Helen M. Daley 1909 - 1997



Birth Record For Helen Daley

Helen M. Daley was the daughter of my great-great grandparents, John J. Daley and Ellen Tully. I had occasionally heard my father speak of his aunt Helen, who was really his great aunt. My father said that Helen Daley was the sibling who my grandfather, Peter Francis Daley Sr. was closest with, probably due to the fact she was nearest to him in age. However, what my grandfather did not know until about 1979, was that Helen was really his aunt. Although Helen was close with my grandfather and lived until 1997, we never met, something which I regret in retrospect.

Helen was bornto John Daley and Ellen Tully 23 August 1909. Like all of John and Ellen’s children, she was born in Boston, Ma. In the US Census I find Helen living with her borth family in Dorchester until 1930. Although I do not have the record, I know she married a man named Charles J. Stravin (1909 – 1982) sometime between 1930 and 1935. In 1937 I find this couple living in Boston in the US City Directories. Together the couple had at least one son named Charles J. Stravin Jr, who was born 6 September 1941.

I have been told that Charles Stravin Sr. owned and operated the L Street Tavern in South Boston, which has been made more well known by the movie Good Will Hunting. Charles Stravin the younger operated L Street Liquors. This was easily verified using the Boston City Directory for 1969. These men emplyed my grandfather, Peter Francis Daley Sr, at both locations.

The L Street Tavern - South Boston



The Stravins in the 1969 Directory for the City of Boston

 Helen M. Daley died in Mattapan 17 July 1997. I would really have loved to have met her and had the opportunity to learn what she knew about my grandfather and the origins of the Daley Clan. Her husband, Charles J. Stravin Sr, died 3 November 1982 in the town of Milton. Their son, Charles Stravin Jr, married a woman named Margaret Finch. Charles Jr died only fairly recently in October of 2002. Although I can’t verify it with a document, I believe they had at least one son named Charles J. Stravin III. I will continue to follow up on research concerning this family as I attempt to trace all the living descendants of John Daley and Ellen Tully.