Sarah Catherine Silva

The McGuire Sisters' Emigration To America In 1913 Mary Ellen (Helen) McGuire stopped going to, or graduated from, Letterbrock School, Co. Mayo, Ireland. At the age of 15, she arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, the first time on 13 Oct 1913, aboard the S.S. Marion. Her final destination given as "Uncle, 2538 Hollywood St, Philadelphia, PA", on the ship manifest. This is John James McGuire's address on the 1910 US Census. When John's wife, Mary Teresa (nee Duffy) McGuire, died on 2 Jan 1921, he was raising his four daughters, plus Mary Ellen, alone. He married a widow, Anna A (nee Ducey) Hutton in 1922, who had two children of her own, so Mary Ellen returned to Ireland in March 1922. According to the passenger list for the S.S. Cedric, Mary Ellen McGuire (age 26) and Catherine (Katie) McGuire (age 23), sisters, arrived in New York on 29 Sep 1924. Their final destination was given as "Uncle, 2843 West 24th Street, Philadelphia, PA," on the ship manifest. This is John James McGuire's address on the 1920 US Census. At first, their uncle John wanted Mary Ellen to return with her brother Austin (age 20) to help his family out but Austin had contracted tuberculosis and couldn't make the trip. Katie was next in line but didn't want to go because she was engaged to Michael Tunney, brother of poet, song writer and activist Patrick Tunney. It was decided that Sarah (age 21) would make the trip using Katie's passport. Sarah's actual date of birth, according to the birth record in Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland, is 10 Dec 1902. That coincides with both the 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland for the family. Her birthday; however, is recorded by the US Social Security Administration, and on her death certificate, as 27 Sep 1908. That isn't Katie's birthday either; however, the whereabouts of Katie's passport is unknown so the date of birth on it is also unknown. Anne McGuire (age 24) arrived in Pennsylvania on 11 Aug 1930, aboard the M.V. Britannic. She stated her father's address at the time was "Erriff, Leenane, Co. Galway." Her final destination is stated on the passenger list as "Sister, Miss Sarah McGuire, 409 Sycamore Avenue, Merion, PA." The 1930 US Census shows that Sarah was living at that address with the Gerard J. Hansen family for whom she was working as a child's nurse. Their parents, Hugh and Honor (Nora) McGuire (nee Keane), moved the family to Dublin, Ireland sometime in late 1930 or early 1931. The youngest of their children, Norah, had her first child in Dublin in 1931. Austin made the move too because he was married in Dublin in 1934 and started raising his family there. Their son John, and his wife, also moved to Dublin. On his record of death, John's address is given as 24 D St. Nicholas House, Dublin. Sarah was married in Brooklyn, New York, on 2 Jul 1934 and gave birth to her only child on 2 Jun 1936. Her sister, Anne McGuire, is listed as the child's sponsor on the certificate of baptism. Sarah lived at 354 Central Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, for at least the 20 years before her death. In 1975 she was mugged, and her arm was broken, while taking her Social Security check to her corner grocer to put on her store account. She had severe Parkinson's Disease, with visual and auditory hallucinations, and the trauma of the mugging caused her to have several small strokes. She was hospitalized but had a massive stroke that caused her death while she was in the hospital. Anne made a trip back to Ireland in 1936 and then returned to America the following year. She was a passenger aboard the S.S. Laconia and arrived in New York on 31 May 1937. On the passenger manifest she listed her, "Father Hugh McGuire, Baskin Hill, Dublin." Her destination was given as "Uncle John McGuire, 427 Sprull Ave, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA." John James McGuire's address on the 1940 US Census is 423 Spruce Avenue. Anne then applied for US citizenship on 26 June 1940. Her address is stated as "St. Joseph's School for the Deaf, East 177th Street, Bronx, NY." At some point she was employed as a curator by the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Her first marriage was short lived as her husband was killed by a lightning strike. Her second marriage was to William Edward DeNault. He was employed as a doorman. In On July 3-4, 1976, Anne's niece and her husband, drove Anne and her husband from New York City to their new home at 9485 Melrose Street, Spring Hill, FL. They lived there until Bill's death in 1987. Anne then moved into a nursing home in Tallahassee, FL, until her death in 1996. Anne never had any children. Mary Ellen never married and lived out her days with the McGuire and DePaul families in Philadelphia and Upper Darby, PA. She earned her living working as a chambermaid. She was buried with the family there in 1979.