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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Revolution on Thursday 10 September 15 02:57 BST (UK)
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Hi
Ive been looking for quite some time for one of my O'Donnells death date.
William Opunake O'Donnell was born on 22 Sep 1899 in Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA to Jacob O'Donnell and Isabella De Valencia. His middle name is horrendously spelt when other people write it as are his siblings names (New Zealand origin).
He married Adelia (Delia) Hillman McLendon around 1921 but I haven't found the marriage.
They had two daughters:
Druselle in 1922 in Texas - Ive found her family and history.
Delma in 1924 in Texas. The only record I can find for Delma is a possible marriage to Charles Cole Smith and a possible death in Houston in 1987 assuming the marriage is correct.
Adelia died in 1956 in Houston, Harris, Texas. I think she and William had split some years before but have no proof of this.
I have William in the:
1900 census in Galveston Ward 5, Texas,
1910 in Galveston Ward 5, Texas
His World War I draft registration card gives his address as Broadway, Galveston, Galveston Texas.
1920 in Galveston Ward 3, Texas
In 1947 he is a passenger leaving Manila, Phillipines and arriving in Seattle, Washington. The record correctly states his birth date and place of birth. He is listed as Single. He last left the USA in 1945. His address in the US was a PO Box in Glenbrook, Connecticut.
He may have been in 1957 been in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA with Adelia his wife but the Directory is unclear. It lists Wm O'Donnell and spouse Adella. Im assuming if this is correct it was prepared before she died. The facts above may indicate this was not them.
I have a photo of him with his sister and he looks to be in his 50s meaning he was still alive around 1950.
Any help would be appreciated.
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In 1947 he is a passenger leaving Manila, Phillipines and arriving in Seattle, Washington. The record correctly states his birth date and place of birth. He is listed as Single. He last left the USA in 1945. His address in the US was a PO Box in Glenbrook, Connecticut.
Just in case you didn't know, Glenbrook is actually a part of Stamford (Fairfield Co.), Connecticut.
What was William's occupation?
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Hi
I have next to no info on him. The only people Ive found with basic family tree info dont have a death date for him nor have they been contactable in the last year Ive been trying to contact them.
For him to be travelling to Manilla opens up the possibilities of his occupation although arriving at the end of World War II I wonder if his occupation was linked to the military.
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If you have him in the records you mentioned in the initial post then you must have some idea of occupation(s). I found information about possible William O'Donnells in both Connecticut and Massachusetts but there's no point in me doing any more until you tell us eveything that you've already found.
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Traveling salesman in 1920. The earlier records he was just a kid. The 1957 reference just says Opr
Thanks
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In the 1930 census his wife is down as divorced notice on her death certificate Delia Aynesworth b 18/10/1902 Mississippi died Houston 1956
Father Eugene W McLendon
Mother Lucy Harvey
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Than Rosie17. Another blank filled in
The 1957 record then is not the right one.
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Delia was listed as divorced in the 1940 census too - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4W9-Y37
I think it's possible that Drusell may have been listed twice in the 1940 census, because this one who was a student nurse in a hospital in New Orleans looks to be a pretty close match - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYPD-XBM
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In the Galveston Daily News from 4 Sep. 1927: "Mrs. William O'Donnell of Huntsville is visiting her parents, Rev. and Mrs. E. McClendon. She returns in a few days, as she is studying at the school at that place."
So they were still married then.
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Thanks. I had the 1940 one where she lived with her mother, sister and mother in law but hadnt seen the other one.
Yes Druselle married a man named Clinton Crawford then one named Joseph Henry Gast. Her second marriage she had at least 2 kids including Alice Petry Gast although I dont have the birth dates for them all to determine which children are Druselles. Her obituary says she was survived by 3 daughters but I dont know if that includes her step children even though the obit says 3 d aughters and 2 stepdaughters. Joseph had a few kids with his first wife who died in 1953.
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William had many brothers and sisters. Have you not been able to find information on any of his siblings who may now also be deceased?
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The 1929 Houston city directory lists Delia O'Donnell (widow of William), Delma, and Druselle living at 532 Euclid Avenue, so I guess Delia and William split up by then.
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The obituary for William's mother from 4 Jul. 1939 says she was survived by, among others, son William O'Donnell of New York.
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Hi Knort33
Its an interesting family. His sister Rebecca was the family historian but she didnt have the idea to rcord dates of people. She also missed the second marriage of her grandmother. She didnt have any kids. Williams other sister also didnt have any kids and appears to have married 2-3 times and his brother Im hoping to find some kids but his wife he married when he was late in life he didnt have any kids with and none of their family know if he was married beforehand or had kids. Unless William remarried it is likely the USA O'Donnells of this generation are the last to bear the surname.
His siblings:
Rebecca Plymouth O'Donnell married Frank Ray Sayre and Britton Teston
Taranaki (Terry) O'Donnell married Evelyn Kelly
Hawera O'Donnell married? Charles Reynolds and George Finch. She lived in a common law relationship/defacto with Richard Givens
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Sadly despite a lot of searching I have not found anything more about William Opunake O'Donnell.
There is a William O'Donnell who died in 1971 in the US Consulate in Dublin Ireland but not way to identify if this was him. It would have been a career change from travelling salesman.
I suspect that his middle name has been left out of any death record making it more difficult to narrow down the right William O'Donnell
Any more help would be gratefully appreciated
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There is a William O'Donnell who died in 1971 in the US Consulate in Dublin Ireland but not way to identify if this was him. It would have been a career change from travelling salesman.
What career change? William O'Donnell wouldn't have died in the U.S. Consulate in Dublin- that just means that his death was reported to the U.S. Consulate in Dublin so he probably died in Ireland (either on holiday or resident in Ireland).
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Thanks aghadowey. I know that his siblings visited their grandmothers family in Ireland. Perhaps thats a link. Are records from 1971 able to be ordered?
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Hi everyone, am new here and been doing some research on William O Donnell.
I need help on any info that people may know of his time in New Zealand.
We know that Jacob came to look for his father William O'Donnell around 1800's so would appreciate any info about Jacob's son William O'Donnell and his time in NZ
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Hi everyone, am new here and been doing some research on William O Donnell.
I need help on any info that people may know of his time in New Zealand.
We know that Jacob came to look for his father William O'Donnell around 1800's so would appreciate any info about Jacob's son William O'Donnell and his time in NZ
Welcome to Rootschat :) The William O'Donnell in this thread was born 1899 so I'm not sure if this is the same one you are looking for.
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Hi everyone, am new here and been doing some research on William O Donnell.
I need help on any info that people may know of his time in New Zealand.
We know that Jacob came to look for his father William O'Donnell around 1800's so would appreciate any info about Jacob's son William O'Donnell and his time in NZ
I'm William OD who died in Opunake descendant. I have a blog with more information. Williams son William is who I had been looking for. I still haven't been able to establish if the Irish consultate record is the right one.
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William O’Donnell | Family History Research https://share.google/uJ5zjZSOvFqZU4QjN
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There is a William O'Donnell who died in 1971 in the US Consulate in Dublin Ireland but not way to identify if this was him. It would have been a career change from travelling salesman.
Does the Consular death record not give an exact date of death?
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I've got the death certificate. It says he was married. Died of a heart attack. No parents named or spouse. It says he was an engineer. St Otterand hospital.
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19 December 1971
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That 1971 death is also online-
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1972/04113/4042279.pdf
Usual residence was Cappagh, death in Waterford, married.' Congestive cardiac failure' listed as cause of death rather than heart attack.