Helen (Sullivan) and Larry McIntyre, c1938

Helen (Sullivan) and Larry McIntyre, c1938
Helen (Sullivan) and Larry McIntyre, c1938

About Lawrence F. McIntyre and Helen M. Sullivan

About Lawrence F. McIntyre and Helen M. Sullivan

Lawrence Francis McIntyre born, January 2, 1913, was named John Francis McIntyre on his birth certificate. But, by the time he was baptized at St. Malachy Church in Chicago on January 19, 1913, his given name was Lawrence. Helen Mae Sullivan, born on March 11, 1914, moved with her parents and older brother to 18 N. Latrobe before she started elementary school. Larry and Helen were married on November 26, 1937 in Chicago Illinois at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. They lived on the westside of Chicago at various addresses, moving back to 18 N. Latrobe c1949 and lived there until 1967 when they moved to the northside of the City. Larry retired from the Weil Pump Company in the 1980s and Helen retired from Home Federal Savings in the 1970s. They were original owners of their condo on Lake Michigan. Larry loved to stand on his balcony overlooking the lake and enjoy the sun. Helen liked the freedom of hoping on a bus to go downtown or a quick walk to the grocery store. She never learned to drive so Larry would often chauffeur her around. When he died in 1995 (February 28) she said she had lost her "best friend." Helen enjoyed her condo on Lake Michigan and was able to live independently until her death on September 29, 2008. For information about Helen Sullivan McIntyre prior to her marriage, go to the Sullivan/Madigan Genealogy Blog. And for information on Lawrence McIntyre prior to the marriage go to the McIntyre/Walsh Genealogy Blog.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

A "Peculiar" Velveteen Rabbit , 1949


Often on a Sunday afternoon when Elaine was little, she would take a ride “out west” with her parents making stops along North Avenue.  There were three locations she most looked forward to enjoying: Russell’s Barbecue in Elmwood Park for the best thinly-sliced, dripping-in-barbecue-sauce, pork sandwich you can image; Kiddieland in Melrose Park which had “kids only” rides and the very adult The Little Dipper roller coaster; and, Amling’s Flowerland in Maywood with its steamy greenhouses, beautiful displays of exotic plants and flowers bursting with color.  So when Dad would say they were going for a ride “out west,” she'd get all excited.   

But then there was a time each spring that she would dread.  Every year her parents seemed to need to have a photo of her taken with the Easter Bunny.  Their photographic place of choice was Amling’s Flowerland.  She'd be so excited they were going for a ride until she realized she was going to have to climb onto the lap of a rather scary-looking rabbit.  If you look at the rabbit with the dangling eyes, you can tell that Disney was not the designer of the costume!  There was nothing warm and fuzzy at all.

In 1949, Helen, framed this photo of Elaine with the “peculiar” bunny and the photo sat on Helen's bedroom dresser until she died in 2008.

Article reproduced from the June, 2010, CAGGNI Newsletter
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