Born 8 Dec 1903 in St. John's, Newfoundland

Ancestors

Son of Francis Gushue and Annie (Seniour) Gushue

Husband of Ethel Maud (Fowler) Kavanagh — married 23 Aug 1925 in St. John's, Newfoundland

Descendants

Died 1 Nov 1979 at age 75 in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Tracey McLaughlin [send private message]

Table of Contents

Biography

The Early Years

Stan was born Dec 8, 1903 and was christened on Dec 11, 1903 at the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, NL. His godparents are Joseph Paulfrey and Bridget Seynear. Stan is the son of Frank Gushue and Annie Seynear.^[1]

Stan's mother Annie died suddenly on February 20, 1904 when he was only two months old. ^[2] After Annie's death, Stan was left in the care of Annie's cousin Mary and her husband Ed Kavanagh. It's unclear if this arrangement was intended to be permanent at the time. He was legally adopted by Mary and Ed Kavanagh and assumed the Kavanagh name. ^[3] Ed and Mary did not have any children of their own.

Stan was raised in Mary & Ed's home at 20 Dicks Square. He married and raised his own family there as well. It was a big house with many rooms that were rented out to extended family members at various times over the years. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Stan's father Francis Gushue passed away on January 15, 1921 leaving him an orphan at the age of 17. ^[7]

He appeared on the Newfoundland census in 1921 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Stan at age 17, is shown living at 20 Dicks Square with his adoptive parents Edward and Mary Kavanagh, and a maid named Rita Martin of Torbay. There are two additional families living in the house; Stan's older brother Francis Gushue, age 27, his wife Jeannie, age 26 and their 4 year old daughter Mary. Cousin Mary Finn, age 35, her adopted daughter Sarah (Gushue) Connelly, son-in-law James Connelly, and their 6 week old daughter Irene Connolly. Stan's other two older brothers William and John Gushue are single and boarding with Mary Finn. ^[4] Note that Stan's date of birth is listed as Feb 1904 which would be the date he came to live here, not the date of his birth.

Family Life

On August 23, 1925 at the age of 21, Stan married Henrietta Fowler, daughter of John Fowler and Maud Ivey at the Roman Catholic Basilica of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland. ^[8]

Children from this marriage were:

1. Edward Kavanagh (1926-1999) ^[5]
2. Mary Kavanagh (1927-1972) ^[5]
3. Stan Kavanagh (1928-2000) ^[5]
4. Sadie (Kavanagh) Burry (1929-2023) ^[5]
5. Angeline (Kavanagh) Ash (1930-2017) ^[5]
6. Marie Kavanagh (1931-1940) ^[5][9]
7. Kathleen (Kavanagh) Ivany ^[5]
8. Annie Kavanagh (1934-1935) ^[10]
9. John Kavanagh (1936-1936) ^[11]
10. Jeannie (Kavanagh) Power (1938-2021) ^[6]
11. Bill Kavanagh (1940-2022) ^[6]
12. Helen (Kavanagh) Tilley (1942-2016) ^[6]
13. Michael Kavanagh (stillborn 1945) ^[12]

They appeared on the Newfoundland census in 1935 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Stanley, age 30 and Ethel, age 29 were renting 6 rooms in the home of his adoptive parents on 20 Dicks Square for $10 per month. their 7 children lived here with them. All were born in Newfoundland, British nationality and their religion was Roman Catholic. Stanley was unemployed at the time of the census. ^[5]

The next decade would prove to be very difficult for the family as they suffered the loss of four children: Annie was 2 months old when she died Jan 21, 1935^[10] of Pertussis [whooping cough], John died at nine months old of Lobar pneumonia on Dec 26, 1936, ^[11] Marie died of a brain tumour at the age of 8 on January 17, 1940, ^[9] and Michael was stillborn on October 20, 1945. ^[12] All four are buried in Belvedere Roman Catholic cemetery.

Stan's wife Henrietta passed away suddenly at Grace Hospital on October 28, 1945 at the age of 39, eight days after the stillborn birth of their thirteenth child, Michael. Her primary cause of death was accidental hemorrhage, followed by acute cardiac failure.^[13] Henrietta and Stan had been married for 20 years.

He appeared on the Newfoundland census in 1945 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Stanley, age 41 is living at 20 Dicks Square, St. John's East, with his adopted parents Edward Kavanagh & Mary Kavanagh (age 70 & 75) and his nine children ranging in ages 3 to 19 years old. ^[6]

In 1945 Stan was working as a Janitor at the U.S. Army Base. ^[6]

He was the sole beneficiary to the estate of Edward Patrick Kavanagh in June 1957 ^[3]

(1) I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Kavanagh, the dwelling house situate at #20 Dicks Square, together with all household furniture, and effects contained therein, for her sole use and benefit during her natural life.
(2) On the death of my wife, Mary Kavanagh, should she survive me, the property mentioned in paragraph (1) aforesaid, reverts to my legally adopted son, Stanislaus Kavanagh, and, after his death, to revert to his children
"Stanislaus Kavanagh of St. John's, Shipper and Janitor applied for probate to administer the estate of the late Edward Kavanagh Shipper of St. John's who died the 7th of May 1957. Estate valued at $6,000.00 Probate granted to Stanislaus Kavanagh of St. John's Janitor June 1957"

The house at 20 Dick's Square was built in 1893. The land owner was Bulley's Estate and the house owner owned the house and leased the land. Under Stan's ownership the house was poorly maintained and neglected. By 1970 it was in such a state of disrepair that it was deemed unfit for human habitation. ^[14] The house was demolished in 1971. As of 2020 the site remains a vacant lot on Dick's Square.

Forced to leave his home, Stan moved in with his daughter Sadie and son-in-law Ches Burry for a short time. By 1973 he was living at St. Patrick's Mercy Home, 146 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's.

Death

Stan passed away November 1, 1979 at the age of 75.

His obituary was published in the Evening Telegram on 3 Nov 1979 in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. ^[15]

KAVANAGH, STAN J.
Passed peacefully away at St. Clare's Mercy Hospital on Nov. 1, 1979, leaving to mourn their sad loss five daughters: Sadie (Mrs. Ches Burry), Angeline (Mrs. Edward Ash), Kathleen (Mrs. Reg Ivany), Regina (Mrs. Harold Power), and Helen (Mrs. Albert Tilley), three sons: Edward, Stan, Jr., and William; two daughters-in-law Agnes and Dorothy, (He was predeceased by his daughter Mary in 1972), thirty-nine grandchildren and other relatives and friends. Funeral Saturday from Caul's Funeral Home to St. Patrick's Mercy Home for mass at 9:30 a.m. Interment in the Belvedere Cemetery. - R.I.P.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Certificate of Stanislaus Gushue, Registration 6-13-18 (1904), Newfoundland, Department of Government Services and Lands - Vital Statistics Division
2. ↑ Annie Gushue, 20 Feb 1904 Death, Vital Statistics, All Nfld Deaths, Reel 30, Item 3, Page 29, Entry 13; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-7823 : 11 March 2018)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Last Will and Testament of Edward Kavanagh - Probate Granted June 1957 (Probate Court, St. John's, Newfoundland)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Newfoundland Census, 1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QV1W-5VXM : 19 July 2016), Stanslaus Kavanagh in household of Edward Kavanagh, St John's, St. John's East, Newfoundland, Canada; citing p. 225, household ID 834, line 25, Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; FHL microfilm 2,166,794.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8} "Newfoundland Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QK9Z-ZVVY : 19 July 2016), Stanley Kavanagh, Dicks Square 20, St. John's East, Newfoundland, Canada; citing St. John's East District, p. 673, household ID 1081, reference ID , Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; FHL microfilm 2,166,829.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} "Newfoundland Census, 1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QK9Z-G55S : 30 June 2016), Stanley Kavanagh, Dicks Square, St. John's East, Newfoundland, Canada; citing St. John's East District, p. 39, household ID , line 24, Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; FHL microfilm 2,167,124.
7. ↑ "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-H9HJ : 11 March 2018), Francis Gushue, 1921 Death
8. ↑ Marriage of Stanislaus Gushue to Henrietta Fowler, 23 August 1925, Registration of Marriage Registration no. 2512341070 dated 16 October 1925; Certificate no. FM33428.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Marie Kavanagh, 1940 Death certificate no. 221445, Deaths 1938-1941: page 39, entry #21; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-Z1YZ : 11 March 2018)
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Anna Kavnogh, 1935 death certificate #240957, Death registers, book 12, 1934-1937: page 26, item no. 10; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-Z4PL : 11 March 2018)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} John Kavanagh, 1936 death certificate no. 242695, Death Registers, book 12, 1934-1937: page 69, item 30; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-ZC57 : 11 March 2018)
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Michael Kavanagh, 1945 Death Certificate no. 101850, Deaths 1945-1945; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-8PZ8 : 11 March 2018), Baby Boy Kavanagh, 1945.
13. ↑ Death: Hattie Kavanagh, 1945, Certificate #101872 -Death returns/certificates, nos. 101401-104990, 1945, Provincial Archives, St. John's; "Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-8P87 : 11 March 2018)
14. ↑ St. John's, Newfoundland Archives; A note in Assessment/Tax roll states: “This whole building unfit for human habitation.”
15. ↑ St. John's, Newfoundland, Evening Telegram, Saturday November 3, 1979 edition

DNA Confirmation

1. Paternal and maternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between Stanley's granddaughter Tracey (Ivany) McLaughlin and her 1st cousin 1x removed BG. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1st cousin 1x removed, based on 7% shared DNA | 483 cM across 20 segments. MRCA is Francis Gushue (1870-1921) and Annie (Seniour) Gushue (abt.1868-1904)