Eileen (Early) Blaney died on August 1, 2004 at her home in Green Bay. She had been diagnosed with a tumor in mid March. In late April she moved back to her apartment and agreed to be cared for by her six children. Eileen was the last surving child of a family of 5 children.
She was a member of "The Greatest Generation". She attended college but left to help her family. She lived through the Great Depression and World War II. She worked in the shipyards, was a flight attendent and later worked for the phone company.
She married William Blaney on Jan. 17, 1948 at St. Patrick Catholic Church which was located in the "Irish Patch" of Green Bay. During their marriage they worked together for many years at Blaney Funeral Home. Eileen was a licensed funeral director. She raised six children and excelled at the art of finding a good sale, a trait she tried in vain to pass on to her children. She did succeed in teaching her children that there is a standard for decent, polite behavior in the world and in her house. To be clear on those standards was a great advantage. We learned that there were priorities. Work came before play, dishes and school work came before T.V. and paper routes came before dinner. Every Sunday and every Holy Day began with Mass. The children were not pressured to be the star athlete or class scholar but a good effort was always expected and being polite was mandated. Our mother taught us the value of fun. The harder we could make a sibling or an aunt or uncle laugh, the better the day. To make a story better or more ridiculous was a gift she encouraged. Vulgarity, in any form was not tolerated but real humor or wit was rewarded with real laughter.
In 1989, her husband, Bill, died at the age of 74. She suffered through health problems as well but worked dilligently to maintian and rebuild her strength. Eileen never felt sorry for herself and often said that she always knew of someone who was worse off.
She was proud of the fact that she had a niece and a great niece named after her.
Eileen enjoyed her life, especially when she could celebrate her Irish heritage. She passed her Irish pride on to her children and grandchildren. We believe that when Eileen approaches Heaven's Gate, St. Peter will be joined by members of the Early and Blaney Families and they will greet her with the Irish expression,
"Cead Mile Failte!"
which means"
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!"
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