Honoring our Immigrant Herritage Survey

Full Name

Walsh, Lorrine Lee (Kerth) married to Richard Walsh

What are your ties to Collyer?

Live here.

Where did you live?

On a farm North of town.

Which School did you attend?

Collyer Grade and High Schools.

What was your religious affiliation?

Catholic - Protestant

Do you have any stories to tell about family hardships resulting from building and oranizing a Collyer Church or Church Structure?

Were your friends and neighbors all of the same religious affiliation?

Both Catholic and Methodist.

Your ethnic background/which country did your ancesters call home?

What language was spoken in the home?

English

Did you experience any problems or barriers caused by speaking a different language?

What ethnic and/or religiuos traditions do you specifically remember growing up with? Does your family still practice the same traditions?

Walsh Family had Big Dinners with Fine China and Silver. (No)

When did you and/or your family move to Collyer?

Dick's ancestors moved to Collyer and Homestead Granted in 1900.

Do you know how "Collyer" was chosen as a home designation? (Why did your family move here?) Did they operate a farm on homesteaded property?

Great Grandmother Walsh (English) married Walsh from Cork County, Ireland who was condsidered beneath her family status - causing her to leave and to come to America. She made money and rest of family came later.

Did you/and or your family operate a business in Collyer?

Did you or your parents serve in the military?

Lorrine's father served in WWI

Dick - Army 1953 - 1954 (Peace Time)

Dick's father - WWII. Shot down behind enemy lines in France - escaped uninjured.

Were there problems caused by your ethnic background?

Was your family name changed after you arrived in the United States?

What year were you born?

Lorrine - 1933

Dick - 1934

Where was you place of birth?

Lorrine - Ogallah (at home)

Dick - Hays Hospital

Why did your family leave their homeland?

Poverty, famine, and to get away from shame.

What form of travel did your ancestors use to get to their destination?

Cattle boat.

What hardships did they encounter on their journey?

Separation from family, lack of income.

What Ports of Call did they travel through to get to America?

New York.

Which Port of Entry did they come through when they arrived in America?

From New York to Chicago.

What possessions did they bring along with them on their journey? Did they have to sell most of their possessions to be able to obtain money for the journey?

Clothing.

How long did their journey take them from their homeland?

Weeks, possibly months.

What was the occupation of your ancestors?

Seamstresses and Broom Makers after arriving in Chicago.

Did they change occupations once they settled?

They became Farmers after homesteading.

Did they face discrimination once they settled in Collyer?

How did they acquire their homestead land or business?

By living on land by required homestead months.

Did there seem to be different social classes among the settlers?

How did the war affect you or your family?

Dick's father shot down during WWII behind enemy lines - escaped uninjured.

Do you have ties or are you in communication with anyone in your ancestor's country?

Have you ever been back to your ancestor's country?

How did your ancestors integrate into a community? In other words, what was the common thread that brought them together?

Walsh's were great entertainers. Loved socializing with people.

Additional Notes:

(Editor's notes: Lorrine was kind enough to answer the questions for both her and her husband and his family.)

Additional Notes:

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