Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from Lynn Williams in response to a letter I had sent her, telling her that I believed we were cousins through the Tierney branch of our family tree. She confirmed that she was the granddaughter of Irene Tierney. Irene is the daughter of Thomas W. Tierney. Thomas W. Tierney is the brother of my great grandfather James F. Tierney. That makes us second cousins, once removed.
We had a wonderful conversation, exchanging stories of what we knew of the Tierney’s. Then she dropped the bomb. She has a picture of her great grandfather… AND HIS FATHER! “His Father” is James Tierney (b. 1835 in Ireland, d. Feb 1888 in Manhattan) and is our shared relative.

