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A Very Short History of James Dore and Mary Bambury

James Joseph Dore was born about 1868, probably in Ballyeagh, a townland near Ballybunion, the seaside resort town near the mouth of the River Shannon in Co. Kerry, Ireland.

Our best information is that his father was named Cornelius Dore, and his mother was named Johanna Stack. They were married in 18XX and had several children, among them James, William, Cornelius, David (b.abt 1850, d. 1936), John, and another brother who emigrated to Australia.

Cornelius Dore lived to over 100. Little is known of James's siblings except for David, who married Mary Allen and sired at least ten children.

James emigrated to the US about 1890, and settled in Chicago.

James Dore, 1927

Mary Josephine Bambury was born on 10 May 1871 in Bedford, a small hamlet about a mile north of the market town of Listowel, in the farmland of north Kerry. She was the oldest daughter of Thomas Bambury (1834-1922), of Listowel, and the former Mary Kirby (1835-1909), from Derry, a town a few miles northeast of Listowel. Her older siblings were Richard (b.1861), James (b.1864), Maurice (b.1868); her younger siblings were Margaret (b.1874), Honora (b.1876), John (b.1878), Bartholomew (7 Mar 1879 - 20 Jan 1972), and Bridget (b.1881). Mary emigrated to the US in the early 1890's; family lore has it she came over to "keep house" for her older brothers, Richard and Maurice (and perhaps James, although he is believed to have returned to Ireland). Family lore further has it Mary met James Dore when he roomed with one of her brothers. But it's not clear when or where any of this was, as Richard and Maurice eventually settled near St. Paul and established large families there.
		Mary Bambury, 1890's

James Dore and Mary Bambury wed on 28 Apr 1896 at St. Malachy's church on Chicago's West Side. They had nine children:

Mary Josephine Dore (1897-1996). "Mae" was a clerk for the Chicago gas utility company. Her husband, Pat Cussen, died in 1945. They had no children.
James Joseph Dore, Jr. (1898-1928). Jim worked as a chauffeur and a teamster, but picked up extra money playing college and pro football in his teens and twenties. He married Marie Triest (1901?-1986), and they had one son and three daughters. Jim died after being shot while trying to mediate a domestic dispute between a neighboring couple. Their children are: James Joseph III (1920-1979), Dorothy Marie (1921-2007), Jeanne Theresa (b.1924), and Elizabeth Mary ("Betty," 1926-2009).
Cornelius Francis Dore (1900-1984). "Red" was a gregarious fellow who worked for the City of Chicago in various senior capacities, finishing his career as Deputy Coroner in the 1960's. He married Agnes Delilah ("Lila") Flynn (1897-1971), and they had one son, Cornelius Francis, Jr. ("Bob", 1926-1990).
Norena Agnes Dore (1901-1955). "Noreen" also worked for the City of Chicago, including a tour as secretary to the Mayor in the early 1950's. She married Clifford Severin Hermanson (1899-1995), a conductor on the streetcars, in 1925, and they had three sons and two daughters: Clifford Thomas (b.1926), Robert David (1929-2000), Janet Marie (1930-1997), Donald Joseph (1934-2009), and Judith Marie (b.1941).
Thomas Vincent Dore (1904-1971). Tom and his wife, the former Irma Mae McCahill ("Mae TV", 1907-1997), ran an ecclesiastical supplies business from their Chicago home after Tom retired from Sears. They had two daughters and a son: Sharon Ann (b.1932), Thomas McCahill (b.1935), and Alanna (b.1943).
Cecelia Joanne Dore (1907-1985). "Ceil" married Joseph Daniel ("J Dan") Delanty (1903-1973), a steel company executive, and they moved around a bit before settling near St. Louis. They had five sons: Daniel James (b.1932), Thomas Alan (b.1935), Stephen Edwin (b.1938), Paul Kirby (b.1941), and Edwin Patrick (b.1946).
Margaret Adele Dore (1909-1997). "Ad" married Ferdinand George ("Fred") Heidemann II (1907-1991), with whom she had three sons: "Fred" III (1929-2015), Larry David (b.1935), and Paul Jerome (b.1940).
Edwin Richard Dore (1913-1945). Ed was a clerk in a Rogers Park drugstore, and never married nor had children. He was in his late 20's when he was drafted into the Army during WWII, and he died in action in the Philippines in March 1945.
Leo Joseph Dore (1915) died at four months of age from pneumonia.

James and Mary lived in various apartments on the Near West Side of Chicago (298 Fulton St., 1120 W. Adams St.) before purchasing their first house at 6037 N. Lincoln St. (now Wolcott Ave.) in Rogers Park in the mid-1910's. In the mid-1920's they moved to a brick bungalow at 2107 W. Birchwood Ave. in Rogers Park. They were parishioners first at "Old" St. Patrick's on the Near West Side, and then, after they moved to Rogers Park, at St. Margaret Mary's.

James was employed by the City of Chicago, eventually becoming a sub-foreman in the sewers department. He was killed in an automobile accident at Clark St. near 15th St. on 12 Dec 1927, age about 59, a grandfather of six.

Mary finished raising the children, became the doting grandmother ("Gramma Dore") of 14 boys and 7 girls, and during her lifetime welcomed 6 great-grandsons and 3 great-granddaughters. (Eventually, there were 58 great-grandchildren. As of 2008, there are 83 great-great grandchildren and 18 great-great-great grandchildren.)

Mary returned to Ireland only once, in 1939, but her planned year-long visit was curtailed by the abrupt onset of WWII, and she made a rough passage home in the coastwise steamer "Iroquois" as part of a large exodus of neutrals from Europe. Toward the end of her life she lived with her son, Tom, and his wife Mae TV. She passed away on 25 March 1956 at age 84..