In 1880, the seminary relocated to 11 Montague Terrace in Brooklyn, New York where it appears to have survived for only a year or two.

 

Ellen Clizbe Bartlett and the birth of Putnam Hall School

According to "The Eagles History of Poughkeepsie" by Edmund Platt, after Brooks Seminary vacated the building, it was used as hotel and as a dormitory for Vassar students. In 1901, however, Ellen Clizbe Bartlett and Frances A. Welbasky established a new boarding school for women at this location, renaming it the Putnam Hall School. It's unclear who the school was named after. Putnam County of New York was named after Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War hero. There was also another hero of the Revolution, Israel's cousin Rufus Putnam, who was appointed by George Washington in 1776 as the nation's first Chief Engineer. In this position Rufus helped design the fortifications of Fort Putnam and West Point in New York. It seems highly unlikely that a boarding school for women would be named after one of these long-dead military men. I'm guessing the school was named in honor of a rich patron or benefactor named Putnam. Below is a colorized postcard photo of the Putnam Hall School, circa 1907:

In the early 20th century, the Putnam Hall School and Miss Bartlett were held in high regard, both locally and nationally. As such, when Miss Bartlett announced her intention to close the school on May 31, 1912 due to financial difficulties, it was news coast to coast: 

Locally, the reaction to Miss Bartlett's announcement was swift. On April 15, 1912, the Poughkeepsie Eagle News reported that "Prominent Men" were going to try and save the school:

It's not clear who these "prominent men" were, but the results they achieved were spectacular. As reported in the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News on September 23, 1912, the school was out of financial difficulties and had been"greatly improved for the fall term":

The school continued to operate through the 1933 school year but then closed abruptly, possibly due to Miss Bartlett's retirement. In 1940, the school was torn down and, a few years later, Miss Bartlett deeded the property to the city with the stipulation that it be "used only for public purposes by the citizens of the city of Poughkeepsie". The event was captured in the photo, below, in the June 15, 1943 edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal:

 On March 16, 1944, Ellen Clizbe Bartlett died at the age of 87. Her obituary was carried in the New York Times:

Creating the Park

Almost immediately, the local government took action to utilize Miss Bartlett's gift to the city. As shown in the article below from the Poughkeepsie Journal, the Department of Public Works was asked to clean up the grounds, plans were made for a dedication ceremony and the Planning Commission suggested that a sign proclaiming the area as "The Ellen Clisby Bartlett Memorial Park" be erected. The fact that the Poughkeepsie Journal misspelled Miss Bartlett's middle name indicates that perhaps the park needed a simpler name.

As stated in the article, the Planning Commission didn't have the authority to name the park, so the issue was transferred to the Common Council. They, in turn, transferred it to the Public Property Committee, suggesting that it be called "The Ellen Clisbie Bartlett Memorial Park", again misspelling her middle name. 

Apparently, though, little was actually done to create a functioning park. On June 27, 1947, the headline of the Poughkeepsie Journal indicated that the area might become the location of the new Poughkeepsie High School.

Seven years later, a 1954 Poughkeepsie Journal article stated that the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Center agreed that Bartlett Park would be "acceptable .. in exchange for its College Avenue property which has been designated as part of a site for a new Poughkeepsie High School".

On February 20, 1958, a Poughkeepsie Journal article made it very clear that very little had been done to create a functioning park. A former alderman, Mrs. Cummins, proposed that the city give back the site to the heirs of Miss Bartlett who could then sell the land for housing:

In 1961, the city considered using Bartlett Park as the site for its new YMCA:

In 1963, the city finally began taking steps to honor the stipulations made by Miss Bartlett that the area be "used only for public purposes by the citizens of the city of Poughkeepsie". In April 30, 1963, the Poughkeepsie, Journal reported that a public discussion would be held to demand "improved playground facilities for the Clinton-Sixth ward area". Bartlett Park was mentioned as a possible site for improvement. Per one of the organizers of the event, there had currently been "no offer of Bartlett Park for play purposes" prior to that meeting. Apparently, the discussions were fruitful because on August 12, 1964,the following small article appeared in the Poughkeepsie Journal:

A sign identifying the area as Bartlett Park would not be erected until a decade later.

Postscript

Two final points worth mentioning. First, even though the area was officially referred to as Bartlett Park (or a variation thereof) since 1943, those who visited the park well into the 1970's always called it Putnam Park. Even the Poughkeepsie Journal occasionally referred to it as Putnam Hall Park: 

Second, this article began with fond memories I had of playing basketball at Putnam Park in the late 60's and early 70's. Strangely enough, I can find no documentation whatsoever that the City of Poughkeepsie ever planned, built or maintained an outdoor basketball court at that location. The only proof I have that the court even existed is this tangential mention in a Poughkeepsie Journal article in January of 1983:

Not the type of documentation I was looking for, but I'll take it.

 

Nancy (Mullen) Benco Oswald (1928 - 2018)

On Saturday morning, February 18, 2018, , Nancy (Mullen) Benco Oswald died at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA. She was one month shy of her 90th birthday. Nancy was the daughter of Patrick Mullen (born in Ballina, County Mayo) and Bridget McHugh (born in Glangevlin, County Cavan). She lived her entire life in the Philadelphia and Allentown areas and is predeceased by two husbands, Joseph P. Benco and Walter T. Oswald.

Although her health had been failing over the past couple of years, Nancy was determined to attend the wedding of her granddaughter, Laura, last May. A few months after attending that wedding, she set her sights on another goal: attending the annual Mullen Christmas Party this past January. She accomplished that goal, participating in a rousing Irish sing-a-long lead by her son, Joe.

She died peacefully in her sleep surrounded by all of her children. Below is her official obituary, along with a few photos of her throughout the years.

 Nancy T. (Mullen) Benco Oswald, 89, of Allentown, died Saturday, February 17, 2018 at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph P. Benco, Sr. to whom she has now rejoined in Heaven. Born in Philadelphia, March 13, 1928, Nancy was the daughter of the late Patrick J. and Bridget Agnes (McHugh) Mullen. She was employed as a unit clerk at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest for 17 years before retiring. Nancy was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, Orefield serving as Lector, Eucharistic Minister and sang with the funeral choir. She volunteer as a religious counselor at the Lehigh County Prison. Survivors: Loving and devoted mother of Maureen T. Benco of Allentown, Elaine P. Benco Hersh and her husband, Frederick of Emmaus, Janet A. Benco McShane and partner, Robert S. Lavin of Macungie, Joseph P. Benco, Jr. and his wife, Mary of Hampton, NJ, James Patrick Benco of Allentown; brother, Joseph Mullen of Wayne; sister, Patricia Sears of Willow Grove; grandchildren, William, Laura, Christopher, Andrew, Julie, Joseph III, Jessica; predeceased by siblings, Jack, Mary, Thomas, James.

Service: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 am. Friday, February 23, 2018 at St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, 1879 Applewood Drive, Orefield. The Rev. Joseph P. Becker will be the celebrant. Family and friends may pay their respects from 6 - 8:00 pm. Thursday and 9 - 9:45 am. Friday in the Heintzelman Funeral Home, Inc., 4906 Route 309, Schnecksville. Interment will take place at 2:00 pm. Saturday, February 24, 2018 at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Philadelphia. Online expressions of sympathy may be recorded at www.heintzelmancares.com. Contributions: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph the Worker Angel Fund c/o the funeral home, P.O. Box # 196, Schnecksville, PA 18078-0196.

Nancy at the wedding of my parents in 1948

With her husband, Joseph Benco, at the same wedding

At the 2005 Mullen Christmas Party

Reviewing passenger ship manifests at the 2006 Mullen Christmas Party

A better photo of Nancy at the 2006 Mullen Christmas Party

Checking in at the 2008 Mullen Reunion in Ballina

At the "family farm" in Ballina in 2008

With her son, Jim, in Puerto de Cádiz in 2014

At her birthday party in March, 2017

At her granddaughter's wedding in May, 2017

Kathleen Duffy (1923-2017)

It is with sadness that I report the death of Kathleen Duffy on October 26, 2017, from complications caused by pneumonia.  Although she lived to the age of 94, her sudden sickness and death still caught me by surprise.  When I spoke with her on her birthday last August she still sounded strong and clear of mind. Her obituary, written by her nephews Patrick Mills (standing, center, in the photo above) and  Brian Fowler (standing, upper right) can be found here.  

From a genealogical perspective, Kathleen Duffy was my third cousin once removed, but from every other perspective she was much closer than that.  I first "met" Kathleen back in 2005 after my first visit to Ireland.  During that visit my interest in genealogy was fueled by a meeting in Ballina with Vince Duffy who showed me a large family tree that had been put together by his late father (Sean Duffy) and his father's cousin (Madge Messenger).  When I returned to the States, I sent a packet of information to Madge describing my interest in genealogy and asking for her help. A few months later, though, that packet was returned to me unopened with a note stating that it had never been claimed.  I decided to send the packet to Madge's sister, Kathleen Duffy, who called me at my home a week or so later.  She informed me that Madge's health had deteriorated to the point that she could no longer participate in detailed genealogical discussions, but that she would help me if she could.  This phone call initiated a friendship between us that would last until Kathleen's unexpected death. 

Letter to Aunt Mary

In early 2006 I began to organize a reunion of the extended Mullen Family in Ballina. Kathleen was overjoyed when she heard of this.  She stated that she was battling a number of physical ailments but that she would try her best to be there. I told her that I completely understood if she could not attend and mentioned that my Aunt Mary (a year older than Kathleen) was facing a similar dilemma.  A day or two later I received an email from Kathleen.  Embedded within was a note that Kathleen asked me to forward to Aunt Mary, a woman that Kathleen had never even met!  Click on the image on the right and take a minute or two to read this note.  It will provide you with a small inkling of Kathleen's unique personality and her ability to connect with others.  Ultimately, Aunt Mary's illness prevented her from attending the Reunion and meeting Kathleen.  Still, Kathleen would often ask me about Aunt Mary in her emails. 

At the 2008 Reunion

Kathleen and I finally met face-to-face at the Mullen Reunion in Ballina in 2008. While that event was, in many ways, a tremendous success, I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked with Kathleen.  Thankfully, my extended family had a chance to talk with her at length, and she made a deep and lasting impression on them -- and vice-versa.  This was epitomized on the morning after the Reunion as the U.S. contingent was climbing on a bus for a tour of western Ireland.  Kathleen, of course, had insisted on being there to see us off.  As the bus pulled away from the Downhill House Hotel, the last thing we all saw was Kathleen waving goodbye to us with her handkerchief.  I didn't capture that moment in a photo but I can still see it in my mind's eye as I type these words.  

In the years which followed, we continued to stay in touch, but it was mostly by email (Kathleen was very good with email into her 90's!)  She would often ask when Marilynn and I would return for another visit.  Sadly, we only managed to get back to England twice -- once during a week long vacation in 2009 (when the photo at the top of the post was taken) and again in 2015 when we attended Maire Davies' 70th birthday party.  It was during the 2015 visit that we had the pleasure of meeting Bridie Simkins, a woman whom Kathleen called "my best friend".  Marilynn and I had brought some gin and tonic with us as Bridie had told us that it was Kathleen's favorite drink.  We spent a lovely evening with Kathleen at Bridie and Ernie's house but, somehow, forgot to drink a gin and tonic!  After we returned to the States, Bridie sent us a short video of Kathleen.  I think it's fitting to end this memorial to Kathleen by clicking on the link below and hearing a few words from Kathleen herself -- sitting around with her best friend while enjoying a gin and tonic.

Kathleen and Bridie enjoying a G&T:  November 2015

William J. Behrens and the Man of Steel

About four years ago, I joined a genealogical research site called Ancestry and began investigating the Hugues branch of my mother's family tree.  In a relatively short period of time, that tree has grown to over 1,100 verified names.  That may sound like a lot of names but, in genealogical terms, it's not that impressive.

Think of it this way:  Assume that you want to build a comprehensive family tree that extends from the present day back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776).  That's a span of 241 years or approximately 10 generations.  Let's also assume that, as you progress down through the generations, three children from each family marry and have (on average) three children of their own who marry,  and so on, down through the generations.  The chart on the left shows how quickly a family tree based on these simple assumptions can explode into almost 200,000 names!  All of this is a roundabout way of saying that there are quite a few names on my Hugues Family Tree that have not been fully explored.  One such name belongs to a man named William J. Behrens.

William J. Behrens was my mother's second cousin.  He was the son of Henry Behrens and Martha Mehan and was born in San Francisco, CA, on September 12, 1921.  Per Ancestry's California Marriage Index, William married a woman named Noel Heill in Los Angeles, CA, on August 27, 1953.  He died in Los Angeles on February 12, 2011, at the age of 89.  That, in a nutshell, was everything I could find out about William J. Behrens.  Ancestry contained no other information about his wife and no leads at all regarding children.  After a while, I marked William Behrens as a "cold case" and moved on to other names. 

Who called him "Papa"?

Last week, though, a colleague on Ancestry (and also my third cousin) posted a photo of the gravestone of William J. Behrens.  I already had this photo but I clicked on it anyway, just for the hell of it. Surprisingly, I saw something I hadn't noticed before.  Above his name was the word "Papa".  To me, this was a strong indicator that he had, indeed, fathered at least one child.  The game was once again afoot!  I dusted off my Ancestry research skills and dove in. 

Pay dirt!

It had been quite a while since I'd done any research on this guy so I was hoping to find a fresh, new lead.  That hope was quickly dashed.  After about an hour of searching I hadn't turned up anything meaningful on him or his wife, Noel Heill.  In fact, other than that reference in the California Marriage Index, I had absolutely nothing on his wife, not even a date of birth!  I decided to bring up a scanned image of that marriage index to see if it contained anything else of use ... and did it ever!  William's wife was not named Noel Heill.  Her name was Noel Neill!  If that name means nothing to you, it's probably because you weren't born before 1960 and didn't watch the Superman TV show on channel 11, WPIX, starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel.  Noel Neill was the name of the actress that played Lois Lane!

All this seemed a little too good to be true.  Before I could announce this monumental discovery, I needed ironclad proof.  Now that I had Noel's correct name, this turned out to be pretty simple: 

1. The California Birth Index confirmed that William J. Behrens, with a mother whose maiden name was Mehan, was born on September 12, 1921.
2. The Minnesota, Birth Index confirmed that Noel Darleen Neill was born on November 25, 1920.
3. The California Marriage Index (above) confirmed that William Behrens (age 31) and Noel Neill (age 32) were married on August 27, 1953.  Both ages correspond exactly to the information contained in their birth index records.

On top of that, there's this excerpt from a Wikipedia entry on Noel Neill:

Personal life
In 1943, Neill married makeup artist Harold Lierley in Hollywood, California. The marriage was annulled shortly afterward. Neill then married William Behrens in 1953 in Santa Monica, California; the marriage ended in divorce in 1962. While still married to Behrens, the Superman television program was cancelled. 

That sealed the deal for me.  In the TV series, Lois Lane never married Superman.  But in real life, William J. Behrens was her Man of Steel! 

George Reeves and Noel Neill in the 1950's

Noel Neill died last year. In her obituary, the New York Times failed to mention any children, noting only that she had "no surviving family members".  Since Behrens was in his 40's at the time of their divorce, it's probably a safe bet that he, too, died without children.  Maybe the word "Papa" on his gravestone was simply his nickname:  "Papa Behrens", a play on "Papa Bear".  Whatever.  It's time to close this case again and move on to a new name.  

---

Postscript:

Here we go again.  While writing this story, I couldn't resist the urge to continue researching.  When the Ancestry well ran dry I switched to a second genealogical site called Family Search.  I created a search using everything I now knew about Noel Neill and William Behrens and hit ENTER.  Unbelievably, my results included a copy of their actual marriage certificate from a database called "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952":

Mind blown ... again!

This document confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that William John Behrens, my mother's second cousin and the son of Martha Mehan and Henry Behrens, married Noel Darleen Neill in 1953.  But it also raises a brand new issue:  Before marrying Noel Neill, William Behrens had been married twice before!  So maybe he does have descendants after all!

The game is afoot!

Thomas Ruane: January 16, 2012

Tom with his sister, Evelyn: 2005

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Thomas Ruane, who died peacefully in the Mayo General Hospital on January 16, 2012. I had the good fortune to meet and talk with Tom on my visits to Ireland in the last decade. When I last saw Tom in 2008, he was too ill to attend the Mullen Family Reunion in Ballina. Marilynn and I visited him in the hospital, though, and he was in great spirits and eager to be released. We had an excellent visit with him and his sons. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Click on the image below to read his obituary:

Below are a few additional photographs of Tom surrounded by various members of his extended family:

Standing: Martin Ruane, Gerald Ruane, Daniel Ruane, Patrick RuaneSeated: Mary Coleman, Thomas Ruane, John Ruane, Evelyn Moyles

Standing: Tom Ruane, Gerald Ruane, Dimi Catechis, Martin Ruane;

Seated: Patricia Ruane, Mary Coleman, Mary Ruane Catechis, Evelyn Moyles

1992: Tom Ruane, Joe Mullen,
Tom Ruane (son), Bridie Ruane (wife)

Mary Notarfrancesco: 1921 - 2011

On September 8, 2011, shortly before 9pm EDT, Mary Notarfrancesco, the matriarch of the "Philadelphia Mullens", died peacefully at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook, PA. She was two months shy of her 90th birthday.

Mary was the oldest daughter of Patrick Mullen (born in Ballina, County Mayo) and Bridget McHugh (born in Glangevlin, County Cavan). She lived her entire life in the Philadelphia area and is predeceased by her husband, Dominic Notarfrancesco.

Although her health had been failing in recent years, she had hoped to be well enough to attend my son, Andy's, wedding to Rebecca on August 28th. Unfortunately, Mary's health took a severe turn for the worse a couple of weeks prior to the wedding. Her wish was that no extraordinary means be taken to extend her life, and that wish was granted.

Below is her official obituary, along with a few photos of her throughout the years.

Notarfrancesco - Mary A. (nee Mullen) , age 89 on Thursday Sept. 8. 2011 formerly of Rockledge, and Olney. Beloved Wife of the late Dominic Notarfrancesco ‘Notar’. Loving Mother of Peter M. (Marie), Anthony C. (Cathey), and the late Michael C. Notarfrancesco (Kathleen). Devoted grandmother of 5, great-grandmother of 8, and Sister of Nancy Oswald, Joseph Mullen (Winnie), Patricia Sears, and the late John, Thomas, and James Mullen. Family & friends are invited to Mary’s Life Celebration Sat. Sept. 17th, after 10AM and to participate in her Funeral Mass at 11AM Church of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 1200 Park Avenue Bensalem, Pa. 19020. Int. Our Lady of Grace Cem. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Mary’s name to American Macular Degeneration Foundation, P.O. Box 515, Northampton, Ma. 01061-0515 (www.macular.org) would be appreciated. To share your fondest of Mary please visit www.lifecelebration.com. Family Service by Dean-Geitner-Givnish of Fox Chase.

With her Dad, Patrick Mullen


1926


1936



1942



Mullen Christmas, 2006


Raising a glass to the Extended Mullen Family, 2010