January 3, 2002
Dear Family,
It was 1917 and the great war in Europe had been raging for more than three years.
On February 1, 1917, Germany began unrestricted submarine warfare, confident of dealing Great Britain a crippling blow before the United States could effectively intervene. President Wilson quickly broke off diplomatic relations with Germany.
On March 18, 1917, three American merchant ships were sunk by German U-boats without warning and with great loss of life.
President Wilson hesitated, then made a dramatic appearance before a joint session of Congress on a rainy Monday evening in Holy Week, April 2, 1917. He called for a declaraion of war against Germany, stating: "The world must be made safe for democracy." On Wednesday, the Senate voted 82-6 for war. In the early hours of Good Friday, the House voted 373-50 for war. The President signed the declaration of war on the afternoon of Good Friday.
On May 29th a young father - just thirty - recently widowed and still in mourning, considered the possibility that he would be drafted into military service and might never return from the war. He sat down and wrote an eight page letter to his infant son.
The young father was my father, James A. Nolan. The infant son was my brother, also James A. Nolan. Jim celebrated his 85th birthday on December 16, 2001. December 31, 2001 was the 115th anniversary of my father's birth.
Below I have transcribed the remarkable letter which my father wrote on that day.
(Note: The letter is reproduced as it was written, without editorial change. Because my father's handwriting was, in places, somewhat difficult to read, and my copy of the letter was poor, I have used question marks to indicate where I was not confident as to the word used, or to indicate a word or phrase that was not discernible.)
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273 Etna Street
Brooklyn, N.Y.
May 29th 1917
Dear Son James:
You are only five months old and some days as your father writes you this long letter. Your mother, the best and loveliest of God's creatures, died the day after you were born December 17th 1916. You were born December 16th 1916 at 134 Euclid Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. Dr August G. Maron and your father and the nurse were present. Your mother saw you and held you in her arms for a little while and then said "good night" to Papa and while asleep took convulsions which lasted twenty-two hours and resulted in her death.
Your mother was born in Brooklyn, the daughter of William J. Warren and Carrie G. Warren who both died while your mother was very young, about four or six years of age. Your mother, I will hereafter call her "Bessie" - her full name was Elizabeth Gertrude Nolan - was born February 17, 1892. Her brother William is still living and at this writing works for the New York Central Railroad at Niagara Falls, N.Y. He is younger than Bessie. He is married and has a little boy, who is your first cousin. Your mother's grandmother (Catherine Williams) is still living at Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged at DeKalb & Bushwick Avenue. She is almost seventy-four years old. She has seen you and has prayed for you and Bessie ever since you were born. When Bessie lost her mother the family lived on Marion(?) Street Brooklyn N.Y. near the g! ood Catholic family named McGill. Miss Emma McGill, a very good maiden lady, virtually raised Bessie. The family adopted her - not legally - and orphan though she was Bessie received every advantage in life. She sang sweetly but softly, she played the piano nicely - she played with a touch all her own - her personality was more than pleasing, her appearance almost beautiful and her love for Papa and Papa's for her rich and beautiful - one for the other. We were married June 25th 1913, at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes on Aberdeen Street Brooklyn. Father McAdam married us in the evening and we had a big wedding. Aunt Grace and Uncle Willie, my younger brother and sister, stood up for us. We spent our honeymoon at Lake George, N.Y. We took up our home at #134 Euclid Avenue and lived there until after you were born and Bessie died.
You were baptized at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament Euclid Avenue and Fulton Street Brooklyn. Father John M. Kiely who knew Bessie and I well - christened you James. Emma A. McGill was your godmother. That was as Mother - Bessie and I planned it before you were born. My brother Joseph was your godfather. Bessie is buried in a plot in St. John's Cemetary, Queens County, in a newly purchased plot. The grave in which she is buried is the second grave from the left. I paid 250 to enclose the plot. I paid $100 towards the ground. My mother paid $100 toward the ground and my brother Frank $25 and my brother William $25. The plot contains eight graves which will permit of 24 internments.
Your mother and father for almost two years before mother's (Bessie's) death attended Mass at eight o'clock and received communion weekly. That is a practice which will keep you right all your life. Keep it up and God will pour down his love and blessings upon you all you life. If it be God's will your father and your mother too if she were here to advise with you would love to see you a Priest of God. If God gives you the vocation may you prove a good one.
After Bessie died I broke up home and went back home to my mother and father at 32 Essex St, Brooklyn N.Y. For four months my mother tried to mind you but she lost her sleep nights and broke down in health, and Papa had to get out one morning with you or else Grandma Nolan would have passed away with your care. I went temporarily to Miss Emma A McGill your godmother and for a few days stayed there. Then I decided that the best thing for you and me was to establish our own home again. Accordingly here we are. Grandma Nolan consented to allow Grace my sister and a good friend of Bessie's to stay with us until we could find a housekeeper. But no housekeeper was available and sister Grace and I are here with you keeping house. Grace loves you and had done a great deal for you so far. If you can show your gratitude at some ! time in after life do so. On Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings Grace receives her gentleman friend and Papa and you have a quiet evening at home and so far you have been a very good boy.
The nations of the world are at war and Good Friday last our own country joined the war forces against Germany. The real cause of it was the use of the German submarine against peaceful passenger ships and the wholesale slaughter of our people. Congress has passed a Conscription bill which makes your father liable for draft. I am not afraid to go but I do not like to leave my half-orphan boy to the mercies of the world in my absence. God will take care of you I am sure if I am called away from you. This letter is written you so that if I am called to defend my country and taken away perhaps never to return you may have something to remember your father and mother by. I am a lawyer with only a small practice. I have earned enough thank God in our married life never to deny either Bessie, your mother, or you or myself anything moderately ! right and proper. I studied law at night, working and supporting myself as a stenographer and clerk by day. Your mother was a stenographer and was employed as a stenographer in the office of the Corporation Counsel in Brooklyn, before her marriage.
Your mother procured(?) me to join the Church choir and I have found much recreation learning the bass part of the various Masses.
Let me give you a ?????? in life - from experience.
Be careful of your companions - chose the best - not the richest.
Do not waste your time. Keep busy every moment. Idleness is th chief ally of the devil. God loves those who work hard and keep
occupied. Offer it all for the Honor & Glory of God.
Keep your bowels regulated and go to stool at least once a day.
Read good clean books.
Practice frequent communion.
Leave liquor alone - your father or mother never touched it.
Smoke, but not to excess.
Suffer patiently for Christ's sake.
Be kind, patient and charitable.
Always give in to those you love, even though you are right and they
are wrong., but let them know they are wrong.
I will write more some other time perhaps - Pray always for your
mother and father.
Affectionately
xxxxxxx Papa
(James A Nolan Jr)
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My father was not called to military service, whether because of his single parent status or because of some medical condition, I do not know. His brothers Walter and Joseph did serve in the military.
After being cared for by Aunt Grace, my three and one-half year old brother James found a new mother in July, 1920 when my father married Mary Catherine King - my mother. She was twenty-two. They had seven children, tragically losing their second daughter, my sister Veronica, in April, 1926. Veronica was a toddler - about twenty months old.
My parents married life was short - less than nineteen years. After my father's death in 1939, Mother went on alone for forty-six years, the center of a loving and constantly growing family.
At the beginning of this new year, may God's blessing be upon all the young parents in our family, and especially upon those who will be bringing new life into the world this year.
Love to all,
Warren
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