I decided to write about a red bead rosary that used to belong to my Great Grandmother, Adele Keigher, on my mother’s side. My grandmother’s relatives immigrated from Ireland to the United States around 1870.  My Irish relatives were strong followers of Catholicism.  The Catholic faith was passed down by generation and continues to be strong in my family today.  I talked to my grandmother about the significance of this red bead rosary. She told me that my great grandmother would pray the rosary in her bed every night. She was a woman of great faith.  Her and her husband lived on a farm in Illinois and had five children.  I think she prayed the rosary for good crops and the safety of her family.  After my great grandmother passed away, my grandmother acquired the rosary. My grandmother told me that she keeps the rosary in the closet under the stairs in her house.  This is the place that she and my grandfather go for shelter when there are tornadoes here in Oklahoma.  My grandmother prays the rosary for safety, just like my great grandmother did decades ago.  I hope this rosary will be passed down for many generations as a symbol of my family’s Catholic faith from Ireland. 
 

– Brendan Chalmers

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more