THIS 'N THAT

Anna J. (Walsh) Astle and Walter J. Astle, Sr.

Walter Joseph Astle, Sr. was born on February 22, 1888 in Montreal, Canada. He was the son of Thomas Astle, born in Canada and Jane Byrne, born in Ireland. Walter's parents immigrated to the United States when Walter was very young and Walter's younger brother, Thomas Astle, was born in Boston in 1890. Walter's parents also had three daughters but all died in infancy. Walter's parents (his father married a second time to Elizabeth) moved frequently but they always lived in Boston's North End.

The 1910 US Census tells us that Walter was a bookkeeper in a meat market, his brother Thomas worked in a machine shop and his father was a teamster at Boston's Custom House. The 1910 Boston City Directory shows Walter as a butcher in a meat market. (Bookkeeper or butcher, I wonder? Whatever..the family story is that Walter was a butcher as a young man and knew a good piece of meat when he saw one.) The 1912 Boston City Directory shows Walter as a clerk at W. F. Wyman Co., 26 Faneul Hall Market.

On November 5, 1913 Walter married Anna Josephine Walsh. Her parents were Thomas F. Walsh (born: County Galway in Ireland) and Annie Josephine Malone (born: July 25, 1887 in Ireland.) They would go on to have three children: Thomas F. Astle (born: September 1, 1914), Alice M. Astle (born July 14, 1916) and Walter J. Astle, Jr. (born: February 15, 1919).

On his World War I Registration Card dated June 5, 1917 Walter is 29 years old, listed as a naturalized citizen and had served 2 years and 8 months with the 9th Massachusetts Regiment, Infantry. He is described as medium in height and weight, blue eyes, light hair and was not bald (which he did become in later life.)

In the 1920 US Census Walter works a rodman for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Highway Division at the Commonwealth Pier No. and he and his family lived at 89 Topliff St. in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Initially it was difficult to find the Astle family in the 1930 US Census. That's because they were indexed as the Otta family even though the writing clearly said Astle. (This comes under the heading... if you can't find your family, keep looking, they are in the records somewhere under some name or other.)

In the 1947 Boston City Directory, Walter Sr. is listed as a civil engineer with the highway department, son, Thomas F. Astle, is a lawyer at 11 Pemberton Sq. in Boston, and son, Walter Jr. is an office manager in Boston.

• Walter Sr. died on October 23, 1959 at the age of 71. His widow Anna received a hand-written note from the Office of the Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Congressman John McCormack expressing his family's sympathy for her loss.


• Walter's wife Anna Astle died on July 22, 1974 at the age of 87.


• Walter's son, Thomas F. Astle, died at the age of 80 on 22 December 1994 leaving wife Susan (Humphrey) Astle and son Thomas R. Astle.


• Alice Astle was widowed from James N. Kirby when she died on April 21, 2000 at the age of 84 leaving a son, James N. Kirby.


• Walter Astle, Jr. died on March 27, 1960 at the age of 41 of a massive heart attack. He left his wife, Marianne (Collins) Astle and three young sons, John, Robert and Thomas Astle.

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

Date unknown: Richard E. Burns, John R. Coughlin, Gertrude Kelley, Arthur Humphrey

2 Elizabeth Eddy (born 1678)

4 Michael Sweeney, Eric Pugh, Manly Shonio, Marion (Pierce) DesLauriers

6 Michael Pugh

7 Richard E. Humphrey, Bernadette Gervais

8 Horace Humphrey

9 Patricia Riley

10 Edwin Shonio, Earl W. Davis

11 Hugh Humphrey

13 Patricia Kerr, Opal Grace Mansfield, Mary E. Burns

14 Allen Weatherford, Donald St. Hilaire, Sr., Donald K. Kenneson

15 Anne Humphrey, Walter J. Astle, Jr., Arlene Alice langley

16 Tricia Keville, John Eddy (in 1636)

17 Jacob Rager, Marianne (Collins) Astle

20 Raemon Kirby

22 Paul J. DesLauriers, Sr., Walter J. Astle, Sr., Thomas Astle (b:1888)

25 Lisa Call, Norman W. Kenneson

28 Sophronia Whittemore

SMELLS, TASTES AND FAMILY MEMORIES

What is this you ask? This is about the memories that are brought back when you smell or taste something in particular.

For instance, the smell of a leather baseball glove reminds me of days of warm sun, fresh mowed grass, and baseball in the field behind our house. I had young legs a wicked throwing arm and life was good.

The smell of Old Spice reminds me of my dad.

Baby powder reminds me of my sister, my son, and my grandchildren.

The smell of roses brings back memories of my grandpa Alfred's house with the roses at the doors. Deep red velvet in the front and pink at the back.

Chocolate fudge will always remind me of my mom. Peanut butter cookies, cornbread, chicken and dumplings and orange pineapple ice cream of my Grandma Ada. Apple pie and pork roast of my Nana Esther.

Blackjack gum, Moxie, Old Producto cigar smoke, fresh cucumbers and Bay Rum remind me of my grandpa Alfred. Spruce gum also reminds me of grandpa. It tasted like pine sap and nearly pulled your fillings right out of your teeth.

NEWEST LEAVES ON THE FAMILY TREE

Alexis Gorham, new daughter of Jonathan Gorham and Stacy (St. Hilaire) Gorham.

Judah Keltner, new son of Nathan Keltner and Anna (DesLauriers) Keltner

Madison Humphrey, new daughter of Charles R. Humphrey, Jr. and Terri (Regos) Humphrey

OTHER RECENT FAMILY TREE DISCOVERIES

I thought that Thomas Astle (brother of Walter Sr.) and his wife Gertrude (Higgins) Astle never had any children. I recently discovered that they had two, a boy and a girl. Both children died right after birth.

I found Thomas Astle (father of Walter Sr.) in the U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes. They show he was born on December 14, 1866 in the Province of Quebec, Canada. His date of naturalization is June 26, 1899. My next step is to find the actual naturalization record.

The Lowell Sun of November 2, 1945 shows that Prosper DesLauriers (father of Paul DesLauriers)ran for the Lowell, Massachusetts, School Committee.

The Lowell Sun of June 1, 1942 shows that Paul J. DesLauriers, Sr. (my husband) was one of 109 children to receive their First Holy Communion at St. Michael's church on Saturday, May 30.

The Lowell Sun of January 26, 1966 lists my brother,Robert Humphrey, as a band member of Chelmsford Junior High School which entertained the PTA. Our neighbors Tommy Gill and John Wholey are also listed.

The Lowell Sun of May 8, 1945 mentions that Howard E. Humphrey (son of Alfred Humphrey), aviation machinist's mate, first class, has returned home on leave from a tour of duty in the Pacific with the famous Navy Group 80. He is a maintenance man with the unit.

By using old maps and the 1913 Cambridge City Directory, I have been able to locate the place where Thomas F. Walsh had his shoe repair shop at 32 Brattle St. in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ruth W. Knight married great, great, uncle Horace Humphrey of Waterbury, Vermont. Her father, John Knight, was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, May 22, 1757. John was one of the many the settlers from Dedham, who in 1780 began to fell the oaks and to build homes for themselves. John held the office of high sheriff of the county. He was also a tollkeeper and his house was beside the turnpike.

I guess that's it for this blog update. If you have information about the family that you would like to share or questions about a particular relative, send me an email at sastle@comcast.net.

Cousin Richard Evirs and I always appreciate any comments or questions.