~~~My Beloved Maternal Aunt, she Devoted her Life to doing Gods Work.~~~
Margaret O'Brien was my Aunt.Born to James and Bridget O'Brien she was the second oldest of four children. Her oldest sister Theresa died at the age of two before her parents came to the U.S..She had a younger sister, my mother Kathleen(Veech) and brother Gerard(Brother Gerard O'Brien O.S.F.).While they all grew up during the "Great Depression" I was always told they had everything they "needed".My Aunt went to nursing school and became an R.N. I believe by the age of 19. She served as a M.A.S.H. Nurse during the Korean War.I am unclear as to when she entered the convent and need to do more research, but I know that she was a Maryknoll Sister for almost sixty years, most of them spent in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa as a missionary. I did not see much of her growing up as her visits to the States were far and few between. She wrote my mother constantly and my mom always felt guilty for not really writing back as much.I never really thought much about what my Aunt did, but as an adult now, I am awed by what she did and what she accomplished. I remember when she was in the states when I was sixteen and I told her my friend and I were going to go to Africa to visit and asked if we could have our own room,did we have to bring our own blow dryers etc...all things important to sixteen year olds, the look of laughter on her face. Where she was there was no electric.We scratched that idea fast.Many years later I would remember that conversation and think how did she do that. There were no doctors for miles,(she was the doctor, nurse,teacher of the Christian Faith etc...) she took care of all these people,she had no electric, no television, her contact was letters. She was able to come and be present for my wedding in 1979, but returned back to Africa shortly after.I started writing letters after realizing these letters were her way of keeping in touch with us.I don't remember when she returned home for good. She was not present when I had my first daughter,Kathleen(named after her sister, my mother) but she was around when I had her namesake Kimberly Margaret, my last baby in 1993.When I think of her utter life of sacrifice and all the people she helped I am still in awe. Like Mother Theresa, she lived among the poor,had none of the modern luxuries we all take for granted,hardly ever saw her own family,so they became her family. I have many pictures of her and her patients and friends, I wish I knew who they were, but they knew who she was.Sadly when she passed, we had just lost my mother three weeks before, and had moved upstate, so we did not know of her passing until she was buried. We were the only remaining family she had, and my dad was up at my house and was not home to receive the call.I would have liked to say good-bye, but when I think of it there are no good-byes, only see you later.I intend to catch up when I see her again. She is loved , missed and thought of, and the world should know about this wonderful woman, who I am proud to call "Aunt".
A very special thank you to Elizabeth Kessler for sponsoring my Aunt's memorial. God Bless You for your Kindness.
Margaret O'Brien was my Aunt.Born to James and Bridget O'Brien she was the second oldest of four children. Her oldest sister Theresa died at the age of two before her parents came to the U.S..She had a younger sister, my mother Kathleen(Veech) and brother Gerard(Brother Gerard O'Brien O.S.F.).While they all grew up during the "Great Depression" I was always told they had everything they "needed".My Aunt went to nursing school and became an R.N. I believe by the age of 19. She served as a M.A.S.H. Nurse during the Korean War.I am unclear as to when she entered the convent and need to do more research, but I know that she was a Maryknoll Sister for almost sixty years, most of them spent in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa as a missionary. I did not see much of her growing up as her visits to the States were far and few between. She wrote my mother constantly and my mom always felt guilty for not really writing back as much.I never really thought much about what my Aunt did, but as an adult now, I am awed by what she did and what she accomplished. I remember when she was in the states when I was sixteen and I told her my friend and I were going to go to Africa to visit and asked if we could have our own room,did we have to bring our own blow dryers etc...all things important to sixteen year olds, the look of laughter on her face. Where she was there was no electric.We scratched that idea fast.Many years later I would remember that conversation and think how did she do that. There were no doctors for miles,(she was the doctor, nurse,teacher of the Christian Faith etc...) she took care of all these people,she had no electric, no television, her contact was letters. She was able to come and be present for my wedding in 1979, but returned back to Africa shortly after.I started writing letters after realizing these letters were her way of keeping in touch with us.I don't remember when she returned home for good. She was not present when I had my first daughter,Kathleen(named after her sister, my mother) but she was around when I had her namesake Kimberly Margaret, my last baby in 1993.When I think of her utter life of sacrifice and all the people she helped I am still in awe. Like Mother Theresa, she lived among the poor,had none of the modern luxuries we all take for granted,hardly ever saw her own family,so they became her family. I have many pictures of her and her patients and friends, I wish I knew who they were, but they knew who she was.Sadly when she passed, we had just lost my mother three weeks before, and had moved upstate, so we did not know of her passing until she was buried. We were the only remaining family she had, and my dad was up at my house and was not home to receive the call.I would have liked to say good-bye, but when I think of it there are no good-byes, only see you later.I intend to catch up when I see her again. She is loved , missed and thought of, and the world should know about this wonderful woman, who I am proud to call "Aunt".
A very special thank you to Elizabeth Kessler for sponsoring my Aunt's memorial. God Bless You for your Kindness.
~~~My Beloved Maternal Aunt, she Devoted her Life to doing Gods Work.~~~
Margaret O'Brien was my Aunt.Born to James and Bridget O'Brien she was the second oldest of four children. Her oldest sister Theresa died at the age of two before her parents came to the U.S..She had a younger sister, my mother Kathleen(Veech) and brother Gerard(Brother Gerard O'Brien O.S.F.).While they all grew up during the "Great Depression" I was always told they had everything they "needed".My Aunt went to nursing school and became an R.N. I believe by the age of 19. She served as a M.A.S.H. Nurse during the Korean War.I am unclear as to when she entered the convent and need to do more research, but I know that she was a Maryknoll Sister for almost sixty years, most of them spent in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa as a missionary. I did not see much of her growing up as her visits to the States were far and few between. She wrote my mother constantly and my mom always felt guilty for not really writing back as much.I never really thought much about what my Aunt did, but as an adult now, I am awed by what she did and what she accomplished. I remember when she was in the states when I was sixteen and I told her my friend and I were going to go to Africa to visit and asked if we could have our own room,did we have to bring our own blow dryers etc...all things important to sixteen year olds, the look of laughter on her face. Where she was there was no electric.We scratched that idea fast.Many years later I would remember that conversation and think how did she do that. There were no doctors for miles,(she was the doctor, nurse,teacher of the Christian Faith etc...) she took care of all these people,she had no electric, no television, her contact was letters. She was able to come and be present for my wedding in 1979, but returned back to Africa shortly after.I started writing letters after realizing these letters were her way of keeping in touch with us.I don't remember when she returned home for good. She was not present when I had my first daughter,Kathleen(named after her sister, my mother) but she was around when I had her namesake Kimberly Margaret, my last baby in 1993.When I think of her utter life of sacrifice and all the people she helped I am still in awe. Like Mother Theresa, she lived among the poor,had none of the modern luxuries we all take for granted,hardly ever saw her own family,so they became her family. I have many pictures of her and her patients and friends, I wish I knew who they were, but they knew who she was.Sadly when she passed, we had just lost my mother three weeks before, and had moved upstate, so we did not know of her passing until she was buried. We were the only remaining family she had, and my dad was up at my house and was not home to receive the call.I would have liked to say good-bye, but when I think of it there are no good-byes, only see you later.I intend to catch up when I see her again. She is loved , missed and thought of, and the world should know about this wonderful woman, who I am proud to call "Aunt".
A very special thank you to Elizabeth Kessler for sponsoring my Aunt's memorial. God Bless You for your Kindness.
Margaret O'Brien was my Aunt.Born to James and Bridget O'Brien she was the second oldest of four children. Her oldest sister Theresa died at the age of two before her parents came to the U.S..She had a younger sister, my mother Kathleen(Veech) and brother Gerard(Brother Gerard O'Brien O.S.F.).While they all grew up during the "Great Depression" I was always told they had everything they "needed".My Aunt went to nursing school and became an R.N. I believe by the age of 19. She served as a M.A.S.H. Nurse during the Korean War.I am unclear as to when she entered the convent and need to do more research, but I know that she was a Maryknoll Sister for almost sixty years, most of them spent in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa as a missionary. I did not see much of her growing up as her visits to the States were far and few between. She wrote my mother constantly and my mom always felt guilty for not really writing back as much.I never really thought much about what my Aunt did, but as an adult now, I am awed by what she did and what she accomplished. I remember when she was in the states when I was sixteen and I told her my friend and I were going to go to Africa to visit and asked if we could have our own room,did we have to bring our own blow dryers etc...all things important to sixteen year olds, the look of laughter on her face. Where she was there was no electric.We scratched that idea fast.Many years later I would remember that conversation and think how did she do that. There were no doctors for miles,(she was the doctor, nurse,teacher of the Christian Faith etc...) she took care of all these people,she had no electric, no television, her contact was letters. She was able to come and be present for my wedding in 1979, but returned back to Africa shortly after.I started writing letters after realizing these letters were her way of keeping in touch with us.I don't remember when she returned home for good. She was not present when I had my first daughter,Kathleen(named after her sister, my mother) but she was around when I had her namesake Kimberly Margaret, my last baby in 1993.When I think of her utter life of sacrifice and all the people she helped I am still in awe. Like Mother Theresa, she lived among the poor,had none of the modern luxuries we all take for granted,hardly ever saw her own family,so they became her family. I have many pictures of her and her patients and friends, I wish I knew who they were, but they knew who she was.Sadly when she passed, we had just lost my mother three weeks before, and had moved upstate, so we did not know of her passing until she was buried. We were the only remaining family she had, and my dad was up at my house and was not home to receive the call.I would have liked to say good-bye, but when I think of it there are no good-byes, only see you later.I intend to catch up when I see her again. She is loved , missed and thought of, and the world should know about this wonderful woman, who I am proud to call "Aunt".
A very special thank you to Elizabeth Kessler for sponsoring my Aunt's memorial. God Bless You for your Kindness.
Inscription
Sister Margaret O'Brien M.M. "In Pace"
Gravesite Details
"In Pace" latin for "In Peace"
