Family Profiles

Generation 1

Captain Timothy Driscoll was born in County Cork, Ireland around 1821-1822.[1]  Nothing is yet known of his parents or siblings, but we are still hoping to uncover a clue that will lead us to this information.  Possible Timothy Driscolls born around 1822 have surfaced in a number of Co. Cork towns, such as Dunmanway,[2] Bandon,[3] Skibbereen and Baltimore,[4] but without further information we have been unable to determine which one is our Timothy.  He was a mariner, so he probably lived along the south coast of Co. Cork, where the O’Driscoll strongholds are located.  

He married Sarah Shepherd in Ireland around 1845[5] and they emigrated to the U.S., probably via Canada.[6]  They settled in Oswego, NY and had 3 children: William C., Mary Ann and Margaret Jane.[7]  He worked the boats on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.  They purchased a home on December 17, 1847, but they must have fallen on hard times, because they twice defaulted on their mortgage payments, and it appears that they may have lost their home in 1856.[8]  No record can be found of the family after that (except for Mary Ann) until Timothy reappears in Oswego in 1862 with his new wife, Eleanor (Ellen) Harrington.  

He and Ellen had 3 children: Elizabeth, John Benjamin, and Frederick.[9]  They bought a house at 177 W. Cayuga St. in the First Ward[10] and were very involved in the life of St. Mary's Church, just down the street.  He retired from sailing and became a watchman or "special policeman" appointed by the city to guard the government storehouse.[11]  

He died of cystitis on March 3, 1889,[12] and his death notice lists him as "Captain Timothy Driscoll,"[13] though it is unknown whether this title refers to his sailing career or his rank in the city police.  He was laid to rest on March 5, 1889 in St. Paul's Cemetery, Oswego, NY.[14]

---

Sarah Shepherd (Driscoll) was born in Ireland, probably in County Cork, although we have no confirmation of this, as yet.  Shepherd was not a common name in Cork.  Only two Shepherd families living in County Cork show up on parish records which have been published online: one in Cork City and one in Skibbereen.  Sarah and Timothy married in Ireland in about 1845 and then emigrated in 1845-1846, settling in Oswego, NY on Lake Ontario. They had 3 children: William C., Mary Ann and Margaret Jane.   We do know that Sarah had at least two younger brothers, one named John Shepherd (born about 1831) who had a wife named Susan and 7 children (John Henry, Emily, Laura, Susan, Katherine, Mary Ada, and Rose Olive),[15] and another younger brother named William Shepherd (born about 1839).[16]  John and William appear to have come over first in about 1841 (possibly with Sarah’s parents?), followed by Timothy and Sarah four years later.[17] 

Life in the United States must have been harder than Sarah and Timothy had anticipated, as they seem to have lost their home in 1856.  After this they vanish from the record, not appearing anywhere on the federal or county censuses of 1860 (Mary Ann is the only member of the family who can be found; see her entry below).  Timothy reappears in Oswego in 1862 with a new wife, Eleanor Harrington.  Family notes indicate that Sarah died in 1861, but we have no documentation of this.  A gravesite has not yet been found for her.

---

Eleanor “Ellen" Harrington (Driscoll) was born in Ireland, probably in January, 1835 (although her headstone[18] says that she was born in 1837, this may have been an error on the part of her daughter, Elizabeth, after Ellen's death).  Although her given name appears to have been Eleanor, she never used it in daily life, preferring "Ellen," and even most official documents list her this way.  Little is known about her life before marriage, except what can be gleaned from the censuses.  She came to the United States in 1845, when she was approximately ten years old[19] and at the time of the 1860 census she was living in Oswego city and working at the Shepard House hotel.    

She married the widower Timothy Driscoll on January 1, 1862.[20]  She and Timothy had 3 children: Elizabeth, John Benjamin, and Frederick and they all lived at 177 W. Cayuga Street in the First Ward of Oswego.  She had a close connection to her stepfamily as well, as she was the baptismal sponsor for William’s granddaughter, May (along with Sarah’s brother, John) and a prayer book she gave to Mary Ann is still in the family’s possession, inscribed “Mrs. Ellen Driscoll to her step daughter, Mary Ann Driscoll—December 25^th 1864.”[21] 

After Timothy passed away in 1889, Ellen and Elizabeth lived together in the house at 177 W. Cayuga St. until the time of Ellen's death.  On Friday, June 5 1914, she grew suddenly ill and died at home two days later on June 7, 1914.[22]  Although no photos of her have been found, her obituary paints a picture of a devout woman, committed to her Catholic faith and to St. Mary's Church.  She was laid to rest beside her husband and her son, Frederick, in St. Paul's Cemetery on June 10, 1914.[23]  

---

Generation 2

William C. Driscoll was born to Timothy and Sarah Driscoll in September 1845.[24] It was originally thought that he was born in Ireland (the early federal censuses list his birthplace as "Ireland," but in later years it is listed as "New York"), but the 1855 county census, which is much more detailed indicates that Timothy and Sarah came over in 1845 and that all 3 of their children were born in Oswego, NY.  I have anecdotal evidence to suggest that Timothy's father may have been named Cornelius or John Cornelius, so I have a suspicion that the "C" may stand for Cornelius, but I have no documentation whatsoever to support this.  
William was a sailor on the lakes, like his father before him.  On November 20, 1864 he married Jane Ann "Jennie" Goolah, daughter of local clothing store owner, Maxim (sometimes seen as Maxin or Maxon) Goolah.  Together they appear to have had 4 children (see Mary Isabelle Driscoll for further explanation of this ambiguity): William Henry, Clara Louise, Sarah G., and Mary Isabelle.  They lived on John Street in the First Ward, and were active in the life of St. Mary’s church. 

By 1900 William had retired from sailing and had gone into the roofing business with a man named Louis Blair.  Jane’s aunt, the widow Josephine Duplesis, was living with them and the whole family had moved to 106 Seneca St.  By 1910 Josephine had moved out, but William and Jane’s widowed daughter, Bella (Isabelle) Robillard was now living with them. 

William’s health declined and by the end of 1919 he, Jane and Bella had all moved in with their daughter, Clara, and her husband, Jesse, at 81 E. 6^th St.  William was alive when the census taker arrived to gather the household data on January 10, 1920.  He was dead by the end of the day.[25]  It is assumed that he is buried at St. Paul’s with the rest of his family, but no record remains and no headstone bearing the name William Driscoll exists at either of the Oswego Catholic cemeteries.

---

Jane Ann "Jennie" Goolah (Driscoll) was born in July 1846 in Vergennes, Vermont to Jane and Maxim (sometimes seen as Maxin or Maxon) Goolah (sometimes seen as Goula or Goulah.  A tailor by trade, her father later opened a successful clothing store after the family moved to Oswego, some time in 1851.  She does not appear to ever have had any siblings.

Jane married William C. Driscoll on November 20, 1864.  Together they appear to have had 4 children who lived to adulthood (see Mary Isabelle Driscoll for further explanation of this ambiguity): William Henry, Clara Louise, Sarah G., and Mary Isabelle.  At the time of the 1900 federal census, Jane told the census taker that she had given birth to 11 children, but only 4 remained alive in 1900.  They lived on John Street in the First Ward, and were active in the life of St. Mary’s church. 

Jane’s mother appears to have died in 1877 or 1878.  Complicated legal battles over money ensued after her death in which Jane and another woman,      , sued her father, Maxim, and it seems that   was also suing Jane.  Maxim seems to have done a few shady things regarding property deals, using his deceased wife’s name.

By 1900 Jane’s aunt, the widow Josephine Duplesis, is living with her and William and the whole family has moved to 106 Seneca.  By 1910 Josephine is gone, but Jane’s widowed daughter, Bella (Isabelle) Robillard is now living with them.  By January of 1920 Jane, William and Bella have all moved in with their daughter, Clara, and her husband, Jesse, at 81 E. 6^th St.

Little is known of Jane’s life after William passed away.  Presumably she continued to live with Clara and Jesse up until her death on March 24, 1930.  It is assumed that she and William were buried at St. Paul’s, but no record exists and no headstone bearing the name William or Jane Driscoll (or any reasonable variants) exists today at either of the Oswego Catholic cemeteries.

---

Mary Ann Driscoll (Wood) was born to Timothy and Sarah Driscoll in Oswego, NY on October 5, 1848.  She had an older brother, William C., and a younger sister, Margaret Jane.  Up until 1855, and presumably until 1856 when her parents lost their home, the whole family was living together in the First Ward.

However, Mary Ann is the only member of the family who can possibly be located on the 1860 federal and county censuses.  She is listed as "Mary Ann Driscole," a "servant" living with her aunt and uncle, John and Susan Shepherd, and their young children, Emily and Laura.[26]  Wherever the rest of the family is located in 1860, she must have stayed with her mother’s relatives, helping out with their 2 small children, while her parents went elsewhere, perhaps in search of work.  Her mother passed away some time between 1856-1861, but her father and her siblings reappear in Oswego in 1862, when he remarries to a woman named Ellen Harrington.

In 1875 Mary Ann married Joshua Bailey Wood, a maritime engineer like her father, and they settled in Ogdensburg, NY up the St. Lawrence River from Oswego.  Their first two children were born there: Alva Bailey and Frederick Joshua.  They moved to Cleveland, Ohio some time between 1879-1886 where they settled on Tillman Avenue, and their two daughters, May Sarah and Pearl, were born there.  May never married and she lived with her parents until their death. Joshua passed away in 1920 and Mary Ann joined him on February 12, 1929.  She is buried beside him at Riverside Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.

---

Joshua Bailey Wood        (under construction)

---

Margaret Jane Driscoll (Farrell) was the last child born to Timothy and Sarah Driscoll.  She was born in Oswego, NY, probably in 1854.  She lived in Oswego with her parents, her elder siblings (William and Mary Ann), and her mother’s family, until about 1856, when the family lost their home.  Like the rest of her family (except for Mary Ann), Margaret is missing at the time of the 1860 census.  

Her whereabouts are unclear until the time of her marriage, but it looks as though she may have been working as a domestic in different homes up until that time (possibly in the McCarthy home that would one day be her own).  One of the homes she worked in belonged to the wealthy Oswego businessman, Myron Pardee, owner of the schooner Cortez.  The captain of the Cortez was John Farrell, a distinguished sailor and respected citizen of Oswego.  The Captain fell in love with the Pardee’s servant girl and around 1882 Margaret was married to Captain John Farrell.  They lived at 151 West Seneca Street and had three children: Mary “May” Sara, Margaret Lulu and John Myron (named in honor of their matchmaker, Myron Pardee).  May tragically passed away at the age of 14 and Lulu never married, but John and his wife, Mary Gill, gave them two grandchildren, still living.

The Captain passed away in 1922 and Margaret lived with Lulu at the house on Seneca St. until her death on February 12, 1937, at the age of 82.  She was buried in St. Paul’s alongside her husband and daughter.

---

Captain John “Tailor” Farrell was born in Oswego on September 3, 1843.

In about 1882 he married Margaret Jane Driscoll.  They lived at 151 West Seneca Streetand had three children: Mary “May” Sara, Margaret Lulu and John Myron.  May passed away at the age of 14 and Lulu never married, but John and his wife, Mary K. Gill gave them one grandson, still living.

69 West Oneida

He retired from sailing after the schooner Cortez burned at the dock.  In his retirement he opened a tobacco shop and was also appointed Oswego harbormaster.

The captain died on February 3, 1922.  He is buried with his wife and daughters at St. Paul's in Oswego.

 

---

Elizabeth Driscoll was the first child of Timothy and Ellen, born on October 1st 1862.[27]  Often referred to as Lizzie or Liza, Elizabeth lived her whole life at the family home at 177 W. Cayuga.  By the age of eighteen she was working as a dressmaker, and in later years her profession is listed as an inspector in a silk mill, and later a glove factory. 

After the death of her father in 1889 she lived there with her mother, Ellen, and after Ellen’s death in 1914, she seems to have occasionally taken in boarders.[28]  Elizabeth never married or had children of her own, but is remembered for the loving care which she gave to her nieces and nephews, the children and grandchildren of her brother, John Benjamin.  Photos of her are labeled “Aunt Lizzie” or “Auntie Driscoll,” and she is often seen holding a baby or following a toddler. 

On December 6 1937, as she was crossing the street, returning to her home after dropping off her 22-month-old grand-nephew, whom she had been babysitting, she was hit by a taxicab and killed instantly.  An inquest was held, but no charges were ever brought against the driver.  She was laid to rest beside her mother, father and brother, Frederick, at St. Paul’s Cemetery on December 9, 1937. 

---

John Benjamin Driscoll was born to Timothy and Ellen on September 3, 1866.  Although his birth certificate, death certificate and obituary read "John Benjamin," during his lifetime, he was simply known as "Benjamin" or “Ben.”  Ben worked as a clerk for the local grocer in his teenage years.  He settled down and married Amelia Rosella O’Neill on June 23, 1897.[29]  Together they had 8 (possibly 9) children (Frederick Thomas, Howard John, Robert Paul, Benjamin Francis, Joseph Benjamin, Leo Xavier, Mary Eleanor and Edmund Francis), 7 of whom lived to adulthood (Benjamin Francis died at one year of age, another infant who died early on is suspected, but no confirmation has been found of this).[30]  The family lived at 183/162 Bridge Street, just across the street from Ellen and Elizabeth.  Although a record can be found of them living there as early as 1900,[31] they must have been renting, as Ben purchased the property in 1918.[32]  Ben worked for many years as a foreman at the Oswego Standard Oil Box Company, where in later years his son, Howard, worked with him.[33] 

Benjamin died on March 24, 1922, just 3 weeks after the death of his son Howard.  Howard died of pneumonia, and many in the city were apparently ill that winter, so presumably this killed Ben as well, but his exact cause of death is not known.  He was laid to rest beside Howard at St. Paul's Cemetery on March 27, 1922.

---

Amelia "Millie" Rosella O'Neill (Driscoll) was born to Thomas O'Neill and Margaret Kennedy on September 5, 1873 in Newboro, Ontario, Canada.  Although her birth certificate reads "Aemilia Rosalia" she used "Amelia Rosella" and was generally called "Millie" or "Mil" by those who knew her well.

Her family moved to New York when she was about 5 years old, and she grew up there with her 7 brothers and sisters.  In Oswego, she met Benjamin Driscoll and married him on June 23, 1897.[34]  She gave birth to 8 children (Frederick Thomas, Howard John, Robert Paul, Benjamin Francis, Joseph Benjamin, Leo Xavier, Mary Eleanor and Edmund Francis), 7 of whom lived to adulthood (Benjamin Francis died at one year of age).[35]  The family lived at 183/162 Bridge Street, just across the street from Ellen and Elizabeth.  Although a record can be found of them living there as early as 1900,[36] they must have been renting, as Ben purchased the property in 1918.[37] 

Her husband Benjamin died on March 24, 1922, just 3 weeks after the death of their son Howard.  Millie went to live with her son, Robert, who was now a priest working for the archdiocese of Syracuse, and was pastoring a church in Boonville, NY.

She died in Syracuse on February 7, 1970 at the age of 96.  She was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Syracuse (DeWitt).

---

Frederick Driscoll was born to Timothy and Ellen in 1867.  Very little is known of his life, but we have found a few newspaper articles that mention him, including a very amusing one that has he and his older brother Benjamin along with a group of 18 other Oswego boys causing a ruckus that ended up damaging a train car and landing them in the lock-up where they sang Sunday school hymns at the top of their lungs to torture the policemen until their parents came for them.[38]  He possibly worked as a laborer on the Oswego Canal.[39]  He died in Buffalo, NY on August 17, 1905 and his body was returned to Oswego for burial at St. Paul's on August 19, 1905, where he was laid to rest alongside his father.

---

Generation 3

William Henry "Skid" Driscoll was born to William C. Driscoll and Jane Ann Goolah on February 13, 1865, the eldest of their four surviving children.

He married, Minnie Kane Ladue., widow of William A. Ladue, in 1897.  Her son, George Ladue was only 8 at the time of their marriage, and they appear to have been close, William raising George as his own son.  Minnie and William had one child of their own, Sarah Irene, called “Sadie.”  The family lived at 33 Mercer St.

His obituary states that he was buried at St. Paul’s, but if there ever was a headstone bearing his name is had been destroyed or stolen by 1992 when the transcriptions were done.  There are two empty spaces next to Sadie’s grave, which is next to the Kane’s plot, so it seems quite likely that William and Minnie are buried there, but no headstone marks the graves.

---

Mary "Minnie" Kane (Ladue, Driscoll) was born Mary Kane in November of 1866 to Irish immigrants, James and Mary Kane.  She was   in a large family of   boys:  and   three girls: Kate, Anna and Minnie

Around 1886-7 she married William Ladue.  They had their first son in 1888, Willie A., who lived only 5 months and is buried with Minnie’s parents at St. Paul’s Cemetery.  They had another boy the following year in September 1889, and Minnie appears to have named him after her brother, who had died at the age of six: George A.  George seems to have been a healthy baby, but this does not seem to have been enough to bring harmony to the home.  A newspaper excerpt from 1890 tells how William was arrested, convicted and given a suspended sentence for beating Minnie.[40]  Less than two years later, he fell from the boxcar of a moving train and was killed.  There was an inquest, but in the end his death was declared accidental.[41] 

After his death, Minnie and George appear to have lived with her mother, Mary, her father, James, having passed away a few years prior.  Several years passed, and on June 28, 1897 Minnie married William Henry Driscoll, son of William C. Driscoll.  George was only eight when they married and had never known his own father, who died when he was just a baby.  William appears to have raised him as his own and been a good stepfather to him.  Together, William and Minnie had one daughter, Sarah “Sadie” Irene Driscoll, born April 20, 1898.  They appear to have all lived with Mary Kane for a number of years until her death on March 31, 1909.   Minnie and “Skid” had a long, and what seems to be a very happy marriage.  They celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in 1947.  Their family gave a dinner to mark the occasion. 

Minnie died on May 3, 1954.  Her resting place is unknown, but is presumed to be at St. Paul’s with the rest of her family.  There are two empty spaces next to Sadie’s grave—which is located next to the Kane family plot—so it seems quite likely that William and Minnie are buried there, but no funeral record has survived and no headstone marks their grave.

 

---

Clara Louise Driscoll (Todd) was born to William C. and Jane Driscoll in January of 1871.[42]

    It seems that sometime around the turn of the century, Clara married a man named Howard J. Prosser, son of Charles and Nora Prosser.  It is hard to determine when they were married.  In 1900 she is listed as Clara Driscoll, living in the house of her parents, but she is also listed as married, which would seem to indicate that she was married before 1900.  however, according to the NY Vital Records Index a Clara L. Driscoll was married on June 30, 1903; there were no other marriages of a Clara Driscoll in prior years and there seem to be no other Clara Driscolls in Oswego during this period.

    Whenever they were married, Howard died in 1907 at the age of 32 after a long illness.  Clara appears on the 1910 census living as a widow in the house of her in-laws, Charles and Nora Prosser.  It also indicates that Clara had given birth to one child, who was no longer living.  Also living in the house are a number of boarders, including a young man named Jesse Todd.  Jesse Sanford Todd was a painter from nearby Scriba Town who worked for the Ames Iron Works.  On the evening of July 25, 1912 Clara and Jesse were married at St. Paul's church in a small family ceremony.   Belle was Clara's attendant.

They lived together at 81 E. 6th St. in Oswego City for many years.

After a lengthy illness, Clara died at home on November 11, 1951.  Although Clara was a member and communicant of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Jesse was a Methodist, so she is buried beside him at the Protestant Riverside Cemetery in Oswego.

---

Jesse Sanford Todd was born to William and Mary Todd on September 11, 1878.  William was a farmer in Scriba Town and came to New York from Canada in 1866.  Mary was born in New York State.  Jesse had one brother, Raymond, who was born on November 24, 1882.

Jesse and his brother Raymond both worked as painters.  In 1904 he began working for the Ames Iron Works, where he was employed for 50 years.  

Oddly, Jesse appears to appear in 2 places on the 1910 census: in Scriba town living with his parents and boarding at the house of Charles and Nora Prosser in Oswego city.  As the censuses for the 2 towns were taken several weeks apart, it is possible that Jesse went back and forth between the two, or that his parents merely told the census taker that he still lived there, but I am certain that both entries are for the same man.   

 Jesse married Clara Louise Driscoll Prosser, widow of Howard J. Prosser, around 1911.  Though they never had children of their own, they seem to have cared for everyone around them.  Living with them at differen times were her parents, Willliam C. and Jane; her sister, Bella Driscoll Robillard; and her former father-in-law, Charles Prosser.

Clara died in 1951.  Jesse worked at the Ames Iron Works for a few more years after that, but retired in 1954, as it seems his health was failing.  Jesse grew ill and was hospitalized at least once, in 1959.  He entered the Harr-Wood Nursing Home, where he died on January 11, 1968.  Jesse was buried beside Clara at Riverside Cemetery in Oswego. 

---

Sarah G. Driscoll (Slattery) was born in March of 1876 to William C. and Jane Driscoll.  Perhaps the "G" stands for Goolah , her maother's maiden name,but this is only speculation.

In 1898 she married canalboat captain William Henry Slattery and moved to Towawanda, NY in Erie County.  They had six children: James W., Rhea, Newell, Harry E., Alice A., Joseph H.

Her exact date of death is not known, but she was still alive in November of 1961 at the time of her brother William's death.  The location of  her resting place, or that of any of her descendants, is not known.

---

Captain William Henry Slattery   (underconstruction)

---

Mary Isabelle “Bella” Driscoll (Robillard) has been one of the great enigmas of my search. The family notes that were handed down to me said that the fourth child of William and Jane was "Mary Jane" or “Mary Elizabeth.”  I did think that Mary's middle initial on the censuses looked more like an "I" than a "J" or “E” but it's often so hard to tell.  But as I went on with my search it began to become even more curious.  I found a sister named Isabelle, who was not listed on the family tree.  I thought that I had found a lost sibling until I went back and looked at the censuses.  Isabelle's birth date was very close to the estimated birth date of Mary and there was no evidence of an additional surviving child on any census.  Therefore, I concluded that she must be Mary Isabelle, not Mary Jane.  I can find no evidence of any Mary Jane Driscoll in Oswego during that time period.  

Isabelle is listed on the 1900 census as a single woman living with her parents.  On the 1910 census she is still living in the house of William and Jane, but she is listed as "Bella Labrey," their widowed daughter.  This indicates that she must have married and was widowed some time between the 1900 and the 1910 census.  Isabelle was living with Clara and Jesse at the time of her death, and for quite a few years before that.   She is on the 1920 and 1930 censuses as Isabelle or Isabella Rabblard or Robelard, sister-in-law to the head of the household, Jesse.  

The NY Vital Records index shows that Isabelle did in fact marry William Robillard on June 12, 1906 in Glens Falls, NY.  They had one child, Mary Ceona, who died in 1908.  William must have died soon after, as Isabelle is widowed by the time of the 1910 census.

Although she is listed with her married name in every census, her obituary, her headstone and other family obituaries list her as "Isabelle Driscoll," with no mention of a prior marriage at all.  Perhaps upon her death the family chose to divest her of the married name, possibly because they disapproved of her late husband, or possibly Isabelle herself just stopped using the Robillard name some time between 1930 and 1941.  Isabelle died at Clara and Jesse’s house on September 10, 1941 and was buried at St. Paul's on September 18, 1941.  The exact spot of her grave at St. Paul's is unknown.

---

Alva Bailey Wood (under construction)

---

Frederick Joshua Wood (under construction)

---

May Sarah Wood (under construction)

---

Pearl Wood (Krumhar) (under construction)

---

Carl Frederick Krumhar (under construction)

---

Mary “May” Sara Farrell was born on November 3, 1883 to Captain John and Margaret Farrell.  In her early adolescence she was an attendant at the Oswego Normal school.  On March 3, 1898 she fell ill; she died on March 9 of peritonitis, at 14 years of age.   She is buried in the Farrell family plot at St. Paul’s Cemetery.

---

Margaret Lulu Farrell (under construction)
She graduated from the Oswego Normal School in 1909 and was a school teacher in the Oswego public school system.  She taught for a few years at the Castle School and then for decades she taught second grade at the Kingsford Park School.  She died on September 4, 1961 in Oswego.  She is buried in the Farrell family plot at St. Paul’s Cemetery.

---

John Myron Farrell was born on July 11, 1889 to Captain John and Margaret Farrell.  He became a lawyer and married Mary K. Gill in 1929.  They moved to Flower Hill, Manhasset, Long Island and had a son, still living.  John worked in the legal department of the NY Telephone Company.  John died on Sunday, November 10, 1957 in Manhasset and his body was returned to Oswego for burial in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

---

Frederick Thomas Driscoll (under construction)

was born on April 1, 1898, firstborn child of John Benjamin and Amelia Driscoll.   

Tragically, Fred died in 1935 while his wife was pregnant with their first child (who is still living).  Frederick is buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery not far from his father and brothers.

---

Martha Marie Poulin (Driscoll, McKenna) (under construction)

born in Cheboygan, Michigan
At the time of the 1920 census she is living with Elizabeth at the Driscoll family home on 177 W. Cayuga, which is presumably how she met Frederick.
Frederick died in 1935 while Martha was pregnant with their first child (still living).

She lived with the Driscoll family for a number of years, but eventually she remarried to Thomas McKenna.

---

Howard John Driscoll was born in June 1900[43] to Ben and Amelia.  He worked with his father at the Standard Oil Box Company from a young age.[44]  Howard died tragically young on February 7, 1922 at the age of 22, from pneumonia.[45]  He is buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery.

---

Monsignor Robert Paul Driscoll (under construction)

was born on June 26, 1902, the third child of Ben and Amelia Driscoll.  
He entered St. Bernard’s seminary in Rochester, NY.  He was a good friend of Cunningham, and together they were dubbed the “Boys from Oswego.”  Bobby was ordained in 1928 and his first parish was St. Mary of the Snows in Otter Lake, NY.  He owned a Lakeside cottage in Otter Lake which he named the "Colleen Mary" after his niece.

    In he was transferred to a parish in Boonville, NY.  Binghamton, NY. 

    In he was promoted to Monsignor by  

Upon his retirement, he and his sister Mary Eleanor (“Ellie”), bought a house in Harpursville, NY and lived there together for many years.

Father Bob died on October 18, 1988.  He is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in the DeWitt section of Syracuse.

---

Benjamin Francis Driscoll, son of John Benjamin and Amelia was born some time in 1908 and died on September 18, 1909.[46]  He was buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery, but the grave is unmarked, so the exact location is unknown. He may possibly lie either in the section E plot with his father and brothers, or in the section C plot with his grandparents, Timothy and Ellen.  Although infant mortality was a sad but common occurence in those days, he was not forgotten; My grandfather, Leo Driscoll, who was born the year following Benjamin's death, often told of how devastated the family had been, and how they spoke of Baby Ben for decades to come.

---

Joseph Benjamin Driscoll was born on December 16, 1905[47]to John Benjamin and Amelia Driscoll.  Very little is known about his life or his death, although the photographs that survive show a young man full of vitality and good cheer.  He died on April 22, 1929 at the age of 22, cause unknown.  He was buried in St. Paul's with his father and Howard.

---

Leo Xavier Driscoll was born "Francis Xavier Driscoll" to John Benjamin Driscoll and Amelia Rosella O'Neill Driscoll on December 3, 1910.  Sometime during his infancy or early childhood the decision was made to change his name to "Leo" in honor of a favorite relative (possibly Leo O'Neill on his mother's side, although  anecdotal evidence seems to suggest a Driscoll cousin in Rochester).  

His father and older brother died unexpectedly in 1922, so Leo left school after he graduated the eighth grade at St. Mary’s to go to work and help support his mother and siblings.  He put his older brother Bobby through the seminary, and cared for everyone around him.  

In 1935, he married Loretta Doris Blanchette of Massena, NY who had been attending the Oswego Normal School for teachers.  Together they had 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren, and in his lifetime he had 1 great-granddaughter, who loved him very much (all still living).  He worked for many years as a troubleshooter for the Woolworth Company, being moved from town to town around Upstate NY, Massachusetts and Connecticut.  He bought a small grocery store in Poland, NY in 1942, and worked for an aluminum company in Massena, NY in 1943, but he went back to Woolworth’s later that year.  In 1944, he was drafted, and during World War II he served in the navy as a radioman in the Pacific, stationed for 13 months in New Guinea. 

Upon returning from the service he resumed working for Woolworth’s for several years, but the constant moving became tiresome and he left the Woolworth Company for good in the mid-1950’s, so that the family could settle down in one place.  They lived on Hubbell Avenue in Syracuse for 20 years and during that time he worked for the local VA hospital as a purchasing agent.  In 1973, Leo and Loretta retired to Lakeville, Connecticut, close to where members of Loretta’s family had settled.  In the late 1980s they moved to Cheshire, Connecticut to be closer to their grandchildren. 

Leo died on January 10, 2004 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT after suffering 2 heart attacks and a stroke, all in a 24 hour period.  He was 93 years old.  Leo was laid to rest in St. Bridget's Cemetery in Cheshire, CT.

---

Mary Eleanor Driscoll was born to John Benjamin Driscoll and Amelia Rosella O'Neill on September 6, 1914.  The NY Vital Records Index lists her as "Amelia Driscoll," so either her parents later changed their mind, or the government employee who recorded the birth erroneously entered the mother's name in place of the child's.  As she was born just a few months after the death of Ben’s mother, Eleanor, she is presumably named after her.  She was called “Ellie” by her family and friends.

She never married, but instead spent her life caring for her brother, Monsignor Robert P. Driscoll.  They both retired and moved to a home in the country in Harpursville, NY.  Bobby died in 1988.  Ellie died soon after on December 22, 1989.  She is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Syracuse (De Witt), NY with her mother and her beloved brother, Father Bob.

---

Edmund "Bud" Francis Driscoll (under construction)

was born on August 1, 1916, the last child of Ben and Amelia Driscoll.  The NY Vital Records Index and some censuses list his name as "Edward," not Edmund,[48] but throughout his life he was known as "Bud" or "Buddy."

Staff Sergeant in WWII; 1945 Bronze star [49]

Bud married Janet Margaret Bastedo on August 1, 1944[50] and together they had two children and three grandchildren, all still living.  Janet died on January 25, 1965.  Although Bud remarried several years later to a woman named Arlene Miller, he never truly recovered from the loss of Janet.  He died in the VA hospital in Syracuse on the 15th anniversary of her death, January 25, 1980.  He is laid to rest in St. Mary's Cemetery in the DeWitt section of Syracuse.  

---

Generation 4

Sarah “Sadie” Irene Driscoll (Galvin) was the only child born to William and Minnie Driscoll.  Both the 1900 and the 1910 census list her as "Sarah," as does her marriage record, but she seems to have preferred to be called “Sadie.”  In November 1915 she married Leo J. Galvin.[51]  She gave birth to a son, William J. Galvin, on February 20, 1916,[52] and she died 16 days later on March 8, 1916.  She was only 17 years old.  Her obituary says that she had been ill about 3 weeks,[53] so presumably the strain of childbirth either caused or aggravated the condition that killed her.  She is buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery, near her mother’s family plot.

---

Leo J. Galvin was born on August 21, 1897 to John Galvin and Sarah Hodge Galvin, the third child of five.  His father appears to have died when Leo was quite young. 

The Galvin family was all together in 1900, living on Seneca St., just around the corner from Ellen and Lizzie and Amelia and Benjamin.  By 1910 John had passed away and Sarah Galvin was living in the house next door to William C. and Jane with her eldest children, Mary and John.  The youngest three (Leo, Hilda and Blanche) are not living with them, and do not show up on the 1910 federal census at all.  Their whereabouts during that time are unknown.

Leo resurfaced in Oswego between 1910 and 1915, and on November   1915 he married Sadie Driscoll, daughter of William and Minnie.  She gave birth to their son William J. Galvin, on February 20, 1916.  She died 16 days later on March 8, 1916.

Leo and his son, William, lived with his in-laws, William and Minnie Driscoll, for several years after Sadie's death.  Leo was sent off to war in 1918, and a number of letters that he wrote to his mother and his Aunt Annie were published in the Oswego Palladium Times, telling of his experiences overseas.  He served in France and Belgium with Company D, 108^th Infantry.  He returned safely, and lived again with William, Minnie and his son for a short while.

He met Agnes Sheridan and they were seen at parties together in the mid-twenties.  Leo married Agnes Sheridan in 1928 and they lived with her family at 104 E. 7thSt.  Together they had two children.  In 1928 he also began working as a machinist for the Taggart Bag Company, and worked there for 35 years, until his retirement in 1963.  His son, William, appears to have continued to live with William and Minnie Driscoll when Leo remarried and began a new family, as he is still living with them at the time of the 1930 census.  

Leo died at Oswego Hospital on June 14, 1970, and is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.  At the time of his death he had 13 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

---

Roy Nelson Wood (under construction)

---

Eleanor Rose "Baby" Driscoll was born to Leo Xavier and Loretta Driscoll at 11:30 p.m. on January 8, 1942.  She lived less than 2 days.  Her cause of death is listed as “prematurity.”  She died at 9:30 a.m. on January 10, 1942.  She rests in the "Holy Innocents" section of St. Michael's Cemetery in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Although she was never given a name at birth, and the documents list her only as "Baby Driscoll," we have named her "Eleanor Rose" and her grave which lay unmarked for 65 years, will now in 2008 finally have a headstone.


The remainder of generation 4 is either still living, or their history is unknown.

---

Generation 5

William J. Galvin was born to Leo Galvin and Sarah “Sadie” Irene Driscoll Galvin on February 20, 1916.  His mother passed away 16 days later.  For a number of years William and his father lived with Sadie's parents, William Henry and Minnie Driscoll, at 33 Mercer Street in Oswego.  Around 1928 his father remarried to an Oswego woman named Agnes Sheridan.  They had children of their own and lived nearby.  William Galvin remained with his grandparents, William and Minnie.

            In 1937 he entered St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, with the intention of entering the priesthood, but he became ill and on September 12, 1938 had to leave seminary and return to Oswego to have a serious operation.  It appears that he never made it back to the seminary after he recovered from his illness.  He went to work for the Columbia Mills in nearby Minetto, NY.

On July 18, 1942 he married Miss Mary Margaret Smith, whose family lived just a couple doors down from William and Minnie on Mercer Street.  He and Mary lived at 232 East 10^th Street and later at 38 East 11^th Street.  They had their first child in 1943; several others followed, as well as a number of grandchildren, all still living.

Mary died on May 8, 1983, and was laid to rest in St. Paul’s Cemetery.  William died in Oswego on July 1, 1998, and is probably also buried at St. Paul's, although no confirmation of this has yet been found.  

---

Stephen Kevin John Smith Maguire was born Stephen John Smith on September 16, 1966 to Joseph Smith and Dorothy Benz Smith.  In later years, he took the family name "Maguire" to honor his grandmother.  He married Tara Colleen Sullivan, granddaughter of Leo X. Driscoll, on January 9, 1992.  They had one daughter, still living.  Stephen was an artist, a visionary and a dreamer.  He died of cancer at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT on November 15, 2004.  His ashes remain with his family.

The remainder of generation 5 is either still living ,or their history is unknown