Some notes on the Ketterick family by Kathleen Ketterick Morrone

More Notes on the Ketterick and Conway families

"My father, James Ketterick, was born in Newport, in 1902. Actually his name
on his birth certificate if Patrick James Kittrick. When my grandparents,
Catherine Conway and James Kittrick, were married, their priest sent in the
marriage certificate to Dublin to be recorded where the family names was
recorded as Ketterick. The family was then told that their legal name was now
Ketterick. My father was baptized at St. Joseph's Catholic Church which
later burned down. My father told me that when he was young, he and his
sisters, Mary and Kathleen were sent out to get the peat from the bog for the
bakery and house. He attended the National School of Ireland. When he was
15 ½ he went to England and worked in a shipyard. Later he joined the
Connaught Rangers. He fought in Upper Silicia, Poland, although the
Armistice had been signed, unofficially the fighting went on. After all the
Irish Brigades were disbanded, my father came back to Newport. Next he
travelled to Chicago where he met my mother, Mary Sullivan of Castleisland,
Co. Kerry.
My Aunt Mary Kilroy died in Newport in 1936 after developing toxemia while
expecting twins. My Aunt Kathleen McGuire moved to Dingle, County Kerry
where she raised her family. My Uncle Michael Ketterick was also a baker by
trade. But during World War II he drove a truck in England. In 1948 he came
to Chicago and stayed with us while working in a bakery. Later his wife,
Brigid and children joined him Cleveland where Brigid had relatives. After
Brigid died, and his children were married, he decided to come back to
Ireland. My Uncle John Joe stayed in Newport and ran the bakery until his
death. His son, Jim, lives in Chicago with his family, and his daughter,
Mary Therese, lives in England with her family. My Aunt Celena moved to
Liverpool, England, after her mother died, and died there.

In 1950, my mother, my brother, and myself visited Newport. As we were
driving into town, we saw a long funeral procession. We were very shocked to
find out the processiion was for my cousin, James Kilroy. He had drowned
when he was swept off a bridge during a storm. My grandmother did not want
to tell us until he had arrived in town. My Uncle John Joe drove us around
to see the sights and visit relatives. He was very good natured, seemed to
know and enjoy everybody. I would go in his bakery van with my cousin,
Kathleen Kilroy, when his assistant was making deliveries and I got to see
some of the outlying areas that way. I thought St. Patrick's Church was
very beautiful, very impressive. Sometimes, my brother and I would go out to
the ruins of a small castle outside town and pretend we were back in the
Middle Ages. We enjoyed seeing Newport very much."

Family Tree contributed by Kathleen Ketterick Morrone