My Old Ohio Home

Genevieve
Parle, 1922

This website includes a picture of the 1922 second grade class at Holy Name Parish on Broadway on the southeast side of Cleveland. My mother was in that class and identified most of the children in the picture. She identified the sixth young woman from our left in the last row as Genevieve Parle. There was a Genevieve Parle living in the area who is most likely her.

Genevieve Parle was born November 14, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio, the youngest daughter of James Parle and Catherine Keating. In 1920 she was living at 4154 East 80th on the southeast side of Cleveland with her parents and siblings. Her father was working as a watchman for the railroad. The family, one part or another, remained at that address until at least 1950.

Genevieve married late in life, between 1966 and 1970, to a man named Brunton. I didn't locate his name. She died November 12, 1978, in Los Angeles County, California, but is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland, with her parents and other family members.

The Parles

I thought I would be able to locate the townland of origin in Ireland for the Parle side of the family, but could only narrow it down to an area. A few of Genevieve's father's American records said he was born in County Wexford, son of John Parle and Rose Kelly, which is what made me optimistic. I also found a sister of his, Margaret (Parle) Winders, whose information said the same. But I couldn't find them on the civil birth registrations–I think they were born a bit earlier than their US records imply. And I didn't have the patience to wade through the baptism registers. Findmypast.ie found two baptisms which might be for this couple:

Taghmon Catholic Parish, Diocese of Ferns, Wexford
Baptism
January 21, 1839
Stephen, son of John Parle and Rose Kelly
witnesses: Patt Murphy and Catherine Copley?

Carrick-on-Bannow Parish, Diocese of Ferns, Wexford
Baptism
January 18, 1849
John Parle of Ballinglee, legitimate son of James Parle and Rose Kelly
witnesses: Andrew ___ and Christina Kelly

I think those parishes were adjoining, so that might be the right couple. But then there is the problem of the father being "John" in 1839 and "James" in 1849. At any rate, I think this is the right area, but I'm not positive.

The Keatings

Genevieve's mother, Catherine Keating, and Catherine's brother Richard, who lived with the family, were both born in Liverpool. Their parents were Richard Keating and Catherine Cairns/Kearns who were born in County Wexford.

This is probably them at 44 Hedley Street in 1881, in St Martins Registration District, Liverpool:

Richard Keating, 40, laborer
Catherine Keating, 39
Thomas Keating, 15, laborer
Mary Ann Keating, 13, school
Richard Keating, 9, school
Catherine Keating, 8, school
John Carr, boarder, single, 21, laborer

All said to be born in Ireland.

But it's a long way from Liverpool to County Wexford, when you are doing family history. I didn't find Irish civil births for the first two children in the family, nor a marriage record for the parents. There are births in Lancashire that might match the children, but no marriage record–at least not in a quick look at freebmd.org.uk.

Conclusion

I didn't do as well on this family as on some of the others. If the Parles had been born a few years later and the Keatings had come straight to Cleveland from Ireland, things might have been a bit different. But there is a chance that both sides of the family were from the same part of County Wexford, so a little more effort and some local knowledge of the area might be the keys to success for any future researcher.