Saturday, February 11, 2012 @ 10am – Passaic County Genealogy Society
Lambert Castle ∙ 3 Valley Road ∙ Paterson, NJ 07503
Join Maureen for a discussion of her book Past-Forward, the search for her Grandmother Kate’s Irish ancestral roots and the surprising and poignant discoveries along the way.
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11-24-2011 – Womens Memoirs awards Maureen first place in their “Gratitude is Evergreen” Writing Contest for her essay:
The Angels of Sligo General
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Maureen featured in Wall Street Journal article – 11-22-2011:
Tea & Tales of Olde Jersey City – Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 @ 2pm - Historic Harsimus/Jersey City Cemetery Benefit 435 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ
Join Maureen for a relaxing, warm cup of tea and a lively discussion of her years of genealogical searching that led to surprising, sometimes shocking and often poignant discoveries and led to the publication of her two books about life in 1800s to early 1900s NJ and NYC. (Donations will benefit the restoration of the historic Harsimus Cemetery.) For more information, call 201-707-0738 or go to www.jerseycitycemetery.org.
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Book Festival – Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 - 10am – 4pm – Van Vorst Park, Jersey City, NJ
Join Maureen and other local authors for the 4th Annual “A Tale of Our City” book festival, sponsored by the Jersey City Public Library. Meet the authors, book signings and readings in a lovely park setting across the street from the Library (472 Jersey Ave, Jersey City). Come over and talk “Jersey.”
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Genealogy Talk & Book Signing: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 @ 7 pm – Woodbridge Public Library:
Join others to hear Maureen talk about the how-tos of genealogical research and her own quest to find her Irish ancestral roots which led to her book: Past-Forward: a three-decade and three-thousand-mile journey home. Q&A and book-signing to follow. There will be books available for purchase. The Library is located at 1 George Frederick Plaza Woodbridge, NJ 07095
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Book Review: Genealogical Society of New Jersey - January 2011:
Past-Forward “is an account of the family of Owen and Mary Flannelly of County Sligo, Ireland, focusing on their son William Flannelly and his wife Mary Lang who immigrated to Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. It is an excellent example of taking genealogy far beyond just names and dates, by including personal stories, summaries of the research process, and what emotions are uncovered in the quest for finding our ancestors. Maureen Wlodarczyk does a superb job in illustrating her own personal journey in researching the Flannelly family – from seeking records overseas, the frustrations of searching through microfilmed records, and the joys of uncovering lost information. This book is not just valuable to those interested in the Flannelly family, but anyone who has an interest in the journey of seeking their ancestors.”
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-Web Radio Interview – Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 10pm - Maureen will be the guest on the Moebanshee Visionary Radio show. The conversation will include genealogical searching, Maureen’s three decade search for her Irish roots and the role her intuitiveness plays in her life.
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-Book Signing – Saturday, October 9, 2010 (10am-2pm) – Join Maureen at the Hudson County Genealogical Society Event:
Come Home to History: Celebrating 350 Years of Hudson County’s Heritage History Fair
Location: Hudson County Community College
The Culinary Conference Center
161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City, NJ 07306
For more information about the event presentations, exhibits and workshops:
http://www.hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org/historyfair2010/2010-10-09_fair.html
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-Interview with Maureen – The Irish Letter Blog: http://irelandfun.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/author-interview-a-30-year-search-for-an-irish-familys-history/
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-Book Review: 4-29-2010 Westfield Leader:
Sayreville Author Moves
Forward By Sailing Into Past
By MARYLOU MORANO
Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times
WESTFIELD – The pursuit of her Irish family roots took Sayreville author Maureen Wlodarczyk 35 years in time and three thousand miles in travel, but in the end, she discovered a family history that reaches back 200 years. Ms. Wlodarczyk writes about her quest in her book “Past-Forward: A three-decade and three-thousand mile journey home,” which is written as a collection of letters to her deceased grandmother, Kate Whalen.
Tracing her ancestral history, which the author began while her grandmother was living, was not easy, as Kate’s short childhood had held many disappointments. Kate’s mother died young of tuberculosis, and her alcoholic father eventually placed Kate and her siblings into the care of various relatives while he joined the Army.
“When I repeatedly asked [my grandmother] about her childhood and her Irish roots, she reacted with surprise that I …would be interested, saying, ‘It was all in the past, and doesn’t matter anymore,’” writes Ms. Wlodarczyk in the introduction of her book. Ms. Wlodarczyk’s painstaking research on both sides of the Atlantic led to the discovery that Kate’s great-grandparents, William and Mary Lang Flannelly, were married in Doonflin Upper, Skreen, County Sligo, on March 6, 1832, and subsequently had seven children.
In 1846, during the potato blight and Great Famine, the Flannelly family set sail for the United States on the packet ship, The Marmion. They eventually joined a large population of Irish immigrants who had settled in Jersey City.
In addition to learning how Ms. Wlodarczyk traced the history of the Flannelly Clan, readers of “Past – Forward” will be treated to glimpses of life in the pre-Jersey City days when it was known as Paulus Hook, as well as interesting facts about the experiences of Hudson County soldiers during the Civil War. Ms. Wlodarczyk follows her family’s legacy up until 1935, the year of Kate’s father’s death.
“Solving the mystery of my grandmother Kate’s Irish family roots and discovering the multigenerational trials and tragedies that family experienced…has made my love, respect and admiration for her resonatewith the realization of how much our ancestors sacrificed and endured so that we might live,” said Ms. Wlodarczyk.
The book is well-researched, with references to documented historical sources. Ms. Wlodarczyk’s shares her experience as a genealogical researcher with others who are attempting to trace their family’s ancestry.
“I now make it a point to emphasize the importance of seeking out the oldest living family members, i n c l u d i n g extended family and even estranged family if you can get their cooperation,” she writes. “I can think of a hundred questions I could have and should have asked [Kate].”
In addition to her genealogical work, Ms. Wlodarczyk is a senior operations manager and consultant in the commercial real-estate financial-services industry. She is also a hobbyist folk artist and painter, as well as an antique collector. She presently serves as an officer in the Flannelly Clan Organization, based in Dublin, Ireland.
