Happy 100th Birthday, Mom

Helen May Sullivan McIntyre was born on March 11, 1914.  Today, she would have been 100 years old. Enjoy a photo video of her life.

Helen May Sullivan, Pedigree

Helen May Sullivan's pedigree chart takes her ancestry back to the early 1800s.  All of her known ancestors were born in Ireland.  They came from counties Cavan, Limerick and Wexford to the U.S., specifically Chicago and Evanston, Illinois.  Her ancestors immigrated in the mid-1850s, shortly after the Great Irish Famine.

Click on pedigree image to enlarge.

Source: The Master Genealogy database, Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, printed February 19, 2012.

A Birthday Card from Larry to Helen, c1937

Helen always said Larry picked out nice cards.  This one was given to her more than 70 years ago, prior to their marriage in 1937.

Helen's memories about meeting and falling in love

In the chapter on "Love and Marriage" in The Story of a Lifetime: The Personal Memoirs of Helen Sullivan McIntyre, Helen shares some interesting tidbits!

How did you meet your future spouse?

I remembered him from Grammar school.  Then when he was about 14 he sold papers at Laramie and Madison.  I would walk by on my way to the Jewel and he would always say "Hello."  After I started high school, he disappeared for a while. When I was about 17 he appeared again.  That was when we started to go to parties.  From then on it was always Larry.

Describe what your future spouse was like and tell something about his or her background.

Typically Irish, nice looking, full of fun, great personality but actually too short for me but I didn't care after a while.  His Mother was Ellen McIntyre, a nice little gray haired friendly lady.  His Father was Thomas McIntyre, on the quiet side.  Both had thick Irish brogues.  He had 3 sisters Mary, Blanche and Pat.  A brother Tom who eventually became a Dominican (sic) priest.  They lived at 4737 W. Gladys ave in Chicago.

What was your engagement proposal like?

One night I was over at Larry's house at 4737 W. Gladys ave.  I guess his Mother had invited me over for dinner.  It was a warm evening so we sat out on the small porch outside the living room.  It was on the second floor.  He kissed me a few times, then he said he wanted to marry me only he wasn't making enough money at the moment but he would work hard and get ahead and the we'd be married.

Give the date of your wedding and tell about the ceremony, the place, attire, decorations, etc. How old were you and your spouse?

November 26, 1937.  I was 23 and Larry was 24.  We were married at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. It was a quiet wedding.   My Mother didn't care for Larry because he drank too much and she didn't want me to go out with him, so we got married without telling everyone.  Mary Alice Hopkins and Jim Cullen stood up for us as best man and bridesmaid.  After the ceremony we all went up to Larry's sister's Mary Kenney's house on Menard and had a little party.  I remember I wore a blue wool dress, small black velvet hat with a veil and back suede pumps.

Do you have a favorite story about being newlyweds?

No, except that we didn't tell anyone at first about us being married.  Then like a dope I sent a Christmas card to Larry at his house; it said "To My Darling Husband".  Mrs. McIntyre found it and that was the end of our secret marriage!

McIntyre-Sullivan Marriage Certificate, 1937

Lawrence F. McIntyre and Helen May Sullivan were married on November 26, 1937, the day after Thanksgiving, and the same day they got their marriage license. They were 24 and 23 years old, respectively. Helen lived at 18 N. Latrobe at the time and they married in her home parish.  They were married by Fr. Matthew J. Mulligan at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 5112 W. Washington Boulevard.

Helen Sullivan McIntyre, Death Certificate 2008

Helen had carcinoids in her lungs for nearly 40 years. Although technically cancerous, they grow so slowly they are not treated like cancer. She fell in her bathroom in 1972, thinking she might have cracked a rib, she went to the hospital for an X-ray. There were no broken bones, but growths in her lungs were found. She had surgery, removing the lower part of her right lung. Although she didn't seem to have any noticeable breathing problems from the cardinoid growths for a long time, by 2006 she was starting to use oxygen at home. She died on September 29, 2008 of acute respiratory failure at Weiss Memorial Hospital.

Helen is buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois with her husband Larry and her parents Alex and Nell Sullivan.

Larry Sr., Helen and Larry Jr., 1945

The McIntyre Family at the celebration of Fr. Charles Sullivan's 25th anniversary as a Jesuit, June 24, 1945.  Standing in front of Holy Family Church, Chicago, Illinois.

Helen Sullivan the Poet, 1935

Helen Sullivan McIntyre starting writing poetry when she was in high school at Trinity in River Forest. The oldest of her existing poems was written in 1935. When asked about the poem she said "I wrote this about Larry McIntyre two years before we were married. At the time, Larry was also dating another women and I didn’t know who he would finally choose."


I LOOK INTO YOUR EYES

I look into your eyes
Your heart was there inside
You whispered a few sweet lies
And your arms were opened wide.

You knew I’d love you forever
That was nothing new to you
You knew I’d always endeavor
To make you love me too.

And so in between our kisses
Someone else took my place
You thought “how swell this is”
Another love – another face.

You loved me – but she was sweet
Someone new to rave about
I was O.K. but she was neat
‘Twas second place for me no doubt.

And so the time has come to choose
If I’m to go – then of course she stays
Oh honey! If I’m the one to lose
Then thanks for all the yesterdays.

McIntyre-Sullivan Family History Website

The McIntyre-Sullivan Family History Website is underconstruction. It includes birth, marriage and death related information. Direct family names include McIntyre, Sullivan, Walsh, Madigan, Cawley, Fitzgerald, Connor, Colfer, and Reidy. Photos of many individuals are also included. It can be viewed at McIntyreGenealogy.com