SYLVIA GRASSER: 1903 - 1984
Sylvia Maria Louisa Grasser was the third oldest of a family of nine children. She was born on January 7th, 1903 in a small house situated on the Kingston farm near Porterfield, Wisconsin. Her parents, Michael and Wilhelmina Grasser, were renting this house just down the road from their own house that they were building on the farm that they recently bought. Here she stayed with her family until their new house, constructed of upright logs, was completed.
While growing up, Sylvia was rather sickly. But being the oldest girl of the family at home, she was expected to do many of the chores and to help with the smaller children. She was able to complete school through the eighth grade, but no more because of her work on the farm. All the children had to work hard to help their parents make a living from the farm.
At about the age of sixteen, Sylvia determined to head out into the world on her own and went to live with her Aunt Catherine Heyden in Chicago, Illinois. Aunt Katie helped a number of her nephews and nieces make the transition from the country to the city. She gave them a place to stay at her home until they could get established on their own. Sylvia did housekeeping work in Chicago until a friend of the woman she was working for was so impressed with Sylvia that she asked her to come to Baltimore, Maryland to work for her. Sylvia was ready for a change and made the move.
Sylvia always wanted to be a nurse. She took correspondence courses in nursing, but due to the lack of time she was never able to complete all of the courses required.
During all of this time, Sylvia faithfully returned a portion of the money that she earned home to her parents in order to help support the family. She had been in Baltimore for a considerable time when her brother, Raymond, who was attending a theological school in Boston knew of a Dr. Powell, a teacher at the seminary, who needed a maid. Sylvia, wanting to be closer to family, made her third big move - to Boston. Brothers Raymond and Myron both were living out east at this time. She worked for the Powells only a short time when her sister, Leona, decided to move to Boston also. Both sisters looked for new jobs and found them in Newton as housemaid/cook in homes that were back to back from each other. Sylvia worked for a Dr. Thorne and his family. She stayed with the Thorne's for several years and became close friends with Elsie Smith, another maid in the same neighborhood.
During this time, Sylvia attended various churches with her family and friends. But after her brother baptized her in the Ochoochie Lake in Lakeport, New Hampshire, Raymond, who had become an Adventist pastor, she mostly attended the famous Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston. She enjoyed singing in the choir there for she had a sweet soprano voice.
One day Elsie invited Sylvia on a fall outing to visit some of her friends, Ken Harding and his wife, who lived further out in the country. Along with them went Elsie's fiancé, Ken Bell, and a friend of his, Albert Kearney, whom Sylvia met for the first time. Nothing became of this new acquaintance until the following spring when the same group went out to visit the Harding's again. After that time, in the spring of 1935, Sylvia and Al began to date each other. Their friends, Ken and Elsie, were married in 1937, and finally, Al and Sylvia were married on September 11th, 1938. The marriage ceremony was
performed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Sylvia's brother, Raymond Grasser.
Sylvia and Al lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Al had his own printing business, the Weston Printing Company. In 1946 they bought the large two-family house at 93 Hammond Street in Cambridge where they lived the rest of their lives. This was where they raised their two daughters, Mary-Louise Alberta, born on September 13th, 1940; and Diane Wilhelmina, born on November 8th, 1944. They were staunch members of the Harvard-Epworth Methodist Church near their home, and were active in the local Eastern Star, Masonic and Royal Arcanum lodges. Sylvia became Al's right-hand associate in the print shop by being both secretary and treasurer of the business. And together they worked very hard to support their family. They also had to work hard on their house, which was in
a run-down condition when they bought it. Al did all of the painting while Sylvia learned and did much of the wallpapering plus the electrical work. Together they worked in their beautiful vegetable and flower garden. This they greatly enjoyed and took much pride in it. Both of them had been raised on farms and both had "green thumbs". True to her upbringing and background, Sylvia was an excellent housekeeper and cook for her family.
All of her active life, including the work at the print shop, Sylvia enjoyed good health with only a few bouts of sickness in later years, until she died of coronary artery disease on
December 10th, 1984 in her home in Cambridge. She enjoyed a long life. Attaining the age of eighty-one, she was finally laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Acton, Massachusetts.
Sylvia "Grasser" Kearney Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
Sylvia Maria Louisa Grasser was the third oldest of a family of nine children. She was born on January 7th, 1903 in a small house situated on the Kingston farm near Porterfield, Wisconsin. Her parents, Michael and Wilhelmina Grasser, were renting this house just down the road from their own house that they were building on the farm that they recently bought. Here she stayed with her family until their new house, constructed of upright logs, was completed.
While growing up, Sylvia was rather sickly. But being the oldest girl of the family at home, she was expected to do many of the chores and to help with the smaller children. She was able to complete school through the eighth grade, but no more because of her work on the farm. All the children had to work hard to help their parents make a living from the farm.
At about the age of sixteen, Sylvia determined to head out into the world on her own and went to live with her Aunt Catherine Heyden in Chicago, Illinois. Aunt Katie helped a number of her nephews and nieces make the transition from the country to the city. She gave them a place to stay at her home until they could get established on their own. Sylvia did housekeeping work in Chicago until a friend of the woman she was working for was so impressed with Sylvia that she asked her to come to Baltimore, Maryland to work for her. Sylvia was ready for a change and made the move.
Sylvia always wanted to be a nurse. She took correspondence courses in nursing, but due to the lack of time she was never able to complete all of the courses required.
During all of this time, Sylvia faithfully returned a portion of the money that she earned home to her parents in order to help support the family. She had been in Baltimore for a considerable time when her brother, Raymond, who was attending a theological school in Boston knew of a Dr. Powell, a teacher at the seminary, who needed a maid. Sylvia, wanting to be closer to family, made her third big move - to Boston. Brothers Raymond and Myron both were living out east at this time. She worked for the Powells only a short time when her sister, Leona, decided to move to Boston also. Both sisters looked for new jobs and found them in Newton as housemaid/cook in homes that were back to back from each other. Sylvia worked for a Dr. Thorne and his family. She stayed with the Thorne's for several years and became close friends with Elsie Smith, another maid in the same neighborhood.
During this time, Sylvia attended various churches with her family and friends. But after her brother baptized her in the Ochoochie Lake in Lakeport, New Hampshire, Raymond, who had become an Adventist pastor, she mostly attended the famous Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston. She enjoyed singing in the choir there for she had a sweet soprano voice.
One day Elsie invited Sylvia on a fall outing to visit some of her friends, Ken Harding and his wife, who lived further out in the country. Along with them went Elsie's fiancé, Ken Bell, and a friend of his, Albert Kearney, whom Sylvia met for the first time. Nothing became of this new acquaintance until the following spring when the same group went out to visit the Harding's again. After that time, in the spring of 1935, Sylvia and Al began to date each other. Their friends, Ken and Elsie, were married in 1937, and finally, Al and Sylvia were married on September 11th, 1938. The marriage ceremony was
performed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Sylvia's brother, Raymond Grasser.
Sylvia and Al lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Al had his own printing business, the Weston Printing Company. In 1946 they bought the large two-family house at 93 Hammond Street in Cambridge where they lived the rest of their lives. This was where they raised their two daughters, Mary-Louise Alberta, born on September 13th, 1940; and Diane Wilhelmina, born on November 8th, 1944. They were staunch members of the Harvard-Epworth Methodist Church near their home, and were active in the local Eastern Star, Masonic and Royal Arcanum lodges. Sylvia became Al's right-hand associate in the print shop by being both secretary and treasurer of the business. And together they worked very hard to support their family. They also had to work hard on their house, which was in
a run-down condition when they bought it. Al did all of the painting while Sylvia learned and did much of the wallpapering plus the electrical work. Together they worked in their beautiful vegetable and flower garden. This they greatly enjoyed and took much pride in it. Both of them had been raised on farms and both had "green thumbs". True to her upbringing and background, Sylvia was an excellent housekeeper and cook for her family.
All of her active life, including the work at the print shop, Sylvia enjoyed good health with only a few bouts of sickness in later years, until she died of coronary artery disease on
December 10th, 1984 in her home in Cambridge. She enjoyed a long life. Attaining the age of eighty-one, she was finally laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Acton, Massachusetts.
Sylvia "Grasser" Kearney Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
SYLVIA GRASSER: 1903 - 1984
Sylvia Maria Louisa Grasser was the third oldest of a family of nine children. She was born on January 7th, 1903 in a small house situated on the Kingston farm near Porterfield, Wisconsin. Her parents, Michael and Wilhelmina Grasser, were renting this house just down the road from their own house that they were building on the farm that they recently bought. Here she stayed with her family until their new house, constructed of upright logs, was completed.
While growing up, Sylvia was rather sickly. But being the oldest girl of the family at home, she was expected to do many of the chores and to help with the smaller children. She was able to complete school through the eighth grade, but no more because of her work on the farm. All the children had to work hard to help their parents make a living from the farm.
At about the age of sixteen, Sylvia determined to head out into the world on her own and went to live with her Aunt Catherine Heyden in Chicago, Illinois. Aunt Katie helped a number of her nephews and nieces make the transition from the country to the city. She gave them a place to stay at her home until they could get established on their own. Sylvia did housekeeping work in Chicago until a friend of the woman she was working for was so impressed with Sylvia that she asked her to come to Baltimore, Maryland to work for her. Sylvia was ready for a change and made the move.
Sylvia always wanted to be a nurse. She took correspondence courses in nursing, but due to the lack of time she was never able to complete all of the courses required.
During all of this time, Sylvia faithfully returned a portion of the money that she earned home to her parents in order to help support the family. She had been in Baltimore for a considerable time when her brother, Raymond, who was attending a theological school in Boston knew of a Dr. Powell, a teacher at the seminary, who needed a maid. Sylvia, wanting to be closer to family, made her third big move - to Boston. Brothers Raymond and Myron both were living out east at this time. She worked for the Powells only a short time when her sister, Leona, decided to move to Boston also. Both sisters looked for new jobs and found them in Newton as housemaid/cook in homes that were back to back from each other. Sylvia worked for a Dr. Thorne and his family. She stayed with the Thorne's for several years and became close friends with Elsie Smith, another maid in the same neighborhood.
During this time, Sylvia attended various churches with her family and friends. But after her brother baptized her in the Ochoochie Lake in Lakeport, New Hampshire, Raymond, who had become an Adventist pastor, she mostly attended the famous Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston. She enjoyed singing in the choir there for she had a sweet soprano voice.
One day Elsie invited Sylvia on a fall outing to visit some of her friends, Ken Harding and his wife, who lived further out in the country. Along with them went Elsie's fiancé, Ken Bell, and a friend of his, Albert Kearney, whom Sylvia met for the first time. Nothing became of this new acquaintance until the following spring when the same group went out to visit the Harding's again. After that time, in the spring of 1935, Sylvia and Al began to date each other. Their friends, Ken and Elsie, were married in 1937, and finally, Al and Sylvia were married on September 11th, 1938. The marriage ceremony was
performed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Sylvia's brother, Raymond Grasser.
Sylvia and Al lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Al had his own printing business, the Weston Printing Company. In 1946 they bought the large two-family house at 93 Hammond Street in Cambridge where they lived the rest of their lives. This was where they raised their two daughters, Mary-Louise Alberta, born on September 13th, 1940; and Diane Wilhelmina, born on November 8th, 1944. They were staunch members of the Harvard-Epworth Methodist Church near their home, and were active in the local Eastern Star, Masonic and Royal Arcanum lodges. Sylvia became Al's right-hand associate in the print shop by being both secretary and treasurer of the business. And together they worked very hard to support their family. They also had to work hard on their house, which was in
a run-down condition when they bought it. Al did all of the painting while Sylvia learned and did much of the wallpapering plus the electrical work. Together they worked in their beautiful vegetable and flower garden. This they greatly enjoyed and took much pride in it. Both of them had been raised on farms and both had "green thumbs". True to her upbringing and background, Sylvia was an excellent housekeeper and cook for her family.
All of her active life, including the work at the print shop, Sylvia enjoyed good health with only a few bouts of sickness in later years, until she died of coronary artery disease on
December 10th, 1984 in her home in Cambridge. She enjoyed a long life. Attaining the age of eighty-one, she was finally laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Acton, Massachusetts.
Sylvia "Grasser" Kearney Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
Sylvia Maria Louisa Grasser was the third oldest of a family of nine children. She was born on January 7th, 1903 in a small house situated on the Kingston farm near Porterfield, Wisconsin. Her parents, Michael and Wilhelmina Grasser, were renting this house just down the road from their own house that they were building on the farm that they recently bought. Here she stayed with her family until their new house, constructed of upright logs, was completed.
While growing up, Sylvia was rather sickly. But being the oldest girl of the family at home, she was expected to do many of the chores and to help with the smaller children. She was able to complete school through the eighth grade, but no more because of her work on the farm. All the children had to work hard to help their parents make a living from the farm.
At about the age of sixteen, Sylvia determined to head out into the world on her own and went to live with her Aunt Catherine Heyden in Chicago, Illinois. Aunt Katie helped a number of her nephews and nieces make the transition from the country to the city. She gave them a place to stay at her home until they could get established on their own. Sylvia did housekeeping work in Chicago until a friend of the woman she was working for was so impressed with Sylvia that she asked her to come to Baltimore, Maryland to work for her. Sylvia was ready for a change and made the move.
Sylvia always wanted to be a nurse. She took correspondence courses in nursing, but due to the lack of time she was never able to complete all of the courses required.
During all of this time, Sylvia faithfully returned a portion of the money that she earned home to her parents in order to help support the family. She had been in Baltimore for a considerable time when her brother, Raymond, who was attending a theological school in Boston knew of a Dr. Powell, a teacher at the seminary, who needed a maid. Sylvia, wanting to be closer to family, made her third big move - to Boston. Brothers Raymond and Myron both were living out east at this time. She worked for the Powells only a short time when her sister, Leona, decided to move to Boston also. Both sisters looked for new jobs and found them in Newton as housemaid/cook in homes that were back to back from each other. Sylvia worked for a Dr. Thorne and his family. She stayed with the Thorne's for several years and became close friends with Elsie Smith, another maid in the same neighborhood.
During this time, Sylvia attended various churches with her family and friends. But after her brother baptized her in the Ochoochie Lake in Lakeport, New Hampshire, Raymond, who had become an Adventist pastor, she mostly attended the famous Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston. She enjoyed singing in the choir there for she had a sweet soprano voice.
One day Elsie invited Sylvia on a fall outing to visit some of her friends, Ken Harding and his wife, who lived further out in the country. Along with them went Elsie's fiancé, Ken Bell, and a friend of his, Albert Kearney, whom Sylvia met for the first time. Nothing became of this new acquaintance until the following spring when the same group went out to visit the Harding's again. After that time, in the spring of 1935, Sylvia and Al began to date each other. Their friends, Ken and Elsie, were married in 1937, and finally, Al and Sylvia were married on September 11th, 1938. The marriage ceremony was
performed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Sylvia's brother, Raymond Grasser.
Sylvia and Al lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Al had his own printing business, the Weston Printing Company. In 1946 they bought the large two-family house at 93 Hammond Street in Cambridge where they lived the rest of their lives. This was where they raised their two daughters, Mary-Louise Alberta, born on September 13th, 1940; and Diane Wilhelmina, born on November 8th, 1944. They were staunch members of the Harvard-Epworth Methodist Church near their home, and were active in the local Eastern Star, Masonic and Royal Arcanum lodges. Sylvia became Al's right-hand associate in the print shop by being both secretary and treasurer of the business. And together they worked very hard to support their family. They also had to work hard on their house, which was in
a run-down condition when they bought it. Al did all of the painting while Sylvia learned and did much of the wallpapering plus the electrical work. Together they worked in their beautiful vegetable and flower garden. This they greatly enjoyed and took much pride in it. Both of them had been raised on farms and both had "green thumbs". True to her upbringing and background, Sylvia was an excellent housekeeper and cook for her family.
All of her active life, including the work at the print shop, Sylvia enjoyed good health with only a few bouts of sickness in later years, until she died of coronary artery disease on
December 10th, 1984 in her home in Cambridge. She enjoyed a long life. Attaining the age of eighty-one, she was finally laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Acton, Massachusetts.
Sylvia "Grasser" Kearney Biography
Copyrighted © 2014 by Allen P. Grasser
Inscription
KEARNEY
SYLVIA M.
JAN.7,1903 - Dec.10,1984
Family Members
Parents
Siblings
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Erna Margaret Helen Grasser Waldau
1898–1989
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Rev Raymond Michael Wilhelm Grasser
1900–1975
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Cyrill Nicklaus John "Cy" Grasser
1904–2001
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Myron Stephen Paul Grasser
1907–1979
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Elmyra Emma Machdalena Grasser Johnson
1909–1972
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Leona Katherina Gertrude Grasser Pouliot
1911–1992
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1Lt Sylvanus Simon George "Paul" Grasser
1913–1944
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Everist Herman Guido Grasser
1917–1984
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