O'CONNOR FAMILY NARRATIVE
Michael T. (O')Connor
Michael T.(O')Connor and
Margaret Clifford Mary A. Julia A. Timothy M.
Charles A. Mickey
J. Thomas P.
Margaret (Daughter) Nora
Ellen Arthur
J. Bessie Gabrielle (Arthur's Wife) Mary V.
Al Jr. James
E. William F. Gabriel A. Marion H.
Fay M. Dennis
T. (Johnny)
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OUR O’CONNOR HERITAGE
A HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF ONE IRISH FAMILY
Disclaimer: This narrative
is based on historical records that are presently known and speculation where
records and facts are not available.
Introduction:
As of the writing of this narrative, the farthest we can go back in our family
tree is Timothy M. and Mary (Connor) Connor. They were the parents of
Michael T. (O’) Connor, the first known O’Connor (From our O’Connor’s) who
immigrated to America in May 1864. Marriage and Christening records
indicate that they were from County
Kerry , Ireland and the township of Castleisland
Purpose:
The purpose of this adventure in history is to document Michael O’Connor’s
search for freedom, land, and success in a land where millions of other Irishman
fled to for their very survival and a way of life lost during the Great Potato
Famine of 1846 to 1850.
Michael T (O’) Connor
Michael T. O'Connor - Application for Nationalized Citizenship
Michael T. O'Connor - Final Nationalized Citizen Document
Michael T. O'Connor Death Certificate
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Michael T. was born to Timothy M. and Mary (Connor) Connor, during the first
half of October 1838 and was christened on October 20, 1838. It is
uncertain how many siblings he had or where he was as far as birth order.
But since he wasn’t named after his father, it’s possible he could have been
the oldest son. Irish families had the practice of naming their sons
first after the father’s father, then the mother’s father, then after the
father. Daughters were name using the same birth order pattern.
Pre-Famine Conditions – County Kerry:
Map
of Poverty Levels in Ireland Prior to 1841
1. Living Conditions - Prior to the famine period sixty-six
percent of those living in County Kerry lived in the “Lowest Class of
Housing”. These dwelling were normally one or two room houses made of mud
and grass with grass-thatched roofs.
2. Education - Only Twenty-three percent of those living in
County Kerry were literate.
3. Land ownership - By 1841 over forty-five percent of all
land holding were less than five acres.
Conditions During the Famine:
Irish Potato Famine One
Irish
Potato Famine Two
1. Death and Emigration Statistics - County Kerry lost about
30% of its population to death and emigration, with an excess mortality rate of
+15%. Ireland’s over all population dropped from eight million to five
million by the end of the famine.
Kerry Census 1841: 293,880
Estimated Census 1851: 238,000
1841 -1851 Population Decrease: 19%
Estimated Deaths 1845-1850: 32,000
2. Tenant Farmer Evictions - English landowners escalated the
taxes on the land and produced of their tenant farmers.
Ultimately forcing them from their farms and then burned their home’s to ensure
they would not return.
3. Work Houses Were Created - Work Houses spring up throughout
Ireland. Houses full of starving men, women, and children working in
mills, farms, or factories, for no wages; just waiting to die.
4. Coffin Ships - The merchant sailors took advantage of
those that have enough money to emigrate. Desperate families trying to
escape the disease, death, and starvation of their beloved Ireland, were
crammed into cargo and passenger ships. Statistically, over half of those
that started on these voyages died before they reached their
designations. Thus the ships nickname – Coffin Ships.
5. The Political Situation – The British government was in
control and the Irish had little to no rights. Daniel O’Connell, from
County Kerry, a charismatic revolutionary trying to unify Ireland into a
peaceful movement called “The Repeal”. He held meetings all over Ireland
called “Monster Meetings” trying to create enough support to establish a
self-governing union.
Life After the Famine:
1. English Control – The English remain in total control of
Ireland under 1921.
2. Economic Condition – For those Irish who remained and
survived the Famine, they were completely penniless. Only the English had
money, land, and the political power.
3. Political Unrest – Numerous revolutionary groups rose and
fail between 1851 and 1921 and many lives on both sides were lost.
Michael T. O’Connor and Margaret
Clifford
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Michael was about seven years
old and Margaret Clifford was about six years old, when the Great Potato Famine
started in 1846. Living in County Kerry they would have experienced the
severest effects of the plight on Ireland’s nutritional maintain stay – The
Potato.
Michael grew up privileged and educated. As a young man he attended
college and became a barrister (Lawyer). At the age of 22 years old he
married Margaret Clifford, age 21 years old, on July 18, 1861, at the Roman
Catholic Parish in Castleisland, County Kerry, Ireland. On
September 12, 1862, Margaret gave birth their first daughter, Mary A.
Connor. Mary was christened on
September 14, 1862 at the same parish in Castleisland. Two years later Michael and Margaret immigrated to
America in May 1864, but they left two-year-old Mary with one of her
grandmother’s. Both records have Michael’s last name missing the
“O”. This was a common practice by the English to separate the
Irish from their heritage.
Questions and Speculations Regarding Michael T. and Margaret:
1. With the high mortality of the famine and millions of
Irishman deported and/or forced emigration to other worlds, how did Michael and
Margaret's families survive and remain in Ireland?
2. With the high illiteracy rate in Ireland, how did Michael
become educated and then was afforded the privilege to attend college and
become a barrister?
3. What kind of relationship did the Connor's and Clifford
have?
4. What made Michael and Margaret leave their 2-year-old
daughter Mary behind? Was she sick, was it an overbearing relative of
Michael or Margaret, was it political, or for her physical safety? Mary
did not rejoin them until she was 26 years old, why didn’t they send for her
sooner?
Coming to America
Michael and Margaret arrived at New York City, New York some time in May
1864. All records and references to them after they arrived in America
have their last name spelled “O’Connor” instead of just Connor. Shortly
after their arrival they traveled to New Hampshire and Julia A. O’Connor was
born sometime in 1865. But why did they travel to New Hampshire? Was
there a relative waiting for them? Was it his relative or hers?
Sometime between 1865 and 1868, Michael, Margaret and Julia moved to Chicago,
Illinois. While in Chicago, Timothy M. O’Connor, Michael and Margaret’s
first son was born in June 1868. While living in Chicago, Michael was
admitted to the city bar association and practiced law from the law office of
Judge Van Buren, a well-known attorney at that time. On August 15, 1870,
their second son arrived, Charles A. O’Connor.
There is no proof at this time, but there is a good possibility that Michael
and his family were still living in Chicago when the Great Chicago Fire
took place on October 8, 1871. Two days later, when the fire was finally
extinguished, about 100,000 people were left homeless. Many families
moved west, instead of rebuilding a new life in Chicago, probably Michael,
Margaret and their kids were among them.
Fortunately for us, Michael and Margaret had at least one child in everyplace
they moved. Their forth child, another boy, Michael J. (Mickey) was born
on October 2, 1873, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The next child,
another boy, Thomas Patrick was born in Hubbardston, Michigan, on January 1,
1875. Hubbardston was small town several miles east of Grand Rapids, but
it does not exist today. Sometime between 1875 and 1877, Michael moved
his family further west, this time to Wisconsin, possibly Sand Point.
From 1877 and 1879, Margaret and Nora were born. Sometime during the next
17 months, Michael and family moved again, still further west. Four years
after the Battle of the Little Big Horn (Between General George Custer and the Sioux
and Cheyenne) Michael, Margaret, and their kids moved to the Dakota Territory,
possibly the city of Bismarck. There, daughter Ellen was born in
August 1880. Five years later Arthur Joseph was born in Bismarck, North
Dakota on May 28, 1885. Last but not least, the last O’Connor of
this generation was born three years later. Bessie was born on January
27, 1888, and believe or not, they were still living in Bismarck.
A year later in 1889, Mary A. O’Connor, (Michael and Margaret’s first daughter)
at the age of 26 years old, immigrated to America from County Kerry, Ireland,
where she had been living with her grandmother. During that same year,
Mary married Thomas J. Brown in Bismarck North Dakota. Later that year
North Dakota received its statehood on November 2, 1889.
Margaret (Clifford) O'Connor - Death Certificate
When Michael moved to Bismarck, he was one of the first lawyers in the Dakota
Territory. On February 21, 1887, he applied to become a naturalized
citizen. Four years later, on November 12, 1991, Michael took the oath to
become a Nationalized American citizen. In May 26, 1892, Michael applied
and was granted a 160-acre homestead east of Fort Abraham Lincoln.
Michael and Margaret lived in Bismarck until the spring or early summer of
1908, when they and their two daughters, Nora, and Bessie, moved to Spokane,
Washington. Michael continued practicing law until his death, a year
later at the age of 71 years old, on August 1, 1909, caused by Carcinoma of the
Liver. Margaret lived in Spokane another six years after Michael’s
death. She died on November 28, 1915, due to Senility and Chronic
Bronchitis. There is an O’Connor family plot at Fairmount Memorial Park
Spokane, WA, where Michael T., Margaret, and Nora are buried.
More Details About Michael T. and
Margaret’s Kids:
Mary A.
O’Connor
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Mary was the only one of her siblings who was born in Ireland. She
immigrated to America when she was 26 years old and married Thomas Joseph Brown
(A farmer), that same year. For most of her life in America she lived in
Bismarck, except for four years she lived in New Rockford, ND. From 1920
until her death in 1930, she lived on a farm south of Fort Abraham
Lincoln. Mary and Thomas had ten children: James Patrick Brown,
Maggin Brown, Margaret Brown, Mary Brown, Colette Brown, Arthur Brown, Agnes E.
Brown, Thomas J. Brown Jr., and Sabina Brown. As soon as she was
eligible, Mary applied and was granted Naturalized citizenship after the normal
four year waiting period.
Julia A. O’Connor
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Julia married Cornelius (Conrad) Peoples, who was born sometime during 1855,
somewhere in Ireland. It appears they met and married in Bismarck, ND.
Their first child, James Jacob Peoples, was born in Bismarck on March 13,
1893. Sadly, James lived only two months and died on May 5, 1893.
Cora was born on March 5, 1894.
Julia and Cornelius moved to Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana sometime
after James’ death and the birth of their second son, Robert Peoples on June 6,
1896 and died in 1935. While living in Butte, they had three more
children: Charles - born on December 25, 1899, Mary - born on February
27, 1902, and Margaret – born on May 23, 1904. Julia died on October 7, 1954, Cornelius died on March 24,
1928, and Robert died in 1935.
They are all buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte, Montana.
Timothy M. O’Connor
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Timothy married Adalade, born during 1878, in Kentucky (Maiden name
unknown). Adalade was either divorced or widowed and had a little girl,
Fredericka, prior to marrying Timothy. Timothy did not have any
biological children, whether it was due to physical issues, martial issues or
economic issues, the reason is unknown. He moved to Spokane, Washington
sometime towards the end of the 1800’s. He worked at the electrical plant
in Spokane, as a mining foreman in Alaska (1915), and as a building contractor
in Los Angeles, CA (1931). He died in Los Angeles, California on December
2, 1947.
Charles A. O’Connor
Charles and Della's Marriage Certificate
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Charles was the only one of his brothers that followed in their father’s
footsteps and became a lawyer. It’s possible that Charles and Timothy
started traveling west together, for they are both listed in the City Directory
of Spokane as early as the 1890’s. According to Charles’ obituary he had
quite an exciting youth and early adulthood. He was a cabin boy on a
Missouri River steamer during the last Sioux Indian uprisings. While he
traveled west, he worked as the camp chef for the Northern Pacific
Railroad. During that trek near Yakima, WA, Charles became
separated from his group and was lost for six days.
Of Charles’ ten siblings, he stayed in school the longest. After
completing high school, he took four years of law courses through his father’s
law office, possibly a correspondence course. After arriving in Spokane,
WA, Charles enrolled at Spokane College (It went out of business during “The
Great Depression”) in the spring of 1891. Three years later he graduated
with a bachelors degree of law (BL).
Although, Charles never practiced trial law, he did apply and was admitted to
the Washington state bar in 1910. Most of Charles’ law career dealt with
contractual agreements between the Great Northern Railroad and
landowners. Charles was also engaged in what was described as
agricultural pursuits for a year in Palouse County, Washington. Returning
to Spokane in 1899, he started working as bookkeeper at the Holland Bank of
Amsterdam. In 1907, he was appointed as bank manager, where he remained
until his death on August 26, 1949.
In spite of his wandering and adventurous spirit, Charles didn’t forget to stop
and smell the roses along the way. One particular rose caught his eye and
his heart, the young Miss Anna Della Wann from Lewiston, Idaho. They
moved to a house atop a hill that was on the south side of Spokane. The
house still stands and has maintained the same address for over one hundred
years: 829 Cliff Avenue. Charles and Anna Della had two sons:
Claire Addison born 1902 and Michael James born 1908. Both boys became
doctors and specialized in eye care, possibly ophthalmology. As the story
goes, Claire was injured as a boy and was blinded in one eye. Michael
made it his life mission to correct Claire’s condition. Claire
graduated from Gonzaga University in Washington and Michael attended the
University of Washington and then went to Creighton Medical School in Omaha,
Nebraska.
Charles was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Spokane County Bar
Association, and St. Augustine Church. He was the first booster of the
Grand Coulee Dam and on one occasion entertained Hubert Hoover at his home,
prior to Mr. Hoover becoming president of the United States.
At the time of Charles death on August 26, 1949, he was visiting Claire in
Santa Rosa, CA. His son, Michael was living in Tucson, AZ, but couldn’t
attend the funeral because a week prior to his father’s death his son died.
NOTE: There is an O’Connor family plot
where Charles, Della Anna, Claire and his family are buried at the Calvary
Catholic Cemetery Santa Rosa, CA.
Michael ‘Mickey’ J. O’Connor
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Of this generation of O’Connor’s, Mickey is the most colorful of them
all. Born in Grand Rapids, MI on October 2nd, 1873, the fifth of eleven
kids, he grew to be one of the most well-known and loved men in the state of
North Dakota. Mickey moved to Bismarck when he was about seven years old
and lived there the remainder of his life. Mickey had many and varied
occupations, but none of them in the professional genre like his father.
As a young man he was a stagecoach driver for the stage line that ran from
Bismarck, ND to Deadwood, SD. In 1897, he started working for the state
of North Dakota driving a horse drawn bus from Bismarck to the capitol
building. Six years later he was put in charge of going to St. Louis, MO
and purchasing the city’s very first street car. Mickey became the
manager and chief operator of the capitol streetcar until it was discontinued
in 1931. It was noted in his obituary that the streetcar would have been
discontinued sooner, if it had not been for the fact that Mickey was a personal
friend of every member of the legislature. Mickey also organized the
first orchestra in Bismarck. At the height of their popularity the
orchestra had engagements throughout western North Dakota. The
orchestra's musical reign ended shortly after World War I. His last job
was a guide at the capitol building. He was appointed to this position
shortly before his death.
Mickey was married twice. He
married his first wife Jennie Buffington on November 30, 1895 at St. Mary’s
Catholic Church, in Bismarck, North Dakota. Jennie died on March 20, 1918. Two years later Mickey
married Laura J. Cook, the pianist in the orchestra, on September 23,
1920. He didn’t have children from either marriage, whether it was due to
physical issues, martial issues or economic issues, the reason is
unknown.
Throughout his life, Mickey had developed quite a talent with a six-gun and a
trap shooting. There are numerous newspaper articles recording his feats
in marksmanship with his sidearm. He was state trap shooting champion for
several years and once competed in an international trap shoot competition in
Toronto, Canada and won a diamond metal for first place.
In addition to his other talents, Mickey was a renowned mimic and
storyteller. People would listen to Mickey for hours as he wove and
developed each story and commentary on life.
In Mickey’s later years, he lived on a farm south of Bismarck along the
Missouri River bottoms. Mickey died unexpectedly after an injury he
incurred while working on the farm. Trying to calm down a strained back,
he fell asleep with a hot water bottle, which subsequently burnt him.
Being the stubborn Irishman he was, he told his wife Laura it wasn’t serious
and refused to see a doctor. He quickly developed septic pneumonia and
was subsequently admitted to the local hospital. Unfortunately, the
medical treatments of the time were inadequate to overcome the damage that had
already taken place. The day that Mickey entered the hospital “The
Bismarck Tribune”, wrote about his serious health condition. On the day
of his death, September 30th, 1936, his obituary was placed in the center of
the front page. The general spirit of the article was one of tribute and
fond memories to the man that had made them laugh and how his many talents
touched the lives of so many people. But most of all, there were warm
farewells to a beloved friend. Mickey was laid to rest in Fairview
Cemetery Bismarck, ND.
Thomas P. O’Connor
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Thomas was born in a small town in Michigan by the name of Hubbardston on
January 1st, 1875. As a small boy he and his family moved to Wisconsin,
then on to the Dakota Territory; possibly Bismarck, ND, where he lived
remainder of his life. He attended William Moore Grade School and later
attended Button’s Business College, but it’s not known whether Thomas completed
his course work.
As a young man, Thomas was a cowboy, herding cattle over the grazing land where
the capitol now stands. He then took up the trade of butchering and
worked at Reed and Cupitz and later the Gussner and Logan butcher shops.
In 1917, Thomas became the operator of the automatic lift in the post office
where he worked for the next 23 years. At his retirement party, he was
quoted saying, “he had never been late or sick the whole time he worked for the
post office”.
He married at the moderate age of 34 years old, to a Miss Margaret J. Wyldes at
St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bismarck, ND on June 23, 1909. They had two
children – Paul was born on May 30, 1910 and christened on June 15, 1910. His sister Mary Helen Margareth was
born on May 8, 1919 and was christened on May 21, 1919.
There is a manuscript at the State Historical Society of North Dakota that
Thomas wrote recording life in Bismarck during the late 1800’s and early
1900’s. In the manuscript there is even an account of Chief Sitting Bull
visiting the O’Connor homestead on his way to Fort Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Order of United
Workmen.
He died on October 2, 1960 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery Bismarck, ND.
Margaret O’Connor
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Margaret has the unique distinction of being the only O’Connor girl in her
family to marry another O’Connor. Her husband was Dennis O’Connor (A
farmer), were married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on November 14, 1891, in
Bismarck, North Dakota. Margaret was born somewhere in Wisconsin,
possibly Stevens Point, in 1877 and was a young girl of about eight years old
when she moved to Bismarck. She married Dennis when she was about 21
years old and had six children – Michael A. born 1899, Hugh born 1900, Nora
born 1902, Arthur born 1904, Margaret born 1905, and Dennis born 1913.
They moved from Bismarck to Munster Township, Eddy County, North Dakota, at
least until the 1930’s.
Nora
O’Connor
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Nora was the only daughter of this generation that never married. She was
the second child born somewhere in Wisconsin, possibly Sand Point, sometime
during 1879 and she was approximately six years old when she moved to
Bismarck. She lived in Bismarck, ND until her mom, dad, and sister Bessie
moved to Spokane WA in the spring or early summer of 1908; she was 29 years
old. She worked a number of years in retail stores before she opened her
own woman’s clothes store called Nora’s Shop. After her sister
Bessie married, Nora lived with them for several years. She was a member
of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral and the Catholic Daughters of America.
It was passed down through other family members that she had a problem with
alcohol, to the extent that it negatively affected her whole adult life.
Nellie Agnes “Ellen”
O’Connor
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Ellen was born sometime during August 1880, in Bismarck, North Dakota.
She was christened Nellie Agnes, but was called Ellen most of her life, on
December 22, 1881 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bismarck. Ellen married George A. Blaha on April
27, 1908 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and had one child, which was born in
Spokane, WA in 1909.
In 1910 or 1911, she married a man by the name of John F.
Smith.
Arthur Joseph O’Connor
Arthur and Gabrielle's Marriage Certificate
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Arthur was born in Bismarck, ND on May 28, 1885 at the old O’Connor homestead –
519 2nd Street. Arthur was christened on August 9, 1885 at St. Mary’s
Catholic Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. He was the youngest boy in the family, but very little else
is known of his childhood. When he was about 19 years old he moved to
Spokane, WA and lived with his older brother Charles and attended Blair
Business College. It was there at BBC that he met his future bride
Gabrielle Cecelia Warde. Gabrielle was born in Decatur, IL on March 22,
1887. At the ages 22 years old and 20 years old respectively, they
married in Spokane, WA on September 9th 1907 at The Cathr; witnessed by his
brother Charles.
Arthur chose a career in insurance and for a number of years did very
well. He held positions of insurance agent, office manager, regional
manager, and at the height of his career his was the 2nd Vice
President of Willamette Securities Corp. an insurance company in Portland,
OR. His abuse of alcohol and the affects of several periods of deep
depression devastated his own life and rippled through his children,
grandchildren and even some great-grand children.
He was sent to a hospital in Idaho on two occasions to dry out and deal with
his alcoholism. But the pressures of being the sole provider of a large
family and whatever stresses he felt, drove him back to drinking and
depression. There was even a time period of about a year that he left
Gabrielle and their kids and moved to Portland, Oregon. When he finally
came to his senses he moved Gabrielle and the kids down to
Portland. Arthur held a number of different jobs, including
carpentry and even blacksmithing. There is one house across from Portland
State University, at the corner of Hodge and Willamette Blvd. that still stands
which Arthur help build. At the time of his death his driver’s license
listed his occupation as an assistant blacksmith. He was killed in a hit
and run accident at the intersection of North Lombard and McKenna Avenue on September
13, 1941. Arthur was laid to rest at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Portland,
Oregon.
Arthur and Gabrielle had three daughters and five sons, but their first child,
Mary Victoria, born May 25th 1908, died 23 days later on June 16, 1908.
Their other children from oldest to youngest were: Aloysius Joseph born
June 16, 1909, died September 18, 1972, James Edwin born February 26, 1911,
died March 29, 2002, William “Bill” Francis, born July 9, 1913, died September
19, 2000, Gabriel Arthur, born September 9, 1916, died October 12, 1978, Marion
Hope, born November 12, 1920 and is still with us, Faye Marie, born September
20, 1925, died October 23, 1989, and Dennis “John” Theodore, born August
23, 1927, died February 17, 1993.
Four of the boys had different names on their birth certificate compared to
what family members called and knew them by. Al, even though he was a
junior was Aloysius instead of Arthur. James Edwin was Edwin James on his
birth certificate. Gabriel Arthur was Arnold Arthur on his birth
certificate and Dennis Theodore was called Johnny. Johnny didn’t know his
birth name was different until he enlisted into the Merchant Marines during
World War II.
Gabrielle Cecelia Warde
Grandma
O'Connor_Photo2
O'Connor
Boys Photo 1
O'Connor
Boys Photo 2
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Gabrielle’s parents - Mary Theresa Adderly was born in Canada and her father -
Edwin Warde, was a former Captain in the Union Army during the War Between the
States (The Civil War). They were married in Macon County Illinois on May
18, 1880. She had one older sister Mary Adele “Dell”, born on December
15, 1880. Gabrielle was born shortly before or after her father
died. Mary Theresa, Mary Adele, and Gabrielle moved from Decatur, IL to
Spokane, Washington so they could be close to family. Mary Theresa
parents were Charles Adderly and Mary Ann Zeller. Its speculated that
Charles and Mary Ann met after their families immigrated to Canada.
Charles was from England where he had attended Oxford College and Mary Ann was
from Wittenberg, Germany. Mary Adele and Gabrielle grew up surrounded by
several aunts and uncles. Mary Theresa had two brothers and five sisters
living in Spokane. There was also a very strong German cultural
influence during Gabrielle’s childhood and even into her adult life from her
grandma Mary Ann Adderly. The German language and recipes were passed
down to all their kids and grandkids. Gabrielle and her children lived
with her grandparents, Charles and Mary Ann, after her husband Arthur J.
O’Connor left for about a year. Several of Gabrielle’s children had vivid
memories of their grandma Mary that remained even through their senior adult
years.
Elizabeth Ann "Bessie" O’Connor
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Bessie was born in Bismarck, ND on January 27, 1888 and christened at St.
Mary’s Catholic Church on July 22, 1888. Her full Christian name was
Elizabeth Ann, but friends and family called her Bessie. She lived in
Bismarck until she graduated from Bismarck High School in the spring of 1908;
she was one of 20 graduates that year. Shortly after graduating, her mom,
dad, and sister Nora moved to Spokane, WA. She lived with her sister Nora
for a number of years before she married Frank E. Martin. Frank was a
general building contractor and he and Bessie lived in Spokane the rest of
their lives. Bessie and Frank had one daughter Mary born November 28,
1925. She met and married Laverne Siler in Spokane on February 16, 1952,
at Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. Mary shared: That her uncle Charles and aunt
Della were her Godparents and every Christmas their families would always get
together and celebrate Christmas night. She also remembered her uncle
Charles always made Tom and Jerry's for the adults and that the night was full
of laughs and celebration.
Frank and Bessie are both buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane, WA.
Frank died in October 1950 and Bessie died on November 22, 1974.
The remainder of this family narrative will focus on Arthur J. and Gabrielle C.
O’Connor’s children and grandchildren. The stories about these
generations of O’Connor’s are verbal recollections that have been passed down
from one generation to another. The childhood memories of Arthur and
Gabrielle’s kids are sketchy and are riddled with speculation. The kids
of this generation chose to build a protective wall around what must have been
a horrific time of their lives. Even later in life, few memories remain
that don’t conjure up painful images of a time far removed. Their
accounts may be incomplete or distorted, but for those of us who have received
the legacy of this generation, it is now the only realty we may ever know.
Mary Victor
Mary Victor O'Connor - Death Certificate
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Mary Victor was Arthur and Gabrielle's first child. She was named after Gabrielle’s favorite nun. She was
born on May 25, 1908 in Spokane, WA, but only lived 23 days. Mary died on
June 16, 1908 and was buried in the Fairview Cemetery Spokane, WA. The
phase of the cemetery where Mary Victor was buried had several of the plots
relocated, so her marker can no longer be located.
Aloysius Joseph
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Few details of Al’s childhood that are known. He was born in Spokane, WA
on June 16, 1909 and lived there until he was 17 years old. His Grandpa
O’Connor died when he was two months old and his Grandma O’Connor died when he
was six. But several of his relatives lived in Spokane when he and his
sibling’s were growing up: Uncle Charles, Aunt Nora, Aunt Bessie, Grandma
Mary T. Warde (Gabrielle's mother), Great-Grandpa Charles and Grandma Mary Ann
Adderly. He was very much the oldest child and always looked out for his
sibling as they were growing up. His mother and siblings moved to
Portland, Oregon in 1924 and he lived there until he joined the
military. Al met and married Lucille Theresa Marie Nibler in
Portland, Oregon on June 21, 1932. This was the same year that the Great
Depression came to an end. They didn’t have children, whether it was due
to physical issues, martial issues or economic issues the reason is
unknown. When they were first married, Al was a bookkeeper, but as the
war escalated in Europe, he joined the Army-Air Corp in the early 1940’s.
When World War II came to an end, Al decided to make the military a
career. He spent the next twenty years in the supply branch, first in the
enlisted ranks and his remaining time as a commissioned officer, reaching the
rank of Major. After the Army-Air Corp split into two separate entities
on September 18, 1947, Al chose to be apart of the Air Force. When
he retired from the Air Force, he spent another ten years working for Civil
Service. Six months after his second retirement he died at the age of 63,
in Vancouver, WA on September 18, 1972.
Although, he lived apart from his brothers and sisters and their families for
most of his life, there were a few nieces and nephew’s which he invested his
time and finances in his later years. But the tragedy of Al’s life was
the iron grip that alcohol had on his life. One of his nephew’s remembers
viewing him at his funeral and remarked that it was the first time in years his
hands weren’t shaking. The image brought him to tears because the uncle
he dearly loved was finally freed from the addiction that slowly destroyed his
physical and emotional health.
James
Edwin
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James Edwin O'Connor - Obituary
Jim was born in Spokane, WA on February 26, 1911 and lived there until he was
about 15 years old. As a young man he developed a passion for boats and
built his first sailboat at age 16. He once told a story about when he
and his younger brother Bill sailed up the Columbia River, prior to the dams
being built. They fished for their food and sometimes stopped along the
way to work for a little cash and get some home cooking. When Jim was a
young man he traveled back to Bismarck, North Dakota to meet his dad’s brother
Thomas. Jim thought Thomas was pretty strange and unfriendly.
At approximately 16 or 17 years old, Jim went to work for Dornbecker’s,
a furniture manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, where he worked for a number of
years. Prior to entering the military in 1943, Jim painted airplanes at
the Portland Airbase. While in the Army-Air
Corp, he was trained to repair, maintain, and paint airplane airframes.
Jim was stationed at two bases in the United States during his tour of duty,
but never left the country since the war was winding down. After being
discharged from military service, he went to work as a painter at the Tongue
Point Naval Station in Astoria, Oregon. Later he worked for Astoria
Marine Construction Company as a painter and became one of its owners when it
became an employee-owned business in 1960. He retired in 1975.
Note: The house they lived in for over five
decades is across the street from the Astoria Marine Construction where Jim
worked.
Soon after arriving at Astoria, he met a young beauty by the name of Gurie
Halvorson. They were married on May 28, 1947 and settled in Astoria where
they raised a family. Jim and Gurie had three sons and one daughter
– Timothy James b. August 19, 1948, Kathleen Marie b. August 17, 1950, Dennis
Edwin b. November 18, 1951, and Edwin Clancy b. June 11, 1955.
Jim was an avid hunter of fowl, deer, elk and small rodents around the house,
even into his 80’s. Gurie only let Jim display two trophies in their home--a perfect
set of elk antlers, and the head of a prize antelope. Both hung over the
couch in their living room for a number of decades. He also had a sharp wit and a bit of the
storyteller in him. He could string recollections of a life that remained
deep within the memories of his adulthood; you could be captivated for
hours. But he chose to divulge little about is childhood; he would say
that some things are better left alone.
Although he maintained a stoic temperament most of his life,
occasionally you could catch glimpses of a softer and tender side. You
could hear the pride and love in his voice as he talked about his kids and
grandkids. You could see the pleasure he received when saying something
in front of Gurie, so she would tell him “Now James....”. If you spent
any time with him and Gurie, you could not help but see the depth of love he
had for the woman he had spent a lifetime with and accumulated so
memories. These memories more than made up for a childhood that was
surrounded by so much pain. More than any other man I've known, he was a
man that I wanted to be like in so many ways.
William "Bill" Francis
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Bill was born on July 9, 1913 and lived his first 13 years in Spokane,
Washington. In 1926, his father, who had left his mother and siblings for
about a year, relocated them to Portland, Oregon to live with him. Like
his older brother Jim, Bill grew up with a passion for hunting, fishing, and
boats. He was very skilled in the sciences and had an engineer’s eye for
the physical world around him.
Of the O’Connor boys, Bill was the only one that attended Portland’s Benson
Technical High School; he graduated in either 1930 or 1931. The effects
of the Great Depression would last for another several years. And like
other cities across America, jobs in the Portland area were few and far
between. For Bill, and his other graduating classmates, having a high
diploma and a lifetime of dreams ahead, would be completely dashed with no job
to funnel them into.
Bill ultimately found employment with the major telephone company on the west
coast. He worked for them for most of his adult life, and was transferred
to many cities within the state of Oregon. He was part of a team, which
installed commercial multi-line phone systems, called PBX stations.
He was married a couple of times, but never had any children, whether it was
due to physical issues, martial issues or economic issues the reason is
unknown. Bill was last married to Ella Sester-Williamson, on November 24,
1965. Ella had two kids from a previous marriage – Kevin and Karen, which
Bill adopted.
Extracted from a letter from Kevin:
My mom married my step Dad when I was about 7 or 8 years old. My
impression of him was that he was quite a bit older than my birth dad and 20
yrs older than my mom. Secondly,
he was not a person who was outwardly affectionate towards my sister and me.
Although, he did teach me something that my birth Dad never did, that was
manners. How to act, talk, eat,
you name it, Dad O’Connor seemed to know the proper way to do everything.
Although he seemed an expert on to how to act, he did not seem to know how to
relate with others. My memories of him were of one that would come home
late and mom would have his chair and paper ready for him. My Mother
became stressed out over when he would arrive home, due to an alcohol problem
he had that was quite evident early on in their marriage. As children, my
sister and I saw the stress that was growing within our mom, but since we were
just kids we didn't know how to help.
We individually experienced the negative effects of my step Dad’s love of
alcohol. When he’d take us someplace in the car and he’d drift over into
the other lane of traffic. Since this happened quite often, I now feel that it
was only the Grace of God that kept us alive while riding with him. I
remember another incident of how close I came to death due to his drinking was
when we were at Brookings, Oregon for a vacation. Dad had a rowboat that
he had made, which was excellently constructed. One day he decided to
take me out on the boat through the surf to open sea. I was about 10
years old or so and of course Bill (Dad O’Connor) had been drinking (to be
honest with you I feel that there were very few times he wasn’t quite consumed
with alcohol). Anytime I did anything with Him caused me much concern,
which shouldn’t have been with a boy and his Dad. Anyway I went with him
and he was really enjoying it. Upon coming back in through the surf, a wave
flip the boat which turned it right over on top of us, fortunately for me, I
had taken swimming lessons and so was able to get out from underneath of the
boat. One of the oars of the boat had poked a hole right through the
side, which was found upon dragging the boat back to shore. Bill then found a
handkerchief or similar cloth and poked it in the hole and said let’s go back
out. Being a 10-year-old boy, you feel pretty much helpless to say I’d rather
not. So while we were in the boat, way beyond the point of safety (well
out of range of swimming back to shore) and seeing the cloth leaking like it
was hardly even there, I managed enough fortitude to speak to Bill and asked him
“don’t you think we should be heading back?” Fortunately for him and me, he
agreed and just as we entered water that was chest deep, the cloth popped out
and we sank like a rock. I share this to help all those who read it to
realize the terror that children are put through because of alcoholic parents.
The children feel like they are prisoners to terrorizing events almost daily or
are forced to see the parent that doesn’t drink live under incredible stress
because of it.
Ella L. O’Connor
I remember my mom as one who worked hard to provide for her kids after her
divorce, when I was about 6 yrs old. A mother who was initially happily married
to William F. O’Connor, but her life was soon filled with stress due to his
drinking. She was a mom who didn’t put up with her second born (myself) teasing
the life out of my sister and knew how to judiciously apply the rod of
discipline very well. A woman, whose life was filled with tension and
stress because of Bill’s drinking and latter revealed sexual tendencies, chose
to live with the pain and not put us children through another broken home
experience. Mom, who now has found a person in her life that loves her
and whom she has grown to love and will soon be Mrs. Robinson, was the one that
led me into a personal living wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ while
sitting on the couch with her one day. Needless to say, my mom has been
pretty special!!!
Gabriel "Gabe" Arthur
Gabriel
Photo 1
Gabriel
Photo 2
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Gabe was born the fourth of five sons and
three daughters, on September 9, 1916, in Spokane, Washington. He lived in
Spokane until he was about ten years old, when his dad moved his family to
Portland, Oregon in 1926. I can imagine the fear, feelings of abandonment,
and anger that must have permeated the heart and mind of a little boy of
nine-years-old, who’s father had just walked away from his family; for I
experienced the same feelings when I was growing up.
Gabe’s brothers and sisters described him as a strange and different boy, who
became an even stranger man. His relationship with his father was
strained throughout his life. Arthur, Gabe’s dad, from what’s been passed down,
was a rigid man, who demonstrated little affection towards his wife or kids.
Arthur’s drinking brought on repeated periods of depression and visa versa, but
reading between the lines, there must have also existed both physical and
emotional abuse. Within families that have alcoholic family members,
physical and emotional lashing out is often common.
I can envision Gabe having a tender spirit, which could easily be broken by a
cross, or digging remark. I have been told, that Gabe and his dad were
like oil and water. His dad was analytical and all business; Gabe was a dreamer
and had an artist’s view of the world. I suspect that Gabe always longed
for his dad’s approval, but never received it, because his accomplishments were
never considered worthy of recognition.
He graduated high school somewhere around 1934 and according to the Portland
city directory, and may have attended a local college afterwards. From this
time until his dad’s death on September 13, 1941, there is not much known about
him. In his dad’s obituary, it lists him being stationed at March Field, which is
an Air Force base in California.
His brother Jim once shared a story about Gabe when he was in Australia during
World War II. Gabe was married to a local girl and while he was gone on a
mission, she started living with another man. Jim said Gabe emotionally went
off the deep end and was never the same after that. It was passed down that the
military requested that Gabe be put in a mental hospital, but his mother
wouldn’t give her consent. After the war ended, there was story after story of
strange and irrational behavior: Buying a home on property that was land
locked. While in the Merchant Marines, he would give his money away when he
docked in Alaska. Due to these and many other incidences, there seem to be
strong evidence that suggests Gabe had a manic-depressive disorder, since this
type of mental behavior is hereditary and his dad experienced frequent
occurrences of depression.
Gabe was married four times, maybe more. His first wife was possibly a young
woman named Beryl, who he met in while stationed at Australia during World War
II. There is a picture of them,
possibly on their wedding day. His
second wife was Royann Rogers.
They were married shortly after the end of World War II. They had four
children: Gabriel Arthur Jr. b. September 20, 1946 Portland, OR, died July 14,
1998 Eugene, OR, Roy Michael b. December 23, 1947, and twins Dorothy Fay and
Daniel "Danny" Ray, b. December 10, 1948 Klamath Falls, OR. Danny
died a week before his 21st birthday in 1969. Gabe and Royann were divorced
within a couple of years of the twin’s birth. On December 22, 1951, he married
his second wife, Arline Sanna (Gossett) Knight. Gabe and Arline had one child,
John Brian b. April 8, 1955 Seattle, WA. Two and half years later they
divorced. His third wife was Carolyn Lee Knight, Arline’s oldest daughter from
a previous marriage. Carolyn conceived their first child while she was still a
minor and her mother was married to Gabe. Prior to Arlene and Gabe’s divorced a
second child was conceived. Gabe was solely responsible for these events. The divorce from Arline and marriage to Carolyn was court
ordered or Arline and Gabe would be subjected criminal prosecution. After their
marriage Gabe and Carolyn had a third child. Thirteen years later they
divorced. When Gabe was in his early 50’s he married a woman of African
American descent in her twenty’s. It only lasted a year or so.
Of the numerous atrocities Gabe caused, he did have a short-lived claim to
fame. In 1961, Gabe was part of the construction crew that built the forms for
the foundations of the Seattle Space Needle and the Seattle Science Center.
After that project, he also worked on several sections of the present day
freeways and some of the bridges in Seattle. While working on one bridge, he
fell 150 feet; it’s said he bounced like a ball. As a result, he had a metal
plate implanted in his head. After this event his alcohol consumption
dramatically increased and his behavior became more unpredictable.
The last years of his life were a downward spiral, caused by his abuse and
dependency of alcohol. He lived in abject poverty and was in and out of the VA
hospital in Vancouver, WA. He died October 12, 1978, in a run down apartment in
Portland, OR, where he was found scalded to death in his bathtub. It is unknown
whether he passed out and fell in or he was killed for his Social Security
check. He is buried at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR.
Marion
Hope
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Marion was born in Spokane, Washington on
November 12, 1920, the living daughter in a house of five boys. Four years
later her father walked out and didn’t see them for about a year. She was about
five or six years when she, her mother and brothers moved to St John’s in
Portland, Oregon in 1926 to rejoin him. Marion lived in Portland, Oregon the
rest of her childhood and most of her adult life. She had only lived in
Portland for about 3 years when the economic disaster “Black Thursday”, October
24, 1929, initiating “The Great Depression”. Living in the city brought with it many hardships compared
to those living in the county.
City dwellers didn’t have the opportunity to grow their own food or eat
the livestock they raised. But fortunately they were able have a garden in a
vacant lot across the street. In
addition, they had chickens that they used the eggs for income and. Being in
the northwest, they also took advantage of the local fish and wildlife
resources in the area for a valued food source. When Wall Street crashed, the effects quickly rippled to the
west coast job market. Marion’s
dad and all her older brothers soon lost their jobs. Days turned into weeks and
soon in months as the men of the family desperately attempted to find work; any
work to provide for so many hungry loved ones. Many families lost their homes,
farms, and businesses. Some people in the business community lost all hope,
while some families pulled together and demonstrated a profound level of
courage. Whether that courage was founded in God, America, or each other
somehow they survived. Three years passed before America’s economic situation
finally turned a corner and started down the road to recovery.
In 1938, Marion graduated from high school. The economy in Portland was
slowly improving and she was blessed to find a job as keypunch operator at
Farmers Insurance Company. As her older brothers did, Marion remained at
home until she married.
As a young woman in her twenties,
she lived through many life-stretching events. There were rumors of wars
and finally an all-out world war – World War II. On September 13, 1941,
her father was killed in a hit and run car accident; Marion was only 21 years
old. Three months later America declared war on Japan after they attacked
Pearl Harbor.
Over the next four years she
could observe the stepped-up activity of shipbuilding and increased numbers of
Naval personnel, since she lived so close to the bluff overlooking the Port of
Portland.
Soon after World War II ended,
life started to revert to some level of normalcy and on January 18, 1947,
Marion married Edmund Robert "Bob" Hagerty in Portland, Oregon.
Over the next 22 years Marion and Bob had four boys and four girls: Michael
Robert Hagerty born - January 21, 1948, David Joseph born - June 24, 1949,
Patrick William born - June 08, 1950, Kathleen Ann born - August 10, 1952,
Margaret Rosemary " Molly" born - December 02, 1955, John Edmund born
- February 24, 1960, Theresa Marie born - July 25, 1962, and Nora Mary Cecilia
born - January 13, 1969.
After World War II had ended, Bob got out of the Navy and went to work, first
at, the telephone company, then Pepsi, then delivered Pabft Blue ribbon beer,
then became a wine salesman for Al C. Guisti wine company for well over 30
years. Marion, besides being a
fulltime mother and housewife, she also developed her hobby collecting antiques
into becoming an antique dealer.
She also became a legend in her own time for making the best Lemmon
Meringue pie in Portland. Marion
was also known for her intuition, intelligence, and being pragmatic.
Marion and Bob lived in
northeast Portland on the corner of Fernhill Park and they were in the St.
Charles Parish. In 1994 they had a
home built for them on the Oregon coast at Gleneden Beach. They spent
many enjoyable years relaxing, watching the crashing of the ocean waves against
the rocks and beach close to their home and most of all - spending time
“alone”. In addition, Marion pursued her of passion of collecting
and selling antiques.
Bob died on February 4, 2000
after succumbing to an extended illness.
Marion and Bob had been married 53 years at the time of his
passing. He is buried at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Marion now lives closer to family and
continues being blessed with good health. She stays active with her
hobbies, children, and grandchildren.
Fay
Marie
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Content contribution by Fay's daughter Eileen
Fay was the third and youngest of the daughters of Arthur
and Gabrielle. She was born on September 20, 1925 in Spokane,
Washington. When her father left in late 1924 or early 1925, he may not
even known Gabrielle was pregnant with Fay. The first time Fay’s father
would see her would be sometime in 1926, when he moved his family to Portland,
Oregon.
Relatives described Fay as different, artistic, and a free spirit.
Growing up in Portland, Oregon during the late twenties, thirties, and forties,
she would be affected by many difficult life experiences. As a young
child between the ages of four to seven years old, “The Great Depression” gripped
and strangled American commerce. In a large family with little income
there could have been days where there was little to nothing to eat or spare
clothing to wear. By the time Fay attended junior high school, America’s
financial outlook was greatly improved. New businesses were springing up;
jobs were becoming easier to find for her father and older brothers and
American's across the nation dared to hope and dream again. But when Fay
was a sophomore in high school, life took a dramatic turn; on September 13,
1941, her father was killed in a hit and run accident. No matter how
strained and distant the relationship between a father and daughter, the sense
of loss and feelings abandonment is no less painful. They can and often
due change a person’s perspective on life and how they develop and maintain
future relationships. Three months later, all of America felt Fay’s fear
and loss when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered
World War II. While the war was still raging, Fay graduated from
Imaculata Academy, in Portland, Oregon during the spring of 1943.
Six years after World War II ended, Fay married Jerald “Jerry” Kelly
Bell. They had two daughters: Erina Marie born September 14, 1954
and Eileen Judith born April 3, 1956. Fay and Jerry were divorced when
Erina was about 6 and Eileen was 4. Erina had cerebral palsy, and Fay
raised both children alone, with all of the medical issues you can imagine with
Erina’s condition. Erina could not walk, talk, or feed her self and had to
be carried everywhere. Tragically, Erina drowned at the age of 13 while
in the care of family friends; Fay always blamed herself because she was not
with her. Eileen believes that following Erina’s death, Fay experienced
acute feelings of personal guilt and deep remorse, which lead to her heavy
alcohol consumption. She turned her pain inside, pushing those that loved
her farther and farther away until they stopped trying. When Eileen was
18, largely because of Fay’s drinking, she left her mother’s home to live with
her father, Jerry, and her stepmother, JoAnn – who became a second mother to
Eileen, and with whom she still shares a strong bond. Fay pretty much
“disowned” (pushed away as before) Eileen, because she had moved in with her
father. Eileen knew that the next time she saw her mother would be when
she had passed on – as was the case in October 1989. Fay was pretty much
alone and destitute at the time, because she chose to be.
Eileen is fighting the alcohol battle as well. As result of seeing alcohol’s effect on
herself and the one’s she loves, Eileen admitted herself into rehab in 2003 and
has lived a life of sobriety since then, with the wonderful support of her
current husband, Steve, and his son, Ian.
Dennis "Johnny" Theodore
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A year after Arthur moved his family to
Portland, Oregon, on August 23, 1927, Dennis Theodore O’Connor was born.
He was the last of eight children, the youngest son of his generation, whose
father was the youngest son of his generation. What expectations and
hopes would be placed on his little shoulders? Or was he just another of
many mouths to feed? Was he lost in the crowd of his older siblings or
being the youngest, was he doted upon and spoiled like so many are? Only
his older siblings and mother know for sure and they can no longer share such
facts.
As an infant, he would have scarcely realized the financial devastation that
his family and the rest of America experience after October 24, 1929 – “Black
Thursday”, the crash of Wall Street. For the next several years his
father and older brothers would have search relentlessly to find enough work to
feed so many hungry mouths. By the time he was in grade school and junior
high, a new and brighter economic future could be seen in the distant
horizon.
By 1943, World War II was in full swing and America was fighting on many fronts
– Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and in the South Pacific. With three
of his older brothers already in the Army or Air Force he didn’t want to be
left out. He attempted to enlist, but became he was underage and was the
youngest son of his family he was refused. Eventually, there was a
compromise made and his mother signed a waiver for him to join the Merchant
Marines, since they didn’t have a direct combat role in the war.
Although, Dennis was called Johnny from his birth, it wasn’t until he enlisted
in the Merchant Marines that he discovered his legal name was Dennis.
Several years after World War II and the Korean War ended, Johnny married
Patricia Jeanne Fowler on January 31, 1953, in Portland, Oregon. Johnny and Pat met through her older
brother Alvin; Johnny and Alvin were friends growing up. Over the next 13 years they had three
daughters and two sons: Denise Elizabeth born - March 19, 1954, Colleen
June born - June 28, 1955, Peggy Cecilia born - February 01, 1957, Matthew John
born - December 05, 1963, and Joseph Nathan born - April 17, 1966.
Johnny spent most of his adult life working in the shipyards of Portland, where
he contracted a lung disease from being around asbestos. His medical
condition brought about a premature death at the early age of 66. His
family and loved ones scattered his ashes over the mouth of the Columbia River
in Astoria, Oregon.
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