Family of Robert Joseph Ahern and Mary Elizabeth Higgins

Robert Joseph Ahern, born on Wednesday, 14 March 1906 in Arlington to Dennis J. Ahern and Margaret E. Lane, baptized 16 March at home and 20 May at St. Agnes (sponsors: Michael [F.] and Mary [Agnes] Lane), died Friday, 10 December 1976 in Boston, buried on Monday, 13 December 1976 in Mount Pleasant cemetery in Arlington.

Bob Ahern enlisted on 9 January 1928 in the 110th Cavalry, Massachusetts National Guard, and served as a drummer in one of the few remaining mounted bands in either regular army or the National Guard. He was issued a long service medal on 28 July 1937 and received a ten year medal on 1 July 1938. By 1939 he had attained the rank of Sergeant. Two friends who were in the band with him were P.F.C. George A. Ramsden and Private Henry H. Vroom. With a surname that means "lord of the horse", it seems fitting that Bob should end up in the cavalry. Their mounts were trained to respond to knee commands when their musician riders were playing their instruments. They also had to remain unshaken by the noise about their ears as they cantered on parade.

He married Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Higgins on Thursday, 28 November 1929 at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in North Cambridge. She was the daughter of James Patrick Higgins and Malvina Virginia Delorie, and was born on Wednesday, 5 December 1906 in Somerville, Massachusetts.

They had the following children:

1. Robert John "Bobby" Ahern, born in Somerville on Saturday, 27 September 1930. He married Susan Janet Pihl (aged 18) on Wednesday, 29 October 1958 in Nashua, New Hampshire and they lived for a while at 21 Webster Street. Bobby returned there to live after they were divorced. Their children are:
   • Sandra Jean Ahern, born on Friday, 20 November 1959 in Arlington, married Glen LaVigne on Saturday, 14 November 1992 at the Martha Mary chapel in Sudbury, Massacusetts.
   • Richard Alan Ahern, born on Friday, 7 April 1961.
2. Barbara Ann Ahern, born on Friday, 4 September 1931 in Somerville. She married Edward Stephen Orlowski (aged 32) on Thursday, 27 November 1958 in the Church of St. Agnes, Arlington. Their children are:
   • Andrea Orlowski, born on Monday, 31 August 1959
   • Caroline Orlowski, born on Sunday, 16 July 1961
   • Stephen Orlowski, born on Tuesday, 22 September 1964
   • Michael Orlowski, born on Friday, 5 November 1965
   • Doreen Orlowski, born on Saturday, 27 July 1963
3. Charles Lawrence Ahern, born on Friday, 28 July 1933 in Boston, married Mary Elizabeth Bertini (aged 18) on Sunday, 30 June 1957 in St. James' Church, Arlington. Their children are:
   • Karen Anne Ahern, born on Thursday, 8 May 1958 in Boston, married Gary Worthen, son of Dennis Worthen and Mary Lyster, 18 June 1982 in Chelmsford.
   • Charles L. Ahern, Jr., born on Wednesday, 19 August 1959 in Boston, married Ellen Renee Dee (age 22) of Westford, daughter of George R. Dee and Vemelle Britt, 19 July 1986 at St. John's in Chelmsford.
   • Corine Ahern, born on Tuesday, 3 March 1964 in Boston, married David Szidat, son of Edward Szidat and Phyllis Blackall, 23 January 1991 in Chelmsford.
   Mary died on 4 April 1977 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Westford, Massachusetts. Charley married Marsha (Weeks) Holmes (aged 34) on 29 April 1978 in Westford, Mass.
4. Philip Francis Ahern, born on Sunday, 30 September 1934 in Boston. He married Janet Marie Ford (aged 19) on Saturday, 9 May 1959 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in North Cambridge. She was the daughter of John Christopher Ford and Alice Margaret Mahoney. Their children are:
   • Cheryl Ann Ahern, born at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts on Wednesday, 5 April 1961. She married Joseph Nolet on 3 October 1981 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
   • Daniel Joseph Ahern, born at St. Elizabeth's on Wednesday, 31 July 1963, married Sarah Ann Hughes, daughter of Arthur Francis Hughes and Irene Josephine Butler, on Saturday, 14 November 1992 at St. John's in North Cambridge.
   • Brian Ahern, born at St. Elizabeth's on Monday, 5 October 1964. He married Christine Marie Molligi (age 25), daughter of Joseph A. Molligi and Judith A. Redding, on Saturday, 21 September 1991 at Notre Dame de Lourdes' Church in Lowell, Massachusetts.
   • Todd Derek Ahern, born 6 July 1970 in Lowell, Massachusetts.
5. Claire Marie Agnes Ahern, born on Saturday, 16 May 1936 in Boston. She married Peter "Stan" Stanislawsyck, Jr. (aged 23) of Torrington, Connecticut on Saturday, 12 May 1956 in the Church of St. Agnes, Arlington. Their children are:
   • Lee Stanislawsyck, born on Tuesday, 12 February 1957 in Boston. Lee was the first of her generation to be born. Coming home from the hospital, she was brought to her grandparents' house at 21 Webster St. and was given to the youngest of the previous generation, her uncle David, then aged seven, to hold. It was allright until she threw up on him and he jumped out of his seat and dropped her on the floor. No harm was done, and David eventually learned to hold babies well enough with three of his own. Lee married Paul C. Kimball on 21 June 1975 in Merrimack, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.
   • Peter Stanislawsyck, born on Tuesday, 11 March 1958 in Boston. He married Lisa Thibodeau on 22 October 1988 in Lowell, Middlesex County, Mass. They were divorced in March 1991.
   • Chris Stanislawsyck, born on Wednesday, 30 December 1959 in Boston. Claire wanted short names for all her children, but when Chris was baptized, the church would not accept the name Chris and she was christened as Christine. She and Paul W. Brown were married by Fr. John Coholan on 1 October 1983 in Chelmsford, Mass.
   • Anne Stanislawsyck, born on Wednesday, 26 April 1961 in Boston. She married Thomas D. Hartt in August 1982 in Nashua, Hillsborough, New Hampshire. They divorced and she married Robert Jacquemin on 19 May 1991 in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
   • Jill Stanislawsyck, born on Thursday, 5 September 1963 in Torrington, Connecticut. She married Ronald J. Comeau on 19 May 1985 in El Paso Texas.
6. Elizabeth Lane Ahern, born on Sunday, 19 November 1939 in Boston, died due to bronchial pneumonia, septicemia and cellulitis of the left arm and shoulder on Wednesday, 2 December 1942 at Children's Hospital, Boston.
7. Dennis James Ahern, born on Monday, 22 November 1943 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, baptized 12 December 1943 at St. Agnes' in Arlington (sponsors: Harry A. Russel and Alice B. [Coholane] Kerrigan). Dennis married Lyrl Catherine Peterson (aged 29) on Saturday, 26 May 1973 in the Davies Memorial Unitarian Church in Camp Springs, Prince George County, Maryland.
8. David Michael Ahern, born on Sunday, 8 May 1949 in Boston. He married Margaret Grace "Peggy" Cirino on Saturday, 19 May 1973 before a Justice of the Peace in a meadow on top of Pigeon Hill in Rockport, Essex County, Massachusetts. Their marriage was later consecrated by Fr. John Coholan, in the church of St. Agnes in Arlington in April 1983 with their sons, Robbie and John acting as ringbearers.

This page maintained by Dennis Ahern.

visitors have accessed this page since April 21, 1998.