Other Events:

• Military Service (Specific): World War II Staff Sergeant United States Army Purple Heart
• Residence: 20 Jan 1920, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Residence: 24 Apr 1930, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Education: 1933, Renaker High School, Harrison County, Kentucky; High School Graduate
• Residence: 1935, 36 Euclid Street, Ludlow, Kenton County, Kentucky
• Residence: 11 Apr 1940, 36 Euclid Street, Ludlow, Kenton County, Kentucky

Notes:

[Schimka.ged]

1 _FA1
2 PLAC Buried in Ravencreek Cemetery, Harrison Co., Kentucky.
1 _FA2
2 PLAC Social Security Number: 269-05-8024

Reportedly injured at Normandy during the D-Day invasion of World War II. (Source: Donna Lynne Boyle).

Birth:
The attending physician listed on James' birth certificate was W.B. Robinson (William Butler Robinson) who was the 3rd cousin, twice removed of James on his mother's side of the family.

James Mildred E Whitley 13 Apr 1946. Mildred 23 Oct 1924; 06 Jan 1979; Jan 1979Raven Creek Cemetery, Harrison County, Kentucky. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Date of marriage is included on the cemetery marker of James and Mildred.

Other Events:

• Military Service (Specific): Spanish-American War Company M, 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Volunteer Infantry
• Residence: 22 Jul 1870, Ward 9, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1 Jun 1875, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 04 Jun 1880, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 01 Jun 1885, Ward 9, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1891, 242 Willard Ave., Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; City Directory Listing Occupation: Jeweler
• Residence: 4 Feb 1895, Lawrenceville, Mercer County, New Jersey; Stated residence at the time of his first marriage.
• Residence: 17 Aug 1896, Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut; Employed as a waitor at Stamford Hall Sanitorium
• Military Service: 11 Jun 1898, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina; Enlisted for service in the Spanish-American War.
• Military Service: 29 Aug 1898, St Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia; Discharged from Service
• Known Presence: 06 Feb 1899, Massachusetts; Filed for pension
• Military Pension: 06 Feb 1899; Pension Application File Number: C2541-659 (Spanish American War)
• Military Pension: 06 Feb 1899; Pension Application Number: 1,218,640 (Spanish American War)
• Military Pension: 06 Feb 1899; Pension Certificate Number: 1,039,467 (Spanish American War)
• Residence: 31 Jan 1900, New York, New York; 170 Bleecker Street
• Known Presence: 09 Feb 1900, Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut; At Stamford Hall Sanitorium
• Residence: 14 Apr 1900, Westchester County, NY; Globe Avenue
• Residence: 16 Jun 1900, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Central Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Known Presence: 08 Aug 1900, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Residence: 09 Oct 1900, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Residence: 22 May 1901, South Wilton, Fairfield County, Connecticut
• Residence: 23 Aug 1901, Albany, Greene County, Tennessee
• Residence: 13 Sep 1901, Waynetown, Montgomery County, Indiana
• Known Presence: 31 Oct 1901, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Residence: 09 Dec 1901, Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois; National Home for Disabled Veterans
• Known Presence: 28 Aug 1903, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Known Presence: 28 Mar 1910, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Residence: 26 Apr 1910, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Known Presence: 30 Dec 1913, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Known Presence: 02 Feb 1914, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Known Presence: 18 Aug 1916, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Miscellaneous: 22 Aug 1916, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Letter from the Central Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soliers concerning her husband.
• Known Presence: 13 Dec 1917, Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4100 West 3rd Street, Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio; Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
• Residence: 20 Jan 1920, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Residence: 24 Apr 1930, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Residence: 1 May 1940, 714 Main St., Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky
• Residence: 07 Oct 1945, 714 Main St., Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky; Residence at the time of his death.

Notes:

John Francis Boyle is buried in the Ravencreek Cemetery, formerly called Kinman Cemetery. Ravencreek Cemetery is located on the Hinton-Webber Road near the small town of Hinton which is located in Harrison County, Kentucky.
John spoke of an uncle living in Baltimore, Maryland who owned an Oldsmobile Dealership. This was around the 1920's or 1930's (Howard Francis Boyle).
Sometime after his son Howard Francis was born, John began his drinking spells and would from time to time, disappear to places unknown. Family speculation is that John would go up around New York. This is interesting since he put down New York City as his place of birth when he signed up for the Spanish War. According to Howard, his father would contact Maude from the Dayton Ohio Soldiers' Home, where he would go to "sober up," and she would send him money to come home.
Further research has proven that John was frequently away from his home, but in many cases he was summoned to appear at soldiers' homes in various places such as Dayton, Ohio and Johnson City, Tennessee. Some of his absences from the family might have been related to these summons orders. The reason for the summons were for follow up examinations during his lengthy battle to approve his pension based upon his service during the 1898 Spanish-American War (War with Spain).

In 2011, fifteen years or so after writing the comments above, I went back to the large pension file of John Francis Boyle to see if I could locate him in the 1900s. Of all the census years available, 1900 was the only year I was never able to locate him. His pension file is rather large, two inches thick of legal size pages and all of them printed on both sides. I began combing through the pension looking for any documents around the 1900 time period that also listed a place. In doing this, I quickly located him in a soldiers home in Jefferson, Ohio both on the 1900 Census and I found some images of a register from the soldier's home as well. John checked into the home multiple times between 1900 and 1917. Every record of him checking in is accompanied with a reason for discharge from the soldier's home. Except for the last entry, discharged at his own request, he is discharged by reason of A.W.O.L. (absent without leave). It would seem that John was something of a free spirit but for someone who was purportedly very secretive, he left behind a huge paper trail. I'm sure there are many documents out there still, waiting to be found.


Residence:
Occupation: Jewler

Residence:
Occupation: Jewler

Military Service:
Occupation: Clerk (at enlistment)

Military Service:
Honorably discharged by Major J. K. Stockard, Chief Surgeon 2nd N.C. Infantry U.S.V. due to Pulmonary Hemorrhage.

From his service record, not yet scanned.

Military Pension:
This pension file is huge; literally hundreds of pages of legal-size documents printed on both sides. It is not feasable to post the entire document. A few of the highly relevant documents will be posted as they are scanned.

Residence:
John definitely spent time in the Soldiers Home in Ohio but he may have spent time in as many as three other Soldiers Homes between the years 1900-1917. I have found records of admission for John in four separate homes but many of the dates overlap exactly and the documents do not differentiate the home for which the admission and discharge dates apply. Without additional information, the exact home he was at during the recorded dates cannot be known with certainty. All of the documents will be attached on this first entry for his admissions to the Soldiers Homes.

Occupation: Inmate (Patient at Soldiers Home)

Residence:
Occupation: Mail Carrier

Residence:
Occupation: Railroad Laborer

Residence:
Occupation: Laborer "Steam Railroad"

Residence:
Occupation: Unable to work

John Maude Belle Thompson 23 Nov 1904Williamstown, Grant County, Kentucky. Maude (daughter of Robert T. Thompson and Nancy Katherine Skinner) 21 Sep 1878 Scott County, Kentucky; 05 Oct 1933Hinton, Harrison County, Kentucky; 8 Oct 1933Raven Creek Cemetery, Harrison County, Kentucky. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 11 Jun 1900, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 26 Apr 1910, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Miscellaneous: 22 Aug 1916, Hinton, Harrison County, Kentucky; Letter from the Central Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soliers concerning her husband.
• Miscellaneous: 23 Apr 1917, Hinton, Harrison County, Kentucky; Maude Belle Thompson-Boyle's second letter to the government pension board.
• Residence: 24 May 1917, Hinton, Harrison County, Kentucky; Maude wrote to the Commissioner of Pensions inquiring after her husband, John Francis Boyle, who had left home again. Maude was trying to get ahead of John and redirect the portion of his pension that was due to her. John abandoned his family on multiple occassions and when he left, would take all their savings as well as change his address for receipt of his pension checks.
• Residence: 20 Jan 1920, Harrison County, Kentucky
• Residence: 24 Apr 1930, Harrison County, Kentucky

Notes:

My grandfather, Howard Francis Boyle, once told me this story:
Maude had a large dark birthmark on her elbow. Maude's mother, Kate Skinner, was pregnant when she saw a drunken black women at a saloon. Kate, would tell Maude that she got the birthmark from the drunk woman.

Miscellaneous:
During another of her husband's absences, Maude wrote to the government pension board explaining that John had left her at home with their five children as he had done on many previous occasions and taken all the money with him. By this time Maude seemed to be quite desperate to provide a means of support for her children and was contemplating divorce. She asked the government about obtaining a portion of John's pension and whether she would still be entitled if they were no longer married.

Notes:

John Francis Boyle was a secretary and treasurer for the Junior Lodge and Maude was a secretary and treasurer for the Daughters of the American Revolution. It was at one of these meetings that John and Maude met (Howard Francis Boyle).
DJS - I have not been able to prove either of these services. I did check with the nearest chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and they were unable to find Maude listed as a DAR member. She could have performed a clerical job and not been a member.
30 July 2011: I have still never proven the services mentioned above however, further research uncovered that Maude was a direct descendant of at least two Revolutionary War soldiers who are recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Their names and DAR Ancestor numbers are:
Francis Robinson: DAR# A097441
John Barnes: DAR# A006344
5 May 2012: Earlier in the year, 2012, I was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution based upon the service of John Barnes (DJS).

Married:
Married at the Thompson Hotel in Williamtown, Grant County, Kentucky by Clay Conrad J.G.C.C. (Probably Justice Grant County Court).

Other Events:

• DCAUSE: The cause is stated in John Francis Boyle's pension from the Spanish American War - specifically, in the deposition taken from James Boyle, younger brother of John Boyle and Uncle of John Francis Boyle (the Spanish American War pensioner).
• Military Service (Specific): Civil War (Union) Company C, 2nd Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry
• Residence: 5 Sep 1850, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1858, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1 Jun 1860, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 14 Jun 1860, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; 1st Ward
• Residence: 1861, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; City directory listing. Occupation: Lather
• Residence: 1 Jun 1861, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Known Presence: Jun 1861 - 16 Jul 1861, Camp Sprague, Washington, D.C.; At Camp
• Known Presence: 16 Jul 1861 - 21 Jul 1861; Advance on Manasses, Virginia
• Known Presence: 21 Jul 1861; Battle of Bull Run
• Known Presence: 22 Jul 1861 - Mar 1862, Camp Sprague and Brightwood, Washington, D.C.; Defense of Washington
• Known Presence: 11 Mar 1862 - 15 Mar 1862; March to Prospect Hill, Va.
• Known Presence: 26 Mar 1862, Alexandria, Virginia; Embarked for the peninsula
• Known Presence: 05 Apr 1862 - 04 May 1862, Yorktown, York County, Virginia; Siege of Yorktown (1862)
• Known Presence: 05 May 1862, Williamsburg, Virginia; Battle of Williamsburg
• Known Presence: 09 May 1862, Slatersville and New Kent, Virginia; Skirmishes
• Known Presence: 31 May 1862 - 01 Jun 1862, Henrico County, Virginia; Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks
• Residence: 1 Jun 1862, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Known Presence: 25 Jun 1862, Henrico County, Virginia; Battle of Oak Grove
• Known Presence: 29 Jun 1862, Henrico County, Virginia; James River Road near Fair Oaks
• Known Presence: 30 Jun 1862, Henrico County, Virginia; Battle of White Oak Swamp
• Known Presence: 01 Jul 1862, Henrico County, Virginia; Battle of Malvern Hill
• Known Presence: 02 Jul 1862 - 15 Aug 1862, Charles City County, Virginia; At Harrison's Landing
• Known Presence: 15 Aug 1862 - 01 Sep 1862, Alexandria, Virginia; March to Alexandria
• Known Presence: 03 Sep 1862 - 18 Sep 1862, Maryland; March into Maryland
• Known Presence: 23 Sep 1862 - 20 Oct 1862, Downsville, Washington County, Maryland; At Downsville
• Known Presence: 20 Oct 1862 - 18 Nov 1862, Stafford County, Virginia; Movement to Stafford Court House
• Known Presence: 05 Dec 1862, Belle Plain, Virginia; March to Belle Plain
• Known Presence: 12 Dec 1862 - 15 Dec 1862, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Battle of Fredericksburg
• Known Presence: 20 Jan 1863 - 24 Jan 1863, Virginia; Mud March
• Known Presence: 29 Apr 1863 - 02 May 1863, Virginia; Operations about Franklin's Crossing
• Known Presence: 03 May 1863, Marye's Heights, Virginia; Second Battle of Fredericksburg
• Known Presence: 04 May 1863, Spotsylvania County, Virginia; Banks' Ford
• Known Presence: 03 May 1863 - 04 May 1863, Spotsylvania County, Virginia; Salem Heights
• Known Presence: 27 Apr 1863 - 06 May 1863; Chancellorsville Campaign
• Residence: Jun 1863, 75 Randall St, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; John's Residence as reported on U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865. However, at this time, John was already in the service and this information must have been obtained by the enumerator asking neighbors or other family members.
• Known Presence: 05 Jun 1863 - 13 Jun 1863, Virginia; Battle of Deep Run Ravine or Franklin's Crossing
• Known Presence: 2 Jul-4 Jul 1863, Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania; Battle of Gettysburg
• Known Presence: 10 Jul 1863 - 13 Jul 1863, Funkstown, Washington County, Maryland; Battle of Funkstown
• Known Presence: Aug 1863 - Sep 1863, Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia; At Warrenton
• Known Presence: 09 Oct 1863 - 22 Oct 1863, Virginia; Bristoe Campaign
• Known Presence: 07 Nov 1863, Rappahannock Station (Now Remington), Fauquier County, Virginia
• Known Presence: 07 Nove 1863 - 08 Nov 1863, Virginia; Advance to line of the Rappahannock
• Known Presence: 26 Nov 1863 - 02 Dec 1863, Orange County, Virginia; Mine Run Campaign
• Known Presence: Dec 1863 - May 1864, Brandy Station, Culpeper, Virginia; At Brandy Station
• Occupation: 05 Jun 1861 - 17 Jun 1864; Union Soldier, Company C, 2nd Rhode Island Infantry
• Occupation: Aft 17 Jun 1864, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; Carpenter
• Residence: 22 Jul 1870, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1 Jun 1875, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; 1875 State Census
• Residence: 04 Jun 1880, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 01 Jun 1885, Ward 9, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: Jun 1890, 242 Willard Ave., Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1891, 242 Willard Ave., Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; City directory listing. Occupation: Laborer
• Residence: 25 Feb 1891, 142 Willard Ave., Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island

Notes:

* * * Important * * * 1850 Census in Rhode Island (the family is listed under the name "Ball") John's birth place is given as New Jersey as is his next older brother, Patrick. Marriage Record of John and Bridget says Whitehall, PA.

1860 Census in Rhode Island - Head of Household is Andrew Boyle and also in the home is Andrew's mother, Rosanna and the rest of her children with the exception of Patrick. In this census year, Andres and John both list New Jersey as their place of birth.

John Boyle served in Company C of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry beginning just days after his marriage in 1861 until mustering out 17 June 1863. John filed for a pension later in life but died before it was approved. His wife, Bridget, took up the plea for her husband's pension and she was awarded his pension in 1892 after relatives and family friends signed affidavits in her favor as well as providing proof of her marriage in the form of a certified death certificate and a certified marriage certificate. These documents are included in the pension file. John's service included such famous battles as the Battle of Bull Run where it is said that the 2nd Rhode Island was among the few units to have made a relatively organized retreat back to the safety of Washington D.C. and Gettysburg where the 2nd Rhode Island were among the reserve units.

Researchers please note: Documentation that I am looking for is a birth record or christening if one exists. I have identified John's faith at the time of his marriage as Roman Catholic. The pastor who performed the marriage in Providence, RI was Patrick Lambe, R.C. Pastor. According to John's death certificate, he was born in Whitehall, PA.

RESEARCH: John and Bridget may have lived in New Bedford, MA in 1890. There is a John Boyle and Bridget Boyle that show up in an Ancestry.Com city directory database in that year.

Birth:
The place of John's birth varies by record during his lifetime.

1850: On this census enumeration John's place of birth is given as New Jersey.
1860: U.S. Census, birth place, New Jersey.
1861: Marriage Certificate, birth place, Pennsylvania.
1863: Civil War Draft Registration his place of birth is Pennsylvania.
1870: U.S. Census, birth place, Rhode Island.
1875: Rhode Island State Census, birth place, Pennsylvania.
1880: U.S. Census, birth place, Pennsylvania.
1885: Rhode Island State Census, birth place, Pennsylvania.
1891: Death Certificate, birth place, Whitehall, Pennsylvania.




Residence:
Occupation: Carpenter

John Bridget Branigan 02 Jun 1861Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island. Bridget (daughter of John Branigan and Margaret) about 1841 Ireland; 26 Apr 1897Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 22 Jul 1870, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 1 Jun 1875, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 4 Jun 1880, 60 Clinton Street, Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
• Residence: 14 Nov 1891, 242 Willard Ave., Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; Bridget Branigan-Boyle's address on this date when she filled out the Declaration for Widow's Pension form to claim a pension based upon her husband's service during the Civil War.
• Military Pension: 31 May 1897, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; Notification was sent from the U.S. Pension Agency at Boston, MA that Bridget Boyle was dropped from the pension roll due to her reported death.

Notes:

[Schimka.ged]

RESEARCH: Below is a reference to a death date of Bridget Boyle in RhodeIsland (Ancestry.Com database).
It is possible that this is the wife of John Boyle, Bridget Brannigan-Boyle.
The date is within one month of my approximated death date based on other documents in my collection.

RESEARCH: Name Relation Kin 1 Kin 2 Death Date Age
Bridget Boyle wid John Boyle Catherine Boyle 26 Apr 1897 53 yrs

Military Pension:
Bridget's husband, John Boyle, died during the process of application for a Civil War pension for three years of service. Bridget completed the application process and was granted a widow's pension. This document marks the date that Bridget was dropped from the Pension Roll. That date was March 4, 1897. (May 31, 1897 is the date the document was created).

Other Events:

• Residence: 24 Sep 1850, Grant County, Kentucky; At home with parents
• Residence: 17 Aug 1860, Grant County, Kentucky; At home with parents
• Education: 07 Jun 1870, Cordova, Grant County, Kentucky; Student of Medicine
• Residence: 07 Jun 1870, Cordova, Grant County, Kentucky; At home with parents
• Occupation: Between 1880 and 1920; Farmer
• Residence: 17 Jun 1880, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 11 Jun 1900, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 15 Apr 1910, Scott County, Kentucky; Stonewall Voting Precinct
• Residence: 08 Jan 1920, Stonewall, Scott County, Kentucky

Notes:

Residence:
According to information on the 1900 Census, Robert Thompson owned a farm which was free of any mortgage.

Robert Nancy Katherine Skinner 12 Feb 1874Scott County, Kentucky. Nancy (daughter of Hezekiah S. Skinner and Elizabeth Fields) 25 Sep 1854 Scott County, Kentucky; 12 May 1934239 Forest Ave, Ludlow, Kenton County, Kentucky; 15 May 1934Skinner Family Cemetery, Stonewall, Scott, KY, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 19 Jul 1860, Scott County, Kentucky
• Residence: 12 Jul 1870, Scott County, Kentucky
• Residence: 17 Jun 1880, Sadieville, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 11 Jun 1900, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 15 Apr 1910, Scott County, Kentucky; Big Eagle (Sadieville) District.
• Residence: 8 Jan 1920, Dixie Highway, Scott County, Kentucky; Stonewall Voting Precinct
• Residence: 21 Apr 1930, 239 Forest Ave, Ludlow, Kenton County, Kentucky

Notes:

Below, stories passed down to me, David J. Schimka, from my grandfather, Howard Francis Boyle.

Katherine's parents owned land and slaves. When their children were grown they were given some land and a number of horses. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate soldiers would stop at their home to take flour and exchange their tired horses for fresh ones.

Kate outlived her daughter Maude. After Robert died, she tried to live at her home but wasn't able to. She then lived with her daughter Maude and finally with her daughter Cora after Maude died. She died in Ludlow, Kenton County, Kentucky while she was living with Cora. Maude lived until 1933 so Kate's death date is during or after 1933. I don't know when or where Cora died.

Name:
Nancy seems to have gone by her middle name for most of her life and in particular, by her nickname, Kate, which is how my grandfather, Howard Francis Boyle, referred to her when he first told me about his family in Kentucky. Kate was his grandmother and he knew her personally when he was a child.