Lillian Marie Conlan
Birth: 12 Oct 1893, San Francisco, California
Death: 18 Feb 1986, San Mateo
Lillian Marie was born on October 12, 1893, in San Francisco. She was the first child of Patrick Conlan and Annie Silk. She grew up South of Market in St. Patrick’s Parish. She was 13 when she experienced the Earthquake and Fire and saw the whole area burned to the ground, including the parish church. In the aftermath, the family moved to St. Joseph’s Parish. Five years later, disaster struck again when her father died. She was just 18 years old.
Death: 18 Feb 1986, San Mateo
Lillian Marie was born on October 12, 1893, in San Francisco. She was the first child of Patrick Conlan and Annie Silk. She grew up South of Market in St. Patrick’s Parish. She was 13 when she experienced the Earthquake and Fire and saw the whole area burned to the ground, including the parish church. In the aftermath, the family moved to St. Joseph’s Parish. Five years later, disaster struck again when her father died. She was just 18 years old.
Lillian was a high school graduate, probably from Mission High. By 1920, she had become a telephone operator for the phone company. Sometime in the mid-1920s, Lillian became the PBX operator at the Sutter Hotel on Kearney and Sutter. PBX stood for private branch exchange. Lillian ran a large, wall-sized board where phone connections were made directly by patching a retractable cable from one position to another. By 1929, she was the chief board operator and probably coordinated a half dozen other women. She also sometimes worked as the front desk cashier. She would work there through the ‘30s.
As the oldest child, Lillian was the responsible one. She was always up early and making sure everyone had whatever was needed. At work, she was always the first one in and was the one who turned on the heat and made the coffee. When Etta contracted TB, Lillian stepped in to help raise her nephew Ron. After her mother died, she became the de facto head of household and kept things together for Walter, Peg, and Jim. Whatever t heir problems might be at any given time, they knew Lil was there to provide an even keel and secure home.
Lillian loved to read. She especially liked romance novels. She also enjoyed movie musicals. Shirley Temple and Judy Garland were among her favorites. These were great escapes during the difficult times of the Depression and the War.
Lillian never married. Her siblings and mother were her family and she lived with them until each passed away. In 1937, her sister Lucille died of TB. In 1941, her brother Joe died. In 1954, it was her mother who passed, leaving Lillian as the matriarch of the family. She continued to live into the 1960s and 1970s with Walter, Jim, and Peg at her parents house on 19th Street. By 1960, she had lived with Walter so long that the Polk Directory started listing them as husband and wife.
During the early 1940s, Lillian left the Sutter Hotel and went to work for James W McAllister automobile dealership on Van Ness. She was there until she retired in the mid 1960s. She was still the first one in the office every day. When her cousin Maude O’Rourke was looking for work, Lillian got her hired at McAllister’s. Maude would also work there for nearly 30 years.
Lillian loved her nephews Ron, Rich, and Don. Because of Etta’s illness in the 1940s, she often took care of Ron and they became very close. She rarely missed a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner at Etta’s house in Burlingame. She was quiet, but she liked to tell stories of the boys growing up to remind them of what it had been like. She always had vivid details, even as she got older.
A few years after their brother Jim died, Lillian and Walter to move from the house on 19th Street and downsize to a nearby apartment, around the corner at 994 Lapidge Street. After Walter died in 1977, Lillian’s health began to fail. Her foster-sister Connie got her into a convalescent home on Potrero Street. The Foley boys had lost touch with Walter and Lillian after their mother died in 1967 and were unaware of Walter’s death or Lil’s disposition. When Rich found out about Walter’s death, he and Connie had words, and she told him that he could take care of Lil. He did so as best he could, visiting weekly and handling the Medicare issues. Lillian continued at the rest home as first her mobility and then her eye-sight deserted her. The latter was very difficult because it meant she could not read her novels or watch movies anymore. There was not much she could do except sit and listen to the TV and wait.
As the oldest child, Lillian was the responsible one. She was always up early and making sure everyone had whatever was needed. At work, she was always the first one in and was the one who turned on the heat and made the coffee. When Etta contracted TB, Lillian stepped in to help raise her nephew Ron. After her mother died, she became the de facto head of household and kept things together for Walter, Peg, and Jim. Whatever t heir problems might be at any given time, they knew Lil was there to provide an even keel and secure home.
Lillian loved to read. She especially liked romance novels. She also enjoyed movie musicals. Shirley Temple and Judy Garland were among her favorites. These were great escapes during the difficult times of the Depression and the War.
Lillian never married. Her siblings and mother were her family and she lived with them until each passed away. In 1937, her sister Lucille died of TB. In 1941, her brother Joe died. In 1954, it was her mother who passed, leaving Lillian as the matriarch of the family. She continued to live into the 1960s and 1970s with Walter, Jim, and Peg at her parents house on 19th Street. By 1960, she had lived with Walter so long that the Polk Directory started listing them as husband and wife.
During the early 1940s, Lillian left the Sutter Hotel and went to work for James W McAllister automobile dealership on Van Ness. She was there until she retired in the mid 1960s. She was still the first one in the office every day. When her cousin Maude O’Rourke was looking for work, Lillian got her hired at McAllister’s. Maude would also work there for nearly 30 years.
Lillian loved her nephews Ron, Rich, and Don. Because of Etta’s illness in the 1940s, she often took care of Ron and they became very close. She rarely missed a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner at Etta’s house in Burlingame. She was quiet, but she liked to tell stories of the boys growing up to remind them of what it had been like. She always had vivid details, even as she got older.
A few years after their brother Jim died, Lillian and Walter to move from the house on 19th Street and downsize to a nearby apartment, around the corner at 994 Lapidge Street. After Walter died in 1977, Lillian’s health began to fail. Her foster-sister Connie got her into a convalescent home on Potrero Street. The Foley boys had lost touch with Walter and Lillian after their mother died in 1967 and were unaware of Walter’s death or Lil’s disposition. When Rich found out about Walter’s death, he and Connie had words, and she told him that he could take care of Lil. He did so as best he could, visiting weekly and handling the Medicare issues. Lillian continued at the rest home as first her mobility and then her eye-sight deserted her. The latter was very difficult because it meant she could not read her novels or watch movies anymore. There was not much she could do except sit and listen to the TV and wait.
In late January of 1985, Lillian was moved to Seton Hospital in Daly City. She died there on February 18, 1986. She was 93 years old. She had outlived all her friends and siblings and the service was very small, with only three or four people in attendance. She was laid to rest in Section L2 of Holy Cross Cemetery next to her brothers Jim and Walter with whom she had lived most of her life.
At 92 years 4 months, Lillian was one of the longest-lived of the Silk descendants. She was also one of the most responsible. She was the woman that everyone knew would take care of everything so they would not have to worry. Whether it was her siblings that lived with her for 60+ years, or her nephews that needed her when their mother got sick, or her cousins who needed a job when their marriages failed, or even her coworkers who counted on the heat and coffee to be on when they come in to the office. No one had to worry—Lil was on top of it. She was one in a million.
At 92 years 4 months, Lillian was one of the longest-lived of the Silk descendants. She was also one of the most responsible. She was the woman that everyone knew would take care of everything so they would not have to worry. Whether it was her siblings that lived with her for 60+ years, or her nephews that needed her when their mother got sick, or her cousins who needed a job when their marriages failed, or even her coworkers who counted on the heat and coffee to be on when they come in to the office. No one had to worry—Lil was on top of it. She was one in a million.