Ellen Spence, born in Newtownards, near Belfast, Co. Down, had at least one brother -- Michael J. Spence, who perished at the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War. He was posthumously awarded the Crimea Medal by the British War Office.
Ellen married William John Boomer, who died relatively young and was buried in Belfast sometime before the birth of his 7th and youngest child, Elizabeth Eleanor. His wife and children emigrated to the U. S. in the late 1800's.
Ellen gave birth to seven children, all born in or near Belfast, Ireland; the two eldest (William and Esther) died in Belfast, Ulster (Northern Ireland), within a month of each other, when the firstborn (William) was 1 year old, and Esther was just 1 week old.
The third child was named William John Boomer, Jr., and the fourth was named Esther again (Ellen's mother was named Esther, and her father's name was William, both of whom had died recently at the time of the children's births).
Then followed Susanna ("Susan"), James, and Elizabeth Eleanor.
Following her husband's death, Ellen was for a long period a postmistress in Belfast. This was how she survived and managed to raise her five surviving children.
The second Esther married William J. Ralston. She had two children: a daughter named Mary Ellen Spence Ralston, and a son, William J., Jr. William Jr. married Helen Sullivan and had one daughter, Gertrude.
Susan married James J. Burke, a builder/carpenter; the Burkes had one child who was evidently stillborn.
Elizabeth married Thomas Barker; they had eight children, including two daughters: Ellen (Maxwell) and Rose Ann (Fall). Their six sons: Peter, Henry, Thomas, William, James and John.
Shortly before her death in 1932 of diabetes myelitis, Elizabeth converted to Roman Catholicism. Though raised Church of England (as were her parents and siblings), Elizabeth had been baptized in Belfast by a family friend - a Roman Catholic priest who would stop by the Boomers' next door (Catholic) neighbors' home every Friday night and have a sing-along, with the Boomers joining in.
After her marriage to Thomas Barker, a Catholic, Elizabeth also saw to it that her 8 children were raised to be devout Catholics. One son, John, studied for the priesthood for a period, but eventually left the seminary to marry Irene Walker.
The three youngest Spence-Boomer children are buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, in the area closest to VFW Highway. Their children are buried in various cemeteries in the Boston area.
William J. Boomer, Jr. died in Belfast, (Northern) Ireland and is buried there. One of his daughters, Eleanor McKnight), is also buried at Forest Hills, close to Susan Boomer Burke's grave. His other daughter Anne (Jordan) married Sam Jordan from Bangor, Ulster, and moved to the Chicago area.
Esther II is buried in Needham Cemetery, as is her granddaughter Gertrude (Ralston) DeLuca.
James Boomer is buried at Forest Hills, not far from his mother's solitary grave. Elizabeth Barker is buried with her husband and several of her children at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dedham.
Ellen married William John Boomer, who died relatively young and was buried in Belfast sometime before the birth of his 7th and youngest child, Elizabeth Eleanor. His wife and children emigrated to the U. S. in the late 1800's.
Ellen gave birth to seven children, all born in or near Belfast, Ireland; the two eldest (William and Esther) died in Belfast, Ulster (Northern Ireland), within a month of each other, when the firstborn (William) was 1 year old, and Esther was just 1 week old.
The third child was named William John Boomer, Jr., and the fourth was named Esther again (Ellen's mother was named Esther, and her father's name was William, both of whom had died recently at the time of the children's births).
Then followed Susanna ("Susan"), James, and Elizabeth Eleanor.
Following her husband's death, Ellen was for a long period a postmistress in Belfast. This was how she survived and managed to raise her five surviving children.
The second Esther married William J. Ralston. She had two children: a daughter named Mary Ellen Spence Ralston, and a son, William J., Jr. William Jr. married Helen Sullivan and had one daughter, Gertrude.
Susan married James J. Burke, a builder/carpenter; the Burkes had one child who was evidently stillborn.
Elizabeth married Thomas Barker; they had eight children, including two daughters: Ellen (Maxwell) and Rose Ann (Fall). Their six sons: Peter, Henry, Thomas, William, James and John.
Shortly before her death in 1932 of diabetes myelitis, Elizabeth converted to Roman Catholicism. Though raised Church of England (as were her parents and siblings), Elizabeth had been baptized in Belfast by a family friend - a Roman Catholic priest who would stop by the Boomers' next door (Catholic) neighbors' home every Friday night and have a sing-along, with the Boomers joining in.
After her marriage to Thomas Barker, a Catholic, Elizabeth also saw to it that her 8 children were raised to be devout Catholics. One son, John, studied for the priesthood for a period, but eventually left the seminary to marry Irene Walker.
The three youngest Spence-Boomer children are buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, in the area closest to VFW Highway. Their children are buried in various cemeteries in the Boston area.
William J. Boomer, Jr. died in Belfast, (Northern) Ireland and is buried there. One of his daughters, Eleanor McKnight), is also buried at Forest Hills, close to Susan Boomer Burke's grave. His other daughter Anne (Jordan) married Sam Jordan from Bangor, Ulster, and moved to the Chicago area.
Esther II is buried in Needham Cemetery, as is her granddaughter Gertrude (Ralston) DeLuca.
James Boomer is buried at Forest Hills, not far from his mother's solitary grave. Elizabeth Barker is buried with her husband and several of her children at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dedham.
Ellen Spence, born in Newtownards, near Belfast, Co. Down, had at least one brother -- Michael J. Spence, who perished at the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War. He was posthumously awarded the Crimea Medal by the British War Office.
Ellen married William John Boomer, who died relatively young and was buried in Belfast sometime before the birth of his 7th and youngest child, Elizabeth Eleanor. His wife and children emigrated to the U. S. in the late 1800's.
Ellen gave birth to seven children, all born in or near Belfast, Ireland; the two eldest (William and Esther) died in Belfast, Ulster (Northern Ireland), within a month of each other, when the firstborn (William) was 1 year old, and Esther was just 1 week old.
The third child was named William John Boomer, Jr., and the fourth was named Esther again (Ellen's mother was named Esther, and her father's name was William, both of whom had died recently at the time of the children's births).
Then followed Susanna ("Susan"), James, and Elizabeth Eleanor.
Following her husband's death, Ellen was for a long period a postmistress in Belfast. This was how she survived and managed to raise her five surviving children.
The second Esther married William J. Ralston. She had two children: a daughter named Mary Ellen Spence Ralston, and a son, William J., Jr. William Jr. married Helen Sullivan and had one daughter, Gertrude.
Susan married James J. Burke, a builder/carpenter; the Burkes had one child who was evidently stillborn.
Elizabeth married Thomas Barker; they had eight children, including two daughters: Ellen (Maxwell) and Rose Ann (Fall). Their six sons: Peter, Henry, Thomas, William, James and John.
Shortly before her death in 1932 of diabetes myelitis, Elizabeth converted to Roman Catholicism. Though raised Church of England (as were her parents and siblings), Elizabeth had been baptized in Belfast by a family friend - a Roman Catholic priest who would stop by the Boomers' next door (Catholic) neighbors' home every Friday night and have a sing-along, with the Boomers joining in.
After her marriage to Thomas Barker, a Catholic, Elizabeth also saw to it that her 8 children were raised to be devout Catholics. One son, John, studied for the priesthood for a period, but eventually left the seminary to marry Irene Walker.
The three youngest Spence-Boomer children are buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, in the area closest to VFW Highway. Their children are buried in various cemeteries in the Boston area.
William J. Boomer, Jr. died in Belfast, (Northern) Ireland and is buried there. One of his daughters, Eleanor McKnight), is also buried at Forest Hills, close to Susan Boomer Burke's grave. His other daughter Anne (Jordan) married Sam Jordan from Bangor, Ulster, and moved to the Chicago area.
Esther II is buried in Needham Cemetery, as is her granddaughter Gertrude (Ralston) DeLuca.
James Boomer is buried at Forest Hills, not far from his mother's solitary grave. Elizabeth Barker is buried with her husband and several of her children at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dedham.
Ellen married William John Boomer, who died relatively young and was buried in Belfast sometime before the birth of his 7th and youngest child, Elizabeth Eleanor. His wife and children emigrated to the U. S. in the late 1800's.
Ellen gave birth to seven children, all born in or near Belfast, Ireland; the two eldest (William and Esther) died in Belfast, Ulster (Northern Ireland), within a month of each other, when the firstborn (William) was 1 year old, and Esther was just 1 week old.
The third child was named William John Boomer, Jr., and the fourth was named Esther again (Ellen's mother was named Esther, and her father's name was William, both of whom had died recently at the time of the children's births).
Then followed Susanna ("Susan"), James, and Elizabeth Eleanor.
Following her husband's death, Ellen was for a long period a postmistress in Belfast. This was how she survived and managed to raise her five surviving children.
The second Esther married William J. Ralston. She had two children: a daughter named Mary Ellen Spence Ralston, and a son, William J., Jr. William Jr. married Helen Sullivan and had one daughter, Gertrude.
Susan married James J. Burke, a builder/carpenter; the Burkes had one child who was evidently stillborn.
Elizabeth married Thomas Barker; they had eight children, including two daughters: Ellen (Maxwell) and Rose Ann (Fall). Their six sons: Peter, Henry, Thomas, William, James and John.
Shortly before her death in 1932 of diabetes myelitis, Elizabeth converted to Roman Catholicism. Though raised Church of England (as were her parents and siblings), Elizabeth had been baptized in Belfast by a family friend - a Roman Catholic priest who would stop by the Boomers' next door (Catholic) neighbors' home every Friday night and have a sing-along, with the Boomers joining in.
After her marriage to Thomas Barker, a Catholic, Elizabeth also saw to it that her 8 children were raised to be devout Catholics. One son, John, studied for the priesthood for a period, but eventually left the seminary to marry Irene Walker.
The three youngest Spence-Boomer children are buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, in the area closest to VFW Highway. Their children are buried in various cemeteries in the Boston area.
William J. Boomer, Jr. died in Belfast, (Northern) Ireland and is buried there. One of his daughters, Eleanor McKnight), is also buried at Forest Hills, close to Susan Boomer Burke's grave. His other daughter Anne (Jordan) married Sam Jordan from Bangor, Ulster, and moved to the Chicago area.
Esther II is buried in Needham Cemetery, as is her granddaughter Gertrude (Ralston) DeLuca.
James Boomer is buried at Forest Hills, not far from his mother's solitary grave. Elizabeth Barker is buried with her husband and several of her children at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dedham.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
