Albert D O'Neill 1877 - 1938 

BIRTH NAME: Albert Dorrington O'Neill


BIRTH:      1877 04 04 Newark, Licking Co, OH [1]
FATHER:     Thomas O'Neill       b.1832 09 Kilkenny, Ireland d.1905 Newark, OH
MOTHER:     Anna Hannah Donahue  b.1835 12 Kilkenny, Ireland d.1917 Newark, OH

SIBLINGS:   Mary O'Neill         b.1858 Canada
            Margaret O'Neill     b.1862 Canada or Ohio
            John O'Neill         b.1864 Huron County, Ohio
            Thomas O'Neill       b.1866 Huron County, Ohio
            Edward O'Neill       b.1868 Huron County, Ohio
            James A O'Neill      b.1869 Huron County, Ohio
            Francis D O'Neill    b.1875 Huron County, Ohio
            Charles P O'Neill    b.1873 Huron County, Ohio
            Joseph B O'Neill     b.1874 Ohio
            
MARRIAGE:   1905 Newark, OH [according to newspaper report]
SPOUSE:     Jennie Belle McConnell

CHILDREN:   Bernard Dorrington O'Neill

VOCATION:   Railroad worker, US Postal Carrier/Clerk
MILITARY:   Spanish-American War 1898
RELIGION:   Roman Catholic
DEATH:      1938 02 03 Newark, OH
[1] Author notes: it is extremely unlikely that Albert was born in LICKING County, Ohio in 1877. The 1877 birth date seems accurate from various sources but Albert is listed in his father Thomas' household, age three, in the 1880 census of HURON County, Ohio. His obituary published in The Newark Advocate on eb 8, 1938 does not make mention of his birth date or birth place. For him to have been born in Licking County, his mother would have had to travel from Peru to Newark, birth her baby, then return to Peru before 1880.

   Albert's Story

The first evidence of Albert O'Neill occurs in the US census of 1880 for Peru, Huron County, Ohio, where he is listed in the household of his father, Irish immigrant, Thomas O'Neill. His age was given as three years making his birth approx. 1877. He was youngest of ten children, all of whom are mentioned in the obituary of his mother Jennie.

His next definitive appearance in records is the US census of 1900 for Newark, Licking County, Ohio in his father's household. He was age 23. The Feb 27, 1902 edition of The Newark Advocate ran a story about veterans of the Spanish-American War of 1898 and named Albert as a veteran of the war. Subsequent items in the newspaper show Albert played a prominent role in veteran activities and spouse Jennie was involved in the Auxiliary organization.

In the 1900 census Albert's occupation was listed as brakeman, meaning on the railroad. The B&O Railroad was a major presence in Newark. Back in Huron County his cousins were employees of the railroad and his father retired from the railroad.

Albert appeared in newspaper society page items with Miss Jennie McConnell in the early 1900s. In 1906 the paper ran an announcement of their marriage performed by Father Waterson at Blessed Sacrament Church. The photo from the church web site shows the building as it was in 1905.


Albert was a veteran of the war with Spain in 1898 as was his future wife Jennie's uncle William McConnell. William died from illness contracted during that war. It is not unreasonable to think Albert and William knew one another during the war and that may be how Albert became acquainted with Jennie after their return to civilian life. Albert and William were a generation apart ,,, William born 1858, Albert 1877. Jennie was in the McConnell's next generation born in 1876. AT the time of her uncle William's death 22 year old Jennie was living with her parents. She may first have met Albert at her uncle's funeral. This is conjecture.

By 1910 his occupation had changed to Mail carrier for the US Postal Service and by 1920 to Postal Clerk working in a post office, which he did until his death at age sixty one of a heart attack. Albert was involved in the Knights of Columbus, Veterans of The Spanish American War, the Postal Employees organization and other civic works.


In September 1918 Albert, then forty one years old, registered for the WWI draft.

Newspaper reports from Albert's life can be accessed from the O'Neill Lineage Page.



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