St. Louis. 31 March 1912. A cold, rainy start of baseball season. It is Palm Sunday.
Tom Barrett goes to Mass with his family. He is a worried man. At 29, his retail grocery business has supported his family for years. But Cincinnati-based Kroger is moving to town and he needs help to compete.
At church, my future grandfather Tom Barrett has an epiphany. A vision. A revelation.
The vision is Kitty Flanagan, notably her proud posture — how straight she stands.
The revelation is that Kitty will be the perfect partner for his growing enterprise. Yes.
Unfortunately, she is dating his brother Francis, so he needs to win her over without hurting Francis.
Which he does.
They are married in November that year. And yes, our Kitty Mom becomes an epic partner.
Source: Family story passed from Kitty Mom to my mother.
Photo: Thomas Barrett and Catherine Flanagan, about 1912
Old Green River 