Elizabeth Tinneny was the first child of John Tinneny Sr. and Alice McCouch.  She was born October 3, 1905 in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was baptized at Holy Family Catholic Church.

Elizabeth was raised in the Tinneny home at 4520 Silverwood Street in Philadelphia.

         

The Tinneny home 4540 Silverwood Street.

She attended Holy Family School, which included grade school and a 2 year commercial education program at the secondary level which she completed. After finishing the commercial program she went to work for an insurance company in downtown Philadelphia.

 

Holy Family Church and School 234  Hermitage Street, Philadelphia.

              

Elizabeth’s First Communion photo about 1911.

About 1927 Elizabeth met Howard Cossabone at a picnic in Williamstown, New Jersey. Howard was the son of George Cossabone and Ida Runabum and lived in Williamstown. 

Elizabeth and Howard were married in Holy Family Catholic Church in Philadelphia in 1928.  Their marriage license was # 560594. Following their marriage they purchased a home at 413 Kingsley Street in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.  

The Cossabone home (Left) 413 Kingsley Street.

Alice and Howard initially attended Holy Family Church then switched to Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Manayunk. That is where they sent their son Howard Jr. for both grade school and high school.

As World War II approached all males were required to register for the military draft.  Howard did so October 16, 1940 at Local Draft Board 21 located on Leverington Avenue.

Howard’s WW II Draft Registration Card.

He was not selected to serve in either WW I or WW II because he was too young for the first and too old for the second.

Howard was a forklift operator. His granddaughter Cindy has vivid memories of visiting with her Cosabone grandparents on Kingsley Street every Sunday.  She recalled her grandfather being very animated in his discussions regardless of the subject. Frequently discussing issues at work concerning other employees and supervisors while waving his hands in the air.

Howard was an avid horse racing fan. He frequently went to the Garden State Race Track in New Jersey and bet heavily on the races. During these occasions his animation really came out. An example of this was described as follows. One day at the track a horse he had  bet on came into the lead. As it raced toward the finish, Howard who was at ground level, began shouting, waving his arms and jumping up and down. While doing so he was running along the fence toward the finish line. 

This series of photos was likely taken at an Easter gathering at Elizabeth’s parents home on Silverwood Street in the mid 1930's.

Elizabeth 3rd from left with her sisters Marie and Alice on either side of their father.

Front Row: Elizabeth’s son Howard Jr. with unidentified girl likely a cousin.

Back Row: Unidentified girl and Marie Tinneny.

At Door: Elizabeth and her Mother Alice.

Elizabeth and husband Howard Sr. with son Howard Jr. with Marie and her mother looking on.

Sisters Marie, Elizabeth, their Dad, Alice and their brother John with their mother Alice in doorway.

Front Row L-R: Howard Cossabone Sr., William Beekler, Patricia and Edward Kratz.

Back Row L-R: Elizabeth Tinneny Cossabone, Marie Tinneny Kratz,and Alice Tinneny Beekler. c. Early 1950s.

Elizabeth stopped working when the couple’s only child Howard Jr. was born in 1930. Following Howard’s graduation from high school and entry into the army, Elizabeth went back to work for the same insurance company she worked for before Howard was born.  She was a Dictaphone transcriber.

Elizabeth at her desk working on the dictaphone equipment.

Elizabeth could get her Irish up from time to time. Her son Howard told of the time his parents and him were visiting his grandfather Johnny Tinneny in his home on Silverwood Street. His grandfather gave Howard a plastic machine gun. Howard's Dad had been drinking that day and when they got home Elizabeth took the gun and hit his dad over the head with it and it broke into pieces. Young Howard lamented the fact that he only had the neat gift from his grandfather for a couple of hours before it met its demise. 

Howard Jr. recalled how his parents would know when he came home very late - the bottles of milk delivered in the front porch very early in the morning was in the refrigerator instead of being outside where they had been placed by the milkman. 

Howard recalled an incident that occurred when he was a teenager and his father’s reaction. Like many teenagers, Howard was caught drinking underage by the police. Likely to the great consternation of his mother. The legal drinking age was 21. The police arrested him and took him to the local police station and his father was contacted to come pick him up. When his dad came to get him, Howard was surprised at his father’s reaction, describing him as being “proud of me.”

Each year, on the Saturday after Christmas, Elizabeth and Howard Sr. had their son Howard, his wife Fay, and their daughter Cindy, and Elizabeth’s sister Marie Kratz and her husband Ed to their home for a Christmas visit.  When whisky sours were popular Howard would make them and a good time would be had by all. As was the case in Roxborough and Manayunk, when it snowed many of the residents cleared the snow from the street in front of their homes. They then placed trash cans in the cleared spaces to reserve them for parking their cars. One Christmas, Ed Kratz removed the trash can from the space of one of the neighbors causing quite a row.

After Elizabeth’s son Howard was married and had a family of his own, his parents visited every Sunday.

Cossabones in 1957 - Seated L-R: George Cossabone (Howard Sr.’s father), Howard Sr. holding granddaughter Cindy. Standing Cindy’s father Howard Jr.

Howard with with his granddaughter Cindy.

Elizabeth and Howard didn’t regularly take vacations but did go to the Jersey shore occasionally.

Photo Howard and Elizabeth at the Jersey shore.

Elizabeth always wanted her, Howard, young Howard and his family to visit the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré which is located along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. St. Anne is believed, by the pious, to obtain miracles through her intercession. People from all around the world come to visit the basilica. Pillars in the front entrance of the basilica are covered in crutches from people who are said by the parishioners to have been miraculously cured and saved.  

Elizabeth’s granddaughter Cindy recalled that when the trip was being planned her mother was pregnant. Her mother decided that she, Howard and Cindy wouldn’t join his parents on the trip to the Basilica. Fay subsequently had a miscarriage and Cindy remembered her mother crying thinking that loosing the baby was a result of her not making the pilgrimage to the Basilica.

Elizabeth was very religious and spent a good deal of her time in prayer.  She prayed especially for her husband, son and her sisters and brothers. Howard's response, when asked what special interests or hobbies his mother had, was "prayer, prayer and prayer"

She was a member of the Third Order of Norbertine nuns, which required a vigorous regimen of prayer and works.

Elizabeth’s well worn rosary.	A very special cross that worn by Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Howard’s 50th wedding anniversary  

Above:  The Philadelphia Inquirer.   Left: The Review, September 20, 1973.  Obituaries of Elizabeth Tinneny Cossabone

Note: The Review obituary lists “Mrs. Isabelle Kemp” as one of two sisters of Elizabeth. In fact Isabelle was her cousin. Elizabeth’s father took Isabelle from an orphanage and raised her as his own.  After his sister Mary Jane Tinneny McColgan died her four children were placed in an orphanage by their father who was unable to are for them. Additional details about Isabelle’s parents can be found at Mary Jane's Biography.    

Following Elizabeth’s death Howard remained in their home on Kingsley Street until his death.  

When purchasing their grave site in Westminster Cemetery, Howard wanted he and Elizabeth buried side by side instead of on top of each other in the same grave. His rationale was he knew "he would have a hard enough time getting into heaven and didn't want Elizabeth on top of him because she would block his way to heaven."  He frequently said it laughingly.

Elizabeth’s great nephew Ken Robinson, the grandson son of her sister Marie, recalled fondly how as a boy Howard Sr. would take him and his brother to a Kendrick Recreation Center on Ridge Avenue. Kendrick wasn’t far from Elizabeth and Howard’s home and had a nice grassed park on its grounds. While the brothers were playing on the monkey bars and swing sets, Howard hung out with some older gentlemen on a nearby park bench and smoked his cigar.

Ken didn’t remember Elizabeth since he was only 4 years old when she passed away in 1979. He said Howard was the only family member he knew who smoked cigars, and cigars always reminded him of Howard. Ken remembered having a lot of fun during the short time he got to spend with Howard. 

Howard’s son and daughter-in-law Fay lived in the neighborhood and maintained near daily contact in person or by phone with Howard senior who was living alone. December 8, 1979, after unsuccessfully attempting to reach his father by phone, Howard went to his father’s home and found him deceased..

Howard's viewing was held at Fitzpatrick Funeral Home in Roxborough the evening of December 10 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Saint John the Baptist Church on December 11 and burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery.

Howard’s Obituary

While cleaning out his father’s home, Howard Jr. came across a hand gun to his great surprise. Although a Korean War veteran with much combat experience, Howard had a profound dislike for weapons and wouldn’t have or handle them. On finding the gun he put it into a paper bag and took it to the local police station. He placed it on the counter telling the policeman that he found it in his deceased father’s house while clearing it out following his death. The policeman scolded him saying he shouldn’t be walking around with a gun in a bag.

Elizabeth’s and Howard’s grave markers in Holy Sepulcher Cemetery. 

Photos courtesy of Ken Robinson and Cindy Cossabone Kamm.

Elizabeth's descendants include Cossabone and Kamm.