Thomas J. O'Brien Family - Thomas J. and Catherine Ryan O'Brien
Standing: L-R, circa 1896. Thomas Frances & John O'Brien. Seated: L-R: William Murphy, William J. O'Brien, J.P Fitzpatrick. Photo provided by Peter O'Brien.
Thomas F. O'Brien - husband of Catherine Ryan, daughter of James and Anne Ryan of Allamakee. Catherine was their youngest daughter.
At this time we don't have a photo of Catherine Ryan O'Brien, but we do of her husband, Thomas Francis O'Brien. They were married in 1883 and made their home in Ward 8, Minneapolis, MN
He was the son of Mary O'Brien and Michael O'Brien. Mary was born in 1824 in County Limerick, Ireland, and her husband Michael O'Brien was born in 1820, County Tipperary in Cashel, Ireland.
All their children were born in the United States, and because their first child, Honora, was born in 1850; it is assumed that they were married in 1849. Honora was the only child born in New York state. The next oldest, Thomas Francis O'Brien, was born the following year in Galena.
The other children of this family included Alice, John, Mary Ann, Michael, Johanna and William.
The picture on your left was taken in 1896 of the men associated with the O'Brien clan. Johanna married William Murphy. Alice O'Brien married Harry Kohl in 1890. Honora married John Patrick Fitzpatrick in 1868.
Mary Ann became a nun in 1913 with the order of Our Lady of Charity, and ended up in Vancouver, British Columbia.
This family became as spread out as the Ryan clan.
Family line of William J. O'Brien, son of Thomas J. and Catherine O'Brien, Minneapolis. According to the 1910 census, it stated that she had given birth to 5 children, but only 3 were living. They include William (b. 1884 in Wisconsin), James (b 1885 in Iowa), and Ruth (b. 1895 in Minneapolis).
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Mary O'Brien with grandson Robert. Circa 1896. Click to Enlarge. In this same year that this photo was taken she died in Minneapolis. Her remains were later taken to Allamakee County, Waukon, Iowa. She is buried in St. Mary's Lycurgus Cemetery.
Her obituary announcement in the Waukon newspapers.
1922 Electoral View.
Above: An early 20th century city registry similar to those we have seen in other cities. The O'Briens were storekeepers and Grocers.
Census information tells us that the O'Briens lived in the WARD 8 electoral territory. Both of these maps provide a view of where they lived within the greater Minneapolis metropolitan area.
WARD 8 Minneapolis:
All WARDs in Minneapolis
Family line of Ruth O'Brien Kennedy, daughter of Thomas J. and Catherine O'Brien, Minneapolis. Ruth married Edward P. Kennedy in 1918, resided in Minneapolis, and died in 1987.
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Special Note:
Thanks to Peter O'Brien who contributed the information on this page. Pete wrote two books about the O'Briens from ancient times, and are quite interesting. If anyone wants to borrow, please let us know.
