Friday's Photo: Helen Driscoll Staubach

Doris typed the following on the back of this photo:
"Easter Sunday, March 25, 1951 Kay, mother, and I" 
Pictured: Doris Staubach, Helen Driscoll, and cousin, Kathleen Caccavo

Helen Driscoll was born in Cohoes, New York on March 7, 1887 - 138 years ago today. She was the daughter of mill workers and one of at least eleven children. Helen worked in the mills until about 1924 when she and some of her sisters left for New York City. In 1933, she married Charles Staubach Jr., and together they raised a daughter, Doris—my beautiful mother-in-law.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Church records clearly state that Helen was born in 1887, yet over the course of 50 years, various documents record her age differently.

Consider the following:

1900: Helen was 13 years old

1910: Listed as 21

1915: Recorded as 23

1920: Just 27

1933: She was 39

1940: Now 47

1950: Marked as 60

Helen’s records show a woman who may not have aged by the calendar but instead by the circumstances of her life, making her story all the more compelling. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

Diana Quinn, #1 Diana's Bryan-Quinn Family, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/45260559?cfpid=6334928766: accessed 7 March 2025). 

Easter, photograph, ca.1951; digital image, from the privately held photo collection of D.B. Quinn, 2025.

Driscolls Living in Cohoes, NY between 1901 and 1935

My husband's great-grandfather, John Driscoll, was employed at the Harmony company for
most of his life. In 1897, he lost his forearm when caught in a belt in the weave
room at No. 1 Harmony Mill. When he died in 1905, he was employed at the Harmony 
company as a night watchman. 

In 2000, I visited the library in Cohoes, New York, and copied most pages from city directories naming Driscolls living in Cohoes. Helen Driscoll, daughter of John and granddaughter of Simon, was my husband's maternal grandmother. That same year, I transcribed these Driscoll entries and, under each year, grouped them by address to see possible families. 

In the last month, I have recopied the transcribed list, corrected many mistakes, and added a few years from directories found at Ancestry.com. This is the second of a two-part list. The years from 1870 to 1900 can be seen by clicking here. 

Notes: Abbreviations and punctuation were copied from the directories. Deaths and any notes can be seen in red. An asterisk [*] can be seen next to the Driscoll entries I believe MAY be the family I am researching. 

Some abbreviations found in the directories are as follows:

h. is home

n. is near

b. or bds. are boards

opp. is opposite

1901 (Cohoes, page 501)

• Driscoll Frank, laborer, h. near lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll Catherine, h. 25 Lancaster
• Driscoll Catherine T., widow of Michael, h. 75 Egbert
• Driscoll Catherine, widow of John, variety, 11 Summit, h. do.
• Driscoll James, carder, h. 208 Columbia*
• Driscoll Michael, laborer, bds. 208 Columbia*
• Driscoll John, millhand, house 23 Mangam*

1902 (Cohoes, page 689)

• Driscoll Frank, laborer, h. r lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll James, millhand, h. r lock 15 Erie canal
• Driscoll Catherine, h. 25 Lancaster
• Driscoll Catherine T., widow of Michael, bds. 75 Egbert
• Driscoll Catherine, widow of James, variety, 11 Summit, h. do.
• Driscoll James, (Schenectady) h 73 Reservoir
• Driscoll Michael, laborer, bds. 1Vliet
• Driscoll James, spinner, bds. 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll John, millhand, h 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Katie, ironer, bds 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Mary A, weaver, bds 23 Mangam*
• Driscoll Samuel, conductor, UT Co bds 23 Mangam*

Driscolls Living in Cohoes, NY between 1870 and 1900

 

In 2000, I visited the library in Cohoes, New York, and copied most pages from city directories naming Driscolls living in Cohoes. Helen Driscoll, daughter of John and granddaughter of Simon, was my husband's maternal grandmother. That same year, I transcribed these Driscoll entries and, under each year, grouped them by address to see possible families. 

In the last month, I have recopied the transcribed list, corrected many mistakes, and added a few years from directories found at Ancestry.com. The remainder of this list, from 1901 to 1935, can be found here. 

Notes: Abbreviations and punctuation were copied from the directories. Deaths and any notes can be seen in red. An asterisk [*] can be seen next to the Driscoll entries I believe MAY be the family I am researching. 

Some abbreviations found in the directories are as follows:

h. is home

n. is near

b. or bds. are boards

opp. is opposite

1870 (Cohoes, page 198)

• Driscoll Dennis, laborer, house 26 Garner
• Driscoll James, overseer, h. 28 Willow *
• Driscoll Simon, shoemaker, h. 28 Willow *
• Driscoll James, laborer, h. near reservoir
• Driscoll John, Mrs., h. 18 Congress
• Driscoll John J., Clerk, bds. 18 Congress
• Driscoll Samuel, laborer, h. Vliet n. Willow *

1871 (Cohoes, page 199)

• Driscoll Dennis, laborer, house 26 Garner
• Driscoll James, overseer, h. 28 Willow*
• Driscoll James, laborer, h. near reservoir
• Driscoll John, Mrs., h. 18 Congress
• Driscoll John J., Clerk, bds. 18 Congress
• Driscoll Samuel, laborer, h. Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll, Simon P., shoemaker, house Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll Simon, laborer, h. Harmony opp. lock 16 *
• Driscoll John, laborer, bds 16 Strong Pl.

Friday's Photo: Helen Driscoll of Cohoes, New York

Helen Driscoll Staubach and her daughter, Doris
January 3, 1953

Helen Driscoll was born in Cohoes, New York in 1887. She was the daughter of mill workers and one of at least eleven children. Helen worked in the mills until about 1924 when she and two of her sisters left for New York City. Helen married Charles Staubach Jr. in 1933. Their daughter, Doris, was my beautiful mother-in-law. 

This is a family I researched when just starting this life-long endeavor in the late 1990s. An increase in available online genealogical resources is allowing me to find much more about this family than in my earlier attempt. 

Watch for new posts about Helen and her family in the next few months. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2023 

Helen and Doris Staubach, photograph, 3 Jan 1953; scanned image, original photograph from the privately-held collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2023. 

Friday's Photo: December 25, 1951, An Engagement Party

Written on the back of this photo is Mother, me, and Bill. My engagement party. December 25, 1951. Pictured are Helen Staubach, Doris Staubach, and William "Bill" Quinn. Doris and Bill were my husband's parents. Helen was the mother of Doris. I'm sure the photo was taken in New York City as both Doris and Bill's parents lived on West 153rd Street. 

Doris and Bill were married just a little over a year later on January 3, 1953. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2020 

Sources 

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

#52ancestors Post Forty-Six: My Web Site

The writing prompt for #52ancestors, post forty-six, was Random Fact so decided it was time to tell a few facts about my website. 

In the late 1990s, I had my first website at AOL Hometown. I used it to post unidentified photos of family in hopes of matching these photos to names on my family tree. My ambitions grew, technology improved, and I moved those photos, along with much-found information and transcriptions, to a Rootsweb Freepages account in 2004.  Last year, Rootsweb struggled with security issues and removed all accounts. My site returned to the Internet a few months ago. 

Although I haven't updated the site since 2012, you might want to visit it if you are connected to any of my families. There are at least 70 pages of family trees, photos, and document transcriptions. 

The site was built when many were still using dial-up, screens were smaller, and photos had to be reduced in size. If you see a photo or document you need, send me an email, I can send you a better copy. 

I don't plan to update it. I don't know Rootsweb's plans and it's much easier to add to my blog. And, most of those pages will eventually become part of my blog. 

Below are photos of my Table of Contents page. Click here to access the actual Table of Contents. 

  

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2018

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

#52ancestors Post Twenty-Three: Going to the Chapel

This week's writing prompt for #52ancestors is Going to the Chapel. So, I thought I'd post a collection of wedding photos that belonged to my husband's parents, Doris Staubach and William Quinn. I suspect most of the weddings occurred in New York in the 1950s. If anyone has clues as to the identity of these brides and/or grooms OR knows of any connection they may have to family, please contact me via email or leave a message on my Facebook page. 

Unknown Bride

Marie and John
On the back is written April 1951 - John died Aug. 1951

On the back - Helen Kenny and William Montero
Found at Ancestry.com - Helen M. Kenny married
William T. Montero on June 13, 1941

April 1952 - Marie and Cornelius
Cornelius was a groomsman in Doris and Bill's Wedding

Robby and Mary

Unknown Bride and Groom

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana
© 2018

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of  Diana Bryan Quinn. 

Friday's Photo: Charles and Helen Driscoll Staubach are buried in Old Saint Raymond's Cemetery

In 2012, I visited Old Saint Raymond's Cemetery with my husband and his sister.  Our goal was to find the graves of Charles and Helen Staubach, maternal grandparents of my husband and his siblings. And, to find the grave of Julia Harvey Glynn, my great-great-grandmother who I wrote about last week. 

We found Charles Staubach quickly in section 15, but although they were buried in the same plot, his wife's name was not on the stone.  Helen Driscoll Staubach died in 1965. Her daughter, Doris, was living with her husband, an army officer, and five young children in France. She came home alone to arrange her mother's funeral and burial. She may not have had the time or money to arrange to have her mother's name added to the stone. 

Charles Staubach in NY. The children might be the children
of Bertha Driscoll Cacavvo, sister of Helen. The woman on
the steps might be Helen Driscoll Staubach. 

Doris Staubach Quinn, my mother-in-law, gave me the funeral documentation for her mother and father when she requested I find out more about her family. From these, I learned death dates, cemetery locations, addresses, and names of newspapers where an obituary or death notice might be found. I am adding the documents to share with family. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my 

Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2018

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

Friday's Photo: A Young Doris Staubach

Doris Staubach Quinn
1929 - 2012

Last night, while looking for a photo to post, I saw this photo that once belonged to my mother-in-law.  Doris, who pretty consistently labeled her photos, did not label this one. There's only a little scribble on the front. When enlarged, I could clearly see an arrow and the letters ME. Doris was telling us that was her in the photo. It is the earliest photo I have seen of Doris. I would guess 1931. She was a little older in the photo on the right. Doris was born on July 21, 1929 and would have been 88 years old today. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other interesting finds. 

Diana

© 2017

Source


Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

Honoring the Mothers in my Family Tree

This is a repeat of past years' posts honoring some of the mothers in my family tree. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to my sister - a wonderful mother and grandmother!

Happy Mother's Day to my Aunt!

Doris Staubach Quinn - My mother-in-law.
1929 - 2012

Edith Giddens Davis, my grandmother

1897-1975

Myrtie Hairston Bryan, my grandmother

1880-1927

Harriet Albritton Bryan, my great-grandmother

1836-1909

Lodema Criswell Hairston, my great-grandmother

1856-1919

Bertha Davis Hawkins, my great-grandmother
1879 - 1965

Mary Lucy Glynn Giddens, my great-grandmother

1866-1926

Julia Harvey Glynn, with daughter Carrie, my great-great-grandmother

1840-1919

Elizabeth Regan Bryan, my great-great-grandmother

1798-1877

Caroline Olive Davis, my great-great-grandmother

1847- after 1901

Mary Ann "Polly" Evans Criswell, my great-great-grandmother

1829-1883

Diana

© 2016

Friday's Photo: Fun in NYC

Doris Staubach and a statue at Audubon Terrace - Oct. 1950

When this posts, I will be on my way to NYC for a few days so thought that a few NYC photos would be appropriate. 

These photos of my mother-in-law, Doris Staubach Quinn and her friends, were taken at Audubon Terrace in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan - not far from Doris' home on West 153rd Street. 

Doris wrote, "Madelyn, Me, and Nancy - Fall 1950"

Doris wrote, "MaryLou, Nancy, Me - Fall 1950"

Nancy, October 1950

Doris wrote, "Madelyn, me, Mary Lou  October 1950"

Nancy, Madelyn, Mary Lou

Mary Lou - October 1950

Diana

© 2015