Page 7 - Johanna F. Cronin Biography

In the 1900 federal census the Cronin household consisted of
Jeremiah J. Cronin, Jeremiah P. Cronin, Hannah, Lizzie, and Grover.

They lived in a boarding house at 26 Stearns Street, in the “Chemistry
Section” of Waltham. Hannah lovingly became the surrogate mother

of her nephew Grover while at the same time looking after her aging
father who was 83. All this time she was helping her brother build a

business. By 1906 the family had moved to a single family residence at
18 Stearns Street and she remained the woman of the house. Tragedy

struck the household when on July 14, 1906 her younger sister, Lizzie,
died suddenly from appendicitis. This event was devastating to Hannah

and is reflected in the letters she received from her cousins Dennis and

Maggie Cronin.

A current day photo of
the Stearns Street
boarding house where
the family spent many
years

A letter to Hannah from her cousin Maggie expressing
grief over Lizzie’s death