John Joseph McGinn

John Joseph McGinn (1885-1981)

John was the first John Joseph McGinn in this line to family knowledge, but the second John. His father was John C. McGinn.

John Joseph McGinn (John Jr.) was born October 9, 1885 in Johnston, Rhode Island to John McGinn (John Sr.) and Mary Smith McGinn. Family history has it that John Sr. had emigrated from Ireland to the US, and then returned to Ireland to find a wife. John Sr. and Mary had married and immigrated to the US permanently in 1870. John Jr. had four older siblings; James, Ester (Essie), Catherine, and Helen (Nellie) and two younger siblings; Vincent and Leona. Two other children were born but were no longer living as of 1900.

In the 1900 Census, John Jr. was 14. The McGinns lived at 195 Laban Street in Providence, RI, a home that they owned with a mortgage. John Sr. worked as a blacksmith and was assisted by his eldest son, James. Essie, the eldest daughter, worked as a wool sorter. All but the youngest were literate.

In the 1910 Census, John Jr. was 23. The family lived in 28 Meader Street. James, the eldest son, lived with his wife Mary and two sons (John and Vincent) in one apartment and the rest of the family lived in the other. James was a training salesman at a hardware store while John Sr. continued to work as a blacksmith (horse shoes). Mary, Essie, and Leona stayed at home while Catherine worked as a teacher in a public school. Nellie worked as a bookkeeper at a grocery store and John Jr. as a wool sorter.

John Jr. married Pauline Cecilia Feeney on December 16, 1917 (Source: Rhode Island marriages records 1630-1930). John McGinn was unhappy about the situation since he had previously fallen in love with another girl, Alisha Waterman, but was forbidden to marry her by his parents because she was not Catholic.

In the 1920 Census, John was 34. He and his wife lived at 173 Gano Street in Providence, RI. They rented one of the two apartments in the building. They shared their apartment with their small daughter, Ruth G. McGinn, who was 14 months old at the time of the census (Jan 10th 1920). John worked as a mail carrier for the US Postal Service while Pauline stayed at home.

In the 1930 Census, John was 44. By this time, Esther (9), John III (7), Paul (3½), and Byron (1) had joined little Ruth at the house they rented; 46 Waverly Street in Providence, RI. While both John and Pauline reported no schooling, their school-aged children did go to school and Ruth knew how to read and write (like her parents). John still worked as a mail carrier for the US Mail. As a postman, part of John’s route included the Edwards and Angell law office, where his wife Pauline worked.

In 1942, John’s WWII draft card shows that he lived at 100 Chapin Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife and worked at the Elmwood Post Office at 590 Elmwood Ave. At age 56, John is described as 5 ft 5.5 in, with black hair, “dark” complexion, gray eyes, eyeglasses, and 130 lbs.

When he retired, John grew flowers on an old farm across the street from the fire station. Pauline died in 1976 and John moved in with his son, John III, and daughter-in-law, Mary. John would go to the grocery store and remember how much he liked graham crackers and would buy them and only remember that he already had them when he got home. When he died, his family found many boxes of graham crackers. His grandchildren fondly remember his beautiful gladiolas. John died May 1981 in Rhode Island.