[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF CATHERINE FUREY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2003

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
life of Catherine Furey, a constituent of mine who recently passed 
away, and was proud to call Long Island home. She lived to mark a 
landmark occasion that many of us strive for but very few of us reach: 
Catherine lived to celebrate her 110th birthday.
  Catherine was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on April 6, 1893. At 
age 20, Catherine left her family and friends in Ireland to make a 
better life for herself in America. When she arrived in Boston, she 
immediately moved to Providence, Rhode Island where she joined an aunt 
to assist with the upkeep of the home of a Protestant minister. Later, 
Catherine traveled to New York City to serve as a caregiver for a 
sister struggling with tuberculosis.
  After her sister passed away, she began working for a wealthy family 
in Manhattan, tending the family's summer home in Long Beach. There she 
met and married Simon Furey. They moved to Hempstead where they raised 
two children and became active members of this Long Island community.
  In the 1950's, Catherine began an 11-year vocation with St. Joseph 
Catholic School in Garden City where she ran the cafeteria. She helped 
to see that countless schoolchildren were content and always received a 
warm meal. After her decade of service to the school, Catherine 
continued to work and to play an active role in the lives of children 
by serving as a babysitter for working families in our community, a job 
she happily performed until her early eighties.
  Last April on her birthday, Catherine received a letter from Mary 
McAleese, President of Ireland, congratulating her on being the oldest 
living Irishwoman. Catherine Furey was not only the oldest living 
Irishwoman, but also the oldest living Long Islander at the time of her 
death on December 2nd at the age of 110.
  It is amazing to think of the events Catherine experienced over the 
course of her lifetime. When she arrived in America looking for a 
better life, women could not vote and were not able to be full 
participants in society. She lived not only to see the role of women 
evolve, but to see this country emerge stronger than ever from World 
War I, World War II, and the Great Depression. New York was at the 
forefront of innovation during the past century, and she was right 
there to witness this tremendous transformation.
  Her life is an inspiring story of both strength and wisdom. She is 
survived by her son and daughter, along with 9 grandchildren and 14 
great-grandchildren.

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