Episode 2.15 (Vera Casey & Kathleen Casey Proctor): Importing What's Important: Family and Community Across Oceans and Generations

In season two of the "Finding Home" podcast series, Irish American Archives Society Executive Director Margaret Lynch interviews an array of Clevelanders with specialized knowledge and stories about the history of the Irish in Cleveland. This episode features an interview with Vera Casey and her daughter, Kathleen Casey Proctor. Vera Casey grew up on a farm in County Mayo, Ireland. She had to quit school early to help raise her younger siblings when her mother died. While working in London, England, as a young woman, Vera married her husband Tom Casey. They followed Vera's older sister to Cleveland, Ohio. The Caseys bounced back and forth between Galway and Cleveland frequently over the years as their family grew, creating strong connections in both cities--but they eventually settled in Cleveland for good. After many years of running her own hair salons, Vera "retired," and opened a store specializing in clothes, food, jewelry, home goods, and other items imported directly from Ireland. Casey's Irish Imports in Rocky River soon became a beloved staple of Cleveland's Irish community. Vera's daughter, Kathleen, helped out with the family business for many years before officially taking over management of the store with her sister Maureen nearly a decade ago. Kathleen and Maureen continue Vera's legacy of community building and serving.