O'SULLIVAN, DAVID C. FAMILY

by Donalee (Sullivan) Barner

Entry F323 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

David Conner O'Sullivan was born Sep-
tember 20, 1858 in Listowel, County Kery,
Ireland and came to the U.S. in 1874.
Kathryn (Katie) McDonnell was also on that
same ship and they were married in 1882 in
Oxford, Nebraska. Their 6 children were born
around Bartley, Nebraska where David was
a section chief and worked between there and
Holdrege. Their only daughter, Ellen Marie,
was born Dec. 28, 1886 and died Sept. 13,
1899 at age 12. The following year, 1900,
David came to homestead in South Cherry
County, 1 mile east of what is now the Erik
Ericksen place. The rest of the family
followed in 1901. They remember that they
were between North Platte and Mullen when
they heard of President McKinley's assassi-
nation, which was Sept. 6, 1901 . Upon
reaching the homestead, they lived in a tent,
but had their sod house built by winter. Their
family then consisted of 5 sons; Dennis (16
years old), Jerry (15), David (13), Eugene
Charles-Charlie (11), and John Joseph (9).

The family raised corn, rye, cattle and
hogs. Cattle and hogs were driven 9 miles to
Hecla and put on the train. Then David or
one of the neighbors rode along to get them
sold in Omaha.

They traveled to Mullen for church. David
donated land south of the tracks near where
the Standard station is now, for the Catholic
Church.

The sons all homesteaded in the same area
except Jerry. David's homestead was 2 miles
west and on the south side of the river. Denny
and Charlie both homesteaded west of their
folks. John's was east of the Bill Simonson
place now. Sometime during this generation,
the O' was dropped from the Sullivan name.

Katie died in 1908, 48 years old and is
buried in the Mullen Cemetery. David died
of pneumonia on Nov. 20, 1938, 80 years old
and is also buried in Mullen. Their first son
Dennis Phillip, born October 5, 1884 worked
on the railroad here and then in Montana. He
and his wife Ada, had 6 children. He died May
16, 1969 at 84 in Portland, Oregon.

Jerry also worked for the railroad. The
family didn't hear from him in 7 years, but
finally heard that he worked for the railroad
in Chicago. He was married and had a son and
a daughter. Born Nov. 19, 1885, he was
murdered for his paycheck in Chicago on
Nov. 9, 1947.

David, born August 20, 1888, homesteaded
near the home place. He married Ann
McDonald on Nov. 20, 1920 and had 10
children. He died April 4, 1947 when he fell
from a scaffold while working on their house.

Charlie, born April 12, 1890, also home-
steaded. He married Sarah Jane Sproul (June
11, 1894-Sept 28, 1960) and had one son
Jerry. Charlie lived his last years in Omaha.

John, born July 12, 1892, was a Postmaster
in Chicago. He was married, but had no
children. He retired and moved to California
where he died August 16, 1960.