My mother Rita Alice Barrigan was the first child of James Albert Barrigan and Alice Mozuch, born in Chicago in 1931. Her brother Richard was born in 1932, and the family moved to Michigan City, Indiana. Tragically her mother died in 1943 when Rita was only 12. Shortly afterward, her father James abandoned her and her brother to relatives and was not seen again. Brother Richard was taken in by another unrelated family and Rita was raised by her mother's sisters and her grandmother Lillian Mozuch in Chicago. In 1950 she married my father Edward Augustyn and my sister was born shortly afterwards. I was born in 1955. My mother worked most of her life at various secretarial/receptionist jobs in Chicago. In the 1980's she and my father moved to Wheeling, Il, to be close to my sister and her family. She was able to enjoy several grandchildren born there. In 2001 my father Edward died. Towards the end of her life Rita entered a nursing home and died there on 6 Feb 2009 of a heart attack. My mother had a rough childhood and I don't think she ever fully recovered from the early death of her mother and the abandonment of her father, the whereabouts of whom has not yet been discovered.
My mother Rita Alice Barrigan was the first child of James Albert Barrigan and Alice Mozuch, born in Chicago in 1931. Her brother Richard was born in 1932, and the family moved to Michigan City, Indiana. Tragically her mother died in 1943 when Rita was only 12. Shortly afterward, her father James abandoned her and her brother to relatives and was not seen again. Brother Richard was taken in by another unrelated family and Rita was raised by her mother's sisters and her grandmother Lillian Mozuch in Chicago. In 1950 she married my father Edward Augustyn and my sister was born shortly afterwards. I was born in 1955. My mother worked most of her life at various secretarial/receptionist jobs in Chicago. In the 1980's she and my father moved to Wheeling, Il, to be close to my sister and her family. She was able to enjoy several grandchildren born there. In 2001 my father Edward died. Towards the end of her life Rita entered a nursing home and died there on 6 Feb 2009 of a heart attack. My mother had a rough childhood and I don't think she ever fully recovered from the early death of her mother and the abandonment of her father, the whereabouts of whom has not yet been discovered.
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