Genealogy Thesis of Hugh Owen O’Donnell, born October 18, 1945

My Dad’s Story

The Story of Maurice John O’Donnell (1909-1964)

On Dec 4, 2011, a nice article was published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about My Dad, Red ODonnell, The Sign Paintery Dad's Family:

2011 Post Gazette Article on My Dad The Sign Painter

Updated Dec 5, 2011

My Dad, Maurice J. O’Donnell (Red), was born in Cleveland Ohio on July 4, 1909. My Dad had one sister, Grace C. O’Donnell who was 2 years younger than him. Both had red hair.

My Dad’s mother immigrated to Cleveland from Co. Mayo, Ireland just years before he was born in 1909. Her name was Catherine Duffy. She was from the west County Mayo townland of Sheeaun, near Westport, located just 20 miles from where my Dad’s paternal grandparents immigrated from in 1861.

Picture of Catherine Duffy from Sheeaun, Islandeady, Co Mayo

Location of Sheeaun, Islandeady, Co Mayo

After Catherine immigrated to Cleveland, she lived at 7284 Detroit Ave, a few blocks from where John Maurice lived at 1300 W 65th Street. Catherine married John Maurice on May 20, 1908, shortly after she immigrated. Her parents were James Duffy and Catherine (nee) Gibbons Duffy of Sheeaun, Islandeady, Co Mayo. Catherine Duffy ODonnell had four sister's who also immigrated to Cleveland: Mary Ellen born in 1880, Delia born in 1886, Norah born in 1888 and Winifred born in 1890. Mary Ellen was the first to immigrate, followed by Catherine and then Delia. The 1901 Census shows them living in Ireland. The 1911 Census shows them in Cleveland. Norah and Winifred left just after the 1911 Census. The Duffy's older brother, Patrick (longfellow), remained in Sheeuan to operate the 120 acre Duffy farm. Patrick's granddaughter, Teresa Duffy Kelly, lives near Sheeaun today (2010).

Picture of Mary Ellen Duffy from Sheeaun, Islandeady, Co Mayo

Picture of Nora Duffy from Sheeaun, Islandeady, Co Mayo

Picture of Winifred Duffy working as an elevator operator in Cleveland, Ohio

My Dad’s father was John Maurice O’Donnell. John Maurice was born in Cleveland in 1876. He was the son of Irish immigrant parents. John Maurice was a fireman for the City of Cleveland (Engine Company 4). In 1914, we believe he was involved in a fire that caused him to develop pneumonia. He died on September 23, 1914, at the young age of 38.

Photo of Dad, Sister, and Parents

Photo of My Dad's Parents

Photo of My Dad and Aunt Grace in 1916 Cleveland

As mentioned above, John Maurice ODonnell's parents, Neil and Bridget O’Donnell, emigrated from the west Co Mayo townland of Currane, located in Achill Parish, 15 miles west of Newport Co Mayo. They landed in New York on the ship “South Shore,” June 5, 1861. They arrived in America with a young son named Michael, and an infant son named Owen. The couple joined hundreds of fellow, Clew Bay, Co Mayo, Irish immigrants currently living in West Cleveland, Ohio.

Photo of My Dad's Paternal Grand Parents Neil and Bridget

Neil and Bridget O'Donnell Family Tree

Satellite Photo of Neil ODonnell's Clew Bay/Currane/Achill Homestead

Panorama Photo of Currane Homestead in Achill, Co Mayo, Ireland

Detailed history about Neil O'Donnell Ancestors

After immigrating to Cleveland, Neil and Bridget O’Donnell gave birth to seven other American born children. The names of their American born children were Grace ( ~1863), Hugh ( 1866), Thomas (1869), Mary (1871), Neil (1873), John Maurice ( 1876) and Martin ( 1877). We know a great deal about the children Michael, Grace, Hugh, and John Maurice, my grandfather. We know Michael died without offspring. But we know almost nothing about the remaining five children. A tenth child, also named John, is believed to have been born around 1865 but He seems to have died just after being baptized in St John’s Cathedral Church in Cleveland. So not only was my grandfather named John in 1876, an older brother had been named John as well in 1865.

Family Tree of My Dad Parents

Neil and Bridget ODonnell, my great grandparents, must have been very close to their Co Mayo relatives. Besides my grandfather, John Maurice, marrying Catherine Duffy from Co Mayo, John Maurice's older sister, Grace O’Donnell, also married a man from the “Old Country,” Co Mayo, Ireland. His name was John T. (Sean Biddy) Gallagher of Currane, Co Mayo. John's brother, Owen Biddy Gallagher remained in Achill, Co Mayo, raising a large family very prominent in the Currane area to this day. We believe both marriages, ODonnell/Gallagher and Duffy/O’Donnell, could have been arranged marriages by Neil and Bridget O’Donnell. We know that John T. Gallagher emigrated from the same place in Achill Parish, Co Mayo, as Neil and Bridget emigrated from. Like Catherine Duffy, John T. Gallagher was married shortly after he immigrated in 1884.

Co Mayo Map of Homesteads

The Gallagher ODonnell connection to West Co Mayo began in 1654 when 200 people were "transplanted" from Co Donegal to Co Mayo by Lord Oliver Cromwell following the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. These people, relatives of "Rory of Lifford" O'Donnell, came to settle in Ballycroy, Co Mayo, just east of Achill Island in a land referred to as "To Hell or to Connaught." The of the transplanted people was the son of Rory, Manus ODonnell, a direct descendant of Red Hugh ODonnell (d 1505) who built the O'Donnell castle in Donegal in the late 1400's. The Galleghers, McMannamons, Campbells, and Clearys - "Annals of Four Master" history fame, settled in Co Mayo and became wealthy again under the leadership of Col Maney (Manus) O'Donnell of Newport. The following chart shows my Dad's Gallagher-O'Donnell ancestry that developed in West Co Mayo after the 1654 transplant.

Chart of My Dad's Gallagher ODonnell Co Mayo Ancestry

After my grandparents settled in Cleveland, Ohio, Catherine Duffy and John Maurice ODonnell lived at 4621 Tillman Ave near W 29th street in West Cleveland. My Dad was born on July 4, 1909 and his sister Grace on November 23, 1910.

Sadly, my Dad’s father, John Maurice, died 6 years after his marriage to Catherine Duffy. He died as a result of smoke inhalation health problems following fighting a 1914 Cleveland fire. After my grandfather died, my grandmother, Catherine Duffy O’Donnell, and her two red haired children, moved to Pittsburgh. The move occurred around 1921 when Catherine Duffy ODonnell apparently moved to Pittsburgh to marry her new husband, Anthony D Limpert.

We believe Anthony Limpert had been previously married to a Julia Slack. Anthony and Julia were married on October 17, 1894 in Allegheny County, PA. The 1910 Census shows Anthony and Julia Limpert living in Pittsburgh at 7227 Idewild St with 2 children. Julia Limpert died in 1919. Julia is buried in the Limpert Plot at St Mary's Cemetery in Lawerenceville, PA.

The marriage between Catherine ODonnell and Anthony Limpert occured on Aug 19, 1921 in Cleveland's St Patrick Catholic Church. Interestingly, Catherine, Anthony, Maurice John and Grace moved to a home located on Idewild Street one block from where Julia and Anthony had lived in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh. We do not know exactly when Anthony moved his second wife, Catherine Duffy ODonnell, and her 2 children by John Maurice, Maurice John and Grace, to Pittsburgh, but it must have been shortly after Aug 1921.

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Marriage License for Limpert ODonnell-Duffy

Once Catherine Duffy ODonnell, now Limpert, moved to Pittsburgh, she is showed living at 7318 Idewild St with Anthony Limpert. Anthony died March 23, 1945, but Catherine lived at 7318 Idewild St until 1952. Catherine always lived with her daughter, Grace ODonnell Hauck, and Grace's three children, Carl, Patricia and Rita, before and after 1952. Anthony's two children from his marriage to Julia Slack, Linwood and Marie, never lived in the 7318 Idewild home. We suspect they were adults and choose to live with other relatives nearby.

1990 and 1952 hoto of ~ 1956 Grace ODonnell Hauck Family

In 1952, Catherine Duffy ODonnell Limpert invited her older sister, Mary Ellen (Mae) Duffy, now married to Oscar Eischen, a clock repairmen from Cleveland, to live in retirement with her and her daughter's family, in their large new house located at 1304 Macon Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221.

1304 Macon Ave Home

After Catherine and Mae Duffy Eischen died in the late 1950's, and Winifred Duffy died in a Pittsburgh Hospital in 1964, Grace and her husband, Carl W Hauck moved to San Diego, CA. After my Dad died in 1964, my mother, Margaret ODonnell, purchased the house on 1304 Macon Ave selling the 1955 -1965 ODonnell homestead located at 2504 Laketon Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15235.

On June 29, 1937, my dad married my mom, Margaret Kress, of Pittsburgh PA. They had eight children: Margaret, Cathy, Maurice, Grace, Hugh (me), Thomas, Martha, and Russell. Sadly, my father died at the rather young age of 55, on July 25, 1964, when I was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. He died as a result of surgery complications on his diverticulous colon. My father was a sign painter who ran his own business from a large garage behind our 2504 Laketon Road home. He is buried with his wife Margaret, and mother-in-law, Anna Kress, in Mt Carmel cemetery in Verona PA.

~ 1956 Photo of my Dad and his Sister's Family

My Dad's sister, My Aunt Grace C. Hauck and her Husband , Carl W Hauck, lived in California after my Dad died in 1964. My Aunt Grace had three children as shown above. Her oldest son, Carl Hauck Jr, died in 2009. His wife Betty Jane Schnieder Hauck still resides in San Diego, CA. Betty and Carl have four children, Greg Hauck, David Hauck, Monica Hauck Hamiel, and Pauline Hauck Camp.

My Aunt Grace's second child was Patricia. She married Kenny McClain. They have 5 children, Chris, Patrick, Kevin, Grace McClain Hanks, and Sean McClain. Patricia died in Oregon several years ago after a long illness.

My Aunt Grace's third child is Rita Hauck Hosford. Rita and her husband David Hosford have two children, Tristan and Tara.

The following composite family photo from 2006 to 2010 shows the extended Hauck, Hamiel, Camp, McClain, Hanks, and Hosford families. They all live on the west coast but mostly in Sacramento, CA.

~ 2006-2010 Photo of my Aunt Grace ODonnell Hauck's Extended Family

Miscellaneous Section

The following web site expands on the above chart, Chart of My Dad's Gallagher ODonnell Co Mayo Ancestry , detailing further the important Gallagher/ODonnell, Cleveland/Currane Connections Many of the people listed on this chart lived Currane Co Mayo but then immigrated to West Cleveland, Ohio.

ODonnell, Campbell, Gallagher, Patton, Cattigan Currane Co Mayo Families

The following are pictures of my grandfather's, John Maurice, sister, Grace ODonnell, born in Cleveland, but then married John Biddy Gallagher of Currane, Co Mayo.

http://www.nd.edu/~hodonne1/GalFam.jpg

John Biddy and Grace ODonnell Gallagher Family

http://www.nd.edu/~hodonne1/JGGallagher.jpg

John Biddy and Grace ODonnell Gallagher

http://www.nd.edu/~hodonne1/JFGallagher.jpg

http://www.nd.edu/~hodonne1/OwenGallagher.jpg

http://www.nd.edu/~hodonne1/HFGallagher.jpg

For much, much more information and photos concerning my Dad’s Story, please see the web site on my Mom's Story where both stories are combined at:

My Mother's Story

The above web site includes most of the above information about my Dad and his parents plus much more as it relates to the fascinating interconnections my Dad’s ODonnell/Duffy/Limpert family had with my Mom’s Kress/Hauck/Crowe family.