Catherine Elizabeth SHEA was born in Kings County, Nova Scotia 10 Oct 1869. Her parents, James SHEA and Mary SUGHRUE had recently immigrated to Nova Scotia (between 1865 and 1867) from Ireland. I have never found Catherine's birth record, but I did locate her brother Dennis's, and on that it stated that James and Mary were married in 1857 in Ireland.

James SHEA born abt 1831 in Ireland and Mary SUGHRUE born abt 1838 in Ireland. They were married in Ireland in 1857. Known children of James and Mary are:

James: b 1865 Ireland
Michael b 1867 Nova Scotia
Catherine b 1869 Kings Co. Nova Scotia
Dennis b 1871 Kings Co. Nova Scotia.

Catherine ended up in Massachusetts. I do not know when she came to the US, but she married George Herman Willis Jr in the early to mid 1890's (have yet to find the record) and had 5 children: Maude b ? in Princeton, MA
Daisy b 1897 in Rutland, MA *my grandmother*
George b 1899 in Rutland, MA
Dennis Alfred b 1904 in Rutland, MA (he went by Alfred, not Dennis)
James Herman b 1906 in Rutland, MA

Catherine died in 1943 in Rutland, MA.

No one in the family recalls Granny talking about her mother's family, so there's not much to go on there. I found a naturalization record for a Dennis SHEA b Nova Scotia, he settled in Millbury, MA, but I have yet to positively link him to Catherine. The birth date is off a bit - my Dennis was born March 21, 1871 and the naturalized Dennis was March 12, 1871. I suppose that could be a clerical error, just a reversal of the numbers. I haven't made it back to Boston since to check on further particulars for the naturalized Dennis Shea - a death record - but hope to one day.

Oh, I also have a card sent to Granny (Daisy) from her mother (Catherine). It it she wrote 'Mame SHAY died April 13". The card was postmarked June 1939. I suspect the card may be referring to Mary Shea's death, but have yet to confirm. I checked MA vital records for any Mary Sheas that died on that date and there were none, and have not located a kind soul in Nova Scotia that is willing to check their vital records.

Sylvia

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