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After many ups and downs in getting a suitable, or any place
at all to live, on account of Carolina Shipyard and Liberty
Shipyard locating in Wilmington, moved from Wrightsville Beach
to 409 So. 2nd St., November 1st 1918.
Days later, the Barrys are joined by boarders Walter Raymond
McDonald, a traveling salesman for Fisheries Products Co. based
in Wilmington, McDonald’s wife Edith, formerly of Richmond,
Virginia, and their 3-year-old son at the Second Street address:
Walter Raymond McDonald originally of Old Éire, Dublin
Ireland, a prince among good fellows with a heart of pure gold,
wife and 3-month old Boy, blew in on us November 6th 1918.
From November 18 through November 28, 1918, Barry fulfills his
ambition to write daily entries in his ledger.
November 18th 1918
Days work from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to home after completing day
at office, called on The Doctor for a talk relating to pain in Belle’s
side, he declared it nothing but child pressing on wife’s side, on returning
home found Belle busy sewing infant’s clothes for our 3rd child, which
is looked for between the above date and December 18th.
In the month leading up to the arrival of their third child, Barry’s
comments about the demeanor of his two young sons, the chal-lenges
of parenting, his endearment to his wife and the arrival of
family to attend the birth paint the picture of a heady time in
family life:
John for past few days is running wild, the buck cannot–control,
no doubt the feeling of strength and wildness which comes only to
strong healthy boys, which he is one.
Budd is as ever very conservative in everything he does. ... John is
constantly running in the street, long talking, beating, scolding etc.
does not do any good, we are taking the course of talking after, one
or two good beatings did not do any good, his little mind no doubt
is not developed enough, to know that going in the street with such
dirty clothes, not speaking of the danger from passing Autos, is right
or wrong. Budd will follow John where-ever he goes. They both love
each other so much, which makes their mother so happy, also their
dad happy to see them make their dear mother, my sweet-wife happy.
Barry was infatuated with his wife and writes poetically of his ever-lasting
love for her:
If I could write on every line in this book about the sweetest, the
geniality, the goodness, and lovingness to my boys and myself, I could not
say too much about the best little wife that God could bless a man with.
More than a month before Belle gives birth to their third child, a
sister arrives to care for the young boys and John Barry offers this
glimpse of his work schedule:
A typical fishing outing, possibly Banks Channel.
John Edmund Barry Sr., right, with friends summer 1919.
Lucille, Budd and John Jr. at Wrightsville Beach standing on
top of the trolley tracks.
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