Chapter 1 Family Context  

I am Marie Burns, seventy-two years old. I am the oldest of eight children. I grew up with both my parents and my Aunt Cass who lived with us my whole life; we always shared bedrooms. My great grandfather, on my father's side, was a Quaker, but died a Catholic on his deathbed; his wife had already converted. My father's parents were named Nellie and John, a/k/a JP. My mother's parents were named Christine and John. All four were of Irish decent with my grandmother (Christine) coming to America in 1918 or 1920. They all lived in Philadelphia. Both female grandparents  

were housewives. JP owned his own business installing fire escapes, but I'm told he was a poor business man. I believe John was a chauffeur. I never met Christine but was told she loved babies. Nellie, I knew, but found her to be a rather cranky person, as I recall. JP died when I was an infant, so I never really met him. John died when I was very young, but I do not remember him. 

    My mother told me a story that when I was about one and a half. My grandfather was visiting us and he asked me for the cookie.  I was eating and I handed 

it right over to him so he called me, "Kind Marie." Many years later when I was at a racetrack with my parents, a horse named "Kind Marie" was running, so, of course, my father placed a bet on him and won a little money. That's how I came to learn this story. A name tells people what to call them. A story let's people meet them. Here is my story.

Chapter 2 When and Where I was Born 

I was born in Philadelphia to William (Bill) and Mary Tierney. I am the oldest of eight (8), named Bill, Cathy, Danny, Patricia, Lucy, Christine and Joe. My parents moved from Philadelphia to Sunshine Road in Upper Darby, PA. Then when I was about seven (7) years old, we moved to Clearbrook Avenue in Drexel Hill, PA. 

    I played with kids on my block and I had friends in school. We played lots of boards games, such as Life, Parchesse, Shoots and Ladders. Card games, dress up, croquette and badminton were a lot of fun too. A couple of us had swings in the backyard with jungle-gyms. We rode 

our bikes all over, and I had a little transistor radio strapped to my handle bars and thought I was so cool. We also joined Clifton Swim Club when I was a teenager and I so enjoyed that. My father would always call me to get out of the pool, but I would pretend I did not hear him. I got in trouble. 

    I was a decent student in school. I remember a geometry problem on the board in my second year of high school at Prendergast High School.  The nun asked the class if anyone had figured it out. I thought I did, but I was in a class of really smart girls and no one volunteered to solve the problem. The nun asked if anyone had worked it out, and asked 

if anyone would be willing to come up to the board. I figured, why not? So I raised my hand and the surprised nun asked, "Marie Tierney?" I copied what I had and she said, "You solved it. Excellent!" I remember going back to my desk with my head held high. Yes! 

    The song "Keep your Head Up" connects to not only this instance but also reflects on how I live my life. It helps me to move forward and moving forward though hard made me who I am. 

Chapter 3 One day from my childhood  

    A momentous day in history for me has to be the day President John F. Kennedy was shot. I was in my second year of high school, in a literature class with Sister Rose Alma. We were studying Shakespeare and I loved it. The announcement came over the loudspeaker and everyone was shocked, and then started crying. I remember thinking, "How could a thing like that happen to a president, when he is always so well protected".

Chapter 4  Stories from my adulthood 

    One night there was a hurricane and my family had been without power all day. My husband Jim had to go to work and I was home with my little girls, Courtney and Chrissy. We had a fire in the fireplace and I opened up the pull-out  bed in the living room and started reading to my daughters. I was in the middle and each girl was on either side of me. All of a sudden, the lights come on and I was so relieved, but the girls asked me to turn the lights off and continue reading by flashlight.   

    Another night, I heard my husband, Jim, drive up the driveway after working the nightshift. But, he never came in the house. I wondered what was keeping him; so I went to the back door and saw him standing in our driveway, naked, hosing himself down. I was thankful it was dark. I asked what's going on? He told me he stopped by his mother's house to feed the cats because they were in Europe and we agreed to take care of them. The house had become infested with fleas and when Jim entered, the fleas must have all shouted, "DINNER". 

    Finally, there was the night of Chrissy's first dance recital. She wore a bright yellow costume with feathers and looked so cute. Chrissy's number was just about to start; so I went backstage to check on her but I could not find her. I asked around and someone told me she went to the ladies room. I went in to check and here one of the older girls was holding her high over the hand dryer because she wet her costume. She made the stage just a little damp. 

Chapter 5 A Turning Point 

        I was preparing my tenth or eleventh birthday party by making a list of neighborhood and school friends to invite. I had four or five close friends at school that I was inviting. One of my friends was named Josie, who was African American. When my mom found out that Josie was African American she said I could not invite her. I asked why and was told that no one would dance with her. I told my mother that I would dance with her but she still said no. I remember being very confused about that. I knew nothing of racism or discrimination. I just knew that I could not invite a friend because of her skin color. I will never forget how bad I felt

because Josie knew I was having a party. I feel bad to this day. When I caught on later in life, I realized how hurtful we humans can be to one another. I always try to treat everyone fairly by looking beyond people's physical appearance; always. 

    Another turning point in my life happened when Courtney was a young girl, about three or four years old. She was suffering from the croup and got so bad she had to be hospitalized. She was in a ward with an oxygen tank. I stayed with her all the time, and when she slept I would walk around just to get some exercise. A few rooms down from the ward there was a very sick 

child. I do not know the nature of the illness or if the patient was a boy or a girl. I just know it was bad because of all the long faces and serious looks of the staff taking care of this child. One night, as I was walking in the hall, I saw the father crying softly, sobbing in the arms of the attending physician. I will never forget those haunting sounds for as long as I live. The child had died. This made me realize how precious life is.