When we first began searching for information about Jim's mother and her family, we thought we must really not know anything, because we couldn't find out much of anything!  No one seemed to remember her parent's names, or much of anything else, and we thought we were really going to bomb out on discovering anything.

However, neither of us gives up easily, and we recently managed to reach her brother, who has been some help. He was able to furnish names of her parents, and is still working to get more information for us.  He did say that from the things he had heard over time that it might be difficult getting immigration information on her parents, who were supposed to have emigrated from the Azores, islands near Portugal. He felt that there might have been some misinformation given somewhere along the way, so that we might never be able to locate their place of origin and any relatives still there, we might never know if that was the family's real name!

Miracles do happen, however.  As an example, I looked for my father's family most of my adult life, and had no luck until after I put up a page on this same website, and a brother I had never known discovered it, and put me in touch with that entire side of my family.  Because of that, we need to put what little information we have up here, so that anyone else researching the name can see it (and there certainly are not many of those), and hopefully will get in contact with us so we can share information.

And so that if there are other family members we are not aware of, who can identify them, they will be able to contact us.

Recently, an inquiry that Jim made with the Gloucester, MA Archives Dept., brought forth fruit.  A young woman there named Janie found some additional information about Barbara's family, and her "pedigree" now looks like this:

Joseph F. Greel married Linga A. "Silva" both b. unknown, d. unknown.

     Joseph¹ and Linga had the following child:
     1. Frank W. Greel, b. abt. 1887, m. Margaret Alves, b. abt. 1887 daughter of John J. Alves and Margaret "Jasson."  Frank and Margaret were married on November 5, 1905 by Father Francis Vieira de Bem of Our Lady of Good Voyage Catholic Church, Gloucester MA. On their marriage cert., Frank listed himself as a fish-cutter, while Margaret listed herself as a fish-packer.  They both said they were 18 yrs. old, and this was their first marriage.
Note: The 1926 Gloucester City Directory has an entry for Frank W. and Margaret Greel which says "removed to Wakefield."  While in Gloucester they had the following:

Children of Frank and Margaret Greel:
          i. Frank² Greel, b. March 29, 1908, d. December 3, 1976. (San Diego)
          ii. Stillborn female Greel, b. April 22, 1909.
          iii. Margaret Adelaide² Greel, b. June 19, 1913; m. Leonard Amaral, b. Jan. 23, 1905, d. Feb. 1986, Gloucester, MA.
          iv. Barbara Evangeline² Greel, b. July 27, 1921, d. September 7, 1992. (Melrose, MA); m. Clayton Wallace Foley ca. 1940-42; m. William Lockhart.

Note: There is an additional son, evidently born after the family moved. We have not investigated yet. 
          v. Edward² Greel, b. ?, m. Mary Gallimore September 4, 1935 at Saxonville, MA Edward is still living.

SECOND GENERATION

          i. Frank² Greel, b. March 29, 1908, d. December 3, 1976. (San Diego) m. ?

          iii. Margaret Adelaide² Greel, b. June 19, 1913; m. Leonard Amaral, b. Jan. 23, 1905, d. Feb. 1986, Gloucester, MA.

Margaret Adelaide² and Leonard had the following children:
          i. Leonard³ Amaral
          ii. Steve³ Amaral

          iv. Barbara² Evangeline Greel, b. July 27, 1921, d. September 7, 1992. (Melrose, MA); m. Clayton Wallace Foley ca. 1940-42; m. William Lockhart.          

Barbara² and Clayton had the following children:
              i. James³ David Foley, b. December 6, 1942, Gloucester, MA; m.Suzanne; m. Geraldine Jean Smith?; m. Marcia Stumpf June 29, 1999. 
              ii. Donald Edward³ Foley, b. April 19, 1946, m. Sandra; m. Ellie Dietz, b. April 9, 1944  

v. Edward² Greel, b. ?, m. Mary Gallimore September 4, 1935 at Saxonville, MA Edward is still living.

Children of Edward² and Mary are:
             i. Mark³ Greel, b. 

             ii. Michelle Marie³ Greel, b. November 16, 1956 in Framingham, MA; m. Michael J. McCaffery September 19, 1981, divorced 1991; m. Charles James Harter, Jr., b. July 31, 1961 St. Petersburg FL.

THIRD GENERATION

James David³ (Barbara^2, Joseph¹) and Suzanne had the following children:
                     i. James David⁴ Foley, Jr. 
                     ii. Cheryl Ann⁴ Foley

James David³ (Barbara², Joseph¹) and Geraldine had the following child:
                    i. Denielle Nicole⁴ Foley, b. August 18, 1979; m. Andrew Givens, Fairbanks, AK.

Donald Edward ³ (Barbara^2,  Joseph¹) and Sandra had the following children:
                   i. Donald E.⁴ Foley
                   ii. Jason⁴ Foley, m. Heather Gauge
                   iii. Sandra⁴ Foley

Michelle Marie³(Edward,  Joseph¹) and Michael had the following children:
                  i. Kelly Theresa⁴ McCaffery, b. September 30, 1982, Berkeley, California .
                  ii. Kevin Michael⁴ McCaffery, b. October 19, 1985  Framingham, MA . 

FOURTH GENERATION

Denielle Nicole⁴ (James D.³, Barbara²,  Joseph¹) and Andrew had the following child:
                             i. Amber Rae⁵ Givens, b. November 2, 2000 

FIFTH GENERATION

Please note - this page is under very serious construction!!!