Johannah Marie Dunne : Short Biography

Johannah "Hannah" Marie Dunne was born 13 March 1867 or 1870 in Glouderdalive,Parish of Rattoo, Barony of Clanmaurice, Co Kerry. Church records in Ballyduff Church says Hannah’s birth year was 1867, but Hannah always said 1870. The church records at Ballyduff can be up to three years later than what is recorded as the priests there did not make the official entries right away. She was baptized on March 20, 1867 or ’70 by Fr. T. Brosnan and her Godparents were Cornelius and Joanna Slattery.

     Hannah’s mom died when she was three-and-a-half years old, then her dad died when she was eight. Hannah continued to live at their home in Glounerdalive with her older brothers Teddy and Tom. Tom paid for Hannah to attend dancing school when she was in grade school. When he was just 18, Teddy married Margaret Leen, a 25-year-old woman who he met through a matchmaker. Margaret paid a dowry. Teddy had “nervous prostration,” and Hannah also gave him her dowry money. He got better, but died when he was 40. So Hannah lived with Teddy, Margaret, their five children and her brother Tom.

     Hannah attended the Ballyduff National School, a school run by Great Britian but staffed by Irish Catholics, through the eighth grade. She decided to leave Ireland in 1888 because of the lack of opportunities there. Her Aunt Mary Dunne Griffin lived south of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, so that was Hannah’s destination. Her brother Tom gave her $25 spending money when she left and told her that if she didn’t like America he would send her the money to return to Ireland.

     She took a train from County Kerry to Cork, stayed overnight in a hotel, then boarded the Cunard line vessel "Umbria" from Queenstown (Cobh) to New York. She travelled second class. Meals were served and Hannah danced with the sailors on deck. She got seasick on the five day journey. When she got to New York, Hannah was processed on the boat through Immigration and Customs; therefore she didn't go through Castle Garden. She stayed with friends in New York City and saw the city while she was there, including riding the elevated trains.

     From NYC, Hannah rode first class on a Pullman train to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her Aunt Mary Dunne Griffin's son Mickey, along with his friends Tim Lynch, Frank Murray, and others, met her train. The conductor stayed with Hannah until she identified Mickey from a photograph she'd received from her aunt. Terry Griffin had sent Hannah the $52 for the journey, which she subsequently repaid when she found a job. Hannah had brought a bottle of Irish whiskey as a present for the Griffins, but her friends in NYC drank it. They took the empty bottle to a saloon and had it refilled. The Griffins all remarked, "There's nothing like Irish whiskey!"

     After she stayed in Grand Rapids a few days, Hannah went out to the Griffin's house near Alto and lived there for seven months. Then she came back to the city and got a job in the pressing department of the Eagle Hotel on Louis St. She worked there 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for $1.50 for three years.

     Eventually Hannah had a boyfriend named Eugene Hecker (sp?) who was German and English, and not Catholic. She was pretty keen on him, but then she met Michael Reynolds at a friend's home and fell for him. They were married in 1892.

     Hannah and Mike had five children, three of whom lived into adulthood. Their middle child, Charles "Chuck" Reynolds, was my grandfather.