The Remarriage of Frank ODonnell in 1940

Francis "Frank" Patrick ODonnell (1888-1959) was one of my great grandfathers. In the prior article, I wrote about the death of his first wife, my great grandmother, Anna Preston, in 1921.

On August 7, 1940, Frank remarried to Gertrude Farman, the widow of James Paradine, in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey. This marriage certificate is below.

The prior week, Frank had arrived in New York City from Bombat, India.

I did not know what Frank may have been doing so far away from Bayonne until I saw this story published at Ancestry:

Eddie O’Donnell told Kelly on 5/4/09

Posted 04 May 2009 by Joy Peck

Frances O’donnell (Frank) first wife died when the kids were young. The kids were raised by Aunt “Kate” Catherine.
Then Frances re married Getrude Last name unsure but thinks Paradine
Frances worked in the oil fields in Saudi Arabia when they first discovered oil there.

[Links to tree: ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/11067954/

Frank died October 31, 1959 in Bayonne. He was 69 years old. Gertrude was listed as his wife. 

Frank was buried at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City. Nobody is in this plot with him.

Gertrude was the daughter of Miles Farman and Mary Doyle. Her first marriage was to James Paradine in Bayonne on July 19, 1925. She was 21 years old; he was 27. Their marriage certificate is below.

Four and a half months after marrying, James died. An article appeared in the Jersey Journal about an accident at James' job with the Petroleum Terminal Corporation in Bayonne on December 2, 1925.

Gasoline Fumes From Tank Car Kill Workman

Overcome by gasoline fumes in a tank car which he was cleaning at the plant of the Petroleum Terminal Corporation, First Street and Avenue A, Bayonne, at 9 a.m. today [December 2, 1925]. James Paradine, 26, of 11 Cottage Street, Bayonne, died an hour later in Bayonne Hospital, despite the efforts of two physicians, who had labored over him constantly.

Two men working near Paradine saw him topple over. They summoned the company physician, Dr Duffy, and a Bayonne Hospital ambulance. Dr A E Solomon came from the hospital. Paradine died shortly afterwards, at 10 o’clock. His body was taken to Nugent’s morgue.

---The Jersey Journal, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. Wednesday, December 2, 1925, page 1.

James' death certificate gives the cause of death as "accidental inhalation of gasoline fumes while cleaning tank car." He was 27 years old. Burial was at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City in the Farman plot.

The following month, Gertrude was awarded money for James' death, with a provision to increase the award pending birth of their child.

$3,675 Award for Widow of Gas Victim

Compensation Given Widow of Oil Company Worker  - Other Awards

James Paradine of 11 Cottage Street, Bayonne, employed as a pipe fitter by the Petroleum Terminal Corporation of Bayonne was asphyxiated by gas fumes while repairing a car on December 2, 1925. Referee John J Stahl of the Compensation Bureau, State Department of Labor, in his court at 571 Jersey Avenue yesterday afternoon handed down a decision awarding $3,675 and an allowance for funeral expenses of $150. The compensation may be increased for the benefit of a dependent child yet unborn.

---The Jersey Journal, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. Friday, January 22, 1926, page 2.

As of this writing, birth records are not publicly available in New Jersey past 1923, but an index of births was recently made public. James Paradine was born January 29, 1926 in Bayonne.

archive.org/details/njgeographicbirthindex

In the 1930 census, Gertrude, age 26, was living with her son, James, age 4, and her mother and brother at 297 Avenue C in Bayonne.

James, the son of James and Gertrude, died in 1982. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, Bergen County, New Jersey. His mother was buried with him, though she is not on the stone and her obituary lists her place of burial as Holy Name.

Gertrude died June 28, 1987. Her obituary is below.

Paradine-O’Donnell

Gertrude Paradine-O’Donnell, 84, a lifelong Bayonne resident, died Sunday at the Jersey City Medical Center after a long illness.

She worked for General Cable Company, formerly of Bayonne.

Mass will be offered 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at St Andrew’s Church, Bayonne. Internment will be at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City.

Kohoot Funeral Home of Bayonne is handling the arrangements.

---The Jersey Journal, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. Monday, June 29, 1987, page 12.

www.rcancem.org/find-a-loved-one-search/

I don't know what relationship, if any, my grandmother had with her stepmother. She never told me about Gertrude.

1850 Census

In trying to sort out my Merrell and Long lines of New Jersey, this helpful census entry popped up from 1850.  (At this point I don't know what connection, if any, this family has to do with my lines.)

(Springfield is now in Union County, but was in Essex County in 1850, so we use the place name description accurate for that period of time.  Union County was not created until 1857.  Parts of Springfield Township remained in Essex County and became Millburn, which is where this family is found in the 1860 census.)

Beginning in 1850, the federal census listed all members of a household- not just the head of the household.  This is great, except that the relationship of each member to the head is omitted.  This feature was not added until 1880.

This census taker went above and beyond, recording little tidbits of information along with the names.  In the above entry, the older ladies of the household, Catherine Meeker and Elizabeth Long, are listed as "wid" or widowed.  (As a word of caution:  a woman enumerated without a husband was not always a widow, even if indicated in her social condition from 1880 forward.)

Harriet Meeker (born Long), age 22, is listed as "his W," indicating that she is the spouse of John Meeker, and not a daughter of Catherine Meeker.  When viewing a census from 1850, 1860, or 1870, it is very easy to mistake the wife of a son as a daughter of the head of household, as the daughter-in-law may be intermingled with the other children of the same age.