Bridget Walsh had a lot on her hands when her husband died in 1893 with six children at home and another on the way. She had come to this country in about 1863 and married John Walsh April 14, 1877 in Evansville but now was a widow at age 42. Initially, she received a pension from the Fire Department, but the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the program unconstitutional. "It appears that when that happened, Mrs. Walsh was left on her own," wrote Battalion Chief Kenneth Gest in a 2007 e-mail. Gest wrote Time Served Is Not In Vain: History of the Evansville Fire Department." She also didn't receive as much help as she expected from the Catholic Church, which soured her somewhat. Her family went to work and made the best of things. Bridget did housework, her two sons became successful railroad men and her daughters also worked.
Bridget had family in Evansville. She had come to America with her parents, William and Bridget (Bearden) O'Rourke and several siblings. Tragedy was nothing new to the O'Rourkes. Of the eight children William and Bridget brought to the United States, only four survived William when he died in 1895.
Bridget and John Walsh shared an address with William Rourke, who generally dropped the O' from his name in Evansville, in 1888 and lived next to her brother, Harry O'Rourke (listed as Rourk in the City Directory), from at least 1889-92. Harry died of nephritis Dec. 6, 1911 and is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Another brother, James O'Rourke, is buried among the Walshes at St. Joseph. He died of stomach cancer Oct. 17, 1921 while living at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Evansville.
Bridget eventually moved around among her children, living with son Paul for a while and eventually dying of liver cancer at the home of her youngest daughter, Josephine (Walsh) Platz. She was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville next to John Walsh, for whom she had mourned for so many years. In 1998, Robert K. Walsh, Bridget's grandson, remembered her always wearing dark clothes after John was killed in an accident. That was the custom of the day for widows. "She was in mourning all the time,'' said Bob Walsh, who would have been about 9 when she died. "The women who didn't remarry wore those mourning clothes. That's what I called them."
OBITUARY
July 24, 1933, Evansville Courier
The body of Mrs. Bridget Walsh, 83, will be buried in St. Joseph's cemetery this morning following funeral services at 7:30 o'clock at the home of a daughter, Mrs. George Platz, 724 Monroe ave., and at 8 o'clock at Assumption Catholic church. Mrs. Walsh died Friday at the daughter's home.
Bridget had family in Evansville. She had come to America with her parents, William and Bridget (Bearden) O'Rourke and several siblings. Tragedy was nothing new to the O'Rourkes. Of the eight children William and Bridget brought to the United States, only four survived William when he died in 1895.
Bridget and John Walsh shared an address with William Rourke, who generally dropped the O' from his name in Evansville, in 1888 and lived next to her brother, Harry O'Rourke (listed as Rourk in the City Directory), from at least 1889-92. Harry died of nephritis Dec. 6, 1911 and is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Another brother, James O'Rourke, is buried among the Walshes at St. Joseph. He died of stomach cancer Oct. 17, 1921 while living at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Evansville.
Bridget eventually moved around among her children, living with son Paul for a while and eventually dying of liver cancer at the home of her youngest daughter, Josephine (Walsh) Platz. She was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville next to John Walsh, for whom she had mourned for so many years. In 1998, Robert K. Walsh, Bridget's grandson, remembered her always wearing dark clothes after John was killed in an accident. That was the custom of the day for widows. "She was in mourning all the time,'' said Bob Walsh, who would have been about 9 when she died. "The women who didn't remarry wore those mourning clothes. That's what I called them."
OBITUARY
July 24, 1933, Evansville Courier
The body of Mrs. Bridget Walsh, 83, will be buried in St. Joseph's cemetery this morning following funeral services at 7:30 o'clock at the home of a daughter, Mrs. George Platz, 724 Monroe ave., and at 8 o'clock at Assumption Catholic church. Mrs. Walsh died Friday at the daughter's home.
Bridget Walsh had a lot on her hands when her husband died in 1893 with six children at home and another on the way. She had come to this country in about 1863 and married John Walsh April 14, 1877 in Evansville but now was a widow at age 42. Initially, she received a pension from the Fire Department, but the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the program unconstitutional. "It appears that when that happened, Mrs. Walsh was left on her own," wrote Battalion Chief Kenneth Gest in a 2007 e-mail. Gest wrote Time Served Is Not In Vain: History of the Evansville Fire Department." She also didn't receive as much help as she expected from the Catholic Church, which soured her somewhat. Her family went to work and made the best of things. Bridget did housework, her two sons became successful railroad men and her daughters also worked.
Bridget had family in Evansville. She had come to America with her parents, William and Bridget (Bearden) O'Rourke and several siblings. Tragedy was nothing new to the O'Rourkes. Of the eight children William and Bridget brought to the United States, only four survived William when he died in 1895.
Bridget and John Walsh shared an address with William Rourke, who generally dropped the O' from his name in Evansville, in 1888 and lived next to her brother, Harry O'Rourke (listed as Rourk in the City Directory), from at least 1889-92. Harry died of nephritis Dec. 6, 1911 and is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Another brother, James O'Rourke, is buried among the Walshes at St. Joseph. He died of stomach cancer Oct. 17, 1921 while living at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Evansville.
Bridget eventually moved around among her children, living with son Paul for a while and eventually dying of liver cancer at the home of her youngest daughter, Josephine (Walsh) Platz. She was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville next to John Walsh, for whom she had mourned for so many years. In 1998, Robert K. Walsh, Bridget's grandson, remembered her always wearing dark clothes after John was killed in an accident. That was the custom of the day for widows. "She was in mourning all the time,'' said Bob Walsh, who would have been about 9 when she died. "The women who didn't remarry wore those mourning clothes. That's what I called them."
OBITUARY
July 24, 1933, Evansville Courier
The body of Mrs. Bridget Walsh, 83, will be buried in St. Joseph's cemetery this morning following funeral services at 7:30 o'clock at the home of a daughter, Mrs. George Platz, 724 Monroe ave., and at 8 o'clock at Assumption Catholic church. Mrs. Walsh died Friday at the daughter's home.
Bridget had family in Evansville. She had come to America with her parents, William and Bridget (Bearden) O'Rourke and several siblings. Tragedy was nothing new to the O'Rourkes. Of the eight children William and Bridget brought to the United States, only four survived William when he died in 1895.
Bridget and John Walsh shared an address with William Rourke, who generally dropped the O' from his name in Evansville, in 1888 and lived next to her brother, Harry O'Rourke (listed as Rourk in the City Directory), from at least 1889-92. Harry died of nephritis Dec. 6, 1911 and is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Another brother, James O'Rourke, is buried among the Walshes at St. Joseph. He died of stomach cancer Oct. 17, 1921 while living at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Evansville.
Bridget eventually moved around among her children, living with son Paul for a while and eventually dying of liver cancer at the home of her youngest daughter, Josephine (Walsh) Platz. She was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville next to John Walsh, for whom she had mourned for so many years. In 1998, Robert K. Walsh, Bridget's grandson, remembered her always wearing dark clothes after John was killed in an accident. That was the custom of the day for widows. "She was in mourning all the time,'' said Bob Walsh, who would have been about 9 when she died. "The women who didn't remarry wore those mourning clothes. That's what I called them."
OBITUARY
July 24, 1933, Evansville Courier
The body of Mrs. Bridget Walsh, 83, will be buried in St. Joseph's cemetery this morning following funeral services at 7:30 o'clock at the home of a daughter, Mrs. George Platz, 724 Monroe ave., and at 8 o'clock at Assumption Catholic church. Mrs. Walsh died Friday at the daughter's home.
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