October 16, 1987
Manus Dennison
Drimdutton
Carrigart
County Donegal, Ireland
Mrs. M. Lavin
25-54 46th Street
Astoria, New York 11103
Dear May and Manus:
I am writing you both the same letter although you will probably read it 3000 miles apart. The information enclosed will be of mutual interest.
We were delighted to hear from May of course, and look forward to hearing about the Dennisons in more detail. I took the liberty of peeking in the front window the day I left the note in Carrigart. You are a fine looking family from what I could see of the pictures. You also have a lovely home. Sorry we missed you then, but I certainly hope we will get together.
Let me tell you what I know about Afric Dennison and what has come to pass of her children and descendents.
I believe Afric was a nurse in Philadelphia. She met and married Thomas K. Wilson of Atlantic City whose parents (Robert B. Wilson and Mary Kelly) owned and operated a small hotel on Pacific Avenue along with a small milk delivery business.
They took over the businesses after his parents died and the dairy began to grow. Afric gave birth to three sons, Thomas K. Jr., (my father), George E. and William (my uncles). When my father was sixteen years old, his father died. Dad was forced to quit school (he did graduate from Atlantic City High School) and help his mother with the dairy.
Afric was a tough (but admired and respected) business woman who moved the dairy along successfully. My dad followed in her footsteps expanding the dairy even further.
All three Wilson boys were involved in the dairy business up to World War II. Uncle George died suddenly of a heart attack in July, 1941, at age 40, and Uncle Bill (redacted) fell out with my father in 1943 or 1944 and left the business but was paid an income until the business was sold. He moved to Florida and I have only seen him twice in forty years. I don't know if he is alive or dead. I never really knew his children either.
Uncle George married an Irish girl from County Clare whose name was Elizabeth Brazzil. They had three children with whom I get along very well and maintain contact.
My father died at age 74 of a heart attack in February, 1973. My mother survived as a widow until November, 1985, when she succumbed to cancer, age 83.
In March of 1986 Aunt Elizabeth died. She was ninety or close to it. It was at her funeral that I talked with her niece, her brother's daughter, from Ireland.
Her name is Mai Worsfold. She and her husband, Brendan, live at (redacted) County Clare. It is about fifteen-eightteen miles from Shannon Airport. Their phone number is (redacted)
Brendan was partially raised in New Jersey near Atlantic City and met Mai when she lived and worked in the area for ten years as a nurse. They married and returned to Ireland.
At the funeral Mai offered to put us up the first night and the last night during our planned trip. It was wonderful that they did and they were a big help. I will be writing them about you. They will be delighted.
On with the family tree! As for Afric's sister, Winifred, I do know she had three sons. I do not know about daughters. There could have been one who was a nun.
Winifred's sons were Ted, Tom and Denny. My father was pretty close to the Berkerey boys and I remember them all visiting him and my mom. Uncle Ted Berkerey was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and lived in the Greater New York area. He was an attorney. He helped get me admitted to Notre Dame as well. I believe he and his wife had daughters. I am not sure. Tom and Denny lived in the Philadelphia area. Tom had a son Keith and Denny (again, I can't be sure) had no children.
The descendents of Afric have really propagated. My father, Tom Jr., raised four children. The oldest is Tom, III, living in Florida. He is divorced but before that he and his wife produced six children (3 boys, 3 girls). My sister Maria raised three girls and two boys. My sister, Suzanne Afric, raised two girls, one boy, and myself as youngest was able to marry a wonderful and prolific woman who blessed us with seven children, four boys and three girls. Tom's children have one child among them at this point but more on the way.
Maria has three grandchildren. Suzanne has none as yet, while my wife Helen and I have six with a seventh grandchild due in the spring of '88.
My Uncle George and Aunt Elizabeth had a daughter, Mary Catherine, two sons, George E., Jr. and Michael William.
My brother and myself were all employees of Wilson Dairy Company until the dairy was sold twice between 1965 and 1967.
We all lived in the Greater Atlantic City area up to that time. My cousins, Mary Catherine, George and Bill still live in Absecon, New Jersey. George is in the ice cream business. Bill works for South Jersey Electric Company. Mary Catherine owns and operates a dress shop. Mary Catherine has two sons. George has five sons, two daughters. Bill has three girls, one sons.
I followed my brother into the insurance business in the Baltimore area and still live in the same home we bought nineteen years ago. My wife also works for an insurance company in the area but the job will be terminating the end of the year.
My brother, as I mentioned, lives in Sarasota, Florida. One of my sisters lives in Devon, near philadelphia, Pa., and works with her husband in the family catering business. My other sister lives near South Bend, Indiana. She is an artist and her husband is in real estate.
My Uncle Bill had a son and a daughter. I don't know much about them, but my cousins in New Jersey do. I shall try to find out from them.
I anxiously await to hear about the previous Dennison roots. I was given a picture which my mother had for many years after her death. It is a photograph of a bishop or cardinal who supposedly is a distant relative. There is a resemblance to Afric, my father, myself, my sister Suzanne, a son, and others. Maybe I imagine it. Please advise.
In retrospect, I have very few memories of Grandmother Wilson. She died in 1937 or 1938 when I was four or five years old. I remember a stern woman, yet friendly. She had a large black automobile with a chauffer and brought me a sailboat for my birthday. She had asked me earlier what I had wanted for my birthday and I had replied "ship". What I actually wanted was a model "airship" as airships were quite prevalent in New Jersey at that time. (Hindenburg disaster!) I wound up with a very fine sailboat.
I will be mailing your address to my cousins in New Jersey and perhaps they will be writing as well. I will also write to Mai and Brendan in (redacted) County Clare and let them know our stop in Carrigart was not in vain.
God Bless You all,
Dan Wilson
Timonium, Maryland
U. S. A.