John Cutler 1828 – 1850
Cornelius Cutler 1833 –
Amy Cutler 1834 –
Cyrus Cutler 1836 – 1918
George Washington Cutler 1836 –
Araminta Cutler 1838 – 1855
Julia Cutler 1842 –
Stephen Cutler 1842 – 1865
Nathaniel Cutler 1844 –

According to the recently discovered bio, I have learned that his father was John Cutler and comes from old Westchester County stock. The Cutlers apparently are of English origin.  Nathaniel is buried at the St Marks Episcopal Church Yard in Mount Kisco with his wife. I have been there many times.

The biography has been transcribed from a document entitled, “Biographical History of Westchester County”.  This illustrated document was published by the Lewis Publishing Company in 1899.

One of the leading agriculturists of North Castle township, Westchester county, and an honored veteran of the civil war, is Nathaniel Cutler, who was born December 21, 1844, in that township, being a representative of one of the county’s old and highly respected families of English origin. His grandfather, John Cutler, was likewise a native of the county, and here both he and his wife died and were buried.

Nathaniel Cutler, Sr., father of our subject, spent his entire life in Westchester county, as a farmer, and in early manhood he married Sarah Ann Weeks, who was born in the town of Somers, and who was likewise a representative of one of the old families of the county, being a daughter of William and Rachel Weeks. Nine children were born of this union: John, who died at the age of twenty-one years; Cornelius and Mrs. Ama Ferguson, both residents of Mount Kisco; Cyrus, of Golden Bridge, this county; George Washington, of Dutchess county. New York; Stephen and Julia, both deceased; Nathaniel, our subject; and Araminta, who died at the age of nineteen years. Three of the sons were among the boys in blue during the civil war and valiantly fought for the preservation of the Union on many a southern battle-field. They were Cyrus, George W. and Nathaniel, — all members of the Fifth New York Heavy Artillery, — and the second was sergeant of his company, while our subject served as corporal. The mother of these children died at the age of seventy and the father at the age of eighty years. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were highly esteemed by all who knew them, and he was identified with the Democratic party.

Nathaniel Cutler, whose name introduces this sketch, grew to manhood on the home farm, aiding in its work and attending the local schools. He was still in his ‘teens when he entered the military service of his country, and was stationed most of the time in Virginia, being honorably discharged at Harper’s Ferry and paid off at Albany, New York, after which he returned home.

On the 28th of December, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Ida Sutton, who was born, reared and educated at Claverack, New York, and also belongs to one of the old and well known families of the county. At an early day two brothers, Joseph and John Sutton, left their home at Sutton Court, England, and came to the New World, and from the former, who settled in Westchester county, Mrs. Cutler is descended. In religious faith they were Friends. James Sutton, Sr. , the son of Joseph, was born in a log cabin on the old homestead in this county, and was the father of Walter Sutton, Mrs. Cutler’s grandfather, who also was born on the old homestead and was twice married, —first to Martha Tatten and secondly to Phoebe Dickinson. James T. Sutton, Mrs. Cutler’s father, first opened his eyes to the light on the Sutton homestead, and on reaching man’s estate he married his second cousin, Phoebe Sutton, a daughter of William Sutton, who was a brother of James Sutton, Sr., and a son of Joseph Sutton, the pioneer. William Sutton married Charlotte Hunt, a daughter of Josiah and Lydia (Palmer) Hunt, relatives of Lord Effingham, of England. To James T. and Phoebe Sutton were born two children. Mrs. Martha Ida Cutler being the older. The son, William Edward Sutton, now. a resident of Seattle, Washington, was reared and educated in Westchester county, and was a successful teacher here for a time, but has made his home in the west for several years. He married Eva Acker, a daughter of Benjamin Acker. James T. Sutton, who was a farmer by occupation and a Democrat in politics, died at the age of seventy-nine years, honored and respected by all who knew him. His estimable wife, who was a member of the Society of Friends, departed this life at the age of seventy-two.

To Mr. and Mrs. Cutler have been born two sons: Walter Sutton, a surveyor and engineer residing at home, and William Edward, a carpenter, also at home. The fine farm belonging to this worthy couple comprises seventy-two acres of valuable land, most of which is under a high state of cultivation and well improved with good buildings, and there is also an excellent orchard of six acres upon the place. This pleasant home is conveniently located in New Castle township, about two miles from Mount Kisco. Politically, Mr. Cutler is identified with the Republican party, and socially affiliates with Stuart Hart Post, G. A. R. , of Mount Kisco, of which he is a charter member. With his wife and son,William E., he holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and the family occupy a position of prominence in the social life of the community. Public-spirited and enterprising, they give their support to all worthy objects calculated to advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare of their town and county, and they are held in high regard by all who know them.

Here is a link to a full PDF version of “Biographical History of Westchester County”.

A= Rivarolo Mantovano, Italy     B = Lugano, Switzerland
c= Le Havre, France

Giaele married  Angelo Baroni around 1896 and had three children; Michael A (b. Mar 1897), Marie (b. 14 May 1898) and Jean B. (b. 7 May 1900).  At some point, the Baroni family moved from Italy  to Lugano, Switzerland, which is just over the Italian border, north of Milano, Italy.

Giaele and Angelo soon immigrated to the United States.  On October 11, 1902, they arrived in New York harbor on board the SS La Lorraine.  It appears that they came alone, leaving the children with their grandmother Lucy back in Switzerland.

In 1903, Angelo’s mother, Lucy, came to the United States bringing Michael, Marie and Jean with her.

In June of 1910, we find the Baroni family, with two additions, living at 277 6th Avenue in Paterson, New Jersey.  Stephanie I. (b. 24 May 1903 in Paterson, NJ) and Yolanda (b. 7 July 1905), aka Wylda, have joined the family. Angelo is listed as a commercial trade of Wines and Liquors. Today, 277 6th Avenue is home to Blessed Sacrament School.

In October of 1913, Angelo passed away, leaving his wife and five children. With the death of her husband, Giaele Baroni prepared to take her family to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, NY.

By February 1920, the family name has changed to Baron along with a couple of first names.  Giaele is now Jean and Yolanda is now Wylda.  Jean, Michael, Marie, Stephanie, and Wylda are now living at 2246 81st Street in Brooklyn, NY.   Recently married daughter Jean Louise and her husband, Frank Smith, are also living with them.  So is Angelo’s 76-year-old mother, Lucy.  In April of 1920, Marie Baron married Jacob Schick in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Jacob Schick was the inventor of “the not yet invented Schick Razor”.  With this marriage, Marie became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

On March 5, 1923, Michael A Baron married Minerva (Vera) Meyer in Manhattan, New York.  Within a few years, they had two children; Eugene and Harvey.

By 1930, the 56-year-old, 5′ 2″ grey haired Jean Baron, immigrant from Italy, had filed a Declaration of Intention for Citizenship.  She was living at 4127 Westmoreland Road in Little Neck, Long Island with her daughter Wylda Nimidoff.  Marie divorced Jacob and is living in Manhattan by herself on University Place.  Marie Smith, daughter Jean Baron’s oldest daughter, was living with her Aunt Wylda and Grandma Jean in Queens, NY.

On April 21, 1931, Jean Baron swore an Oath of Allegiance and become a Naturalized Citizen of the United States of America.  With this Oath, she joins the ranks as one of the few women to obtain Naturalization.  As of today, we do not know why she seeked Citizenship at such a late stage of her life.

On January 17, 1941, Michael Alexis (Buck) Baron passed away.  He left behind a wife; Vera and two children; Eugene and Harvey.

Petition For Citizenship

Declaration of Intention

Oath of Allegiance

Sometime between 1930 and her 1941, Frank E Smith abandoned Jean Louise and their three daughters.  He was never seen again. Jean died on July 3, 1941 in Stamford, CT.  Patricia was 18 and Irene was just 14 when their mom passed away.  Shortly after her Mom’s death, eldest daughter Marie Smith married Nels Hallstrom and had their first child.

Then, on September 14, 1952, Jean Baron died while living with her Daughter Stephanie (Stevie) Sessions.

Chief Quartermaster William Andrew Flaherty, a cousin on the Roche (Roach) branch of our family tree gave his life in 1944 while serving in the US Navy. William was born in Port Chester, New York and is the son of David and Mae Flaherty.  He was assigned to the Scorpion, the fifth submarine to bear that name.  The Scorpion was laid down on 20 March 1942 at the Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy Yard; launched on 20 July 1942; sponsored by Miss Elizabeth T. Monagle; and commissioned on 1 October 1942, Lt. Comdr. W. N. Wylie in command.

Departing Pearl Harbor on 29 December 1943, Scorpion (Commander M. G. Schmidt) stopped at Midway to top off with fuel, and left that place on 3 January 1944 to conduct her fourth war patrol. Her assigned area was in the northern East China and Yellow Seas.

On the morning of 5 January, Scorpion reported that one of her crew had sustained a fracture of the upper arm and requested a rendezvous with Herring (SS-233) which was returning from patrol and was near her. The rendezvous was accomplished on the afternoon of 5 January in 30°-07′N, 167°-30′E but heavy seas prevented transfer of the injured man to Herring. The latter reported this fact on 6 January, and stated “Scorpion reports case under control.” Scorpion was never seen or heard from again after her departure from the rendezvous. On 16 February 1944, Steelhead and Scorpion were warned that they were close together, and that an enemy submarine was in the vicinity.

When no report was received from her by 24 February 1944, Midway was directed to keep a careful watch for her, and Scorpion was directed to make a transmission. Neither of these measures proved fruitful, and Scorpion was reported on 6 March 1944 as presumed lost.

No information has been received from the Japanese which indicates that Scorpion’s loss was the result of enemy antisubmarine tactics. There were, however, several mine lines across the entrance to the Yellow Sea. The presence of these mine lines and the “restricted area” bounding them was discovered from captured Japanese Notices to Mariners at a much later date. In the meantime several submarines had made patrols in this area, crossing and recrossing the mine lines without incident, and coming safely home. It is probable that these mine lines were very thin, offering only about a 10 percent threat to submarines at maximum, and steadily decreasing in effectiveness with the passage of time. Scorpion was lost soon after these mines were laid, or at a time when they presumably offered the greatest threat. She could have been an operational casualty, but her area consists of water shallow enough so that it might be expected that some men would have survived. Since we know of no survivors, the most reasonable assumption is that she hit a mine.

In her first three patrols, Scorpion sank ten ships, for a total of 24,100 tons, and damaged two more, for 16,000 tons. Her first war patrol was in the approaches to Tokyo in April 1943. Here she sank two freighters, four sampans and two patrol craft. In addition, she damaged a freighter. On her second patrol, conducted in the Yellow Sea, she sank two freighters. Her third patrol was made in the Mariana Islands, and resulted in damage to a tanker.

A lifelong Republican, Jim has had a long and successful career in magazine publishing, including Fortune. A traditional conservative believing in small government and fiscal responsibility, Jim has also been deeply concerned about the deep polarization in America over the last couple years even as the problems we face grow in severity. Obama’s promise to work toward national unity appealed to Jim as well as his belief that the route to economic prosperity starts with building a strong middle class.

So I went on a letter writing campaign in hopes that they might be interested in learning more about their heritage. The first person I heard from was Angela’s daughter, Regina Hughes Haffey. I missed her original phone call, but she did leave a message and a phone number. I called her back a few hours later and had the most wonderful conversation with her for over an hour. She is about my Moms age and is sharp as a tack! In fact, it was a little strange. It was like talking to my Mom about the Beatties, but with a different set of names and stories. There were several parallels to be easily drawn.

Not only was Regina interested in discussing the Beattie’s with me, she and several family members had just started discussing their family history themselves. I quickly offered all my information to them. That would at least get one branch of their tree started. Regina had clarified some research which I had guessed at and told me some things which I just did not know.

We both agreed of the need to get together and share stories and information. So sometime soon, we hope to take a trip to Long Island and have a mini family reunion.

Next I heard from Regina’s daughter, Patricia Clemency. She sent me an email in response to an email I sent her. When Googling her name, I found many public references to a Pat or Patricia Clemency affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New York. I took a chance and emailed her. Low and behold, I found the right person. As it turns out, Regina is the CEO of the New York Chapter of the Make-A-Wiah foundation. She had just talked to her Mom about my letter. In fact, she was one of the children interested in getting into genealogy! We’ve had several email exchanges back and forth since we first met just a few nights ago. Again… a super nice person who seems to fit perfectly into the family tree. Since she expressed an interest in the family genealogy, I decided to give her a preliminary treat (in advance of aneventual “reunion”). I sent her a digitized copy of my prized possession; a picture of our great, great great grandparents; Mary Crilly and Francis Dillon. Unfortunately for Patricia, I think I have peaked her interest in Genealogy. Next stop for her… Genealogist’s Anonymous.

The board of Kendal Charitable Funds approved the creation of the Lloyd Lewis Fund at its meeting in October 2007. The purpose of this new fund is to support improvements in serving older adults through the Promising Innovations campaign. The new fund and this campaign were initiated by the generous gift of $250,000 from the Janet Comey Foundation, a private foundation established through the estate of former Kendal at Longwood resident Janet Comey.

• More Information at the Kendal Website
• Or write to:
  Kendal Charitable Funds
  1107 E. Baltimore Pike
  Kennett Square, PA  19348
  1-800-220-0042

So in desperation, I requested an Internment report from Calvary Cemetery.  It was a bit expensive, but I think well worth it. Much to my surprise, I received it in just two weeks time. So, the Internment report solved several Tierney mysteries for me.

The first mystery solved was the date of death for James Tierney, Mary’s husband and a coachman around New York City.  According to the Internment Report, he was buried on February 6, 1888 at the age of 53.  Based on Census records, I figured he had died between 1880 and 1900, but that left a large margin of error.  But it does make perfect sense since the last known record of him was the 1880 Census of him living in New York City.  Based on the date of burial, it’s a safe bet that he died in the first week of February 1888.  So, working backwards, that places his Date of Birth in Ireland sometime around 1835.  Armed with that info, I have requested his Death Certificate from the New York City Archives.  Let’s see what that brings back.

One thing that has puzzled me for some time is the 1900 Census Record for Mary Tierney. It indicates that she had eight children but that only four were alive as of 1900.  I knew one, my Great-Great grandfather had died in the late 1890’s, but who were the other three?  My Uncle who started this genealogy project knew of  the five children and my census records research confirmed the five, but no others.  But the internment report solves this mystery.  So based on the internment report and other research I have performed, here are the eight children of James Tierney and Mary Sproul Tierney.

Francis Tierney (b. 1852, d. July 1855)

Francis was the first child of James  and Mary Tierney and  the first of the mystery children.  He died before their second child was born at the age of three.  I do not know the cause of death yet.

Thomas Tierney  (b. November 1856 in New York,  d. September 1918 )

Thomas, their second child, I believe went on the marry Mary Jane Kinneary.  They had 5 children; James, Mary, Simeon, Irene and Eleanor. Thomas lived in New York City for all of his life.

There may be living relatives of this branch somewhere between New York and South Carolina.  I know Eleanor went on to marry an architect by the name of Edward Schneider and had move to Fayetteville, North Carolina sometime after 1930. They had at least one daughter, Eleanor who was born in New York City.

According to the several census records, Thomas was employed as a shipping “Clerk”.

James F. Tierney (b. abt 1858, d. November 4, 1896)

James is my Great Grandfather. He had seven children; Frank Noel, Mary, Gertrude, Grace, James, John and Isabelle. He died in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 38 after a attack of appendicitis. James was employed at Arnold Constable in New York City.

The two children of Isabelle Tierney Lewis, Jeanne and Lloyd had several children, well establishing this branch of the Tierney legacy.

Mary Jane Tierney (b. abt 1858, d. April 1859)

Mary Jane is another of the mystery children.  She died at the age of one in 1859.  Again, I do not know the cause of death yet.

John L Tierney (b. April 20, 1864 in New York, d. December 21, 1907 in San Francisco, CA)

John moved to San Francisco sometime between 1880 and 1900.  Once out there, he married Isabella E Daugalada, also known as Belle. She is of Chilean decent.  I have numerous letters from him to his nephew, Frank Tierney. They wrote about business and the family on a regular basis. John and Belle survived the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They had no children. He was a salesman.  In May 1907, he developed a “Gastric Ulcer” and never quite recovered.  He died just six months later in San Francisco. I have ordered his death certificate from the State of California and expect is shortly. Hopefully it will tell me where he is buried.

• John Tierney and the 1909 Earthquake

Frank A. Tierney (b. Septermber 24, 1864 in New York, d. June 12, 1936 in Brooklyn)

Frank was a decorated 32-year New York Police Department veteran.  He spent several years in Chinatown, heading up the move against the gangs there.  Unfortunately, he encountered some political trouble in 1918 with Police Commissioner Enright who took the opportunity to demote him.  It seems that although he was in and out of some minor trouble through his career, he was generally well respected and liked.  He retired as a Captain on December 31, 1928, ending his career managing the Miller Avenue Precinct in Brooklyn.

• Frank A. Tierney, NYPD Inspector

Frank was married to Theresa A. Ryan and had three children; John, Raymond and Frank.  It is from this branch of the Tierney clan that I found my most recently discovered third cousin, Raymond A. Tierney.  This branch of the Tierney legacy is well established also.

Joseph Tierney (b. abt 1867 in New York, d. November 1922)

Joseph was known to my Uncle as “the black sheep of the family”.  He appears to have always played by his own sets of rules and was a big gambler.  He surprised his brother John with suddenly deciding to marry Anna Patkay 1907 at the age of 39.  In a letter to Frank Noel Tierney, his nephew, Joseph asked him to be his best man, but not before advising him which horse to bet on at the races.

Joseph died just 15 years after marrying Anna.  He is buried with my Great-Great Grandmother at Calvary Cemetery, but there is no sign of Anna.  As of now, I do not know what happened to her or whether they had any children. I suspect that they did not have any children though.

Ann Tierney  (b. abt 1871, d. February 1873)

Anna was the third of the mystery children.  She died at just two years of age.  The cause of death is not yet known.

Yerks joined the Cos Cob volunteer department in 1933. “Seventy years is a long time to be a volunteer. Of course, I’m not an active firefighter anymore. I have been treasurer since 1953 and was treasurer from 1942-45. I was a volunteer driver for 25 years. It just got to be part of my life. It’s still part of my life,” he said.

Held on the campus of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, the ceremony honored the district’s 800 firefighters for their contributions to the safety of their respective communities. Departments from Greenwich, Fairfield, Monroe, Norwalk, Oxford, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Stamford, Trumbull and Wilton were welcomed by Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and WCSU Dean of Arts and Sciences Dr. Linda Vaden-Goad. Yerks, who will turn 92 in May, gave a short speech at the ceremony.

“They wanted to know how I did it for so long. I told them it had to be born within you,” he said.

‘Inspirational,’ says Bysiewicz

“Listening to Mr. Yerks speak was really inspirational… He’s a remarkable man,” said Bysiewicz, who said she also asked for his secret to such longevity. (He told her a multivitamin keeps him young).

Yerks joined the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Department during the country’s Depression years. “There wasn’t much to do in Cos Cob at that time. It was a really small community. Joining the volunteer fire department was just one of the things to do.”

But in the years that followed, volunteering became more than simply an activity to help keep him busy and was an outlet for service and a source of friendship.

“Down through the years, I’ve met so many wonderful friends. I had a lot of fun with the guys,” Yerks said. “We had any number of officers who started out volunteering at Cos Cob. Peter Robbins was a volunteer firefighter at Cos Cob and became the chief of police.”

In addition to his many years of volunteer service, Yerks spent much of his professional life in the fuel industry, working mainly with coal, then later with the Petro-leum Heat and Power Co. as an area representative.

Asked if he would recommend joining a volunteer department to others, he emphatically answered, “I sure would.” He then qualified the statement thoughtfully, “But like I told them [the firefighters at the ceremony] it has to be within you. It’s not an easy thing… When you’re a volunteer firefighter, you have to be on call all the time. Sometimes it’s not easy to get out of that nice warm bed. But it’s a great bunch of guys.”

Yerks said one outstanding memory was the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge in 1983. “I owned a scanner and had it on 24 hours a day. That one night, I don’t know what happened but it wasn’t on. I woke up and there were planes flying all over so I turned on the radio and saw what happened. I didn’t feel too happy about that.”

Demonstrating what the department has meant to him, Yerks said, “Even though I wasn’t driving anymore and they didn’t miss me, I would have liked to be there.”

The Public Service Awards were conceived four years ago to recognize and thank individuals in the state who contribute their time and skills to their communities.

“We started them four years ago to honor people who volunteer their time with municipals boards or commissions. This year we did volunteer firefighters by congressional district,” said Bysiewicz. “The reason why we do it is twofold. We want to say thank you to people who volunteer their time to make their communities better places. We also want to encourage more people to volunteer and contribute their time.”

Yerks said he was proud to be among the volunteers recognized at Wednesday’s ceremony. “It was a very nice affair.”

As much as Bysiewicz was in awe of Yerks, he was delighted to be recognized by the Secretary of the State. “It was a great honor,” he said, adding that he’s looking forward to completing his 71st year with the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Department.

This article originally appeared in the GreenwichCitizen.com Web Site on Friday, April 02, 2004 – 5:22:27 PM EST

From Philip Sr., Colleen, Philip Jr. and Kevin…. THANK YOU!

On Veteran’s Day we honor Soldiers who protect our nation. For their service as our warriors, They deserve our admiration. Some of them were drafted; Some were volunteers; For some it was just yesterday; For some it’s been many years; In the jungle or the desert, On land or on the sea, They did whatever was assigned To produce a victory. Some came back; some didn’t. They defended us everywhere. Some saw combat; some rode a desk; All of them did their share. No matter what the duty, For low pay and little glory, These soldiers gave up normal lives, For duties mundane and gory. Let every veteran be honored; Don’t let politics get in the way. Without them, freedom would have died; What they did, we can’t repay. We owe so much to them, Who kept us safe from terror, So when we see a uniform, Let’s say “thank you” to every wearer. By Joanna Fuchs

Private Ralph Yerks b. 1894 d.1918 World War I, US Army, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division Killed in Action and is buried in Thiaucourt, France at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery. Genealogy Note: Colleens Great Uncle Second Lieutenant Harry W. Lewis b.1892 d.1972 World War I, American Expeditionary Forces Served on the United States Expeditionary Force in France. Stay an extra year after the Armistice was signed and played tennis for the AEF team assigned to rebuild relations in war torn Europe. Genealogy Note: My Grandfather James Tierney b. 1894 d.1931 World War I, American Expeditionary Forces Company M, 307 Infantry James served in France and saw many friends die in Europe. We have a letter from him, to his brother Frank, while in France. Genealogy Note: My Great Uncle Lloyd Lewis b.1928  d. 2000 Korean War Conflict Served in a “secondary” MASH unit in Japan.� Genealogy Note: My Uncle Colonel Robert E. Dunn, US Army b. 1892 d. 1974 Served in both World War I and World War II. In WWII Colonel Dunn lead a black Division of Engineers on Okinawa. Genealogy Note: Husband to Grace Elinor Tierney, my Great Aunt. James Leroy Yerks III b. 1938 Non-Wartime Served in the U.S. Navy Genealogy Note: Colleen’s Father. William B. Yerks b. 1891 d. 1960 World War I William fought in World War I and survived a Mustard Gas attack, only to die of complications of it some years later. Genealogy Note: Colleens Great Uncle and brother of Private Ralph Yerks. Jonathan J. Foley b. 1896 d. 967 Genealogy Note: Husband of Agnes Beattie, my Great Aunt. Brian Hogan Gulf War 1990 -1991 Genealogy Note: Husband to my cousin, Patty Brady Hogan. John W. Dunn b. 1930 d. 2000 USAF Active Duty 1948-1953 Korea 1950-1952 USAF AIR Guard – Berlin Wall Conflict 1961-1962 Retired USCG reserves 1979 Genealogy Note: Son of Edna V. Hone, a distant cousin to Colleen. John E Dunn 1985-1990, USAF Active Duty Genealogy Note: Another distant cousin to Colleen. William Sheehan Fred Barnes George Condos Nick Condos

One of her most intriguing and wonderful stories comes from a neighbor and good friend of hers when she lived in Larchmont, NY. Her childhood friend was a girl named Patty Coots. Jeanne played almost every day with Patty as a little girl. In fact, we have several pictures of them playing together in the family photo archive. Patty’s father was Jay Fred Coots, better known for a little song he wrote called “Santa Clause Is Coming Town”. Jeanne would often hear Patty’s father playing his piano, composing one of his many well known compositions. One day, Jeanne was treated to a very special memory. Jeanne was there when Patty, at age three, stood on the stage of the Murray Avenue School in Larchmont, New York and sang the first public rendition of the now very famous song; “Santa Clause is Coming To Town” while her dad played the piano.

In the 1940′s, Jeanne began her college career at Syracuse University where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in “Music”. After College, Jeanne was hired by the Oceanside Long Island School System as an Elementary Music Teacher, where she taught grades 1 – 6. In 1949, while teaching in Oceanside, she managed to secure a “Master of Art” degree from Colombia University. Her degree is signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was the only year that he was the President of the University.

Jeanne soon found herself on the other shore of Long Island teaching in the Great Neck School System. While she was at Great Neck, she would occasionally teach at New York University where she helped out with their “Rhythmic Programs” run by the Athletic Department. She soon married John J. Hayes of New Hampshire and moved to Towson, Maryland where John’s work took him.

While in Towson, she briefly assisted at Goucher College. Soon, she moved back to Chappaqua, New York, where she lived for more than 25 years and participated in a wide variety of jobs and hobbies that kept her very active with her music.

In 1965, she became very involved in the Chappaqua Drama Group, playing the piano and coaching vocals for more than 20 musicals covering a span of more than 20 years.

In 1974, she became very involved with helping out with the Senior Class Musicals at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua. For many years she helped hundreds of High School Seniors with their first and sometimes only audition for a stage show. Among others, some of her notable students included, Vanessa Williams (Class of 1981) and John Ahlin (class of 1974).

In the late 1970′s, she began teaching private vocal and piano lessons and continues to do so today. In fact, she has taught several people who were on or eventually moved onto Broadway.

Today, Jeanne seldom has to read sheet music, as hundreds of songs and their notes are permanently etched into her memory. If she had ever been given the opportunity to play on the game show “Name That Tune”, she would surely have cleaned up!