Bill Burke, also known as "WJ"

 

R to L - Bill Burke, his son Des, daughter Catherine and his son Tom. His other son, Bill is out of frame.

 

Bill Burke was born on May 5th 1879 according to his daughter Catherine. He is the only one of the family for whom I cannot find a baptismal record. I’ve even tried the neighbouring parishes but no luck yet. As for all the other Burkes his birthday is a moveable feast. Over the 8 historical records I have for him his year of birth is given as 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880 or 1883 with 1878 being the most popular choice! In the two draft registration cards I’ve seen he gives two different birth dates – 21/3/1878 & 3/5/1878. According to Catherine, when they were they young they used to ask him how old he was and he would reply – “old enough to vote” – as a result they were never sure how old he was. Catherine comments that she “found out in later years that none of our Burke relatives liked to discuss ages”! Once when her brother Des brought his son Tom, then aged around 2 and starting to talk, over to the house, Tom Jnr. greeted his grandfather with “grandpa”. Bill replied – “Never mind the Grandpa, call me “WJ” and from then on Des’s children always referred to him as WJ.

He used to tell the children about the delicious Christmas cakes his sister in Ireland, Mary Ann, used to make and also talked about going to the races in Kilfinny with his brother Jack. Bill emigrated around the turn of the century to the US. In the 1910 US Census he gives his year of arrival as 1900 but in the 1920 Census he gives it as 1897. According to his daughter, Catherine, he arrived in 1899 and stayed with his brother Jack. However, I think he probably arrived after June 1900 as he isn’t listed on the 1900 Census as living with Jack.

On October 28th 1903 he married Agnes Bridget Mitchell who came from Castlebar in Co. Mayo. In the 1910 US Census they are living at 3131 Butter Street (Butler St - ?) and they have two children, James Desmond (born 1904) and Catherine (1910). Agnes is shown as having given birth to four children of which only two are alive. Curiously, the Census entry also has a “Josephine Burke” listed but there are no details and there is a line through her name. Had she been born recently and died as an infant? They went on to have two more children, Bill (1912) and Tom (1916). Catherine vaguely remembers her father taking Des to hurling games at Gaelic Park – Bill was manager of the team. Bill’s brother, Ned (Ed) also played on the team. In 1910 Bill was working as a shipping clerk.

Bill’s WW1 draft registration card has Bill and Agnes living at 5130 Lowe Avenue. Bill gives his occupation as an employee of “Brotherhood Freight Handlers” Agnes died on May 16th 1919 and was buried on the 19th in Mount Olivet cemetery.

In the 1920 US Census Bill is renting at 5134 Emerald Avenue. To help raise his young family (the youngest Tom is only 4 ½) he has hired a live-in servant, Mary McGinty, an Irish lady who was a widow herself. His occupation is given as a “Checker” with a railway company – this maybe a ticket checker or something to do with maintenance. Interestingly, James Desmond is now working as a messenger even though he is only 15.

By 1930 the family is renting at 5209 South Peoria Street paying $65 a month. The Census also helpfully informs us that they had a radio! He is working as a clerical worker with a railroad company. According to the 1940 Census the family have moved to 8943 May Street and his son, Thomas, and his daughter, Catherine are living with him along with his sister, Margaret. They are still renting, paying $27 a month. The Census also tells us that he only worked 15 weeks in 1939 earning $414 – maybe he had health issues or was unemployed for a period. His WW2 draft card shows him still living at 8943 S. May and he is now listed as “unemployed” .

Bill died on July 1st 1949