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Archiver > CASANFRA > 2004-12 > 1102611246


From: "S. F. O'Donnell" <>
Subject: Re: [CASANFRA] Correction:  180 Rose, SF
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 08:54:06 -0800
References: <66B14A20.74D32CC1.0228B5DA@aol.com>


Hello SF list,

Thanks for the replies. Here is some clarification on this strange finding:

Re: Joseph F. O'Donnell (my great grand uncle):

Joseph F. O'Donnell is buried with John J. Morris (1874-1942) - the husband
of Susan Morris (nee O'Donnell) - also at Holy Cross. Susan is buried with
brother John T. and other family members (Susan Morris (nee O'Donnell) May
1979 - October 1962) at another large plot at Holy Cross that I found some
time ago. She claims that John T. O'Donnell was her father when in fact,
John T. O'Donnell was her brother. Hmmm ....

I see the mention of #9 Heron. John (the 8 year old son) was aka James. It
seems that this other James O'Donnell (James, Sr. had two sons, both named
James if you can believe that!). I have the death certificate and obits. on
all of the various James O'Donnells (and they are all mine).

James O'Donnell from Ireland #1 (1837, 1839 or 1840 (take your pick) - born
in Ireland; died March 30, 1917). Various occupations found for him -
street car conductor, policeman at City Hall, a laborer in the end.

James W. O'Donnell (son #1 - my great grandfather; died in 1929 of T.B. in
Oakland)

James O'Donnell (son of John - born in 1887, died at the age of 8 days of
something I cannot figure out phangymical paralysis? He was interned with
Catherine at Calvary, removed to Holy Cross Calvary section and removed
again to the larger O'Donnell plot with his father John T. and other
relatives in my family in 1905).

James O'Donnell (son #2 - my 1/2 great grand uncle - died at the age of 30
years in 1922; the son of Mary Brennan and James, Sr. (born in 1892). An
apparent suicide at the S.F. General Hospital - ironically the place where
James W. O'Donnell, my father's brother died in 1995.

James W. O'Donnell (my father's brother - died in 1995 at the age of 71).
He was cremated.

Now you can see why it has taken me 7 years to ID the old man from
Tipperary.

Here is his obit:

O'DONNELL - In this city, March 28, 1917, James, dearly beloved husband of
Mary J. O'Donnell, and loving father of James O'Donnell, Mrs. Gus Flanagan
and the late Thomas O'Donnell, a native of Tipperary, Ireland, aged 77
years.

Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral
Saturday, March 31, 1917 at 9:30 o'clock from the parlors of Carew &
English, 1618 Geary st. thence to Sacred Heart Church, where a requiem high
mass will be celebrated for repose of his soul, commencing at 10:00 o'clock.
Internment, Holy Cross Cemetery by automobile.

I also have the death certificates on both James' (James Sr., and actually
both James Jr's.).

This whole thing is so bizarre and ironic I cannot begin to tell you. My
uncle James W. O'Donnell who died in 1995 was born the day after James
O'Donnell died in the year 1924 (March 29th). Kinda creepy the whole thing
IM0.

Re: The death of Catherine O'Donnell (nee Donovan) was from T.B. I was
advised by Holy Cross. I remember my father saying that T.B. had taken a
huge toll on the family but I never knew it was this extensive.

This also explains this curious statement I found printed in the paper after
the death of Catherine:

O'Donnell, Catherine--John O'Donnell granted letters on estate of Catherine
O'Donnell, with bonds fixed at $1200. (SF Chronicle, Feb 9, 1887, page 8,
column 8).

Seems Catherine did not trust her son John and no mention of husband James
who printed this obit. after she died on July 30, 1885:

Text of obituary from Catherine Donovan O'Donnell dated July 30, 1885:

O'DONNELL - in this city, July 30, Catherine, beloved wife of James
O'Donnell, a native of the parish of Urlingford, County Kilkenny, Ireland,
aged 46 years. [Brooklyn and New York papers please copy.]

Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral,
TOMORROW (Saturday) at 8:30 A.M., from her late residence, 428 Clementina
Street,; thence to St. Patrick's Church, where a requiem mass will be
celebrated for the repose of her soul.

Quite the nightmare to unravel and oh so very many "white lies" or whatever
you might call them (beyond "white lies" in my book!).

In any case, James O'Donnell from Tipperary lived to be quite old and had
more than one wife. This much I do know. I found a record of Mary J.
O'Donnell - seems she lived to be quite old - 85 years and died in SF in
1937 despite it all. She is not buried with the two James' which I found
buried together at Holy Cross.

Too bad the cemeteries cannot talk isn't it?

Regards to all and I hope this clarifies a complicated situation and
hopefully it doesn't make it even more confusing.

Sue O'Donnell











----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: ""Sue O'Donnell"" <>; <>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 11:16 PM
Subject: Re: [CASANFRA] Correction: 180 Rose, SF


> Sue, give this item a study...when I first crossed them in 1910, dinna
> recognize them. But after going back to the 1900 Census and gathering
> their line-up of dates, aligned with yours, my hunch is that Mary Brennan
> may have liked the idea of living on Rose Street. (I dunno it
> either...maybe you do have a story to tell here. Do you know her middle
> name? Or her sons'? Folk were often renaming themselves....wonder which
> newspaper?) I have to ever remind myself that the censuses are ripe with
> the hand of human error....this is a wonderful example of it, if it is
> them. Do you have any circa dates for Uncle Joseph? Which generation...?
> Have fun.....JAL (ggdaur of Bridget Corbett--once exhumed from the old
> graveyard of her Mission Dolores and transferred to Colma--in the 30's?
> I was recently told by the Colma cemetery folk--what my grandmother was
> not told--that the bones of Bridget Corbett now lie in a mass grave
> there--somewhere. Gives me the whole stunning hillside to walk...with
> her. You wrote:.....James O'Donnell lived until 1917 and that he married
> Mary Brennan sometime after the death of my great great grandmother
> Catherine O'Donnell (nee DONOVAN).
> They had three children, Thomas J. (b. 1885). I cannot locate the death of
> Thomas (sometime prior to 1917) and Mary O'Donnell is referenced as "Mrs.
> Gus Flanagan" in the obiturary of James O'Donnell in 1917. James Jr. died
> in 1922. In 1910, James would have been 70 years old, Mary 53 years old.
> Sue O'Donnell
>
> 1900 US Census San Francisco. 31st District. Address appears to be 9
> Heron? Street at Eighth Street. Rents House. James gives
> imm1870/30yrsNA. Date is 7 June 1900.James ODonnell Head 61 (Jan1839)
> MWM24yrs IRE IRE IRE ClerkMary ODonnell Wife 47 (Mar1853) FWM
> 24yrs 3/3 NY IRE IRE Thomas ODonnell Son 14 (Aug1885) MWS
> CA IRE NY BoxmakerMary ODonnell Daur 11 (Oct1888) MWS
> CA IRE NY At SchoolJohn ODonnell Son 8 (May1892) MWS
> CA IRE NY
> 1910 US Census San Francisco. Address is 780 Fulton Street at Webster.
> Rents House. James gives 1848/NA for imm date here. Date is June 1910
> James ODonnell Head 78 MWM2 37yrs IRE IRE IRE Own IncomeRose
> ODonnell Wife 67 MWM1 37yrs 5/3 NY IRE IRE NoneFrank ODonnell Son
> 30 MWS CA IRE NY Reporter/NewspaperBert ODonnell
> Son 28 MWS CA IRE NY Salesman/Hardware
>
>


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