Forrest – SheaCollins

At 13, from Cavan to Kansas: the lonely journey of O’Connell Leo 1884 – 1976 and Claxon Susan

Leo O’Connell 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…

I’ve written quite a bit already, but not everything has been published here yet. My plan was to review and polish each page before sharing it—but just in case time runs out, I’m now aiming to publish everything, even if some pages are still unfinished. I do hope to return and complete them properly later on.

The “O” in Irish Surnames: The presence—or absence—of “O” in Irish surnames can make research far more complicated than it needs to be. To simplify things, I’ve restored the “O” to any name that originally included it—for example, using O’Shea instead of Shea. This helps me track all related records under one consistent name, rather than searching for both versions. I know this might not match everyone’s preference, and I apologize if it causes any confusion.

Tag: Forrest

At 13, from Cavan to Kansas: the lonely journey of O’Connell Leo 1884 – 1976 and Claxon Susan