Leo O’Connell was born on 29 May 1884 in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland. Son of Michael O’Connell and Mary McSheffrey
Leo’s father, Michael, served as an RIC constable and was relocated from Donegal to Fermanagh where he established a general store. It was in Fermanagh, in 1884, that Leo was born. At the age of 13, Leo embarked on a journey with his father, Michael, departing from Londonderry aboard the ship “Anchoria,” bound for New York. On October 18, 1897, they arrived in New York via Ellis Island and continued their travels to Wheaton, Kansas, to the homestead of Leo’s uncle, James W. O’Connell.
After a period of time, Leo’s father returned to Ireland, leaving Leo under the care of J.W. and his wife. Leo’s relocation to Kansas may have been prompted by the fact that J.W. had no children. I also wonder if there were concerns about J.W.’s health because he died only a few years later.
In the 1900 Census, Leo is recorded as attending school while residing in the township of Wells, Marshall County, Kansas, alongside his uncle J.W. and J.W.’s wife, Ellen. James W. had immigrated to the US in 1865 and had been naturalized. Ellen, on the other hand, had immigrated in 1867 but had not completed the naturalization process. The farm they resided on was owned by J.W., although it was encumbered by a mortgage.
A report in the Frankfort Review on August 2, 1901, details that upon J.W.’s passing, Aunt Ellen managed affairs, including the renting out and selling of their farm, before relocating to Long Island with Leo. Unfortunately, details about Aunt Ellen are scarce. QUESTION: what was cause of death?
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1906 – August 8, Leo became a naturalized citizen of the USA, residing at 311 West 54th St.., New York City.
1907 July 6 Leo returned from Ireland aboard the Ship “Campania” from Queenstown (Cork). He was 23 years old, single, and a clerk.
1909 – Leo married Susan Claxon
By 1910, the census reveals that Susan’s mother-in-law, Mary J. Claxon, was living with them—a strong indication that this was a permanent arrangement rather than a mere visit. m. Given that Mary had borne three children but only Susan remained, it’s likely that she depended on her daughter’s household for support, as was common for widowed or aging parents at the time.
Leo’s role as a clerk in an import house placed him at the heart of a rapidly modernizing economy, possibly handling shipping records, invoices, or goods coming through New York’s bustling ports. Meanwhile, Susan worked as a clerk in a stock-related profession—perhaps in an office linked to Wall Street, where the financial world was booming in the years leading up to World War I. For a married woman to maintain employment at this time was less typical, suggesting that either financial necessity or personal ambition played a role in Susan’s continued work outside the home.
The household likely operated within the rhythms of an evolving city—long workdays, the clatter of streetcars, and the hum of industrial growth shaping their daily lives.
On September 12, 1918, as World War I raged on, Leo registered for the draft, like millions of other American men. At the time, he was living at 2042 Anthony Avenue in The Bronx—a neighborhood that, over the decades, would transform with waves of immigration and urban change. Today, that address appears to house a laundromat, a small but telling detail about the ever-shifting nature of New York City’s streets.
Leo was employed as a manager at the Alfred H. Smith Company, a name that no longer exists in its original form but was once part of the vast network of businesses fueling the city’s commerce. Interestingly, the area is now part of Koreatown, an indication of the cultural evolution of New York’s neighborhoods.
Physically, Leo was described as having blue eyes and brown hair, standing at a medium height with a slender build. At 34 years old, he was at an age where he may have been less likely to see combat, but registering for the draft was nonetheless a moment of reckoning—an acknowledgment of the global conflict that was reshaping lives far beyond his own.
What was the “DRAFT”?
All men between the ages of 18 and 45 were required to register, regardless of citizenship status or other factors.
The draft was then divided into three separate registrations:
- The 1st draft registration was dated June 5, 1917, for men aged 21 to 31. On July 20, 1917, 10,500 numbers were drawn by Secretary of War Newton Baker.
- The 2nd draft registration was dated June 5, 1918, for men who had turned 21 since the previous registration and included a supplemental registration on August 24, 1918. It was for men turning 21 after June 5, 1918. On June 27, 1918, 1200 numbers were drawn by the Secretary of War.
- The 3rd draft registration was dated September 12, 1918. It was intended for all men aged 18 to 45 years. On October 1, 1918, 17,500 numbers were drawn by the Secretary of War. https://lisalouisecooke.com/2019/02/13/wwi-draft-cards/
1920 – Leo was 35 and his wife Susan was 26. Daughter Susan was 8 and Winifred was 2.
On census day Jan 10, 1920 Leo was employed as assistant manager in a toiletry and perfume company
Leo arrived in New York from Le Harve, France on August 19, 1922. He was 38 and appears to be travelling alone. QUESTION What was he doing in France?
1926
On June 26th, 1926, Leo sailed from the port of Le Harve, France, on the ship “De Grasse” and docked in New York on July 5th, 1926. He was travelling alone – again the question “What was he doing in France?”
In the 1930 Census Leo aged 45 is working as an importer of toilet articles.
1931 – May 31 Newspaper article
QUESTION: Did Leo’s wife, Susan die sometime between 1931 and 1940?
On the census recorded for April 12, 1940, Leo was employed as a storekeeper at a state hospital, a stable, if unremarkable, position during the tail end of the Great Depression. His daughters were carving out their own professional paths—Susan working in a hospital, though her exact role (listed as “Labor Test?” in the records) remains unclear, and Winifred securing a respectable position as a college registrar.
But one detail in the census raises an intriguing mystery: Leo’s wife, Susan, is nowhere to be found in the household records. Despite her absence, Leo still identifies himself as married rather than widowed. Was she merely away on census day? Or had something more complex unfolded? The records don’t offer answers, only questions, leaving a gap in an otherwise ordinary family portrait.
2 June 1942 Leo announces the engagement of his daughter Susan
At 63, Leo embarked on another journey “home”. On October 8, 1947, he set sail from New York, bound for Ireland—a land that had shaped his ancestors and perhaps still felt like home, despite the years spent across the Atlantic.
His destination was his sister Mary Frances O’Connell O’Shea’s home, where he reconnected with her and his nieces, Mary and Margaret. It was a visit filled with long conversations, shared memories, and the quiet comfort of family bonds that had endured across an ocean.
After a month in Ireland, Leo departed from Queenstown (Cobh), the same harbor that had witnessed countless emigrants leave for new lives in America. Boarding the ship America on November 8, 1947, he set sail once more for New York, arriving there on November 13.
By 1950, Leo’s family life had settled into a multi-generational household at 40 Miriam St., Valley Stream, New York. His daughter Susan, now 38, lived there with her husband, Robert G. Phelps, a 39-year-old lawyer, and their young son, Timothy, just two years old.
Leo, now 65, was still working, employed as a storekeeper in a State Hygiene Department. His younger daughter, Winifred, at 33, had also built a career—serving as an assistant personnel director, though the exact company or industry remains unclear.
The household reflected a changing post-war America, where extended families often lived together, sharing both responsibilities and companionship. With three generations under one roof, their home in Valley Stream must have been filled with the routines of work, the laughter of a toddler, and the quiet rhythms of a family growing and evolving together.
1952 Leo sailed from Ireland aboard the ship “Veendam” with his daughter Winifred. Leo was 68, Winifred was 35
On July 17th, 1956, Leo sailed from Southampton aboard the French ship “Ille de France”, arriving in New York on July 23rd 1956. Appears to have travelled alone
Family Gathering at Milford. Front Row L to R – Margaret O’Shea Collins and husband James Collins, Winifred O’Connell and Michael O’Connell. Back row L to R – Alice Falvey, Tadgh O’Connell, Marie O’Connell, Frank O’Connell, Amby Costello O’Connell, Leo O’Connell, Mary O’Shea Cryan, Maura Quill O’Connell
