The Flanagans

My great-great-grandfather’s name was Edward James Flanagan. He was my maternal grandmother’s maternal grandfather. He came over from Ireland as an infant in 1843. Since the Irish Potato Famine didn’t start until 1845 that means he technically preceded the “Famine Irish”. My mother has a letter written in his hand that gives the name of the ship they travelled on.

Edward James Flanagan was a rather colorful character. He was in the Union Army during the Civil War, worked as an express mail deliverer (he doesn’t appear on an Pony Express lists), a cowboy, and a cattle grader for cattle buyers. All things dealing with horses and livestock. I believe his family came from Westmeath—cattle country. My mom tells me that he was injured jumping in and out of the pens where cattle were kept and was allowed a little stall to sell newspapers, candy, odds and ends near the stockyards as compensation.

Edward James Flanagan had a son named Edward Flanagan who, with his partner Neely Edwards, made it big in vaudeville and played the top circuits. Flanagan & Edwards made a number of one- and two-reeler comedy shorts in the late teens and 20’s. I’d love to get my hands on one. I’ve always wondered if my grandmother didn’t get into vaudeville because of her uncle. Edward Flanagan died in 1925 of peritonitis.

Edward Flanagan had a son, also named Edward Flanagan. He worked in vaudeville, too, for a while, wrote for the Our Gang comedies when he was 16, and started to work in the movies himself under the name Bud Flanagan. Later he changed his name to Dennis O’Keefe and you’ve probably seen him in movies of the 40’s or 50’s. He played the lead in B movies (usually cops, cowboys, soldiers, or detectives) and second lead in A movies. His biggest picture was probably The Fighting Seabees in which he co-starred with John Wayne. He had his own television show briefly in the 1950’s.

I knew one of Edward James Flanagan’s daughters (my mother’s great-aunt) when I was a kid: Aunt Annie. I was crazy about Aunt Annie—she was tremendous fun, vibrant and lively, singing and dancing with us. She must have been in her 60’s or 70’s when I knew her. I was sad when I heard she had died.

Edward James Flanagan married twice. The children of his second wife (which included Edward Flanagan and Aunt Annie) were good-looking people, tall, rangy, and blond or red-headed. I didn’t inherit those genes. His first wife (her maiden name was Dunn) was the mother of my maternal grandmother’s mother, Mary Jane Flanagan. I’ll post a picture of Mary Jane sometime. She was vivacious and cute. She was short and blond.

I’ve always thought my youngest sisters (they’re twins) resembled the Flanagans so I must, too, since I resemble the twins a little when I’m in my thinner periods. They’re very attractive, petite, with reddish-blond hair. I’m much bigger, broader, and darker.