Mary Isabelle Silva

Mary Isabelle Silva

My Grandmother

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Mary Isabelle Silva was my grandmother. She was born on a farm in South Dartmouth, MA on

July 12, 1883. Her mother was Anna Gomes Silva and her father was Manuel Bettencourt Silva. They emigrated to Massachusetts from the Azores Islands.

Mary and her family moved to East Providence, RI within a few years of her birth.

In 1890 they were living at 10 King Street in East Providence near Potter Street. They were there until 1898 when they moved to 32 Orchard Street. This was the first home her parents owned.

In 1905 her father purchased a three story house at 74 Fourth Street in East Providence.

As a little girl, Mary liked to play “actress”.

She and her friend Louise would act in little plays they made up.

Mary and her sisters Margarida [Maggie] and Anna [Annie] were known for their style and beauty. The whole town knew the “Silva” girls, and they were admired by the local boys.

Mary loved school. She was proud of her heritage, and also very proud to be an American.

She worked hard, as a laundress at Hennessey's Laundry at age seventeen.

Later, she also worked as a milliner.

Mary met a young man, Alfred Jason, and they were married in the Holy Rosary Church in Providence in 1906 when they were both twenty three. Early in their marriage, they lived on Cobb Street in East Providence. They had three daughters, Mabel, Viola and Helen.

Their marriage was a happy one. Although not rich by the world's standards, there was plenty of love to go around. Mary sewed many of the clothes her children wore. the collars were always starched and her laundry was the whitest in the neighborhood. She worked very hard.

Her oldest daughter Mabel was a dancer. In December of 1918 she danced at a recital. It was very cold and she caught a chill. She became very ill and a short time later, she died. She was only twelve years old. The family was devastated. Mary was pregnant at the time with her youngest child, Helen.

Early in 1921, Alfred became ill and was confined to the hospital at Wallum Lake in Burriville.

It must have been a long and difficult journey for Mary when she visited Al there.

Her heart must have been so heavy with her struggle to keep the family going after the loss of her daughter and with the illness of the breadwinner, her dear husband.

Alfred died in May of 1921. He was only thirty seven years old.

Now, the entire responsibility of raising a family was on Mary's shoulders. Instead of being defeated, she took matters into her own hands. Viola left school in the sixth grade to help out by working at the Outlet Company in Providence at age fourteen. Mary took her two year old child with her while she washed the laundry of a wealthy neighbor. I have the heavy iron flat irons she used. Imagine how tired she must have been at the end of her long day. She was a single parent, and she was determined to provide for her children.

In 1925 she met someone who would change her life. Viola, her oldest child, was dating a nice young man who was a musician. He came by for a visit one day with his friend Leon Kazarian who was also a musician. Although Mary was forty two, she was a very attractive and young at heart person, and Leon, who was only twenty five fell in love with her. His family tried to prevent their courtship. Leon had to go away with his family to Canada for an extended stay. Despite these obstacles, he and Mary eloped to Taunton, MA on August 5, 1925.

Leon was a loving husband. Times were difficult.

The Depression had started and there were no jobs. Leon did whatever he had to do to make a living. he worked as a saxophone player on the New York boat which sailed from Providence. He was very often seasick. He also worked in other bands and often times in speakeasys as it was the era a Prohibition . Many times the buildings were raided by the police because liquor was being served and the law was being broken by the mobsters. There were times when the band was playing, and they had to leave very quickly, pack up their instruments and run for the door.

A few years later, a neighbor from across the street, Harry Morse, offered Leon a job as a meter reader for the Narragansett Electric Company. This was the big break for Leon and Mary.

On September 11, 1945, they purchased a little house of their own at 71 Tower Avenue in the

Kent Heights section of East Providence. Mary had managed their money very well.

She was a wonderful mother and a perfect grandmother to me. I remember her soft curls and her beautiful face and hands. She would let me play with her jewelry as I sat at her vanity table. She would allow me to pretend I was cleaning out her drawers, when I was really discovering all the little treasures she kept there. Sleeping at Grandma's meant having a pillow slip ironed and smelling of lavender. She would make the best grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes for me. Her pies were legendary, blueberry especially, and the soft molasses cookies and the sugar raisin filled ones we still try to imitate at Christmas. No one could make pot roast with peas and string beans and lightly browned roasted potatoes like she did. And of course, we shared coffee ice cream, her favorite, bought and hand-packed in little white square boxes at Leonard's Drug Store on Warren Avenue. Sometimes on hot summer days she would cut tiny chunks of watermelon especially for me and we would sit on the porch and share a plateful.

She loved her “stories” on the radio. Helen Trent and Our Gal Sunday and such, and when I was very small, we would listen to Suspense and The Shadow in the parlor.

She was a whiz at crossword puzzles, even wrote her own dictionary. Jigsaw puzzles were always on going, her card table set up in the den for any one to find the missing piece. She crocheted flawlessly, any thing from a delicate chair back doily to a heavy wool afghan. Her handwriting was elegant. Her hands and mind were always busy.

Mary did not always feel well. For many years she had bronchial trouble and hearing problems, but she never complained.

She was content to be at home.

In 1944, she and Leon took a train trip across the United States to visit my parents and I while we were living in California. It was a long arduous trip on crowed trains packed with service men. It was wartime.

There were always flowers in her yard which she lovingly tended.

My Grandmother was a very special person, the finest ideal of a woman, a mother and grandmother.Her devotion to God and to her family has set the standard for those of us she left behind.

On September 7, 1960 Mary died while on a trip to Newburyport, MA.

There are many memories of her here with us. Warm afghans, lacy doilies, crocheted doll clothes. Her presence is always felt.

She will always live on in our hearts.


	Mary Isabelle Silva My Grandmother Home Mary Isabelle Silva was my grandmother. She was born on a farm in South Dartmouth, MA on July 12, 1883. Her mother was Anna Gomes Silva and her father was Manuel Bettencourt Silva. They emigrated to Massachusetts from the Azores Islands. Mary and her family moved to East Providence, RI within a few years of her birth. In 1890 they were living at 10 King Street in East Providence near Potter Street. They were there until 1898 when they moved to 32 Orchard Street. This was the first home her parents owned. In 1905 her father purchased a three story house at 74 Fourth Street in East Providence. As a little girl, Mary liked to play “actress”. She and her friend Louise would act in little plays they made up. Mary and her sisters Margarida [Maggie] and Anna [Annie] were known for their style and beauty. The whole town knew the “Silva” girls, and they were admired by the local boys. Mary loved school. She was proud of her heritage, and also very proud to be an American. She worked hard, as a laundress at Hennessey's Laundry at age seventeen. Later, she also worked as a milliner. Mary met a young man, Alfred Jason, and they were married in the Holy Rosary Church in Providence in 1906 when they were both twenty three. Early in their marriage, they lived on Cobb Street in East Providence. They had three daughters, Mabel, Viola and Helen. Their marriage was a happy one. Although not rich by the world's standards, there was plenty of love to go around. Mary sewed many of the clothes her children wore. the collars were always starched and her laundry was the whitest in the neighborhood. She worked very hard. Her oldest daughter Mabel was a dancer. In December of 1918 she danced at a recital. It was very cold and she caught a chill. She became very ill and a short time later, she died. She was only twelve years old. The family was devastated. Mary was pregnant at the time with her youngest child, Helen. Early in 1921, Alfred became ill and was confined to the hospital at Wallum Lake in Burriville. It must have been a long and difficult journey for Mary when she visited Al there. Her heart must have been so heavy with her struggle to keep the family going after the loss of her daughter and with the illness of the breadwinner, her dear husband. Alfred died in May of 1921. He was only thirty seven years old. Now, the entire responsibility of raising a family was on Mary's shoulders. Instead of being defeated, she took matters into her own hands. Viola left school in the sixth grade to help out by working at the Outlet Company in Providence at age fourteen. Mary took her two year old child with her while she washed the laundry of a wealthy neighbor. I have the heavy iron flat irons she used. Imagine how tired she must have been at the end of her long day. She was a single parent, and she was determined to provide for her children. In 1925 she met someone who would change her life. Viola, her oldest child, was dating a nice young man who was a musician. He came by for a visit one day with his friend Leon Kazarian who was also a musician. Although Mary was forty two, she was a very attractive and young at heart person, and Leon, who was only twenty five fell in love with her. His family tried to prevent their courtship. Leon had to go away with his family to Canada for an extended stay. Despite these obstacles, he and Mary eloped to Taunton, MA on August 5, 1925. Leon was a loving husband. Times were difficult. The Depression had started and there were no jobs. Leon did whatever he had to do to make a living. he worked as a saxophone player on the New York boat which sailed from Providence. He was very often seasick. He also worked in other bands and often times in speakeasys as it was the era a Prohibition . Many times the buildings were raided by the police because liquor was being served and the law was being broken by the mobsters. There were times when the band was playing, and they had to leave very quickly, pack up their instruments and run for the door. A few years later, a neighbor from across the street, Harry Morse, offered Leon a job as a meter reader for the Narragansett Electric Company. This was the big break for Leon and Mary. On September 11, 1945, they purchased a little house of their own at 71 Tower Avenue in the Kent Heights section of East Providence. Mary had managed their money very well. She was a wonderful mother and a perfect grandmother to me. I remember her soft curls and her beautiful face and hands. She would let me play with her jewelry as I sat at her vanity table. She would allow me to pretend I was cleaning out her drawers, when I was really discovering all the little treasures she kept there. Sleeping at Grandma's meant having a pillow slip ironed and smelling of lavender. She would make the best grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes for me. Her pies were legendary, blueberry especially, and the soft molasses cookies and the sugar raisin filled ones we still try to imitate at Christmas. No one could make pot roast with peas and string beans and lightly browned roasted potatoes like she did. And of course, we shared coffee ice cream, her favorite, bought and hand-packed in little white square boxes at Leonard's Drug Store on Warren Avenue. Sometimes on hot summer days she would cut tiny chunks of watermelon especially for me and we would sit on the porch and share a plateful. She loved her “stories” on the radio. Helen Trent and Our Gal Sunday and such, and when I was very small, we would listen to Suspense and The Shadow in the parlor. She was a whiz at crossword puzzles, even wrote her own dictionary. Jigsaw puzzles were always on going, her card table set up in the den for any one to find the missing piece. She crocheted flawlessly, any thing from a delicate chair back doily to a heavy wool afghan. Her handwriting was elegant. Her hands and mind were always busy. Mary did not always feel well. For many years she had bronchial trouble and hearing problems, but she never complained. She was content to be at home. In 1944, she and Leon took a train trip across the United States to visit my parents and I while we were living in California. It was a long arduous trip on crowed trains packed with service men. It was wartime. There were always flowers in her yard which she lovingly tended. My Grandmother was a very special person, the finest ideal of a woman, a mother and grandmother.Her devotion to God and to her family has set the standard for those of us she left behind. On September 7, 1960 Mary died while on a trip to Newburyport, MA. There are many memories of her here with us. Warm afghans, lacy doilies, crocheted doll clothes. Her presence is always felt. She will always live on in our hearts.