Josie #3

More from Grandpa's tapes -

Josie’s relatives lived down in Akron. After Jim died, she would furnish the car and John and James would have to drive her down. Eileen and Arleen would go along. Even if they drove their own car all the pay Josie ever gave them after putting up with her all day was to say three Hail Marys for them. At that time it was very unusual to drive to Akron (50 miles) and back without having at least one flat tire so it wasn’t a joyous trip. On top of that, coming and going, Grandma would start the rosary in her slow, slow way and they were expected to answer that all the way down and back. They soon learned that Josie was a little deaf and after she would say her part of the prayers the rest of them would carry on a conversation on any subject they wanted pretending to be answering her prayers so they got along all right.

Josie raised Eileen and Arleen, twin daughters of Veatus Cantious and Mary Gannon McCarty. (Veatus was Jim's brother). Their mother died at childbirth. Josie adopted them in 1930, after Jim’s death. He would never adopt them.