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 Catherine Marie "Kitty" (KEARNS) Malowney

ckm_baby_with_her_mom.jpg (329866 bytes)Catherine Marie KEARNS was born on July 16, 1920 in Springfield, Ohio. Her parents were Michael Patrick KEARNS (1893-1927) and MARGARET CECILIA GARRITY(1897-1957) who were married on June 19, 1919. Catherine was named for her paternal grandmother, Catherine (DONAHUE) KEARNS who died in June 1919, two weeks after her parents returned from their honeymoon.

 Photo on left is Catherine as a baby being held by her mother. It looks like church steps so it could be taken at her baptism. 

Michael Patrick KEARNS was transferred by his employer, New York Central Railroad, from Springfield to Cincinnati sometime after 1920. His death certificate listed his occupation as an accountant for the Big Four Railroad and his residence as 12 Cortelyou Place, Cincinnati, Ohio. It stated that he did not serve in the military.  


First Grade in Cincinnati

Kitty went to first grade at Nativity School in Cincinnati, Ohio when she was five years old. www.nativity-cincinnati.org/school/history.htm

Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Catholic School is located at 5936 Ridge Avenue and Woodford roads in Cincinnati, Ohio 45213. It is in the Village of Pleasant Ridge which was incorporated July 11, 1891. In 1912, Cincinnati annexed Pleasant Ridge. This event caused many people to make the rapidly growing neighborhood their home. In 1917, Archbishop Moeller carved from the northern boundary of Sts. Peter and Paul in Norwood and from the southern boundary of St. John the Evangelist in Deer Park a new parish called "Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Catholic School." The congregation assembled for its first Mass in 1917. The school opened in September 1921 with four classrooms. The Ursuline nuns were brought in as the teachers in the new school.

Kitty's sister Peggy was born in Norwood so it would be interesting to check the address on her birth certificate to see if they continued to live in the same home when Kitty started first grade.

 

Kitty's father died in 1927

On Memorial Day weekend, May 31, 1927, the family drove to Springfield for the Memorial Day weekend. Kitty, Peggy, Frank and their parents were in the car when Kitty's father became critically ill. He was taken to a hospital in Cincinnati where he died on June 9, 1927.

Kitty spoke about how her father's coffin was laid out in their living room which was the customary before funeral homes became common.  He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Springfield, Clark County, Ohio.  There are numerous family members buried at Calvary Cemetery. 

Family moves back to Springfield

After her father's death, her mother Margaret moved back to Springfield, Ohio to live with Margaret's mother, Bridget (GRIFFIN) Garrity. They lived at 833 S. Center Street. This house and the house next door, 829 S. Center Street was owned by Catherine (GARRITY) BROOME. Both houses were built and occupied by 1910. Bill Kiefer lived with his grandmother, Catherine (GARRITY) BROOME and remembers the family. We haven't been able to determine if the two GARRITY families living next door to each other were related, but it seems likely.

1930, Kitty's grandmother, Bridget (GRIFFIN) GARRITY died. Grandmother GARRITY's husband Peter GARRITY had died in 1915, so Kitty never met him. 

Childhood, school.

ckm_abt_2.jpg (194266 bytes)Kitty school years continued in Springfield. She remembered her teachers names in her memoirs.

 
ckm_high_school.jpg (1989519 bytes) ckm_1938_graduation_invitation.jpg (756401 bytes) In 1938 Kitty graduated from Catholic Central High School in Springfield, Ohio. The CCHS class of 1939 included two future sisters-in-law: Virginia MALOWNEY and Patricia (ADAMS) MALOWNEY. Kitty was friends with Virginia and first dated Henry before marrying Henry's older brother, George MALOWNEY.

1939 - After high school, Kitty worked at several movie theatres including the old Regent Theatre, State Theatre, Fairbanks & Ohio Theatre. She sold tickets when Gone with the Wind was the blockbuster.  In the 1939 Springfield City Directory, Catherine is listed as a cashier for Princess Theatres living with her mother at 1014 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield.

Kitty marries George

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Kitty  married GEORGE RAPHAEL MALOWNEY on April 23, 1940 in Hillsboro, Ohio. They were married by Kitty's uncle, Father Thomas Leo KEARNS. After getting married in 1940, Kitty's role as a wife and a mother kept her at home. She was also very active as a Girl Scout leader.

ckm_1941_baby.jpg (253205 bytes) 1940 - George and Kitty lived briefly in a gorgeous home on Amalfi Drive, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California. This is where their first child (picture on left) was born. They returned to Springfield shortly after where they resided until 1959 except for a brief occasion when the family lived in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

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1957 -  Kitty's mother died when Kitty was 37. 

Kitty was active in many organizations in Springfield. She was co-chair of the Lady Elk's Summer Picnic.


Family moves to Tampa

1959 - August - Kitty, George and nine children moved from Springfield, Ohio to Tampa, Florida. Their oldest daughter who graduated from CCHS in June 1959 stayed in Ohio to attend Our Lady of Cincinnati College. This daughter later taught at St. Teresa's School in Springfield until she was married at St. Teresa's in 1962. 

After the family moved to Florida, the family made many trips back to Springfield, Ohio. Most of us spent our summers in Springfield until after grandmother "Treasure" passed in December 1962.

Sometimes Kitty's sons liked to race and see how quickly they could arrive in Springfield. On later trips, the family would detour and visit many sites. One of Kitty's favorite places was the  birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (1886 - 1927) Founder of the Girl Scouts in Savannah. With eleven children including seven daughters, it was natural that Kitty was a Girl Scout Leader for many years. She had three girl scout troops and was a member of the board of directors. She was a paid member at three National Conventions: in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

Many Friends and Relatives from Springfield visited in Tampa. Kitty's Aunt Marie and brother Frank were annual visitors to the family in Tampa. Dr. Charles and Virginia (MALOWNEY) Thomas were annual visitors during many winters.

1964 - Jacqueline Marie MALOWNEY (1964-1985) the youngest of Kitty and George's eleven children was born. 

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About 1973, Kitty took a typing course which led to a job as a clerk typist at the Tampa Police Department. She left that position after her husband George passed in 1976. Later she enjoyed telephone soliciting for charities. 

George became ill with cancer in 1973 and passed away May 19, 1976.

1987-1988 - Kitty traveled extensively in 1987-1988 with her daughter who worked for Eastern Airlines. They visited her niece, Barbara, who lives in Minnesota. They visited her cousin, Margaret Swanson, who lives in Red Oak, Iowa. They visited Henry in San Diego and made several trips to Springfield, Ohio. 

1988 - summer visit with cousins and Aunt Marie in Springfield, Ohio when Kitty attended Catholic Central High School's Class of 1938's 50th reunion.

1990 - Kitty's brother Frank passed away. Georgeann flew in from California to meet Kitty at the airport and help her handle the his funeral in Springfield. George's brother Charles passed away two weeks later and services were also held at St. Raphael's church in Springfield.

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Kitty's son Michael made Sunday's extra special in her later years by picking her up from the nursing home, going with her to St. Timothy's church, then to Village Inn pancake house followed by spending the afternoon at Michael's where her other children and grandchildren visited. 

1999 - Kitty's younger sister, Peggy, her remaining sibling passed away. - Her obituary was in the  Springfield (O.) News-Sun on Friday, December 25, 1998

Mary M. (Peg) COTTER, 74, Springfield, died at 8:04 p.m. Wednesday in Mercy Medical Center. Visitation 4-7 p.m. Monday in Conroy Funeral Home; funeral mass 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Bernard Catholic Church; burial in St. Bernard Cemetery.

Kitty died April 12, 2000

Kitty was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital on Thursday, April 6, 2000 about 3 p.m. after a fire at her nursing home. Kitty's wall calendar in her nursing home room for 2000 was titled "Kittens" and had gorgeous photographs of kittens for each month. April 6, 2000 had a pre-printed notation: "Islamic New Year's Day (Muharrum 1). I have no information about the significance of this religious holiday, but find it interesting since we will all remember April 6, 2000 when we think of Kitty.

She passed away at 5:25 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2000. Georgeann and Sharon were with her as she passed. 

Rosary at Marsicano Funeral Home was officiated by Deacon Soloman. Funeral at Christ the King Catholic Church officiated by Father John Tapp of St. Timothy's. Music solist, Maria Moon. Organist, Martin Purtell.  Music Selections: Amazing Grace, On Eagle's Wings, Blest Art Thou, Morning Has Broken, Irish Blessing and How Great Thou Are. 

Kitty was buried on Saturday, April 15, 2000 at Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, Florida next to her husband George Raphael Malowney (1915-1976) on Saturday, April 15 which was also the birthday of one of her daughters and another daughter's wedding anniversary. Kitty and her husband George both passed away in hospitals on Wednesday, had burials on Saturday and both burials were on the same day as one of their children's birthdays. About 200 attended the rosary/funeral. Many of them got together at the Spaghetti Warehouse in the Ybor City section of Tampa after the cemetery service. All 10 living children attended the services along with most of the 19 grandchildren as well as great-grandchildren. 

April 15, 2000 was the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The following Sunday, Easter, would have been Kitty and George's 60th wedding anniversary. 


Additional Notes: 

Residences:

In 1900  Catherine (GARRITY) Broome owned the lots on which both properties on 829 & 833 S. Center Street in Springfield, Ohio were built and occupied by 1910 . Why would they move in next door coming from a different part of town with the same last name and not be related? Bill Kiefer lived with his grandmother Catherine GARRITY Broome next door to my mom's mom, Margaret Cecilia GARRITY and my mom's grandmother, Bridget (GRIFFIN) GARRITY.

Peter GARRITY owned a saloon at Spring and Monroe in 1900 and  later in 1910 sold soft drinks at 320 S. Spring St. while living at 833 S. Center St. according to to Bill Kiefer. A newspaper article stated Peter and his wife Bridget came from Pittsburgh in the 1890s-and  that Peter was a car inspector and engineer for the railroad. Perhaps they were married in Pittsburgh? Perhaps they were married in Pittsburgh?

833 S. Center Street, Springfield, Clark County, Ohio - 1927 - ? -

1014 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield, Ohio per listing in 1939 City directory. Down the street from her future husband George's house.

1835 Miracle Mile, Springfield, Clark County, Ohio - 1950-1959.
4510 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. 1959-1978.
4209 Barcelona, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, 1978-1986.
Presbyterian Villas Retirement Center, 1986-1995.
Carrollwood Care Center, Tampa, FL 1995-2000.

Health 

Kitty suffered a major stroke in January 1991. Although she didn't lose any mental capacity with this stroke, it took several months to recover her mobility.

Hobbies, interests.

Girl Scout leader, avid bridge player.

Church/religion

My guess is that Kitty was baptized at St. Raphael's Church in Springfield. She attended first grade at Nativity in Cincinnati. Then they moved back to Springfield where she attended St. Raphael's and CCHS. 

St. Teresa's Catholic Church, Springfield, Ohio -1959
Christ the King Catholic Church Tampa, Florida 1959-2000
St. Timothy's Catholic Church 1994-2000

Vacations - Kitty enjoyed countless summer vacations. About 300 hours of 16 mm movies created many memories of these vacations. Frequent family trips in the 1950s included Niagara Falls and the Ford Museum in Detroit.

Kitty and George traveled around Europe in 1955. The family took a motor home trip in the summer of 1972 visiting Kitty's Aunt Marie at her son's home in Missouri, then sons in Colorado and Nevada, a daughter in California, and cousins in Louisiana.

Since Kitty's oldest son worked for National Airlines in the late 1960s she was able to use his passes to visit her oldest daughter in California frequently. Since Georgeann worked at Eastern Airlines from 1986-1988, Kitty also traveled extensively then.

Friendships - countless friends from Springfield, Ohio visited Kitty in Florida were lifetime correspondents. She had many friends in Christ the King Catholic Church's Circle 8, especially Carmen Serrano and Margaret Charles. 

 


Generation 5 - (2) great-great-grandparents

Generation 4 -

Generation (3) - grandparents

Generation 2 - parents Generation 1 -