Helen Tiernan

Abt 1930 - 1937  (7 years)

• Name	Helen Tiernan  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Birth	Abt 1930  [1, 2]
  Gender	Female
  Death	15 May 1937	Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [1, 5]
  	Cause: She was murdered by her mother. Her grandfather was the lone mourner at her funeral.
  Burial	19 May 1937	Patchogue (Lakeview Cemetery), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [6]
  Person ID	I8015	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	17 Sep 2023

  
  

  Father	James Tiernan   d. Abt 1934
  Mother	Helen Smith,   b. Abt 1912, Ansonia, New Haven, CT d. Mar 1967 (Age 55 years)
  Family ID	F3778	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S55] New York Times (New York Times Company: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036.), May 17, 2007, page 1. [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 21 May 1937. [S1069] Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, New York,,, May 17, 2007 (AP wire story). [S1070] Helen Tiernan Murder; from personal knowledge of Ben Savage (Brookhaven, New York), His sister, May, discovered Helen Tiernan's body.; provided February, 2007. [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 21 May 1937. "Grandfather Is Lone Mourner at Funeral [for] Child Murder Victim: "Her grandfather, George Smith, an unemployed machinist from New York, was the only mourner at the simple funeral services held here late Wednesday afternoon for seven-year-old Helen Tiernan, whose murdered body was found in the Brookhaven woods Sunday afternoon. "The services, hurriedly arranged, took place at Ruland's Funeral chapel on North Ocean avenue. The Rev. Carl G. Gernannt, pastor of Emanuel Lutheran church, officiated. "One wreath of flowers was the only decoration about the small coffin. "Assistant District Attorney Joseph Arata, several police officers and a few newspapermen followed the coffin to Lakeview cemetery, where the interment was made. "A few short prayers were spoken at the graveside by Mr. Gernannt and the coffin was lowered. As the old grandfather plucked a white carnation from the wreath to toss into the grave, several camera flashlights went off. "Several hours earlier, Mr. Smith had visited his daughter, Mrs. Helen Tiernan, in her cell at Riverhead, where she is held on a murder charge." [S49] Long Island Advance (Long Island Advance, 20 Medford Ave, Patchogue, NY), 4 June and 25 June 1937. Lace Mill People Buy a Headstone for Tiernan Girl (June 4, 1937): "The grave of seven-year old Helen Tiernan, victim of the recent murder tragedy at Brookhaven, in Lake View cemetery, Patchogue [NY], will be marked by a neat white marble headstone for which funds have been subscribed by the numerous employees, men and women, of the local lace plant of the Patchogue-Plymouth mills. "A committee of the mill employees completed arrangements yesterday for laying a stone suitably inscribed and placed on the grave, which adjoins the lace mill premises on the west and is in view of many in the mill. The stone will bear simply the name of the little girl, the date of her death and her age. There will be nothing to indicate anything other than an ordinary child's grave. "It is expected the stone will be placed within about a week. The fund raised exceeds somewhat the amount required for the stone and arrangements will be made to expend this on upkeep of the lot. The money was raised by a number of mill employees who felt the common impulse to do something out of respect to the little girl victim and met with immediate and general response from everybody approached in the plant."