Griffin/Saunders Family of Knocknaboley Wicklow

vin.jpg

Vincent Lawrence McCABEAge: 69 years19121981

Name
Vincent Lawrence McCABE
Birth February 18, 1912 34 31
Christening March 17, 1912 (Age 28 days)
Residence 1912
Shared note: Vin, Gene and Dolores McCabe joined Frank in Canada shortly after Vin's birth in 1912. Canadian records showed they crossed the border (immigrated) in May of 1912 on their way to the farm near Castor, Alberta.
Birth of a sisterFrances Merrill McCABE
August 17, 1913 (Age 17 months)
Death of a maternal grandfatherThomas GRIFFIN
January 13, 1924 (Age 11 years)
Birth of a son
#1
Philip Sheen McCABE
December 12, 1941 (Age 29 years)
Fact 3
Longshoreman
1945 (Age 32 years)

Birth of a daughter
#2
Donna Christine McCABE
October 17, 1946 (Age 34 years)
Birth of a daughter
#3
Ann Rita McCABE
July 23, 1949 (Age 37 years)
Death of a motherDolores Jane Isabel GRIFFIN
September 27, 1965 (Age 53 years)
Death of a fatherFrancis Peter McCABE
February 16, 1977 (Age 64 years)
_PHOTO

Death October 27, 1981 (Age 69 years)
Burial October 29, 1981 (2 days after death)
Family with parents - View this family
father
mother
Marriage: November 20, 1907Larimore, Grand Forks, North Dakota
11 months
elder brother
3 years
himself
18 months
younger sister
Family with Edna GANN - View this family
himself
wife
son
Private
son
Philip As Young ManPhilip Sheen McCABE
Birth: December 12, 1941 29 23Rio Hondo, Cameron, Tx
Death: December 5, 2003San Marcos, Hays, Tx
son
Private
son
Private
daughter
Donna McCabe - A Young GirlDonna Christine McCABE
Birth: October 17, 1946 34 28Harlingen, Cameron Co., TX, USA
Death: November 22, 1988Houston, Harris, Texas
son
Private
daughter
Ann Rita as a young schoolgirlAnn Rita McCABE
Birth: July 23, 1949 37 31Brownsville, Cameron, Texas
Death: April 18, 1992Brownsville, TX
daughter
Private
son
Private

Residence

Vin, Gene and Dolores McCabe joined Frank in Canada shortly after Vin's birth in 1912. Canadian records showed they crossed the border (immigrated) in May of 1912 on their way to the farm near Castor, Alberta.

Shared note

Vin McCabe, also known as V.L. McCabe, was born in Hegton Township, Grand Forks County, North Dakota on February 18, 1912. Vin and his parents, Frank and Dolores Griffin McCabe, immediately moved to Paintearth County , Alberta, Canada where Frank homesteaded. Because of the hardships of living on the Canadian prairie farm (for example, their sod home burned down, Frank's father died in North Dakota and Dolores' health was poor), the family returned to live in Larimore ND in 1915. Vin and his family moved to Rio Hondo, Tx in 1918 - taking a month to drive their car, which Frank had converted to a auto/camper, from North Dakota to Texas.

Vin was a bright precocious child, according to his mother. He could read and write before he went to school and he was musically talented. His mother, who played piano, said he could listen to his sister practice the piano and then sit down and play the music on his on. He did not like music lessons, so he did not become a skilled musician. In later years he would demonstrate his skill on the harmonic for his kids and grandkids.

Vin went to college at St. Edwards College in Austin Texas from 1928-1930. When the depression hit, his father Frank, who had prospered as an agribusinessman, suffered financially and Vin did not return to college. He worked at different jobs during the 1930s, including truck driving, produce buying, and a stint in the CCC in New Mexico building roads.

Vin married Edna GANN in San Benito Tx on June 25, 1939. They lived in Rio Hondo until WWII broke out when Vin went to Houston Tx to work in the shipyards as a winch operator. His family joined him in Pasadena Tx until the end of the war when they moved back to Rio Hondo in 1946.

About 1946, Vin became a longshoreman and he spent the rest of his life as an enthusiastic ILA union member. For most of his career he was an ordinary union member working on the docks but, because of his intelligence and reputation, for many years he was also a member of the governing council of the ILA in the Gulf Coast. For a while he was also the local ILA president in Brownsville, and he ended his carrer as the business agent for the local.

Vin was a strong, muscular man who was able to withstand the rigors of loading ships in Port Brownsville and Port Isabel. He was known for his skill on a ship's cable winches, but he was also respected as a man who could carry his load working in the hot, difficult environment of a ship's hold. Loading cotton bales into ships was the most lucrative but physically demanding task at Port Brownsville; Vin had few peers who could match his pace loading 500 pound cotton bales into 120 degree ship holds. A good worker like Vin could work 12-15 hour days, seven days a week, loading cotton from July through November and make enough money to survive during the slack time that followed when a longshoreman often could find work only 2 or 3 days a week).

BirthArticle in Grand Forks Herald, Mar 2 1912, Mentions Birth of VinArticle in Grand Forks Herald, Mar 2 1912, Mentions Birth of Vin
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ResidenceImmigration Crossing at Greta, Manitoba.Immigration Crossing at Greta, Manitoba.
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_FA3Vin McCabe working cotton bale in hold of ship circa 1946Vin McCabe working cotton bale in hold of ship circa 1946
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DeathVin's ObituaryVin's Obituary
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Media objectvin.jpg
vin.jpg
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Media objectVincent in the 1930'sVincent in the 1930's
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Media objectVin in the 1950'sVin in the 1950's
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Media objectVin with wife and father circa 1960sVin with wife and father circa 1960s
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Media objectVin as a longshoreman circa 1960Vin as a longshoreman circa 1960
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Media objectVin In High Chair, Age 1, 1913Vin In High Chair, Age 1, 1913
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