Bio of O'NEILL, John, Clay Co., MN

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This article was published in "History of Pipestone County". 1984



THE O'NEILL FAMILY



  John O'Neill, father of James M. O'Neill, came from Belfast, Antrim 

County, Ireland. After living near Park Hill, Ontario Province, Canada 

for many years, he came to Rock Township, Pipestone County, in 1884.

  The children of John O'Neill were Katherine McQuigg, Anges Powers, 

Susan Sullivan, John G. O'Neill, Rose Moriarity, James M. O'Neill, Arthur 

O'Neill, Jane O'Neill, Frances O'Neill and Frank O'Neill. Of this large 

family, only James M. remained in Pipestone County the rest of his life.

  James M. O'Neill married Jessie Mae Foster. Her father, William Foster, 

came to Rock Township from Stockton, MN in 1878. He was born in Canada 

and his parents came from Belfast, Ireland. His wife, Sarah Monk, was 

born in the state of New York and her parents originated from Wookey 

Wells, Somerset, England.

  The children of William Foster were Mary Butts, John Foster, Jessie Mae 

O'Neill, James W. Foster, Ezra Foster and Frances Behrens.

  The children of James M. O'Neill are Rose Coughlin, John Vincent 

O'Neill, James Emmett O'Neill, Francis O'Neill and Bonnie Rolf.

  Rose O'Neill married John Coughlin. Their children are Leo Caughlin and 

Mary Krogman.

  Francis O'Neill married Dorothy Johnson. Their children are Lani Hale, 

Leah Paulsen and Peggy Erickson.

  Bonnie O'Neill married Aaron E. Rolf. Their children are Robert Rolf 

and Mary Schmidt.

  James Emmett O'Neill married Ida May Oldemeyer.

  Rens Oldemeyer, father of Ida May Oldemeyer, came to Minnesota in 1914 

from Hickman, NE, where his parents, who came from the Netherlands, had 

homesteaded. Rens Oldemeyer married Nettie Weeks, whose family came from 

England and settled in Cape Cod, MA before coming to Nebraska.

  The children of Rens Oldemeyer are Ida May O'Neill, Henry John 

Oldemeyer and David Oldemeyer.

  James E. O'Neill (Jim) and Pamela May Trageser are the children of 

James Emmett O'Neill and Ida May O'Neill.

  Jim O'Neill married Nancy Wachter and their children are Jimmy, Marne, 

Gina and Danny.

  Pamela married John G. Trageser and their children are Tara and Sheila.

  The families of O'Neill and Foster are a part of Pipestone County's 

history as they were numbered among the first settlers. William Foster 

built the first habitation (a sod shanty) in Rock township in 1878. It 

was suggested at the organizational meeting of Rock township that the 

township be named "Foster", but Mr. Foster suggested the name "Rock" 

because of the rock outcroppings in Buffalo Ridge.

  The first teacher in Rock township was Mrs. William Foster (Sarah Monk) 

who conducted school in her home. District 7 near her home was the first 

school in the township. District No. 14, the second school, was known as 

the O'Neill school.

  The O'Neills handed down stories of the great blizzard of 1888. Prairie 

fires were fought and the fear of Indians was with them.

  One evening at dusk Mrs.William Foster went to look for her husband who 

was coming from Bear Lake. She climbed a hill and gave the pioneer call 

"Yoo-hoo" and he responded. A neighbor staying in the Foster shanty with 

the children heard the calls and thought "Indians". He grabbed the baby, 

Jessie Mae, wrapped her in a blanket and hid her in the wood box. When 

the excitement had subsided and Jessie Mae was missing the family thought 

"Indians" again; but then the neighbor remembered where he had put the 

baby. Jessie Mae lived to be 90 years of age; all spent in Pipestone 

County.

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        Copyright Don Hansen 2006.  All rights reserved.

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