My Irish Grandmother

Josephine Bridget Donahue was a force of nature. She stowed away on a ship sailing from Ireland to America when she was only fourteen years old. She ended up in Pueblo after marrying a young man from Scotland who was hired as the first crane operator for the CF&I. When her husband was killed in a work-related accident, Grandma Donahue was left with four young children to raise on her own. She used the benefits from the steel mill to establish successful businesses on Bay State Avenue and became known as “The Duchess of Bay State.” 

Grandma's courage and tenacity have been an inspiration to me, so I wrote an article hoping it would inspire others who face obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. I am so happy that my article was published by the Colorado SENIOR BEACON in this month's issue. Many thanks to Ron Phillips and Christine Casillas for the beautiful presentation -- on the front page!