Alice Jane Shanahan came into the world sometime in 1859, born in Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, to Stephen Shanahan and his wife, Ellen.
By 1865, the family was living in Watervliet – she was seven, growing up in a household that was, for a time, still whole. But sorrow found Alice Jane early. In 1870, when she was only eleven, her mother, Ellen, passed away—just 37 years old. It must have changed everything. Four years later, in 1874, loss came again. Her father, Stephen, died at 39, leaving sixteen-year-old Alice Jane at the head of the family far too soon.
It’s hard not to pause there—to imagine a young girl, barely more than a child herself, suddenly carrying the weight of a family name and the care of her younger siblings. A heavy responsibility for such young shoulders.
The 1880 New York Census offers us a small glimpse into Alice Jane’s world at 22. She was working as a housekeeper then, making her way in West Troy, Albany, and living at 217 Genesee Street. That stretch of the street is long gone now—swallowed up by time and replaced by a park.
Alice wasn’t alone. Her sisters, Mary (19) and Nellie (20)—later known as Helen—were there with her. No occupation was listed for Helen that year; perhaps she was in school or college training as a chiropodist. But Mary was already earning her wage as a collar worker, one of the many women feeding the booming collar industry that kept Troy’s factories running.
It’s a quiet snapshot of three young women—sisters leaning on each other.
Alice, at about 29/30 years of age, married Thomas Collopy sometime around 1889
QUESTION: I’ve wondered about the deeper ties between Thomas J. Collopy and Alice Jane Shanahan—whether their connection ran deeper than marriage alone. Thomas’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Shanahan, born around 1805. She lived out her days in Bruree, County Limerick, passing away there in 1885. I can’t help but imagine she was born not far from where she died.
It makes me wonder—was there blood between Thomas J.Collopy and Alice Jane Shanahan as well as a shared name? Alice’s father, Stephen Shanahan, was born in Ireland in 1835. I have a feeling, no hard proof but a strong instinct, that he too came from Bruree and is the same family line as Margaret Shanahan. Could Stephen have been Margaret’s nephew? If so, that would make Alice and Thomas cousins—bound not just by marriage but by bloodlines.
And then, another question lingers—was their marriage a matter of love? Or was it the kind of practical match so common in those days, when family ties and shared roots held as much weight as affection? I don’t know that I’ll ever find the answer written down anywhere. But still, I wonder.
Thomas J. Collopy was born in 1855 in Watervliet, the son of John Collopy and Frances Meehan. He had the benefit of a school education—no small thing in those days—and learned the woodworking trade, shaping his living with steady hands and careful skill.
In 1877, Thomas faced his own loss when his father, John, passed away in New York at the age of 51. A young man then, Thomas likely carried the weight of that loss alongside the quiet responsibility of providing for his own growing family.
He and Alice Jane went on to have seven children together, though heartache was never far behind. Only three of those children survived to adulthood—a sorrowful reminder of just how fragile life could be.
By 1890, Thomas had carved out a solid place for himself in Watervliet. He owned a general store on 19th Street, the kind of place that anchored a neighborhood. Alongside the store, he held full ownership of five properties scattered through the town—a quiet testament to years of hard work, steady hands, and a mind for business as well as his parents’ legacy.
By 1900, the family owned their own home at 406 19th Street in Watervliet, Albany, NY.
Children of Alice Jane Shanahan and Thomas J. Collopy
In 1889, a son—Stephen P. Collopy—was born to Alice Jane and Thomas. But joy was short-lived. Little Stephen passed away in 1891, just two years old.
Tragedy struck again when Thomas J. was born on January 7, 1891, only to say goodbye at the age of 4 in 1895. Another small grave, another piece of their hearts laid to rest far too soon. Amidst these heartbreaking moments, there were also moments of joy as Walter J. arrived on August 31, 1892
1892 census
Anothe son Henry Thomas on April 15, 1894. However, the family was tested once more when William was born in 1896, only to die a few months later.
Edmund Stephen was born on November 19, 1898.
As the 19th century transitioned into the 20th, life’s final chapters began to unfold.
Thomas J. passed away in 1900, leaving Alice Jane a widow at 42.
Life hadn’t been easy for Alice Jane. She’d known more loss than most, but she carried it with quiet strength. By the time the 1900 census was taken, it confirmed what she’d already endured—of the seven children she’d brought into the world, only three had survived. A sobering reminder of the fragile hold life had in those days.
By 1905, Alice Jane was 46 and still firmly at the helm of the family. The house was alive with the sounds of her three boys—Walter, Henry, and little Edmund. There was no mistaking who ran the household, and it was clear the boys felt safe in her orbit.
Walter, at twelve, stood on the threshold between boyhood and the wide world beyond. He filled the rooms with restless energy, always curious, always in motion. Henry, ten, was thoughtful—eager to follow his brother’s lead but still clinging to the safety of the known. And Edmund, just six, was all innocence, his days still wrapped in the simple pleasures of childhood.
Alice wasn’t doing it alone, though. Her sisters, Helen and Mary, were an unshakable part of the home—two steady hands helping to hold everything together. Helen, now 35, had carved out a profession for herself as a chiropodist. She even saw patients right there in the house, her confidence growing with every calloused foot she treated. Mary, two years younger, still worked as a collar maker—a steady job, and her wages went straight into the family pot. Together, the sisters formed a quiet but determined force, their bond unbroken by the hardships life threw their way.
Sometime after that 1905 census, Mary married a man named John Kanzman. For a while, she may have left the family home to start her married life but I have not found any documents to say that. Sadly, her happiness was short-lived—John passed away in 1912. After that we find Mary living with Alice Jane and the familiar comfort of their shared walls.
I don’t know when the marriage took place but in 1912, another chapter closed with the passing of Mary’s husband, John Kansman. Yet, the family’s spirit remained unbroken. The 1915 census paints a picture of the family still together—Alice, now 56, her sisters Helen, 40, and Mary, 35, and the boys, no longer boys but young men. Walter was 23, Harry—once Henry—21, and Edmund 16. I’m not sure if they were still living in the same house at 406 19th Street or had already moved next door to 404. Either way, they were under the same roof, so to speak.
By 1920, their lives had shifted slightly, moving up the street to 404 19th Street. The family’s determination to live and thrive was evident as Alice Jane’s sons embarked on their own paths: Walter became an efficiency engineer, Harry (now Henry) a postal clerk, and Edmund (or Edwin) a timekeeper at the U.S. Arsenal.
Alice Jane was 60 by then. The boys she’d once chased through the house had grown into men with steady jobs and responsibilities of their own. Walter had become an efficiency engineer for a rubber company—an occupation that suited his careful mind and need for order. Henry/Harry, worked as a postal clerk, sorting letters and parcels with the same dependable nature he’d shown as a boy. Edmund—sometimes recorded as Edwin—was 21 and working as a timekeeper at the U.S. Arsenal, his days ruled by the ticking of the clock and the precision his job required.
There was someone new in the house that year—a cousin from Ireland named Mary Dugan, 85 years old. She’d arrived in America back in 1847, the records say, though she’d never become a citizen. No job was listed for her now, but at her age, surely no one expected it. I can imagine her sitting quietly in the corner of that busy household, a living link to another time and another place.
And so, life rolled on—grief and change, work and survival—woven together in the story of one family on 19th Street.
QUESTION: why are they living in rented accommodation in 1920? Who is at 406?
Alice Jane Shanahan’s life came to a close on September 7, 1926 at the age of 61, her story one of enduring strength and quiet determination. The family’s legacy continued even after Mary H. Shanahan passed away at the residence at 406 19th St. in 1929. At the time of Mary’s death:
- Walter J. Collopy was living in Hartford, CT,
- Harry T. Collopy in Watervliet, and
- Edmund S. Collopy in New York.
“The death of Mrs. Alice J. Collopy, widely known resident in Watervliet, occurred at her home, 406 19th Street, following a brief illness. Mrs. Collopy was born in Easton, PA, but had been a resident in this city and the old village of West Troy practically all her life. She was a communicant at St. Patrick’s Church, and was a member of the Rosary Society, Court Regina, Catholic Daughters of America, and of the Woman’s Auxiliary of Post Patten, American Legion.
She is survived by three sons, Walter J. Collopy of Hartford, CT, Harry T. and Edmund S. Collopy, of Watervliet, and two sisters, Miss Helen F. Shannahan and Mrs. Mary Kanzman, both of Watervliet. Court Regina, Catholic Daughters of America, of which Mrs. Collopy was prominently identified with for several years, met at the home of Mrs. Collopy, and recited prayers for the dead. Mrs. Mary Powers, Grand Regent, was in charge. The funeral took place Friday morning from Mrs. Collopy’s home and later from St. Patrick’s Church.”
In July, shortly before Mrs. Collopy’s demise, she and her son Harry spent a few days in Hartford, CT, visiting Mrs. Collopy’s son, Walter Collopy.
[obit in Troy Times, Sep. 7, 1926]
The 1930 census revealed a new arrangement at 406 19th Street, now home to three families:
- Harry Collopy (35), his wife Elizabeth 29, and (could it be twins?) infant son Billy and infant daughter Alice J. appear to be renting for US$30 per month. Harry is a vet of WWI
- Helen Shanahan owns her apartment, and it is valued at US$6000. Helen is the only one with a radio set, a sure sign of both progressiveness and affluence in those days.
- Margaret Dinova with grown up son and daughter. The apt is valued at US$5000.
Descendants of Alice Jane Shanahan and Thomas J. Collopy
- 1889 – Stephen P. was born in 1889 and died in 1891, aged 2
- 1891 – Thomas J. was born on January 7, 1891 and died 1895 aged 4
- 1892 – Walter J. was born on August 31, 1892
- 1894 – Henry Thomas was born on April 15, 1894
- 1896 – William was born 1896 passed away on August 5, 1896, in Watervliet, New York, when he was less than a year old.
- 1898 – Edmund Stephen was born on November 19, 1898
