The second wife of James O’Donnell (1844-1906). Born October 1847. Died March 5, 1915.
Life and First Husband
Susan Reddy was born in Brandon, Vermont, in 1847, though later in life she would take to giving it as 1851. Her father was John Reddy, her mother, Mary Healey Reddy. Susan was the fifth of ten children and the last to be born in Vermont before the family relocated to Milwaukee between 1847 and 1851 where the rest of her siblings were born.
In 1860 she was thirteen and living with her parents and siblings. At the same time, a Susan Reddy, also age thirteen, was working as a servant in the same household as fellow servant Bridget Reddy, 19, the name and age of her oldest sister. The several connecting nodes between the two Susans don’t prove they’re the same person but the hypothesis is credible if she and Bridget were not live-in servants.
Thirteen seems too young to us to be working a job, but in 1860 a family of twelve might have found it expedient for the extra income.
Susan married first Michael T. Collopy–often “Collepy” or variants in public records–who was born in Troy, New York in 1848. They married in Milwaukee in 1873 and had three children together:
- Francis (1874-1917), age 43,
- John (1875-1967), age 91
- Catherine (1880-1900), age 19
Catherine died of laryngeal diphtheria, a disease associated with overcrowding and inadequate hygiene. Modern vaccinations in developed countries have sharply curtailed the disease. Elsewhere it continues to be an ever-present danger.
In 1881 Mr. Collopy was killed in a freak accident at the trainyard where he was working as a switchman (below). His foot was caught in a railway ‘frog’, a movable junction where a train can change from one set of tracks to another, and he was severely injured by an oncoming engine.
Life With James O’Donnell
In 1888 Susan Reddy Collopy married James O’Donnell (left). The two portraits are tentatively identified as James and Susan Reddy Collopy. They were discovered by another researcher but the source wasn’t given so the identification isn’t certain.
When James and Susan married, he was 44 with eight living children and she, 37, with three from her marriage to Michael Collopy. The Bridget Quinn O’Donnell entry lists all ten of James’ children’s names and dates.
As one of ten children herself, Susan evidently was not put off by the size of the family for which she would instantly become responsible.
If that weren’t an already packed household, they added two more children of their own:
- George (1889-1971), and
- Frances (1891-1898).
Bruce’s biographical sketch of George, who became a veterinary surgeon, adds a few more details about his grandfather William and father James to what is given in the sketch of Edward J. O’Donnell that can be found in the post on James. (Bruce misspells Susan’s unmarried name, corrected below, and gets James’s immigration year wrong: 1846, not 1850).
GEORGE L. O’DONNELL, D. V. S. Dr. George L. O’Donnell, engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery in Milwaukee, was born in this city July 27, 1889, his parents being James and Susan [Reddy] (Reidy) O’Donnell. The father was a native of Ireland, born in March, 1844, while the mother’s birth occurred in Brandon, Vermont. It was in the year 1850 that James O’Donnell accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world, the family settling in Milwaukee, where the grandfather, William O’Donnell, became prominent in connection with the building of streets and sewers, taking important contracts of this character. His son, James O’Donnell, acquired his education in the public schools and in early life became identified with contract work in street and sewer construction. He also took grading contracts, being the first to engage in grading work in this city. He devoted his attention to the business throughout his active life and became a prominent and prosperous contractor here. In politics he exerted considerable influence as a supporter of the democratic party and he was untiring in his efforts for its success, yet he never sought nor desired office as a reward for party fealty. However, he was awarded the garbage contract for the city during the first administration of Mayor Rose and during Dr. Kempster’s administration he served as one of the health commissioners of the city. His death occurred November 8, 1906. George L. O’Donnell acquired his education in the Gesu parochial school and also attended the Chicago University, from which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1908 on the completion of a course in veterinary surgery. He then became assistant chief veterinarian in Milwaukee and filled the position from 1909 until 1913. He afterward entered upon the private practice of his profession as a member of the firm of Sullivan & O’Donnell and a later change in the partnership led to the adoption of the firm style of Schultz & O’Donnell, which was continued until 1918. Since that time he has practiced alone and is recognized as a man of power and ability in his chosen calling. In January, 1918, Dr. O’Donnell was married to Miss Almyra Prescott of Milwaukee and they have become parents of two children, Dorothy and George. Dr. O’Donnell enlisted in May, 1918, as a member of the Veterinary Corps, being assigned to duty with the Fifth Company, Third Replacement Unit. He sailed for France in September of that year and served until July, 1920. He has been somewhat active and prominent in democratic politics in Milwaukee and was candidate for alderman from the fourth ward and was also chairman of the fourth ward democratic committee and chairman of the county central committee. He was likewise the democratic appointee of the county civil service commission and filled the office of vice president of that commission. He has ever been an untiring advocate and supporter of democratic principles and his opinions have long carried weight in the councils of the party. William George Bruce, History of Milwaukee, City and County, 3 vols., 1922; vol. 3, p. 797 |
Death
Susan was left a widow a second time in 1906 when James died while on a business trip to Georgia. She lived another nine years, dying at 64 in 1915. She is buried in the James O’Donnell family plot at Calvary Cemetery, with James and his first wife, Bridget. Catherine Collopy is buried with her mother and many O’Donnells.
