Florence Buckman was born February 17, 1888 (Source: Interview: John G. Bucknum.).
On June 5, 1917 Michael
Joseph Fayden, Theology Student at St. Joseph’s Seminary, residing at 1:4
West 98 St., NYC, NY, Age: 23 was born November 22, 1893 in Wappinger Falls,
NY; of tall height and medium build with Blue eyes and Brown hair (Source: Draft Registration Card).
On May 5, 1930 Michael Fayden,
36 year old Railroad Ticket Seller born in New York, who had been 29 years old
at the time of his marriage, and who owned a radio and his own home valued at
$5600, Florence, 40 year old born in
New York, who had been 33 years old at the time of her marriage, Mary F., 5 year old born in New York, Michael, 4 4/12 year old born in New
York, John, 1 11/12 year old born
in New York, were living at 115-59 217th Street (Source: Census: 1930: NY: Queens: New York City:
St. Albans: ED: 41-1301: Page: 3B: Line: 61.).
Sis is still with me and the afternoon before Christmas she was knocked
to the ground and her purse taken from her as she was returning from market so
I spent Christmas afternoon in the hospital with her. She had a compound
fracture in the shoulder but is about over it now thought she has to have
therapy for a while at home. My mother came to Canada and stayed in Ottawa, Canada for awhile with an Aunt who was married to a
member of parliament up there. Then she came down to America. I don't know when Aunt Katie came but Aunt
Hannah Leane and her family came with her children the last of all and I
remember waiting up one night for them to arrive. I was a small child but I
don't remember how old. I don't remember Genevieve being there when I was up
with my mother waiting and there was quite a bit of excitement. I think Aunt Hannah
Leane's husband was already here for I don't remember his coming with the
family. I don't remember Aunt Katie coming either. The first I remember of her
was her wedding to Uncle Ed at St. Mary's Church in the sacristy and Genevieve
and I went to the wedding. My father's father was a farmer from England and my grandmother (father's mother) was
Mary Parks, the daughter of old Peter Parks - an Englishman. The nicest,
gentlest old gentleman. They stayed at our house quite a bit and I never knew
when they died. My grandfather dropped dead on the street after his breakfast.
He had not been sick but he might have had diabetes. I have had it. I don't
know how long but I was always thirsty as a child and it was an amount of
exceeding thirst. I went to a doctor in 1955 and was told I was a diabetic and
put on a strict diet which I obeyed - in one month my sugar was down and I have
to diet ever since but once in a while I break out and eat a piece of candy or
cake. I always loved sweets but I'm pretty careful and go to the laboratory
& get a blood sugar and kidney analysis and the doctor says I am better
than I was three years ago. I must be pretty good to live this long. Genevieve
was always considered delicate and she died around 1956 or so, I forget the
date. Her husband died of a heart attack while she was in the hospital. There
were four deaths within a month that year. Frank youngest girl 14, was killed
in an auto accident and Frank died 10 days later of a heart attack. Frank was
always healthy and his death was quite a shock. he was in Arizona at the time. He had retired from the Fire
Dept and moved to Arizona and only lived there about 6 months. Arlene his wife died this year
and Margaret and her family live out there. Billy Buckman lives in Denver, Colorado and has a nice family. He went to college in the State of Washington and married a classmate there. Frank thought
he should wait until he had a position but when he asked the girl about waiting
she replied, "Well, Billie , we'll never know then what it was like to be
poor." So they got married right after graduation and I don't know what he
does but he has four beautiful children. Genevieve had only two girls. Rita and
Jane. Her husband died when they were hardly more than babies. Rita is a
wonderful unselfish, thoughtful girl. She had three children, Loxi who had some
position in the schools and four lovely children, Bernard, named after the
father, married and went to California where he is doing fine in some business,
I don't know what but Rita went out last year to see them and she says they are
doing fine, have a beautiful home and three lovely children and Tommy who has
not finished college yet. My sisters Margaret and Romaine died young that is in
their 30's. Margaret was trained in Wilson Memorial hospital in Endicott I
think it is and she was hurt the day after graduation in an auto accident. She
recovered after a few months, came to stay with me & did nursing then she
married and in a couple years was dead. Romaine had a hard time deciding what
she wanted to do. She was very bright, and at first thought of being a teacher
but after a couple of years at college changed her mind and went in training to
be a nurse. She took cases where she had to travel and drive patients who could
not drive themselves and in a few years she died of cancer and suffered
horribly. She loved a good time and she had it. She had her own car and
anything else she wanted. Oh, by the way, my grandfather's name was Comer
Buckman. Strange name, I never heard of it. Jim Sullivan was our mother's first
cousin. He was a very good man with a lovely good convent bred wife. They had
one daughter. I don't know if she is still living. When I was away, I lost
track of many relatives. Jim played an instrument, I forget what it was - not a
guitar but similar & he used to sing a lot. He and his girl use to spend
quite a few Sunday afternoons at our house. Jim had two sisters, Louise and
Margaret but we never saw much of them and I don't remember when old uncle
died. Guess I must have been away. Jim died eight or ten something around that
years ago and was pretty old. He used to go into town with his dog and was
quite well known. I don't know when his wife died. She was a very sweet person.
My mother's brother Patsy Leane died when I was quite young. He was working on
the New York Subway and I believe was killed. My mother & father went to New York but he was already buried when they got
there. There was another brother Tom Leane who stayed in Ireland. My mother used to hear regularly from her
father and she always took me on her lap and showed me the pretty cards with
flowers pictures on them and she use to cry (Source: Letter: Florence Fayden to Delia
Palmatier, February 20,
1977.).
I'm glad that you had such a nice visit with
the Buckmans and the Stricklands. Two good old names. Indeed I never knew one
of the Lakes was Lake Leane. I guess you know it's pronounced Láne like
Sean. I don't believe my mother knew one of the Lakes had their name. She told
me there was a hill in their back yard and from the top of it the Lakes of
Kilarney were visible and very beautiful. She and her sisters did not like
their stepmother. The two brothers Tom Leane and Patsy Leane stayed over there.
Tom Leane never came to America but Patsy Leane did and was killed in Brooklyn when he was working on the subway - building
it. When my mother and father went to New York for his burial they were too late and he was
already buried. I liked Uncle Patsy Leane. He gave me a toy horse and I was
crazy about it. My mother used to hear from her father now and then and she
used to hold me on her lap and cry as she showed me the pretty flower cards he
sent her. I guess seeing those pretty cards may have been the reason I used to
paint flowers and with the pennies I'd save, buy paint and cards to paint on. I
heard my mother tell about Canada but never heard how she happened to come to Binghamton. There she met my father and when Aunt Katie
came she met my father's youngest brother Uncle Ed and married him and though we
were little my sister and I went to St. Mary's sacristy to see them married.
Uncle Ed turned Catholic before he died but at that time a non-Catholic could
not be married in the Sanctuary but that is all changed now. I don't remember
ever seeing Aunt Mary Leane till she lived up on the farm on top of the hill
and we thought it wonderful to see the house from Front St. when we used to go
walking up there. I don't know much about the Leane family but they were
related to the O'Sullivans, who were quite prominent people up state. I believe
my mother's mother was an O'Sullivan. The part of Ireland where they lived, Tralee, was full of O'Sullivans. My father's mother
lived part of the time with us. Her father was an English gentleman named Peter
Parks. He died in this country. My mother had a lot of respect for him but
sometimes she did not like my grandmother. My grandmother disliked Catholics
and was sort of mad because my father turned Catholic. His family were
Episcopalians. Of course that was Church of England. But we kids liked grandma
& in the morning we'd all crawl into her bed and she'd tell us stories and
we liked when she told "Little Red Riding Hood" and when she would
come to describing the wolf, when she would come to the question of what the
wolf did with his mouth we'd ask, and what did he do with his mouth, she'd say,
and make a grab for us - "The better to eat you up, my dear." And
we'd always holler then laugh and that would end the session. I had a card from
Beatrice this year but I did not know it was from California. Genevieve's daughter Rita has a son married
and living in California. They have a nice place out there and three lovely children. Rita fell
a short time ago and broke her hip. She is now on the mend but has to use a
walker. She only weighs 72 lbs. - is married to a lovely fellow who is over six
feet tall who went to college while he worked in Elmira - where they live and he teaches the last
few years. Rita's sister Jane lives in Blossburg, Penna. in a beautiful house
designed by her husband whose name is Paul Winters, who also went to college
while he worked. Ambitious boys! (Source: Letter: Florence
Fayden to Delia Palmatier,
January 5, 1978.).
Florence’s husband, Michael Joseph Fayden, died in 1972.
Florence Fayden died February 17, 1978 in Binghamton, NY (Source: Interview: John G. Bucknum.).
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© Richard J. Bucknum 
March 7, 2007, Clackamas,
OR
