Cleary Family History/ Grandmom Jessie Tucker
Written November 1978
By Jessie Elizabeth Hardiman Tucker,
Mother of Mazie E. Cleary, grandmother of Dolores (nee Cleary) Raube, George F. Cleary Jr., and Bill Cleary
I was born in Philadelphia, Pa at 505 Vine Street, 
one of seven children. They were: Michael, Mary, Jessie, twins, Frank (died age 2) and Helen (died age 6) both are buried in Old Saint Marys cemetery, Gloucester City NJ; second Helen died during flu epidemic (year?) and Joseph died July 1977. All have passed away but me. Born in the year 1890, I will soon be 89 years old on January 2, 1979.
I went to school at Lawrence and Race Street Philadelphia, Catholic School, until I was 13 years old, and then went to work in a candy factory. You could eat all the candy you wanted but couldn't take any home with you. It was piecework, my first pay was 70 cents, and I didn't know what piece work meant.
My father was John Hardiman, born in County Mayo, Ireland. His father died and his mother married again. Two cousins brought him to this country when he was nine years old. They kept him until he was old enough to go on his own.
Pop went to work as a bookkeeper in Mondale's Shoe Factory at Third and Arch Streets, Philadelphia and one stormy snowy night, he fell at Fifth and Cherry Streets. This crippled him for the rest of his life. I was about six years old when this happened.
My mother whose maiden name was Mary Ann Corcoran and my father were married in old St. Joseph's Church in Willings Alley, Philadelphia. My father lived until he was 72 and he was buried in Monument Cemetery, Broad and Burks Street. Philadelphia. My mother was born in Washington, D.C.
Her mother, whose maiden was Mary Ann Joyce, and her father, Michael Corcoran, moved from Washington D.C. to Gloucester City NJ and I came with my mother from Philadelphia to see them when I was a child.
My grandfather (note: grand mom doesn't say if this was her father's father or her mother's father) was born in County Cork, Ireland. He fought in the Spanish American Ward, and when he became a prisoner of Spain, his captors put a ring in his ear, which he wore until he died. They are buried in old Saint Marys Cemetery, Gloucester City, near the Market Street side. The government erected a tombstone, which bear his name and my grandmothers, as he was a Spanish American war veteran. My grandparents lived in the 400 block of Somerset Street (Gloucester City) near the Baptist Church rectory.
They had five sons, two sets of twins, Thomas and John, and Michael and Frank, and also a Walter.
Michael married and lived in York, PA, and had two sons, and a daughter. Frank died young, Thomas married Josephine Manson and they are buried in old St. Mary's Cemetery, Gloucester. John married Tillie Munn and they are both buried in Cedar Gove Cemetery, Market Street, and Gloucester City. Walter lived in California; married and died there He was my godfather.
I was married August 15, 1908 at the age of 18 to Edward John Tucker. Who was 27 years old, in the Trinity Lutheran Church at 18th and Wolf Streets. Philadelphia. We had four children, Mazie Elizabeth, Edward Henry, Florence Amelia, and Henry Cornelius, who was born October 5, 1922 and died two days later. He is buried in Union Cemetery, Powell Street and the Railroad, Gloucester City.
When we married we went to keep; house at my father-in-law's (Henry Cornelius Tucker) house at 8th and Snyder Sts. Philadelphia I didn't know a thing about keeping house and cooking but my father in law taught me. Mazie was born in his house, and near the time Edward was born we went housekeeping on our own at 1827 Tree Street, Philadelphia.
Next we moved to 1749 Liberty Street, Camden NJ where Florence was born. Then my father in law found a house in Gloucester City at 841 Cumberland Street for us, which we rented. Later he came to live with us until he died at the age of 63. He is buried in Fernwood Cemetery, Yeadon, PA. (Located right outside of Philadelphia). He was a very fine man; he worked at a produce market at Dock Street Market, Philadelphia.
My mother in law, Mary Ann Simon (called Mazie) was born in what was known as "Down the Neck", Philadelphia. Her parents had a farm there and my father in law went to work for them at the age of 16. Then he married the farmer's daughter. He was born in Farnham, Virginia. A small town near Richmond. His mother was a widow, and when she re-married he left home and came north.
My mother in law had five children. My husband, Edward was 17 years old when his mother died and his sisters were, Mary, 13, Florence Amelia 6, Eva Mae, 18 months old and a brother Clarence age, 3. Eva Mae died shortly after her mother.
My husband's father had many housekeepers to help take care of his young family, some good, some not so good, so when we got married I kept house for him until we went out on our own and moved to 1827 Tree Street, Philadelphia. It was in this house our son Edward Henry was born.
Our second daughter, Florence Amelia, was born at 1749 Liberty Street, Camden our home after we left Philadelphia. From there we moved to 841 Cumberland Street, Gloucester City and then to 832 East Brown Street, Gloucester City.
My husband died at the age of 51 (on March 31, 1932) in Cooper Hospital, Camden NJ. He is buried in Harleigh Cemetery, Camden NJ. He had an intestinal blockage and was sick one week at home, and one week in the hospital.
On March 4, 1936 I sold the house to my daughter Mazie and her husband George F. Cleary. I lived with them until I brought two little old shacks (adjoining houses), fixed them up, making them into one house at 875 Cumberland Street, Gloucester City. That is where I now live and I am so happy.
I have three children, 11 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren.
With love, Jessie E. Tucker
November 12, 1978
(Age 88 years, 11 months)
Post Script
Jessie celebrated he 90th birthday January 2, 1980 at the home of her daughter Mazie, and son in law George Cleary, at a party attended by family members and several friends.
On Sunday, February 3, she suffered a stroke and was taken by ambulance to the Underwood Memorial Hospital, Woodbury, NJ
After four weeks in the hospital she was admitted to the Greenbriar Nursing Home, Deptford, NJ. She was completely paralyzed, couldn't move, talk etc.
After seven months, she passed away on September 4, 1980. She is buried next to her husband Edward John, in Harleigh Cemetery, Camden.
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