Photograph from “From Receipts and expenditures of the Town of Portsmouth, 1945-46-47.”
Residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire are familiar with the Dondero name. A beloved former mayor, Eileen Dondero Foley, just passed away in February of this year (2016). Less known these days, but historically important, was Eileen’s mother, Mary Ellen (Carey) Dondero. She was a daughter, mother, sister, wife, business woman, politician, civic leader and pacesetter. She is the focus of this story.
She was born Mary Ellen Carey on March 16, 1894 in Portsmouth NH, the daughter of Denis and Nora (Leary) Carey, both of whom were Irish immigrants who lived in Portsmouth. Mary grew up in, and attended schools there, graduating from high school. She was just 19 years old when she married in 1913 to Charles A. Dondero, a young man of Italian origin, and also a native of Portsmouth. They had five children, four daughters living into adulthood. She also ran two convalescent nursing homes in Portsmouth and Stratham NH. Continue reading
