Happy Birthday, Grandpa O’Donnell
On this
date, March 22nd, in the year 1885, (one hundred and thirty two
years ago), Thomas Joseph O’Donnell was born to Thomas and Annie (Clark) O’Donnell
in St. Joseph, PA. He was the youngest
of three boys (John and Frank were older).
His family
owned a farm and TJ worked at farming as a young lad until he left for NYC area
in the early 1900’s (1906). He returned
home to marry my grandmother, Margaret Mary Coleman, at her parish church, St.
Patrick’s Church at Middletown, PA on January 19, 1916. TJ and Margaret had 6 children together (Rita,
Maureen, Dorothy, Anne, Joseph and Margaret).
They lived in Brooklyn, NY for most of their married life (I believe
they lived in NYC for a very short time before settling in the Bushwich section
of Brooklyn.) TJ became a NYC Police Officer as did his two
brothers, John and Frank. After
retirement from the NYPD, TJ worked as a security guard/door man at the Savoy
Plaza in Manhattan. When he got older, he once said to me, “why do
we have to die? Now that I am older, I
can understand why he asked that question.
TJ was a character, and as far as I could tell he was well loved by all
who knew him. His famous sayings linger
with us still –
“Margaret,
your digging your grave with your teeth”;
“Thank the Lord I’m neither full nor
fasting. This was a tasty little morsel;
another man would call it a meal.”
“Frank
Dugan, the hens did eat the pie! Don’t worry Annie Dugan, we’ll have pie
another day.”
I am certain
some of the other grandchildren may remember others.
TJ died on
October 8th 1973 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village, NY,
NY (my Alma Mater) after suffering a heart attack a few days before. He is buried in the Friendsville, PA cemetery
alongside his beloved wife, Margaret Mary, and next to his daughters, Dorothy
and Anne O’Donnell. If you are ever in
that area, I’m sure he’d love you to stop over for a visit.
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