John James Keenan was born in New York City on June 5, 1873. Family history tells us that he was born in a shop on the exact location where the Empire State Building now stands. His Death Certificate tells us that his mother's name was "Mary McBride" (although that needs to be determined for sure). His father's name is stated as "unknown". Both his parents were born in Ireland. I have obtained his NYC Birth Certificate and it would appear that his biological fathers name may have been "Terence Keenan" and his biological mother's name may have been "Ann Byrnes" but this is a poorly handwritten document and it is very, very hard to determine these names for sure.

Aunt Vera (Keenan) Sopcynski told me that John's mother died in childbirth (although she wasn't sure it was John's childbirth or that of another subsequent sibling of John's) and that his father decided he couldn't raise the child (reason unknown). So, his father left him with someone who raised him and his father returned to Ireland. To date, the names of the parents who raised him are unknown. It is also unknown if he was raised in New York or Philadelphia but I do know that on the 1880 Philadelphia Federal Census, there is an Irish-born couple named Patrick and Mary Keenan, living in a boarding house, with their 7 year son named "John" who was born in 1873 in NYC. Our John? Don't know yet but very likely. If so, are this Patrick and Mary Keenan the couple who raised him or his natural born parents? TBD

What we do know is that John was definitely living in Philadelphia by 1896 when he married Margaret ("Maggie") Rocks. They had four children: William Keenan ("Bill" - b.1897); Joseph Patrick ("Joe" - b. 1898); Anna ("Nan" - b. 1904) and John Francis (b.) John Francis died at the age less than year old. John and Maggie also raised two nephews, Edward and John Rocks, after both their parents died young (one of Maggie's brother and his wife). John became a Philadelphia "Fireman" and made that his life-long career.

Apparently, John was a likeable guy. A good man but with a demon - alcohol. As a young man, my grandfather - John's son, Joe Keenan - would often have to go out and take his dad out of the bars so that he could sober up before going to work. There's no indication that John was a mean drunk. In fact, he was, apparently, a happy one. But, John's constant drinking had a lasting impression on my grandfather as he never drank himself nor, later on, would he allow anyone who drank too much to be around his own children. Joe's own son, Uncle Buddy, has never taken a drink.

Reportedly, John was not a tall guy. There are stories that tell us that John had to, literally, put lifts in his shoes to pass the minimum height requirement for the Fire Department.

After his wife, Maggie, died in 1920, John did remarry although I'm not sure of her name or the date of this second marriage as yet. But, Aunt Vera did tell me that John's new wife had young children and that he raised them, as his own, as well. Apparently, they lived in West Philly.

As yet, I don't know where John's parents came from in Ireland (TBD) or when they immigrated (TBD).

Per Aunt Vera, Grandpop Keenan once took his dad to NYC so that he could see the place where he was born - the Empire State Building. However, traffic jammed the road and they never made it into the city. But, Grandpop found a place where John could get out of the car and actually see the Empire State Building, allowing John to see the exact spot of his birth. Presumably, in all his years, John had never gone back to NYC before that time.

John died in 1941 in Philadelphia of heart disease.