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| Aunt Lizzie |
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| Aunt Lizzie (Elizabeth Moore) - August, 1930 |
Lizzie Moore - A Loving Aunt and Great-Aunt
Growing up, I often heard stories about Aunt Lizzie Moore. She was a maternal aunt of my Grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle and actually played a big part in raising my Grandmother, for her mother died when Grandma was a child. Aunt Lizzie did not stop with raising my grandmother. Later on, she continued on by helping to care for Grandma's children as well ... Lib Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle (my father), and Patricia Doyle McCooey. Leo Doyle was about five years old when Aunt Lizzie died and has only a few vague memories of this sweet great-aunt. The youngest of the family, Mike Doyle, was born after Aunt Lizzie's death. Aunt Lizzie was probably born between the late 1850s and early 1870s in Bolivar, NY.
Growing up, I often heard stories about Aunt Lizzie Moore. She was a maternal aunt of my Grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle and actually played a big part in raising my Grandmother, for her mother died when Grandma was a child. Aunt Lizzie did not stop with raising my grandmother. Later on, she continued on by helping to care for Grandma's children as well ... Lib Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle (my father), and Patricia Doyle McCooey. Leo Doyle was about five years old when Aunt Lizzie died and has only a few vague memories of this sweet great-aunt. The youngest of the family, Mike Doyle, was born after Aunt Lizzie's death. Aunt Lizzie was probably born between the late 1850s and early 1870s in Bolivar, NY.
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| 1930s - Eileen, Greg, And Lib Doyle Some Of The Children Aunt Lizzie Helped To Raise |
A Second Home And Lots Of Sleepovers
Aunt Lizzie shared a home on 160 Sawyer Street in Rochester with her niece Catherine "Kate" Daley and nephew Andrew Daley. All three of these relatives never married: Great-Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy. However, they treated my father and his siblings like their own children. Their house was not far from where the Mary and Jack Doyle family lived and nieces and nephews were welcome to the Sawyer St. house at any time ... where they found endless love, warmth, and comfort.
Aunt Lizzie shared a home on 160 Sawyer Street in Rochester with her niece Catherine "Kate" Daley and nephew Andrew Daley. All three of these relatives never married: Great-Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy. However, they treated my father and his siblings like their own children. Their house was not far from where the Mary and Jack Doyle family lived and nieces and nephews were welcome to the Sawyer St. house at any time ... where they found endless love, warmth, and comfort.
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| One of Aunt Lizzie's Rosaries |
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If you look closely, you can see that the bead close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus medal has some indentations. It seems likely that this was a bead where Aunt Lizzie's fingers spent some extra time. Perhaps during in between times of rosary praying, Aunt Lizzie unconsciously clasped and pressed upon this particular bead; maybe during times of extra contemplation and meditation.
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Always Praying, Always Praying ...
Aunt Lizzie is remembered as being a very prayerful person. Both Dad and Aunt Eileen have shared memories of her frequently praying the rosary. She seemed to be praying constantly—often while sitting on her rocking chair with rosary in hand. She also managed to pray in the midst of making lunch for her nieces and nephews.
A Vision Of The Little Flower
Besides having a strong devotion to the rosary, Aunt Lizzie also felt drawn to St. Thérèse, who at that time was a new-ish saint (St. Thérèse died in 1897 and was canonized in 1925). Often, when my Dad (J. Gregory Doyle) went over to visit Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy on Sawyer Street, his eyes fell upon a painting of St. Thérèse of Lisieux at the bottom of the stairway, near the entryway. When Aunt Lizzie was close to death, Dad asked his mother about the painting and she told him that Aunt Lizzie had a great devotion to the Little Flower and had had at least one apparition of St. Thérèse. My father was about 8 or 9 when Aunt Lizzie died and this story, as well as Aunt Lizzie's great piety really stuck with him.
Aunt Lizzie is remembered as being a very prayerful person. Both Dad and Aunt Eileen have shared memories of her frequently praying the rosary. She seemed to be praying constantly—often while sitting on her rocking chair with rosary in hand. She also managed to pray in the midst of making lunch for her nieces and nephews.
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| St. Thérèse - The Little Flower |
Besides having a strong devotion to the rosary, Aunt Lizzie also felt drawn to St. Thérèse, who at that time was a new-ish saint (St. Thérèse died in 1897 and was canonized in 1925). Often, when my Dad (J. Gregory Doyle) went over to visit Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy on Sawyer Street, his eyes fell upon a painting of St. Thérèse of Lisieux at the bottom of the stairway, near the entryway. When Aunt Lizzie was close to death, Dad asked his mother about the painting and she told him that Aunt Lizzie had a great devotion to the Little Flower and had had at least one apparition of St. Thérèse. My father was about 8 or 9 when Aunt Lizzie died and this story, as well as Aunt Lizzie's great piety really stuck with him.
A Firstborn Namesake ...
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| Aunt Lib (Elizabeth) Doyle Judge (1932-ish - 2010) With Her Family c. 1980s Aunt Lib was the oldest of Mary Bernadine and Jack Doyle's children and named after Aunt Lizzie. |
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| Aunt Lizzie Moore At The Wedding Of The Niece She Raised - Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle (my grandmother). Rochester, NY - August, 1930 Aunt Lizzie is sitting in the first row behind the children. She is the third from the left with a dark dress and corsage. |
